The Bookish Mutant

Goodreads Monday (9/30/19)–Sawkill Girls

Posted on September 30, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, everyone! September’s almost over…but SPOOKY TIME COMMENCES TOMORROW! REJOICE!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme started by Lauren’s Page Turners ; all you need to do to participate is to pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and tell everyone why you want to read it. 🙂

Without further ado, let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (9/30/19)–SAWKILL GIRLS by Clare Legrand

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Blurb from Goodreads:

Beware of the woods and the dark, dank deep.

He’ll follow you home, and he won’t let you sleep.

Who are the Sawkill Girls?

Marion: the new girl. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.

Zoey: the pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.

Val: the queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives, a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.

Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires.

Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now.

So why do I want to read this?

I’ve been an on-and-off fan of Clare Legrand’s for a while; I loved Some Kind of Happiness (read my review here) and The Year of Shadows, though I wasn’t crazy about Foxheart. I figured that Clare Legrand’s creepy prose would be absolutely haunting in a YA format, so naturally, I’ve been wanting to read this for a while. It’s had the dreaded ‘All Copies in Use’ marker on my library’s website for months [single tear slides down cheek], so I haven’t been able to read it. Hopefully my luck will change soon.

I’ve also heard Sawkill Girls compared to Stranger Things, which is one of my FAVORITE SHOWS, so I’m really hoping this one won’t disappoint.

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Thank you so much for reading this! Have a great rest of your Monday, and I’ll see you tomorrow for Book Review Tuesday…and S P O O K Y T I M E 🎃

Book Tags, Books

The Productivity Book Tag

Posted on September 25, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Whoa, look at me! Baby’s first book tag! 😄 I was tagged by A Little Haze Book Blog, and I’m so excited to join in the fun!

Let’s lay out the rules for those who participate:

Credit the creator (Sam @ Fictionally Sam)
Answer the prompts
Tag some friends

And most importantly…

Have fun! 🙂

Alright, here goes nothing!

PLANNING-A BOOK THAT IS COMPLETELY THOUGHT OUT

The Smoke Thieves–Sally Green

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There isn’t a place in this novel where I couldn’t find evidence of incredible attention to detail. And the world building…I couldn’t even dream of laying out something as intricate as that!

Read my review here: The Smoke Thieves

FOCUS–A BOOK THAT KEPT YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION

Aurora Rising–Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This. Book.

I swear, I think I shaved off around 300 pages in a single sitting the first time I read this. And honestly? I could’ve gone on longer if I hadn’t had to…y’know…eat…[ahem]

An absolute gem of a novel.

Read my review here: Aurora Rising

DELEGATING–A BOOK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIES

Last of Her Name–Jessica Khoury

Although the conclusion was perfectly satisfying, I absolutely adored the galactic setting, and all of the alien fauna. I would have loved to explore this world more, be it in a sequel or a spin-off.

Read my review here: Last of Her Name

SMALL GOALS–A BOOK UNDER 150 PAGES THAT YOU LOVED

Fahrenheit 451-Ray Bradbury

Okay, I’ll admit, I kinda cheated here. The edition I read was 159 pages…oH, scANDaLOuS…

Anyway, Ray Bradbury. ‘Nuff said. [mic drop]

PEAK HOURS–A BOOK/SERIES YOU CAN ONLY READ AT A CERTAIN TIME

Undead Girl Gang–Lily Anderson

I read Undead Girl Gang in the middle of summer, but it’s definitely best read around Spooky Time™️, what with witches, zombies and whatnot. [blasts the entire soundtrack to The Nightmare Before Christmas from a boombox]

Read my review here: Undead Girl Gang

LISTS–A BOOK YOU FINALLY CROSSED OFF YOUR TBR

Red Rising–Pierce Brown

Finally crossed off my TBR…but at what cost?

Unpopular opinion: eh…I liked Red Rising, but I found it to devastatingly overrated. Far too derivative of The Hunger Games, in my opinion.

PROACTIVE–A BOOK THAT IS/WAS AHEAD OF ITS TIME

1984-George Orwell

I know, I know, this is rather cliche choice. But in the current political climate (especially in the U.S.), it’s far more relevant than I’d like it to be. Let’s face it: we’re living through a terrifying part of history.

DECLUTTER–A BOOK/SERIES THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD UNREAD

Smokeless Fire–Samantha Young

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GOD. Where to begin with this one…

I fell into the trap of buying this one on my Kindle, as soon as I saw that it was only 0.99. Let’s just say you’re getting what you’re paying for; highly predictable plot, writing that practically begs for an editor, and a cast of cliched and disgustingly unlikable characters. I hate to say it, but…this is more Dumpster Fire than Smokeless Fire.

Oop. That last one was kind of low-hanging fruit, sorry…

MULTITASKING–BOOKS YOU READ AT THE SAME TIME

Two Dark Reigns–Kendare Blake

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Alright, sorry, I’m cheating a little bit on this one as well. I swore off reading multiple books at once sometime before middle school, so I can’t recall any specific books before then. But, I read this around the same time I read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (probably my favorite book, personally) for an English project, so I *suppose* this counts.

Read my review here: Two Dark Reigns

I TAG…

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves! I promise I’ll get my blog format presentable sometime in the near future…

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (9/24/19)-LIFEL1K3

Posted on September 25, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

I’ve been a fan of Jay Kristoff’s work for a decent amount of time now, what with his co-authoring of the Illuminae Files (you can find my review here) and Aurora Rising (you can find that review here). So, naturally, I’ve been wanting to read LIFEL1K3 for a pretty long time. I ended up buying it recently, and I must say, it was an absolutely WILD ride! Hardcore, gritty, post-apocalyptic sci-fi at its best.

Enjoy this week’s review!

LIFEL1K3 (Lifelike, #1)

In a post-apocalyptic California, Eve has lost everything. After a betting disaster, she, along with her best friend Lemon-Fresh, her robot companion Cricket, and her grandfather are on the run, with nothing left to lose. Gangs are closing in on them, and they’re being hunted by the anti-technology cult of the Brotherhood. On top of that, Eve may just have powers that change her life–for better or worse.

Then, Eve uncovers the remains of an android model–one that’s been banned and destroyed for as long as she can remember. His name is Ezekiel, and he may just hold the key to Eve’s true past. Can Eve and her ragtag band discover the truth about their origins–and survive?

LIFEL1K3 was an absolute riot, guys.

Kristoff’s signature writing takes the spotlight in this rollercoaster of a novel, and my god, I am HERE FOR IT. Gripping (and relentlessly over-the-top) action, witty banter, a ragtag cast of characters with impeccable chemistry, and a believable and well-designed future world. This book practically begs for the big screen; everything about this novel is wonderfully cinematic, and would be completely fit to contend with the action films of this day and age. Such a fun novel! Solid four stars. 🙂

The sequel, DEV1AT3, came out this June, and I just checked it out at the library! There is a final book slated for release, but it is, as of now, untitled and without a release date. Fingers crossed that DEV1AT3 lives up to this one. 😉

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (9/23/19)-Crown of Coral and Pearl

Posted on September 23, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Would you look at that! I didn’t forget Goodreads Monday this week! 😀

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme started by Lauren’s Page Turners ; all you need to do to participate is to pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and tell everyone why you want to read it.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

GOODREADS MONDAY (9/23/19)-CROWN OF CORAL AND PEARL by Mara Rutherford

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Blurb from Goodreads:

For generations, the princes of Ilara have married the most beautiful maidens from the ocean village of Varenia. But though every girl longs to be chosen as the next princess, the cost of becoming royalty is higher than any of them could ever imagine…

Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.

Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.

In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.

So why do I want to read this?

Simple. I’m desperate for a good mermaid book.

Okay, maybe it’s not exactly a mermaid book, but it seems like a good execution of the concept of undersea kingdoms. If all goes well, it sounds like Crown of Coral and Pearl has a lot of political intrigue and some interesting world building. I’m not expecting another Smoke Thieves, but here’s hoping that we’ll get *something* as good as that.

And let me elaborate on the whole “desperate to read a mermaid book” thing. I haven’t read a book in years that has executed the concept of mermen well. Case in point: Jennifer Donnelly’s Deep Blue. Avoid this one at all costs; the mermaids were uncreatively designed, as was the kingdom. And, there was the unrealistic dialogue and the onslaught of awful puns that the author seemed to think that we were going to take seriously. Just stoooopppp. Ally Condie’s Atlantia has a similar plot to Crown of Coral and Pearl, but it fell into a nearly identical trap: corny dialogue, cardboard characters, etc. So yeah, I really need a good mermaid book. Soon. Right now. 🅱LEASE?

Crown of Coral and Pearl came out a little under a month ago, so here’s hoping I can find it and read it soon! 🧜‍♀️

Thank you so much for reading! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourselves! I’ll be back tomorrow for this week’s Book Review Tuesday, and I’ve also been (discreetly) tagged in my VERY FIRST BOOK TAG…so I’ll be getting to that soon as well! (Thanks A Little Haze Book Blog !)

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (9/17/19)-The Demon World

Posted on September 18, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

First off, sorry for forgoing Goodreads Monday this week. It just slipped my mind sometime in between doing math homework and creating some X-Men fan art. Oops…I promise I’ll get to it next week 😉

Hopefully, though, this review makes up for it. This week’s book does, anyway. I finally got my hands on the sequel to The Smoke Thieves (you can read my review of book 1 right here )!!!

And I must say, this sequel did not disappoint! The Demon World was everything that I loved about book 1, but with the volume turned up; absolutely jam-packed with plot twists, intricate writing, and characters that you root for until the very end.

Enjoy this week’s review!

The Demon World (The Smoke Thieves, #2)

Just days ago, Tash, Ambrose, Catherine, March, and Edyon were strangers. Now, they are all entangled in a war of epic proportions, and their lives may just be at stake. And it’s all because of a bottle of demon smoke.

The tide of war is turning, but not in these young adults’ favors; King Aloysius, Catherine’s megalomaniacal father, has discovered that demon smoke gives whoever inhales it strength beyond their wildest dreams. With enough smoke, he plans to raise an unstoppable army, with which he can claim all of his neighboring countries.

Catherine’s underground resistance is struggling to regain footing after several losses. Their desperate travels take them to the Demon World–a hellish realm where demons roam freely. If they can figure out its secrets, they may be able to end and win this war–but is it too late to stop Aloysius’ demonic hordes of men?

And I thought The Smoke Thieves was intense…

The Demon World is truly a masterpiece, like The Empire Strikes Back of this series. Green pulls out all the stops, amping up the tension and action just enough to be believable and glue me to my seat simultaneously. Within…oh, fifty pages in, I was crying tears of joy. By the end, the tears had…well…yeah, let’s say they were quite the opposite. In short, this made me feel all the feels. Every. Single. One of them.

The ending left me speechless, and I kind of wanted to throw the book across the room. In a good way.

Almost.

I mean, it was a library book, I’m not that barbaric.

What I’m saying is that, unlike so many other YA novels of its kind, The Demon World is a worthy successor of the first novel, with an ending so earthshattering that the conclusion is almost guaranteed to be momentous.

Book 3 is, as of now, untitled, and according to Goodreads, the expected publication is sometime in 2020.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[sigh] Well…guess I’ll just have to re-read these two books countless times before book 3 comes out…

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves! 🙂

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (9/10/19)-The Smoke Thieves

Posted on September 10, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

I’m not gonna lie–I’d been meaning to read The Smoke Thieves for a while, and it was *mostly* because of that gorgeous cover.

*ahem* Aaaaaanyway, I bought it the other day, figuring that a) it was in paperback and b) that hey–it’s been on my TBR for an embarrassing amount of time, the plot seemed decent, and…THE COVER. *swoons*

I haven’t liked a fantasy book this much since…probably since the Three Dark Crowns series. (If you want to see my review for that, click here 🙂 .) An intricate plot, lovable (for the most part) characters, and some of the best world-building I’ve seen in years, I kid you not.

Enjoy this week’s review!

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The Smoke Thieves (The Smoke Thieves, #1)

Catherine is the revered princess of Brigant, struggling with the tyrannical rule of her father and the domineering presence of her brother. What’s more, she’s getting married to a prince she knows nothing of in a matter of days.

March is a servant, weighed down with an immeasurable grief. When he was a boy, his homeland was invaded, and almost all of its inhabitants–including his entire family–are long dead. For years, he’s waited for an opportunity to exact his revenge on the killers of his people–and now, he might just have the chance.

Tash is a young demon huntress, making a living out of selling demon smoke–the refuse of a demon after it is killed–illegally, under the tutelage of her mentor and father figure, Gravell.

Ambrose is a royal soldier with a conflicted heart. His kingdom grows ever restless, and the princess is set to be married off; all his life, he’s been pining for her, and now his chances are all but gone.

Edyon is a petty thief, travelling with a fortune teller to make a living. His true identity is unknown to him, but it could decide his country’s fate.

What brings them together is a single bottle of demon smoke. As it shifts hands, these five strangers are entangled, and now may tip their countries towards war.

The Smoke Thieves is easily one of the best fantasy novels to come out of 2018. The world building was beautifully intricate, paying attention to the smallest details in culture, customs, and so much more. For the most part (excluding Catherine…sorry), I loved the characters–March, especially 🙂 They were all so well-developed, with unique personalities and surprisingly great chemistry all together. I’ve seen this novel compared to Game of Thrones, which I know almost none about (my knowledge goes as far as a. Jean Grey, b. Dragon lady, and c. Everybody Dies™️), but I can still see that this is a truly worthy comparison. Such an unforgettable novel.

I believe this series is slated to be a trilogy. Book 2, The Demon World, came out this year, and I’ve already checked it out at the library, but have yet to read it. SO EXCITED!

Thank you so much for reading this! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Oh, and keep on reading!

Book Review Tuesday, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (9/9/19)-Loveless

Posted on September 9, 2019September 23, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone! Happy(ish) Monday! 🙂

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners . It’s pretty simple–just pick a book from your Want to Read list on Goodreads, and explain why you want to read it.

Here we go…enjoy this week’s Goodreads Monday!

GOODREADS MONDAY (9/9/19)-LOVELESS by Alice Oseman

Blurb from Goodreads:

Georgia feels loveless – in the romantic sense, anyway. She’s eighteen, never been in a relationship, or even had a crush on a single person in her whole life. She thinks she’s an anomaly, people call her weird, and she feels a little broken. But she still adores romance – weddings, fan fiction, and happily ever afters. She knows she’ll find her person one day … right?

After a disastrous summer, Georgia is now at university, hundreds of miles from home. She is more determined than ever to find love – and her annoying roommate, Rooney, is a bit of a love expert, so perhaps she can help.

But maybe Georgia just doesn’t feel that way about guys. Or girls. Or anyone at all. Maybe that’s okay. Maybe she can find happiness without falling in love. And maybe Rooney is a little more loveless than she first appears.

LOVELESS is a journey of identity, self-acceptance, and finding out how many different types of love there really are. And that no one is really loveless after all.

So why do I want to read this?

As far as YA goes, the 2010’s have been a great year for LGBTQ+ books. I’ve seen an increase in gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and other queer protagonists in such literature, which I am OVER THE MOON HAPPY ABOUT. I mean, it’s about time for this kind of thing. But one sexual orientation that I haven’t seen often in YA literature–and just literature in general–is representation of asexual and/or aromantic people. This book seems like it’s going to be a wonderful awakening for those who don’t know about these orientations, with Georgia, as far as I know, being aro-ace.

Beyond that, the plot of self-exploration without a love interest always hooks me. It seems that in almost every book that involves a female protagonist trying to discover who she is, there’s at least a 90% that there’s gonna be a love interest. And while that’s cute sometimes, it’s reeeeeally starting to get on my nerves. I mean, seriously, women can discover themselves ALL. BY. THEMSELVES. WE DON’T NEED ANYBODY ELSE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. So I’m glad to see a minor subversion of this trope.

Loveless is scheduled for release in spring of next year, so I’m eagerly awaiting this one! 🙂

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful rest of your day! Take care of yourselves, and keep on reading!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (9/3/19)-This Time Will Be Different

Posted on September 4, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello there, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday–the first BRT of September 2019!

I just finished this one up a little under a week ago. Going into it, I’d heard a boatload of praise from it…plus, that ✨GORGEOUS COVER…✨

*ahem* moving on…

This Time Will Be Different is such an important book for our current climate; not only is it a book about fighting against all forms of discrimination, but one of forging your own path and going where your heart tells you to go. A very impactful and moving novel.

Enjoy this week’s review!

This Time Will Be Different

Seventeen-year-old C.J. Katsuyama has always felt torn about her dreams; her mother constantly pressures her to be a perfect, straight A student and a future programmer, but her heart lies in Heart’s Desire, her aunt’s flower shop that traces its history back to her first-generation Japanese immigrant ancestors. At Heart’s Desire, C.J. truly feels at peace, and though she hasn’t perfected her craft of making the right bouquet for every occasion, she’s quickly learning, and to her, that’s what matters.

But in a sudden turn of events, C.J.’s mother proposes to sell Heart’s Desire–and to the same company that, many years earlier, cheated it away from her immigrant grandparents. Now, C.J. feels that she truly has something to fight for–but will her efforts be in vain?

Man. I haven’t read a book quite like this in a while.

This is, in every sense of the word, a beautifully feminist novel. Not only does the plot center around dismantling racist cultures, it also tackles other, equally important topics, such as LGBTQ+phobia, the problem of the white savior, and (briefly) teen pregnancy. It all felt very real, from the relationships the characters have to the high school environment. I found myself rooting for C.J. (weeeelll…most of the time, I found her to be a tad impulsive and insensitive at some points, but it was somewhat warranted) on every page. Unputdownable and unforgettable. Not perfect, certainly, but something that everyone needs to read, especially in this day and age.

This Time Will Be Different is a standalone, but Misa Siguira does have another novel that came out a few years back, It’s Not Like It’s A Secret. I’ve been meaning to read it for years, but it’s never available at the library…woe is me… 😦

Thank you so much for reading this review! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourself!

Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (9/2/19)-Starswept

Posted on September 2, 2019September 23, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Oooh, a new thing! Surprise, surprise!

Goodreads Monday is a fun, weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners . I learned about it through A Little Haze Book Blog , so thank you to both of you! (Wonderful blogs, by the way, please check them both out)

It’s pretty simple: if you want to do this as well, just go through your Goodreads TBR list, pick a book, and explain why you want to read it. I figured it’d be a fun thing to try out, and a chance to…y’know…make the book-related portion of my blog more than just reviews. 😉

Without further ado, madelinetodd.com’s first Goodreads Monday!

GOODREADS MONDAY (9/2/19)–STARSWEPT by Mary Fan

Blurb from Goodreads:

Some melodies reach across the stars.

In 2157, the Adryil—an advanced race of telepathic humanoids—contacted Earth. A century later, 15-year-old violist Iris Lei considers herself lucky to attend Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school powered by their technology. Born penniless, Iris’s one shot at a better life is to attract an Adryil patron. But only the best get hired, and competition is fierce.

A sudden encounter with an Adryil boy upends her world. Iris longs to learn about him and his faraway realm, but after the authorities arrest him for trespassing, the only evidence she has of his existence is the mysterious alien device he slipped to her.

When she starts hearing his voice in her head, she wonders if her world of backstabbing artists and pressure for perfection is driving her insane. Then, she discovers that her visions of him are real—by way of telepathy—and soon finds herself lost in the kind of impossible love she depicts in her music.

But even as their bond deepens, Iris realizes that he’s hiding something from her—and it’s dangerous. Her quest for answers leads her past her sheltered world to a strange planet lightyears away, where she uncovers secrets about Earth’s alien allies that shatter everything she knows.

So why do I want to read this?

Those who know me fairly well know that I’m eternally itching for a good sci-fi novel. At this point, I’ve had to let go of the fact that a good 80% of sci-fi aliens in YA are almost completely humanoid, so I’m willing to see if the execution of the Adryil is good or not. Hopefully the factor of their telepathy will make it better; that, at least, seems somewhat original.

What I’m really intrigued about, however, is the music aspect of this story. As both a sci-fi and music nerd, I’m excited to see both of these components woven together. It seems like it’ll be an atmospheric novel full of flowery prose, but you never know. Anyway, I haven’t been able to get my hands on it (I almost bought in on my Kindle a few months back, but along with everything else I had, it ended up being a bit too expensive with the others), I look forward to reading Starswept. 😉

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and stay tuned for another Book Review Tuesday tomorrow!

Music

My Favorite Songs of 2019 (So Far)

Posted on August 29, 2019August 29, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

I promised a whiiiiile ago that I’d post some non-BRT content, and here you are! I’ve been putting this one off for an embarrassing amount of time, but what matters is that it’s here now, okay? 😉

Anyway, it seems like 2019 has been a really good year for music! Whether it’s newer artists perfecting their craft, or established ones polishing off some of their best work, we’ve gotten a slew of great songs this year. For once, I had a hard time choosing which five to put in this post; normally, I have a hard time picking out more than three. (And then, of course, the year passes, and then I find even better music from that year. Oof.)

So, without further ado, my favorite songs of 2019 (so far)!

1: “No Bullets Spent”-Spoon

I’ve always had a special spot for Spoon, especially after seeing them live (opening for the Shins about two years ago). They’ve always been able to deftly create near-perfect rock songs, with catchy basslines and poetic lyrics.

“No Bullets Spent” is certainly no exception. It was released as a single, and later added to a Best Of album that they put togehter recently. I have no doubt that it will become a classic, with it’s mesmerizing instrumentation and fascinating lyrics.

2: “Shine the Light On Me”-The Raconteurs

Much of Help Us Stranger was an interesting departure from the Raconteur’s usual style–and for the most part, in a good way. “Shine The Light On Me” is, hands down, my favorite song off of the album; deeply reminiscient of Queen, with introspective and wistful lyrics paired with a beat that sticks with you instantly.

3: “The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World” (cover)-Snail Mail

If I didn’t know that this was a cover, I totally would’ve passed it off as one of Lindsey Jordan’s masterful creations. I haven’t listened to the original (I haven’t been able to find it, for some reason), but I can already tell that this cover does it justice, or even surpasses it. With her heartstring-tugging vocals and raw guitar, Jordan makes “The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World” not only stick in your head, but in your heart, too.

God, that sounded really sappy. But that’s just what happens when you listen to Snail Mail.

This is your brain.

This is your brain on Snail Mail.

4: “Traffic”-Thom Yorke

Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooa.

I initially listened to this song because of Anima (which you should all watch, I’M BEGGING YOU). The scene that it played in really stuck with me; the sets and costumes were simple yet ethereal, and the choreography…I could go on for days about the choreography…

The hook refused to get out of my head until I downloaded the song. A creepy, electronic masterpiece, with just the right amount of Thom Yorke’s signature style.

5: “Cell”-Calpurnia

Alright, I’ll admit it. I got into Calpurnia because of Stranger Things and Finn Wolfhard.

Unlike several other artists/bands that stemmed from acting careers, Calpurnia is destined to be an indie classic. With wailing and unforgettable guitar riffs and punchy lyrics, they’ll always be the band that makes you want to get up and dance. I’m really looking forward to them releasing an LP at some point…hopefully soon. Fingers crossed. 🤞

Aaaaand that just about wraps it up! Thanks so much for reading, and have a great rest of your day! 🙂