Friday, May 13, 2022

I Listened to Serpentina by Banks

 
Serpentina is Banks’s highly anticipated fourth studio album. It was certainly one of my most anticipated albums of the year.

The overall feel is a lot different from The Altar (2016) and III (2019). Even so, it’s very much a “Banks” album in all the best ways, with a lot of synth effects, auto-tune, and some experimentation—it’s a blend of genres—but the beats are catchy. They have a certain moody and atmospheric edge that works well with Banks’s vocals, which I’ve come to expect and appreciate. And when it delivers, it delivers.

The lyrics are just excellent. I expected nothing less, but even then I underestimated it. There were way too many lines that I wanted to quote. Some of my favorites come from the songs Skinnydipped, Meteorite, Holding Back, and Birds by the Sea. But, all of the tracks are a solid offering, and it’s hard to choose any one song that stands out as a top favorite when they’re all so good.

Overall, Serpentina has quickly become a favorite. And so far, I’m having a great time listening to it on repeat.

Monday, May 9, 2022

Music Monday (198): Anitta, Alice Francis, and Stromae

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: A couple of weeks ago, I caught Anitta's performance on the Coachella livestream. So I checked out her most recent album. One of my favorite songs is Gata featuring Chencho Corleone.


Adri: I have been waiting for something new from Alice Francis in what felt like forever. And yet, I managed to miss the release of their new song, As Long as You Smile, which I am currently enjoyingAnd now I have another album to look out for.


Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Bonne Journée by Stromae. This is another artists that I discovered by watching the Coachella livestream. Have an amazing week!



What are you listening to this week?

Friday, May 6, 2022

Monsters in the Mist by Juliana Brandt

Title: Monsters in the Mist
Series: n/a
Author: Juliana Brandt
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Middle Grade; Fantasy; Horror
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks Young Readers; May 3, 2022 

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble  

Synopsis from Goodreads...
When Glennon McCue moves into a lighthouse on a mysterious island, he must figure out why those who visit are never heard from again…before he and his family fall victim to the island’s curse. 
After Glennon McCue’s father takes an overseas position, Glennon finds himself relocated from Minneapolis to his uncle’s lighthouse on Isle Philippeaux, smack dab in the middle of Lake Superior. Surrounded by nothing but black, ominous waters, there are many stories about the island, but the worst one is that sailors wash ashore…and are never heard from again. Just before his family is supposed to move home, a storm rocks the isle and a ship crashes outside the lighthouse. The survivors seem off, especially one sailor who acts more like a monster than a person. Suddenly, Glennon finds himself in the middle of a real-life scary story, and unless he can figure out the mystery of the island…he and his family will be lost forever, too.


Monsters in the Mist is probably one of the best middle grade horror books I’ve read this year. It wasn’t only thrills and chills, but it struck a balance between telling a spooky story and a poignant one; where the monsters weren’t only the mystery of what resided in the mist, but could be found in the memory of and about the living as well.

Monsters in the Mist unfolds in the perspective of Glennon. I sympathized with him and understood and appreciated the way the author portrayed how he dealt with the stress of the scarier points of his situation. It was to the point where his doubt in himself made him question what he saw. The story deals with heavy topics, and much of it illustrated the way that grief and fear affect people differently. You don’t need to look any further than Glennon, his sister Leeunah (Lee), and his mother to see what I mean.

The setting didn’t make it any easier for the characters, as Isle Philippeaux didn’t give up its secrets easily. It was a mysterious place with an eerie atmosphere that only intensified as the story headed for its conclusion. I was especially interested in the way lighthouses were used in the story (as indicative by the book’s cover), and it ended up being one of my favorite aspects.

These things were accompanied by some frightening and dangerous instances. And it forced the characters to literally acknowledge all that had happened to them—as well as the predicament they unwittingly found themselves in—before they could move forward.

Monsters in the Mist had a message: feeling somewhat topical in a story that was otherwise a haunting read. All in all, it was great.

About the author....
Juliana Brandt is an author and kindergarten teacher with a passion for storytelling that guides her in both of her jobs. She lives in her childhood home of Minnesota, and her writing is heavily influenced by travels around the country and decade living in the South. When not working, she is usually exploring the great outdoors. Her novels, THE WOLF OF CAPE FEN, and A WILDER MAGIC were both published by SourcebooksKids. Up next is MONSTERS IN THE MIST which will publish in May, 2022. Her writing is represented by Natalie Lakosil of Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Sourcebooks Young Readers) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Shadow Grave by Marina Cohen

Title: Shadow Grave
Series: n/a
Author: Marina Cohen
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Middle-Grade; Horror
Publisher/Publication Date: Roaring Book Press; May 3, 2022

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble    

Synopsis from Goodreads...

This town has a secret it might just kill to keep…

12-year-old Arlo is afraid of the creepy zombie show all his friends watch, of fire, of his own shadow—but most of all he’s afraid of losing his mother to the disease that nearly claimed her life the previous year. While on a Thanksgiving road trip with his mother and sister, Lola, their car hits a strange beast and they become stranded in an old logging town with something unnatural living in its surrounding woods—a dark secret the townsfolk will kill to keep.

Marina Cohen is one of those authors that have books I’ve been meaning to try. A while ago, I had the opportunity to read her latest release, Shadow Grave. I had no expectations going in, other than what was laid out in the synopsis. 

I liked this story. From the start, it seemed like it would be a very spooky read, and I have to admit that it kind of was. There was something going on, and there were moments of tension. Plus, the setting was isolated, which created a sense of being trapped. It certainly had a sense of eeriness and mystery, which was something that the main character, Arlo picked up on. But there was directness to the narrative that limited some of the intensity that could have been there. That being said, when Shadow Grave hit its stride, the story sped toward the conclusion (and stuck the landing) with plenty of twists and turns. Ultimately, it had a strong dark fairy tale kind of vibe to it.

Shadow Grave also proved to be largely about its characters. That was a good thing, as it’s one of the areas where the story excelled. The topics could be heavy—absent parent, illness, accidents, etc.—but I ultimately liked the way Cohen approached them from the viewpoint Arlo. His character was largely shaped by everything he’d experienced prior to the start of the story. There was also his mother’s soothing reassurances, and the broken promises made by…well, someone else (If you want to know, you’ll have to read the story). These things formed the way he tried to handle the situation, while looking out for himself, his mother, and his little sister, Lola.

Overall, Shadow Grave was great. There were a number of good things about the story that I think a lot of readers would enjoy.
About the author....
Marina Cohen is the author of several horror and fantasy books for children and young teens. Her novels GHOST RIDE, THE INN BETWEEN, THE DOLL'S EYE, and A BOX OF BONES have been nominated for various awards in Canada and the United States including, The Sunburst Award, The Ontario Library Association's Red Maple and Silver Birch Awards, The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, The Rocky Mountain Book Award, The Manitoba Young Reacher's Choice Award, and The Pacific Northwest Library Association Children's Choice Award. THE INN BETWEEN and A BOX OF BONES are also Junior Library Guild selections. Marina loves old castles, hot cocoa, mysterious doors of all shapes and sizes, gingerbread and all things dark and creepy. She spends far too much time asking herself "What if?"

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Roaring Book Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Monday, May 2, 2022

Music Monday (197): Lizzo, Shena, Full Intention

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: Lizzo announced a new album, Special, which is supposed to come out in July (so not too far away). She also released a new single. It's called About Damn Time, and I love it. Luckily for me, there's more Lizzo music on the horizon to look forward to.


Adri: My House / Dance playlist is so large that I end up adding more songs from artists that I already had. And that's what happened with I'll Be Waiting by Full Intention featuring Shena. My second pick is the Lux Sunset Edit.




What are you listening to this week?





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