January – The Bookish Mutant

January 2023 Wrap-Up ⛄️

Posted on January 31, 2023January 31, 2023 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

Already a month into 2023! I hope you’ve all been doing well and staying safe. I could do without how freezing it’s been, but it’s been

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

Happy new year! January is usually my least favorite month in general; now that all of the fun of the holidays are over, all of the snow just makes everything look all sad and sludgy. And it’s been a freezing January—as I’m writing this, it’s a balmy 3° outside. We had our first snow day of the year on the second day of school, even though we really didn’t get all that much snow. Not that I’m complaining. It would’ve sucked to walk in all that. Needless to say, I wore my pajamas all day that day.

Winter break lasted blissfully long, and I got to catch up with one of my best friends for coffee, which was wonderful. As far as college goes, I think I’m in for an easier semester—no math or science credits this semester, and it’s still all English/humanities classes. Again, another reason why I’m enjoying this part of college—I’m taking another class where the reading is all comics, a Science Fiction class, and a class on LGBT studies (specifically focusing on Black/African diaspora)! I’m enjoying all of them so far.

I’ve had a fairly decent reading month, I’d say; break gave me some much-needed time to read after finals, and a family friend very generously gave some of his comics to me, so I’ve been slowly making my way through those as well. My reading’s slowed down a tad bit just from getting back into the rhythm of school, but it’s a lot better than the first semester in terms of how much I’m reading. Not complaining that I’m re-reading Slaughterhouse-Five for my intro to fiction class.

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing, playing guitar, trying to write a bit more (gonna need to for class, anyway…), blowing through all three seasons of Derry Girls (we love Clare in this house), and doing my best to stay warm. Fingers crossed that February will be more merciful on the weather front.

Also, you can’t really tell because I’m wearing a beanie in the new pfp, but I shaved my head on New Year’s Eve. Feels lovely, gotta say.

READING AND BLOGGING:

I read 21 books this month! I had a few brief slumps, but overall, I’d say it was a fairly even mix this month; I’ve already had a DNF, but I had two 4.5 star reads as well, so I think that cancels out.

1 – 1.75 stars:

We Contain Multitudes – Sarah Henstra (DNF – ⭐️)
You Truly Assumed – Laila Sabreen (⭐️.75)

2 – 2.75 stars:

Blood Scion (Blood Scion, #1) – Deborah Falaye (⭐️⭐️)
A Million to One – Adiba Jaigirdar (⭐️⭐️)
The Keeper of Night (The Keeper of Night, #1) – Kylie Lee Baker (⭐️⭐️.5)

3 – 3.75 stars:

Lies Like Poison – Chelsea Pitcher (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
To Each This World – Julie E. Czerneda (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Free Comic Book Day 2022: Marvel’s Voices #1 – Nadia Shammas et. al. (anthology) (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Marvel’s Voices: Pride #1 – Kieron Gillen et. al. (anthology) (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Marvel’s Voices: Legacy #1 – John Ridley et. al. (anthology) (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Marvel’s Voices #1 – Vita Ayala et. al. (anthology) (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Vinyl Moon – Mahogany L. Browne (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
The Merciful Crow (The Merciful Crow, #1) – Margaret Owen (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
The Heartbreak Bakery – A.R. Capetta (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)

4 – 4.75 stars:

*The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World*

Across a Field of Starlight – Blue Delliquanti (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The Heartstopper Yearbook – Alice Oseman (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Furysong (The Aurelian Cycle, #3) – Rosaria Munda (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The Last Cuentista – Donna Barba Higuera (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Bloodchild – Octavia E. Butler (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World – Sarah Stewart Johnson (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Little Thieves (Little Thieves, #1) – Margaret Owen (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE MONTH: Little Thieves – 4.5 stars

POSTS I’M PROUD OF:

I had fun reviewing Across a Field of Starlight, The Heartbreak Bakery, Little Thieves, The Last Cuentista, and A Million to One!
I started a regular music segment on here! Hope you all have been enjoying that.
I had fun doing the Trope Book Tag!

POSTS FROM OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT I ENJOYED:

SONGS/ALBUMS THAT I ENJOYED:

this has been on repeat in my library for eternity

a find from The Heartstopper Yearbook

if I had a nickel for every Gorillaz song that I haven’t been able to stop listening to this month, I’d have two nickels. which isn’t that much, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

a perfect, wintry album for January

NEW BOYGENIUS ALBUM NEW BOYGENIUS ALBUM THIS IS NOT A DRILL Y’ALL

and as if on cue, I’m on a huge Super Furry Animals kick again

Today’s song:

fantastic album!! just finished listening yesterday

That’s it for this month in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Music, Sunday Songs

Sunday Songs: 1/29/23

Posted on January 29, 2023January 29, 2023 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you well.

We’re reaching the end of the month now, and it’s shaping up to be another great year for music already! Also, we’re not even a month into this year and I’m already on another relentless Super Furry Animals kick, so…do with that what you will. It’s fine. Bring on the (Welsh) Britpop craziness.

Enjoy this week’s songs!

SUNDAY SONGS: 1/29/23

“$20” – boygenius

Just to check in…gays, are we all okay after this? Are you okay? Are you sure? Take a deep breath.

Breathe in…

…breathe out. This is really happening. Finally.

the glorious *Rolling Stone* cover, an homage to an older cover featuring Nirvana

To the elation of the girls and the gays (and to the dismay of a bunch of butthurt boomers in the comments of Rolling Stone’s instagram account, apparently), boygenius are back, and they’re already coming out swinging with three fantastic singles. Although all three showcase the joint talents of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, “$20” is the true powerhouse of the trio. Baker’s vocals, from most of her solo work, tend to be restrained at worst, but she lets loose on this single, filled with punchy guitars and equally punchy lyrics. It never slows down, feeling more like riding a wave, thinking that you’re safe in the current, and then getting hit with a powerful mouthful of saltwater with what may be the best Phoebe Bridgers scream yet. More than ever, the harmonies of Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus fit each other like chiseled puzzle pieces, as though they were always destined to work together in near-perfect unison. Needless to say, I doubt I’ll come down from the boygenius high for a while here. I KNOW YOU’VE GOT $20.

“Ice Hockey Hair” – Super Furry Animals

If you described the bare elements of “Ice Hockey Hair” to me—nearly 7 minutes long, heavy on autotune, a minute-long outro with almost nothing but random beep-boops strung together—I doubt I’d be immediately sold. But that’s the magic of Super Furry Animals; they can take any number of weird, outlandish elements and string them into something that’s not only cohesive, but an instant earworm at that. Laden with heavy guitars and drums and backed by a consistent fuzz and an effortless vocal harmony, “Ice Hockey Hair” never makes me lose interest through all 7 minutes, going above just keeping a steady pace and making for the perfect, prolonged Britpop song. I barely ever like autotune, but what sells me about the way that Super Furry Animals use it is that they just embrace the weirdness of it—it’s not to make their voices sound better, it’s just to make it sound weirder, to make it blend into all the screeching static and beeping faintly humming in the background. They’re masters of making their voices into instruments, and not just that, but making them into something just as weird as what’s going on in the rest of the song.

“Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood” – St. Vincent

Added bonus: the gloriously awkward Portlandia music video (“I could stick around for another song if you guys want” “no ❤️”)

Along with Super Furry Animals, I’ve stumbled into another St. Vincent kick as of late, and although I’ve always loved her work, I’m reminded of how rarely she misses (we don’t talk about MASSEDUCTION) in any aspect of her artistry. Actor is only her second album, and already, she’s showcasing her clear virtuosity—lyrically and musically. Even before her rightfully famous electric guitar shredding became an essential part of her music, Annie Clark’s complex, acoustic guitar pickings create an atmosphere that always feels alive, and with the added brass and driving drums, “Laughing With A Mouth of Blood” is a poignant landscape of a song that you can’t help but lose yourself in. St. Vincent’s music never loses its quality with the passage of time, and every listen feels like the wonder and joy of listening to it for the first time.

“Burning Airlines Give You So Much More” – Brian Eno

I was so used to seeing the album cover of Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy (now that’s a title) from really far away, so…am I the only one who thought that Brian Eno was wearing a beret, and it wasn’t just his hand patting him on the head? Is the hand about to give him the Gary Oldman cheek stroke, or is it just to cover up the pseudo-Riff Raff haircut?

…okay, I really shouldn’t be roasting the guy. He’s just doing his wonderful art-pop thing, and I love him for it. So much. Songs like “Cindy Tells Me” have further convinced me that I should listen to more Brian Eno, and this one I like almost as much (though it’s hard, considering how long I had the former on repeat back in October). For a song loosely written about one of the deadliest plane crashes of all time, it’s strangely laid-back, meandering along with bright, jangly guitars and synths in the similar tone. It’s a song to gently sway your head to, one to revel in the multi-layered composition of it as the guitars slowly climb up and down the scale. Brian Eno’s just doing his Brian Eno thing, and I’m so glad he’s doing it.

“Purple Haze” (Jimi Hendrix cover) – The Cure

It’s hard to take a cover and put a spin on it that feels completely new—especially if it’s Jimi Hendrix that you’re covering. But Robert Smith and company make it look easy, putting their signature goth touch on a rock n’ roll classic. Smith pulls the meaning of “haze” to an entirely different direction, layering the song with an eerie, synth-laden atmosphere and distorted vocals. It really does give the song the feel of a haze, like some kind of cloud or curtain that you’re walking through to try and find the heart of the song.Different pieces of instrumentation fade in and out, as though you’re losing consciousness. The guitars are understated, but I think it’s rightfully so—you really can’t touch Jimi Hendrix in that regard, for one, but it’s the fog of distortion and synths that make this cover so memorable. It’s a cover that wouldn’t be out of place at some kind of shady Halloween party (as most of the Cure fits anyway), a musical fog machine that transports you to another realm where you can’t seem to differentiate which way is up or down.

Since this post is all songs, consider this post to be today’s song.

That’s it for this week’s Sunday Songs! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Sunday Songs

Sunday Songs: 1/22/23

Posted on January 22, 2023January 22, 2023 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope this week has treated you well.

1/22/23? The month and the day add up to the year? You would think that would be somewhat auspicious. I wouldn’t know. I also saw a bunny on my walk to the dining hall this morning, so hopefully that should be some kind of Year of the Rabbit good luck. Happy Lunar New Year to all those who celebrate.

I’m back at school, and this week, I’ve already experienced a snow day on the second day of school and one of my professors saying that the whole class kinda “looked like the Mitski fan demographic” whenever somebody mentioned her and we all freaked out. He’s not wrong. Hello, LGBTQ community…

Anyways, we’re breaking away from the maroonish color scheme to bring you something more wintry this week. Fitting for the way-too-cold-for-my-liking temperatures we’re having over here.

Enjoy this week’s songs!

SUNDAY SONGS: 1/22/23

“Undo” – Björk

Vespertine is undoubtedly a winter album. Not in the “it’s January and everything looks dead” kind of way (which is entirely fair in this weather, honestly), but more in a way that recalls a cozy night in a warm house, snuggled up to the fireplace while watching a blizzard come down outside your window, knowing that your windows will be coated with frost by the time morning comes. There’s a resonant warmth that comes through with every track—which should be expected, with how much this album deals with the tender side of love. “Undo” seems to wrap you in an electronic embrace, combining an airy string section and a choir with skittering synths that recall a more hopeful “Kid A.” (puts said playlist transition in my metaphorical back pocket) At her very best, Björk can sweep me off my feet in an instant (see “Bachelorette”), but “Undo” is more of a gentle embrace, the slow wrapping of a scarf around your shoulders as you venture out into the cold.

“Grot” – St. Vincent

And speaking of songs that sweep me off my feet…

I’ve already talked about how much I appreciate different elements of a song coming together to form a seamless final product, but sometimes, the opposite can be just as powerful. “Grot” is all soft curves and razor-sharp edges with no in-between; the song open’s with a loop of Annie Clark’s delicate harmonizations, and by the next measure, industrial noise makes the song explode. Against the backdrop of her once light vocals, Annie Clark’s voice becomes commanding, biting in both its quality and lyricism—”Power doesn’t care what you want/power just wants to watch.” But just as quickly, the noise gradually fades away, the original loop circling back into focus as a string section gives it a more gentle backdrop, until all that’s left is the beginning of the song. “Grot” is proof of Annie Clark’s sheer power as a musician, and although she’s been my musical hero for years, this song makes me long for some future where she embraces the noisiness more. Not to say that everything else (excluding the utter betrayal that was MASSEDUCTION) that she’s done is near-flawless, but I want to see this side of her more.

“Really Really Light” – The New Pornographers

never forget the time The New Pornographers made kid’s merch

The news broke not long ago that The New Pornographers will be releasing a new album, Continue as a Guest (if there was ever a more New Pornographers-y name) at the end of March, with this song as the lead single. It feels like a welcome return to soul and form after their last album; In the Morse Code of Brake Lights was enjoyable, but ultimately, not exactly memorable. “Really Really Light,” however, glides along much like the ice skater in the music video, featherlike and brimming with brightness. It almost bubbles at the edges, the harmonies of A.C. Newman and Neko Case weaving together to make a song that feels lighter than air. Hopefully the rest of Continue as a Guest won’t disappoint—if it’s anything like this song, I think it’ll be a great album. I’ll hold out hope.

“Nobody” – Black Belt Eagle Scout

Another album coming out soon, this time from an artists with what’s absolutely one of the best band names of all time. After the sleepy, restrained melodies of Katherine Paul’s sophomore album, At the Party With My Brown Friends, the past few singles off of the upcoming The Land, The Water, The Sky have been a partial return to form—one that I’m absolutely excited for. The three singles off of the album thus far—“Don’t Give Up,” “My Blood Runs Through This Land,” and this—have reintroduced some fantastic guitars, making for a driving, uplifting sound that gives her sound all of the power it deserves. “Nobody” in particular is a nearly 5-minute chunk of alternative greatness, filled with soaring guitars and Paul’s voice, simultaneously airy and full of power and purpose. Lyrically, it deals with Paul’s relationship with Native American representation, especially in the music industry, making the chorus all the more powerful. “Nobody sang it for me/Like I wanna sing it to you.” Amen.

“(Joe Gets Kicked Out of School for Using) Drugs With Friends [But Says This Isn’t a Problem]” – Car Seat Headrest

This title: hilarious in concept, cumbersome when you’re trying to squeeze increasingly tiny text into a small box. Thanks a bunch, Will. What a guy.

“Drugs With Friends” was an unexpected blast from the past on my shuffle not too long ago, and I am all the better for it. Teens of Denial remains one of my favorite albums of all time, and the second this song started playing, I was transported back to the summer before high school, painting teal over the hot pink walls of my room and devouring Heart of Iron in a hotel room on vacation in Chicago. I often end up overlooking this song just because of how earthshatteringly wonderful tracks like “Cosmic Hero,” “Fill In the Blank,” and “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” are, but it boasts just as much merit as any other song on the album. Leave it to Will Toledo to turn a tale of feeling monumentally miserable at a party (and making a series of questionable, acid-induced decisions all the while) into an instantly catchy indie song that would be impossible not to jump up and down to at a concert. Even in more irreverent songs like this, Toledo’s voice has a healing quality to it (and no, I’m not saying that because I had a massive crush on him in 8th grade…okay, maybe I am), moving like honey through the cacophony of guitars and noise. What an album, really.

Anyways, I really hope Will Toledo’s doing okay these days. Long COVID is no joke. I miss Car Seat Headrest.

Since this whole post consists of all songs, consider all 5 to be today’s song.

That’s it for this week’s Sunday Songs! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Sunday Songs

Sunday Songs: 1/15/23

Posted on January 15, 2023January 14, 2023 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful week.

Winter break is over for me, but I’m assuming that the first week back to college will be low-key (ish? probably lots of syllabuses…syllabi?), so I should be able to keep up the schedule for a little while. In the meantime, here’s another mishmash of my music. Still sort of in the maroon/burgundy colored aesthetic for the second week running, I guess. Whoops.

Enjoy this week’s Sunday Songs!

SUNDAY SONGS: 1/15/23

“Angel” – Gavin Friday

I’d consider this song to be one of many mainstays of my childhood; if I think of being in my dad’s car at night, watching the moon pass by my window and wondering why it seemed to follow me, or even just pulling up to the bank parking lot, chances are, I’ll find this song lurking there. Even if it hadn’t been there for most of my life, “Angel” would be a memorable song either way. I’ve only heard a handful of Gavin Friday’s songs (and half of the ones I can think of are covers), but I can safely say that he has one of the most unique singing voices that I’ve ever heard; he can switch from a breathy, ethereal hum to a thick wail in a matter of seconds, and it dips down to a raspy whisper in the quiet moments in between. (“Shag Tobacco” comes to mind for the latter.) The musical range in just 6 minutes perfectly matches his mercurial voice, from the twinkling, starlike notes at the beginning to the humming synth undercurrent. It’s a musical patchwork quilt, but one so seamless that you couldn’t see the stitches in between each scrap of fabric. Beautiful.

“She’s My Collar (feat. Kali Uchis)” – Gorillaz

I tried. I tried not to double up on Gorillaz after “Left Hand Suzuki Method” last week. They’re just so good………guys……………..guys….

From what I know of the general opinions around Gorillaz, the fandom seems to direct a fair amount of ire towards this album, Humanz; most of the criticism seems to have come from the excess of collaboration that the band is now known for. My question is how that wasn’t applied to the hit-or-miss Song Machine Season 1, an album that heavily relied on…the exact same thing? Okay?? And yet, every single song I’ve heard off of Humanz has had me in a vice grip at some point or another—I haven’t listened to the whole album yet (soon, I swear), but songs like “Momentz (feat. De La Soul)” and “Charger (feat. Grace Jones)” feel like Gorillaz embracing the infectious, instantly danceable fun that makes their music almost never fail. “She’s My Collar” is another prime example—pushed along by a driving drumbeat that makes it impossible not to nod your head, Damon Albarn’s breathy vocals make for a song with the power to instantly cheer you up. My only minor nitpick is Kali Uchis; I don’t know a whole about her, granted, but her verse did feel slightly weak and almost off-key in places. Luckily, when her voice fades into the synths with a ghostlike quality, making itself as much an instrument as anything else in the background, it brings the song back to its cohesive, catchy glory. It’s been…three days now, I think, and I’ve barely been able to listen to anything else.

“Buses Splash With Rain” – Frankie Cosmos

It’s the classic sadgirl setup: “I’m the kind of girl/Buses splash with rain.” But like the Zentropy album cover, with its crusty white dog wearing a knitted hat and “Frankie Cosmos” written in bright, neon colors, Greta Kline juxtaposes her self-deprecating lyricism with her characteristic musical whimsy and brightness. Frankie Cosmos songs can be deceptive that way; although I haven’t listened to Zentropy in full, their songs often pair melancholy with the kind of instrumentation that brings to mind cartoon doodles of frogs and suns drawn on the corner of the page with little squiggly lines for the rays. Although this is only their first album, it’s easy to see from “Buses Splash With Rain” that Greta Kline and company had already begun to master what has become their signature style—short, bright indie pop songs that seem to radiate pastel colors amidst lyrical boredom or melancholy. The only downside to their music is that, because they’re so short, they sometimes blend together, but this one is certainly memorable enough to stand out from the barely two minute long crowd.

“Panopticom (Bright Side Mix)” – Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel’s releasing a song from his new album every full moon this year? Are us Peter Gabriel fans just werewolves now? Not that I’m complaining. Lycanthropy sounds fun. Maybe.

The news broke recently that Peter Gabriel would be releasing his first album in over 20 years this year, and what else should I have expected than for him to come straight out of the gates, bouzouki in hand, with relentless creativity at the ready? It’s been a week since “Panopticom” came out, and it’s taken a little while to grow on me—to be fair, with how much of a chokehold songs like “Come Talk to Me” and “Not One Of Us” have had on me, he’s inevitably got big shoes to fill. But once it sunk in, Gabriel’s musical powers became all the more evident. The concept itself stands out as an antithesis to the concept of the panopticon, rather a means of us observing the theoretical Big Brother figure instead of the other way around. Surrounding it is an unexpected collage of music, beginning with lighter synths and descending into driving guitars that recall his earlier works. It’s songs like these that make me want to be somebody like Peter Gabriel once I’ve reached his age, continuing to be creative when I’m much, much older. You go, dude. We’re all waiting until the next full moon very anxiously…

“I Can’t Stand the Rain” – Ann Peebles

Two songs with ‘rain’ in the title? In one week? It’s more likely than you think.

After realizing last week that this is the sample from Missy Elliott’s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” I have NOT been able to stop listening to it. Once the famous sampled section at the beginning starts to fade is where it kicks in—right at 0:18, with its chorus of steady drums and slowly rising brass. It’s an instant head-nodder that makes it impossible to move at least some of your body while you’re listening the second that the band invites itself in. Peebles’ crooning voice soars all the way through, selling every feathery waver as she calls to mind the pitter-patter of rain against a windowpane as she remembers an ex-lover. The only song that this song commits is being so short, but maybe that’s how it’s meant to be—a perfect, short-and-sweet classic. Without knowing much else about Ann Peebles, it’s easy to see how this became her biggest hit—it’s consistently catchy and pleasing to the ears in every way. Given how short it is, I won’t be surprised if this comes up in my apple replay once it starts up…this and “She’s My Collar” are gonna be WAY up there, I can’t stop listening to either of them…

Since this post consists of all songs, consider all of them to be today’s song.

That’s it for this week’s Sunday Songs! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: December 26, 2022 – January 1, 2023

Posted on January 1, 2023 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles, and happy new year!! I hope this last week of the year treated you well. 🎇

It’s been a nice, relaxing end to this year, I would say. After Christmas, I went to Barnes & Noble and got some amazing-looking books with my gift card, and I’ve had lots of time to draw, read, blog, and decompress overall. With all of the snow that’s still here, Ringo’s been swimming in the snow with his little legs…corgis are so funny lol

I finally feel like I’ve broken out of my reading slump from this month! I really enjoyed Gleanings, and the one book I finished from the B & N haul (House of Hollow) was fantastic, and all of the others look similarly so! I finished 2022’s reading challenge, beating my goal of 200 books and reading 224 books in 2022! I didn’t want to make that drastic of a leap this year, so my goal for 2023 is 215 books!

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing, playing guitar, watching Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (emotionally destroyed me, but leave it to him to make the creation of Pinocchio look like something out of Frankenstein) and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (the SWEETEST), and rewatching Isle of Dogs. Certainly a nice start to the year, I think. Here’s to a happy 2023!

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe – Neal Shusterman et. al. (anthology) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Women Don’t Owe You Pretty – Florence Given (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

DC: The New Frontier, vol. 1 – Darwyn Cooke (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

House of Hollow – Krystal Sutherland (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Across a Field of Starlight – Blue Delliquanti

The Heartstopper Yearbook – Alice Oseman

To Each This World – Julie E. Czernada

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: January 31 – February 6, 2022

Posted on February 6, 2022 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you well.

It’s been a bit of a long week for me—very cold, filled with studying, and topped off with a reading slump. But, miracle of miracles, our school district called a snow day on Wednesday AND a 2-hour delay the next day! Freezing as it was (and it got well below freezing in the middle of the week), it was so nice to sleep in.

As far as my reading, I’ve been in a bit of a slump. I ended up having three 2-star reads in a row, so most of the week was a bit of slog. Fortunately, The Grief Keeper seems to have temporarily broken me out, and I’m excited for the books I got at the library yesterday.

Writing-wise, I’ve been getting deep into the weeds of editing, with…varying degrees of success. I’m in the process of both cutting out and resurrecting scenes, which involves trawling through my almost 600-page first draft (OOPS), so that’s been a bit of a struggle. All in the name of making things more coherent.

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing a bit, practicing guitar, watching the new season of Raised By Wolves (interesting start??), listening to the new Lucy Dacus single (SO GOOD) and the new Mitski album (hit or miss…expect a review soon), and hovering around the fireplace to warm up.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Binti (Binti, #1) – Nnedi Okorafor (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Binti (Binti, 1): Okorafor, Nnedi: 9780765385253: Amazon.com: Books

Master of Poisons – Andrea Hairston (⭐️⭐️)

This Is Our Story – Ashley Elston (⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: This is Our Story: 9781484730898: Elston, Ashley: Books

Odd One Out – Nic Stone (⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: Odd One Out: 9781101939536: Stone, Nic: Books

The Grief Keeper – Alexandra Villasante (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: The Grief Keeper: 9780525514022: Villasante, Alexandra: Books

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Redemptor (Raybearer, #2) – Jordan Ifueko

Amazon.com: Redemptor (Raybearer Book 2): 9781419739842: Ifueko, Jordan: Books

Noor – Nnedi Okorafor

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor: 9780756416096 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves – Meg Long

Amazon.com: Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves: A Novel: 9781250785060: Long, Meg: Books

White Smoke – Tiffany D. Jackson

Amazon.com: White Smoke: 9780063029095: Jackson, Tiffany D: Books

Today’s song:

I CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO THIS

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Monthly Wrap-Ups

January 2022 Wrap-Up 🚡

Posted on January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

2022. It’s gonna be a momentous year for me—I’m graduating high school and starting college, after all! January’s been both fun and stressful, but I’d say it’s been a good start to this year so far.

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

Edward & Kim - Edward Scissorhands Fan Art (22305845) - Fanpop

Better than last January, certainly, but that’s a pretty low standard. I blame precalc.

After a barely snowy December, it’s finally felt like winter here. A little…too much so. I like snow, generally, but after the first few I start to get sick of the ice on the roads and waking up at 6 AM in the freezing cold. But that’s Colorado. At least the snow looks beautiful on the mountains.

My last semester of high school…I still haven’t managed to grasp it. But either way, it started out smoothly, and it’s gradually begun to feel more like…well, School. Lots of tests and quizzes to study for, which I’m not thrilled about, but I’m finally in a creative writing class, and I’m really enjoying it! I’ve gotten to write a lot of interesting poetry, and I feel a lot less nervous about reading it out loud now. I ended up stressing out about college a lot this month, but now that there’s more certainty in the future, I feel a lot better. And I think I’ll be very happy with where I’m going.

Editing the WIP has been on and off, but I’ve gone through the first initial read-through! Now that I’ve identified what needs to be done, I just need to tweak things here and there. I’ve been trying for years to be more open about sharing parts of my story with friends and family, and I’m getting closer, but I’m hoping sharing the story itself will be the next step. Kind of needs to be, anyway, if I want to get it published someday…

Other than that, I spent some time with family, got comics, went skiing for the first time since early 2020 (or was it 2019?), I got to see Danny Elfman live (which was AMAZING!!), watched the first two episodes of The Book of Boba Fett then timed out, re-watched Edward Scissorhands and Felt A Great Many Things, watched The House, and got around to drawing a little more.

I’ve also been getting more into X-Men lately—well, more than usual, at any rate. They’ve been special to me for years, but I haven’t been this much into them since…probably this time three years ago, freshman year. I think reading the newer comics has spurred it on again. There’s something oddly sacred about reconnecting with that part of my past self, of knowing that what gave her joy still gives me joy now. To know that I’ve grown so much since then.

I realized that I’ve never really explained where my blog name comes from—the “Mutant” part of “The Bookish Mutant” is a reference to the X-Men.

X men night call movie quotes GIF - Find on GIFER — well said, Kurt. well said.

READING AND BLOGGING:

I read 21 books this month! I put my Goodreads challenge at 200 books because I’m anticipating a hectic year, what with moving into college and all that. Either way, I’m surprised—and glad—to have gotten around to reading this much, however hit-or-miss this batch was.

1 – 1.75 stars:

Amazon.com: Sisters of the Snake: 9780062985590: Nanua, Sasha, Nanua, Sarena: Books — *Sisters of the Snake*

Lightless – C.A. Higgins (DNF) (⭐️)
Sisters of the Snake (Ria & Rani, #1) – Sarena Nanua and Sasha Nanua (DNF) (⭐️.75)

2 – 2.75 stars:

I'm Not Missing by Carrie Fountain — *I’m Not Missing*

Persephone Station – Stina Leicht (⭐️⭐️)
Not Your Sidekick (Sidekick Squad, #1) – C.B. Lee (⭐️⭐️)
Traitor’s Kiss (The Traitor’s Circle, #1) – Erin Beaty (⭐️⭐️)
I’m Not Missing – Carrie Fountain (⭐️⭐️.5)

3 – 3.75 stars:

Amazon.com: Railhead: 9781630790486: Reeve, Philip: Books — *Railhead*

Rise of the Red Hand (The Mechanists, #1) – Olivia Chadha (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The Fallen (The Outside, #2) – Ada Hoffmann (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Landscape with Invisible Hand – M.T. Anderson (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Who I Was with Her – Nita Tyndall (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Batman: Nightwalker – The Graphic Novel – Marie Lu, adapted by Stuart Moore and Chris Wildgoose (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Sorcery of Thorns – Margaret Rogerson (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)
Only Mostly Devastated – Sophie Gonzales (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)
Anthem – Noah Hawley (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)
Railhead – Philip Reeve (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)

4 – 4.75 stars:

Amazon.com: Beyond the End of the World: 9780062893369: Kaufman, Amie, Spooner, Meagan: Books — *Beyond the End of the World*

The Kindred – Alechia Dow (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Fireborne (The Aurelian Cycle, #1) – Rosaria Munda (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The Cost of Knowing – Brittney Morris (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Tides of Mutiny – Rebecca Rode (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Beyond the End of the World (The Other Side of the Sky, #2) – Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Edward Albee (for school) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE MONTH: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – 4.5 stars

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Albee, Edward: 0071162004991: Amazon.com: Books — *Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*

SOME POSTS I’M PROUD OF:

I had fun reviewing Railhead, Anthem, The Kindred, and Rise of the Red Hand!
I wrote about why the second book in the trilogy sometimes fails, and it was so much fun to explore!
I also made a follow-up to my sci-fi tropes post—spiders, anyone?

POSTS I ENJOYED FROM OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE:

Starlight Reading made a lest of Latinx books that she’s read and are on her TBR!
Bertie made a list of sapphic sci-fi books!
Hundreds & Thousands of Books created the Best Books of 2021 Book Tag! Check it out!
Becca also made an original book tag: The Book Club Tag! (I haven’t found time to do it yet, but I absolutely will!)
The Inside Cover made a great end-of-the-year wrap-up!

SONGS/ALBUMS I’VE ENJOYED:

this is the only audio of this song that I could find on YouTube for some reason?? anyways I love it & my creative writing teacher put the album cover as the header for his google classroom and it’s awesome

new spoon woo woo woo!!

new Mitski will be in our hands so soon!!! can’t wait!!

one of those songs I heard as a kid but only remembered a tiny bit of

at this point, the score for Edward Scissorhands is easily one of my favorite film scores of all time

a hit-or-miss album overall for me, but the highlights of it were incredible

DID I FOLLOW THROUGH ON MY JANUARY GOALS?

Blade runner GIFs - Get the best gif on GIFER — Colorado January hours

Set a reasonable Goodreads goal: yep, 200. Now that I’ve gotten through challenges where I’ve read 250-300 books (I still don’t know how I managed the 300 that one time…), I set it lower knowing that this year will be hectic, what with graduating high school and going off to college in the fall. (!!!!)
Start 2022 on a good note! I saw Danny Elfman live, for god’s sakes. If that’s not starting 2022 on a good note, then I don’t know what is.

FEBRUARY GOALS:

Happy Valentine's Day, no one! - GIF on Imgur — shamelessly whipping out this gif every year

Make another Black History month list—I’ve read so many amazing books by Black authors since last February!
Review some of the albums that are coming out next month!! (So many!!)
Actually post some art here, if I get the time…it’s about time

Today’s song:

That’s it for this month in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: January 24-30, 2022

Posted on January 30, 2022 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you well.

It’s been an alright week, I suppose. Lots of snow and ice, but no two-hour delay like last week (??). I’ve had lots of quizzes lately and I have lots of quizzes in the foreseeable future, which I’m not thrilled about, but that’s school.

I'm dreaming of a Shiro Christmas – The Significance of White in Anime (12 days) - I drink and watch anime | Anime scenery wallpaper, Anime scenery, Anime snow

I had another mixed bag of books this week, but I found a few that I had a lot of fun with! I got Beyond the End of the World in the mail too, and it was so much fun to reconnect with that world. I’ve been gathering some books by Black authors for Black History Month starting on Tuesday, so I’m excited to get into those as well!! I also got to make a Black History Month display in the teen section of my local library, which was a lot of fun.

I haven’t been writing a whole lot this week, but I’ve been having a lot of fun writing some weird poetry in my creative writing class at school. We’ll see where next week takes me.

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing when I can, bundling up for the snow, watching The House on Netflix (THE ANIMATION), and playing guitar. Alright start to 2022, I think.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Tides of Mutiny – Rebecca Rode (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Tides of Mutiny by Rebecca Rode | Jimmy Patterson

Landscape with Invisible Hand – M.T. Anderson (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: Landscape with Invisible Hand eBook : Anderson, M. T.: Kindle Store

The Traitor’s Kiss (The Traitor’s Circle, #1) – Erin Beaty (⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: The Traitor's Kiss (Traitor's Trilogy, 1): 9781250117946: Beaty, Erin: Books

Who I Was with Her – Nita Tyndall (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: Who I Was with Her: 9780062978387: Tyndall, Nita: Books

Beyond the End of the World (The Other Side of the Sky, #2) – Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

JUST ME LISTENING TO THIS IS HAPPENING SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Binti – Nnedi Okorafor

Odd One Out – Nic Stone

Master of Poisons – Andrea Hairston

This Is Our Story – Ashley Elston

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: January 17-23, 2022

Posted on January 23, 2022 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you well.

How is it that this week still felt so tiring even when I had a day off and a two-hour delay?

It’s been an alright week, though. Very cold. We got two snows in the span of two days, and it feels very much like January right now. Of course, my art teacher made us go on a walk to collect reference pictures…in 20 degree weather on a slippery path. I suppose I did get a good picture of the lake with a thin ice sign.

It’s been a slightly slower reading week, but I got through all of my library books and liked a good portion of them! Anthem was a rough ride, but most of the other books managed to lift me up a little. I haven’t been able to edit my WIP as much this week, but I finished my initial read through! Now I just need to run through and fix all the continuity errors (that I can catch) and flesh out some things that need to be fleshed out.

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing some X-Men characters (I should really post some of my art here at some point…I’ve been saying that for at least two years and haven’t done anything oof), studying, learning “Trimm Trabb” on guitar, and trying to stay warm. I also re-watched Edward Scissorhands last night, and needless to say, Felt Things

🥲

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Anthem – Noah Hawley (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Anthem: Hawley, Noah: 9781538711514: Amazon.com: Books

Railhead (Railhead, #1) – Philip Reeve (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Not Your Sidekick (Sidekick Squad, #1) – C.B. Lee (⭐️⭐️)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Edward Albee (read for school) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

The Cost of Knowing – Brittney Morris (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: The Cost of Knowing: 9781534445451: Morris, Brittney: Books

Batman: Nightwalker – The Graphic Novel – Marie Lu, adapted by Stuart Moore and Chris Wildgoose (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Amazon.com: Batman: Nightwalker (The Graphic Novel): 9781401280048: Moore, Stuart, Lu, Marie, Wildgoose, Chris: Books

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Tides of Mutiny – Rebecca Rode

Landscape with Invisible Hand – M.T. Anderson

The Traitor’s Kiss (The Traitor’s Circle, #1) – Erin Beaty

Who I Was with Her – Nita Tyndall

Today’s song:

🥲

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: January 10-16, 2021

Posted on January 16, 2022January 16, 2022 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you well.

This week was my first week back to school, and it hasn’t been all that bad in that respect. Homework is still light at the moment, so I’m enjoying my last vestiges of time where I come home without anything I need to do.

Reading-wise, it’s been a mixed bag. I’ve been going through a combination of my preorders, my library haul, and my comics from last Friday. I had a lot of time to read this week, but my ratings have been all across the board, so…yep. It’s all over the place.

I’ve been getting back into editing my WIP, and I managed to knock out a few of the most important scenes last night! I’m nearly done with the initial run-through, but I need to go through it again (probably several times) for consistency issues and things I want to add in or subtract, so we’ll see how it goes from here.

Other than that, I’ve just been playing Minecraft, drawing when I can, listening to a whole bunch of new singles (Spoon! Mitski! Guerilla Toss! SPIRITUALIZED!!) and playing guitar. I also went to see Danny Elfman perform with the Colorado Symphony on Friday night!! Absolutely magical. I count myself pretty lucky to have seen Danny Elfman live twice in one year.