Music Monday (167): Tinashe and Gallant & Brandy

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I really like this song by Tinashe. It's called Pasadena featuring Buddy, from Tinashe's latest album 333.

Andrea: This week I'm listening to Dynamite by Gallant & Brandy.

 

What are you listening to this week?

ARC Review: Mine by Delilah S. Dawson

Title: Mine
Series: n/a
Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Paranormal; Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: Delacorte; August 10, 2021

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A twisty, terrifying ghost story about twelve-year-old Lily, her creepy new home in Florida, and the territorial ghost of the young girl who lived there before her. Lily's new house is a real nightmare. . . . 

Lily Horne is a drama queen. It's helped her rise to stardom in the school play, but it's also landed her in trouble. Her parents warn her that Florida has to be different. It's a fresh start. No theatrics. But this time, the drama is coming for her. The Hornes' new house is awful. The pool is full of slime, the dock is rotten, and the swamp creeps closer every day. But worst of all, the house isn't empty . . . it's packed full of trash, memories, and, Lily begins to fear, the ghost of the girl who lived there before her. And whatever is waiting in the shadows wants to come out to play.

The trend of middle grade ghost stories is still going strong. The latest one I’ve read is Delilah S. Dawson’s Mine. I had high expectations for this one, because I’ve been hearing praise for Dawson’s novels for a couple of years now. And, you guys, this book was delightfully atmospheric and spooky with a heartwarming but somewhat bittersweet ending.

Mine ticked all the boxes when it comes to middle grade ghost stories. The setting was in Florida, and Dawson really captured the humid heat and dampness of the location, which added to the overall atmosphere and tone of the story. The house itself seemed like a character in its own right, with plenty of secrets hidden in its old walls. Both of the families who lived in the house, Lily’s and the previous owner’s, had their own stories to tell. And when those stories collided, it turned into a thrilling and also somewhat nightmarish tale with plenty of outright creepy moments.

Lily Horne is into acting. I liked that portion of her character, though in the beginning, it was a source of tension between her and her parents despite the fact that it brought her so much joy. The parents were portrayed as doing their best with their situation, but it seemed, at times, that their frustration could have been handled a bit better. I guess that was the point of the story, the lesson in it. Mine was, in the grand scheme of things, a story about a ghost, accepting oneself, and learning and growing from past mistake, no matter how little or big they were.

Overall, Mine was great. I’d recommend it to readers who have enjoyed the Small Spaces series by Katherine Arden, The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown, and What Lives In The Woods by Lindsay Curry (which will be released next month on the 15th).

About the author....

Delilah S. Dawson is the New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma, Black Spire: Galaxy's Edge, and The Perfect Weapon. With Kevin Hearne, she writes the Tales of Pell. As Lila Bowen, she writes the Shadow series, beginning with Wake of Vultures. Her other books include the Blud series, the Hit series, and Servants of the Storm. She's written comics in the worlds of Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Lore's Wellington, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and her creator-owned comics include Star Pig, Ladycastle, and Sparrowhawk. Find out more at www.whimsydark.com.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Delacorte) via NetGalley for this review, thank you!

I Listened to Pink Noise by Laura Mvula

It’s been five years since Laura Mvula released The Dreaming Room (2016). And out of all the music I’m waiting for this year, Mvula’s next project has been one of my most anticipated. For months now, I have been excited by all the hints and singles we got for Pink Noise. And after such a long wait, my hopes were very high leading up to Pink Noise’s July 2, 2021 release date. The album is finally here, and all I can say is that the wait was worth it.

Pink Noise was actually everything I was hoping it would be. From the early singles—Safe Passage, Church Girl, Got Me and What Matters featuring Simon Neil—Pink Noise promised to be a romp through pop inspired by the 80s. The early visuals and singles clearly went in that direction, and the rest of the album’s substance—ten total tracks—delivered a spectacular and cohesive body of work that was defined by a clear theme.

I can only describe Laura Mvula’s third studio album as great and stylish. And, if you know anything about 80s pop, you’ll find many familiar sounds here with everything from synth, drums, and guitar riffs just to name a few. These hallmarks of 80s music were on full display, and they were mixed in a way that felt like a fresh spin on something that was already tried and true.

 

Music Monday (166): Florence + The Machine and Dax

 Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: It's been a long time since I listened to Ceremonials by Florence + The Machine. It's one of my favorite albums, and the opening  track, Only If For A Night, is excellent.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I was searching for new music on YouTube and came across music by Dax. This artist is new to me. I watched several of his videos before selecting Self Proclaimed 3 & Self Proclaimed 4 due to the songs' messages.

I hope everyone has an amazing week! Stay safe!~~Andrea

 

What are you listening to this week?

Short Stories I Read In June

It’s the twenty-ninth of July. So it’s time to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in June. This post is going to be brief.

The Life & Death of Mia Fremont: An Interview with a Killer by A.K. Hudson (Apex Magazine; May 4, 2021)

The only short story I read in June was The Life & Death of Mia Fremont: An Interview with a Killer by A.K. Hudson. This was an interesting story. It mostly felt like a character study mixed with a hefty dose of misogyny. It showed up in the form of the way society/family can treat and expect women to be and behave. This messaging is conveyed through what the main character records, while sitting down at an interview with someone who was initially said to be a literal criminal. But with this story, there’s a slight speculative angle. And the ending left off with an overall question, a “what if,” that isn’t quite answered by the time the story ended.

From Around the Web…

• The Fragmented Horrors of Josh Malerman’s Goblin (Tobias Carroll; Tor.com, June 11, 2021)
• Print Run Podcast Episode #142: Change the Frame
• Into the Woods: Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf (Molly Templeton; Tor.come, June 15, 2021)
• Closing the Book on a World: Andre Norton’s The Warding of Witch World (Judith Tarr; Tor.com, June 7, 2021)
• The History and Politics of Wuxia (Jeannette Ng; Tor.com; June 29, 2021)