Wednesday, September 28, 2022

I Listened To: August Music Roundup

In August, I bounced between two albums: Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Megan Thee Stallion’s Truamazine. They’re two very different albums—in terms of sound, theme, and genre—but I appreciate them for what they are.

Renaissance
  • When I read about what kind of album Renaissance was supposed to be, I had high expectations. And every single one of them was met. The range in sound made every track feel different than the last, but the strong themes and genre influences—dance, house, R&B, and more—made the album feel cohesive. I mean, even the transitions between each song were smooth. Its music you can move to. Renaissance is a treat.
Traumazine
  • Moving on, Traumazine was another excellent album to come out in the July-August months. It had its foot firmly in hip-hop and rap. The title is indicative of what you’ll get with this one, and the complexity and depth of the lyrics is what keeps drawing me back to this album. Traumazine features some of my favorite songs by Megan Thee Stallion. It also had a handful of interesting features including Rico Nasty, Latto, and Jhené Aiko among others.

What have you been listening to?

Monday, September 26, 2022

Music Monday (216): Mariah The Scientist, Leela James, & Wyclef Jean

 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: Over the weekend, I checked out some of the music Mariah The Scientist released in 2022. My favorite song of the bunch is Spread Thin.


Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Say That by Leela James featuring Anthony Hamilton and 911 by Wyclef Jean featuring Mary J. Blige. I look forward to discovering what everyone is listening to this week. Until then, have an amazing week!




What are you listening to this week?


Friday, September 23, 2022

What I've Been Watching + Upcoming Movies & TV Shows

It’s September, and I thought it was time to talk about some of the stuff I’ve been watching lately. I also wanted to talk about some of the upcoming shows and movies I’m looking forward to. Without further ado, here’s what has kept me entertained. 


Murder She Wrote
  • I’ve seen most of Murder She Wrote, but I still tune in to the reruns. It’s one of my favorite shows.
Agatha Christie’s Marple
  • Speaking of mysteries, I’ve been watching episodes of Marple on Sundays. I like the way this series was filmed, and the casting choices were excellent. One of these days, I will read this particular Christie series.
Svengoolie
  • For the past couple of months, I’ve been into Svengoolie. I like classic movies, especially horror, fantasy, and science fiction. And so far, the selection of movies broadcasted on the program has been really great.
Sonic 1 & 2
  • I finally watched both Sonic movies, and I loved them! One of my favorite series that I used to watch on Saturday mornings when I was a kid, was Sonic. These movies were great. They were fun and funny with enough action to keep me interested. There were so many little details that reminded me of the cartoons too. I liked the casting choices, especially Jim Carrey’s Doctor Eggman, Natasha Rothwell’s Rachel, Tika Sumpter’s Maddie, and James Marsden’s Thomas. And after the end credit scene of Sonic 2, I’m really looking forward to the next one.

Upcoming Shows and Movies
I’m really excited about Abbott Elementary season two. It’s one of the funniest shows I’ve watched this year, and I’m looking forward to what this season has to offer.

Another series I’m waiting on is The Midnight Club, which will be released on Netflix this October. I have my fingers crossed that it turns out good, because the trailer looks amazing.

I’m also looking forward to The School For Good and Evil film (also this October on Netflix). I never read any of the books, but I’m still excited for the movie. Again, the trailer for it seems really good, and I have high hopes for this one too.

Another Netflix movie that is on my list this October is Wendell & Wild. It’s stop-motion fantasy horror, and when I learned that Jordon Peele was involved with the project, well, I can’t wait for it to be released.

There’s also Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio this December, and I’ve waited all year for it so far. So, December can’t get here soon enough.

There's also the next Knives Out film to look forward to. 

What have you watched lately? Are there any shows or movies you're waiting for?

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

Title: Lakesedge
Series: World at the Lake's Edge #1
Author: Lyndall Clipstone
Source/Format: Bookish First; Paperback
More Details: Young Adult; Gothic Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Henry Holt & Co. (BYR); September 28, 2021

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble  

Synopsis from Goodreads...
A gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake.

There are monsters in the world. When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem. There are monsters in the woods. As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name. Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.


When I read the excerpt for Lakesedge over on Bookishfirst, I was intrigued by the story. The beginning is dark and deals with heavy themes, but it offered a good glimpse of the characters, atmosphere, tone, and the setting/lore that would influence the rest of the story. I wanted to keep reading, so the excerpt did its job. And I’m glad I read this one, because it was an entertaining book.

The two sentences that open Lakesedge’s first chapter boldly assert: “There are monsters in the world. There are monsters in the woods.” Pg.1

It’s labeled as gothic fantasy, and for the most part I agree with that description. It did feel like fantasy YA that picked up certain aspects about the gothic genre to add to it—such as decayed wealth, tragic characters, and a curse. The setting—which was dark, isolated, and enigmatic—also helped build the immersive atmosphere. It was a highlight.

I also stuck around to see how their efforts to unravel the curse would turn out. I’m all for a story about dangerous woods—it’s one of my favorite fantasy tropes—and I liked how Clipstone built the history of the curse. It was appropriately horrifying, and it demonstrated the kind of deity the Lord Under actually was.

Even while writing this, I’m still trying to decide how much I liked Violetta Graceling as a main character. On one hand, I appreciated her dedication toward protecting the only family she had left. She’s the sole POV in the story, and she had her moments of witty banter and ingenuity. On the other hand, part of the explanation offered for withholding certain details until it was convenient to know them, left me feeling a little let down. It went from “I know nothing about this,” to “Okay, maybe I did, but that’s beside the point.”

But, the ending was riveting. All the consequences I was waiting for—they happened. The character arcs Clipstone steadily built during the story—those paid off. There were no easy victories, and I loved it.

Lakesedge was a solid story, and the questions that came about as a consequence of its ending presented plenty of options of what could happen next. It was an entertaining read, and I would read the sequel.
About the author....
Lyndall Clipstone writes about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. A former youth librarian who grew up running wild in the Barossa Ranges of South Australia, she currently lives in Adelaide, where she tends her own indoor secret garden. She has a Bachelors in Creative Writing and a Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Management.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Henry Holt & Co. [BYR]) via Bookish First in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Monday, September 19, 2022

Music Monday (215): Rina Sawayama, Andy Grammer

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: This week, I'm listening to Rina Sawayama's new album, Hold The Girl. I love it, and one of the songs I've had on repeate is Your Age


Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Saved My Life by Andy Grammer x R3HAB. I heard this song on TV, and I chose it for my Music Monday pick. Have a great week all!



What are you listening to this week?


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