#adrienne is more magic but still FRIENDs

[princess-of-the-corner]

Okay, so, the ask wasn’t working for me-

uh. Not entirely sure how to word this….

Mimi and I were chatting, and I said in a Trans!Adrien story where she’s still a Sentimonster, I could see a lot of angst and maybe some paranoia over “Am I actually trans, or is this just a Sentimonster thing? Was I ‘made’ wrong?” - that sort of thing. Stuff which (as my cousin tells me) is kind of a standard area of thinking when going through a gender crisis, although in Adrien’s case, she was quite literally MADE by someone else in a more literal sense than most people. And Mimi said, what if it was residual from whoever created her - and to clarify, what Mimi immediately jumped to, was what if Emilie or Gabriel were trans, and that bled over to Adrien during the creation process?

In Emilie’s case, she would have tried for a 'son’ when having her firstborn, because stupid societal expectations, but her own experiences as a kid might have coloured the process. Then for Gabriel, in 'his’ case, 'he’ probably doesn’t actually KNOW, because 'he’ is fairly repressed. Then we imagined this was a conversation Marinette and Adrienne were having. And. Just. The thought that your dad might be extremely closeted, and you only know because of a bunch of magical bullshit. Adrienne going home after, sitting at the table with her 'dad’, trying to figure out how to ask, “So, uh … did you or mom ever feel like you were born the wrong gender? Why am I asking? Well, I had a conversation with a friend on how a magical homunculus might be trans-”

-

 That’s fucking hilarious actually I love it.

[mikichko]

Questions about books! Tagged by @fulltacs 💕

1. the last book I read

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

2. a book I recommend

Into Thin Air by Jon Krauker It's the story of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster told by one of the survivors. A great showcase of what the commercialization of a perilous trek can lead to. Also a great showcase of the exploitation of "developing" countries for the entertainment of rich foreigners.

3. a book I couldn’t put down

Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood Apologies but this book literally had me by the throat!!! Like it was the first time I felt represented by a main character even though the focus was a frail white woman. Resonated with me emotionally :) Also who doesn't love a tall hot love interest

4. a book I’ve read twice or more

Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld Read this for the first time when I was 15 and nearly ten years later it's still solid! I'm so happy we're getting the anime for it next year :)

5. a book on my tbr

Babel by RF Kuang I've tried to start this book like three times but I need to dedicate a proper week to this book. Just to thoroughly enjoy it!

6. a book I’ve put down

Spells For Forgetting by Adrienne Young Could not get into this book for the life of me! Maybe it was just slow?

8. a favorite book from childhood

Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter Still have to go and finish this series up :')

9. a book I would give to a friend

Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld It's that good!

10. a fiction book I own

A Vast Pointless Gyration Of Radioactive Rocks And Gas In Which You Happen To Occur edited by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert This book was sold as a complement to Everything, Everywhere, All At Once and I absolutely love it! Takes a look at multiverse theory and all! Which is why I put it in the fiction part (still not proven :P)

11. a nonfiction book I own

Don't Be Afraid Gringo: A Honduran Woman Speaks From The Heart by Elvia Alvarado, translated by Medea Benjamin Very excited to read this one because it's the history of a campesina activist from my native Honduras. One of the most dangerous places to be an activist.

12. what I am currently reading

The Life Changing Magic of Tyding Up by Marie Kondo and The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

13. what I am planning on reading next

Not sure honestly!! My time is eaten up by fics so much! I just wish I could plug them into my goodreads 😭

14. my shelfie

she doubles as a bookcase and a hobby shelf :’)

no pressure tags (feel free to do fics instead :P): @buttdumplin @pricesugarwife @pricegouge @femalefemur @stellewriites @kyletogaz @stuffireadandenjoy @gemmahale

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"You've got this. You're going to head out there and be completely normal. Theo's more powerful than me, he can probably smell fear with his demonic senses. Just be friendly and pretend it's one of mom's conferences. No one will suspect a thing."

Victoriana nodded at her reflection in the mirror. The past week had been confusing, now that she knew who her father was. Half the time she wanted to teleport to Arkhelios and run into his arms, and the other half, she just wanted to forget that he existed.

Things were weird between her and her mom now. Claudia had all but banished her from her sight and didn't text her back. Victoriana had spent the past two weekends at her grandparents' house, waiting to be summoned back to the castle. The call never came. The queen had all but banished her for the crime of pushing her to name her father, and Victoriana was starting to worry that her time with her grandparents was going to be permanent.

Her grandfather had to work most of the day, so her grandmother decided to take Victoriana and Travis to the Siew family cottage, where conveniently, Adrian and several of his children also just happened to be visiting. Ewan Traver's kids had also been deposited at the cottage, so the lot was full. If things went badly today, Victoriana could usually count on the Traver siblings to cheer her up. Bronwen especially, considering that she had also grown up without one of her parents. Bronwen's mother had abandoned her just after her birth, leaving her with a similar longing to know her place in the family tree.

It was good that her friends were there to support her if anything went wrong. Her biological father's ex-husband and children were there with her and Victoriana wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

"Okay, girls, let's start again. Ten points to Luci for winning last round."

Trent stacked the game pieces to restart the game. The twins were both ecstatic to play another round of Don't Wake the Llama, but behind them, their father wasn't amused.

"Trent, Luci needs to be in the pool practicing for her swim competition in a few weeks," Adrian insisted. "She doesn't need to be distracted with games. Rien has some math homework to do as well, don't think I didn't find that hiding under your laundry."

"Relax, Adrian, we'll just play one more round. I thought you wanted them to socialize while they're here. They can't socialize while doing homework."

"Yeah, Daddy. Rien's practicing doing something other than reading cards all day and I'm already going to win the competition even without practicing. We never get to see Uncle Trent and Aunt Cindra."

"If I do my homework, can you make Dad give me my tarot cards back?" Adrienne pleaded. "I won't fight with Luci again, I promise. Unless she starts it."

Adrian rolled his eyes in frustration. If he didn't remind his daughters about their responsibilities, he wasn't being supportive and if he did remind them, he was being uptight and strict. He couldn't win with the twins. At least Fiolett was still young enough not to sass him too often. It was only going to get worse when they became teenagers. He and Roman would need all the help they could get when the girls were Theo's age.

"Fine, play with your uncle. I have to make some calls. I'll come check on you when I'm done, and then you're doing your homework and practicing."

"Okay, girls, let's go find some information," Victoriana declared, looking expectantly at her small group of friends. The Travers children stared back at her with expectations of their own.

"Why are we trying to get info on Theo?" Elowen asked. "We've known him forever. The only thing you need to know about him is that he has a boyfriend. He won't shut up about him or talk about anything else."

"Theo talks about a lot more than just Adam," Bronwen said. "He likes a lot of things like playing guitar and practicing magic. There's a lot more to him than Adam."

"Please, like we don't all know why you really know so much about him," Elowen laughed. "You want his little demon babies. You're in love with him. Bronwen loves Theo."

"Shut up," Bronwen snapped, her face suddenly very red. "I do not!"

"We're here because I need to watch him. Because I said so, and I'm the Crown Princess so what I say goes."

Victoriana's words stopped the sisters from bickering, just as she'd intended. She was the heir to the Pleasantview throne and her tone needed to convey that. It was something she and her mother had been working on before the queen had distanced herself from her daughter.

"I just want to know him better," Victoriana explained. "His sisters too. I can't explain why."

"Alright, well prepare to learn all about what Adam eats for lunch," Elowen groaned.

"And his favourite food, colour and animal," Remy added. "Plus the names of their future kids and what month is a good month for a wedding."

"Basically, you'll know Adam a lot better than you'll know Theo," Bronwen laughed. "But if you insist."

"Ah, Vicky, I was wondering what you were up to. If you see your uncle Travis, tell him to get in the pool before lunch." Anna wrapped her arms around her granddaughter and smiled. "I saw Theo out in the hot tub on my way in. I hope you two find what you are looking for in each other. Your grandfather and I love you no matter what."

"Ew, Grandma, not in front of my friends! You make it sound like I want to date him or something. I just want to talk to him."

Anna watched Victoriana leave in search of her half-brother with worry. The poor girl couldn't handle a rejection from her sibling if this went badly. Theo seemed to be a nice boy though. She didn't see any reason why he would be rude.

Ewan should have been the one taking the kids today. He cried at the end of sappy movies and probably would have some kind of "family reconnection" party planned to help the siblings adjust to their new relationship. When he found out that he had a living half-brother of his own, Ewan had immediately set up "brother play dates" every so often to give them time alone to bond, despite being adults. Anna had no doubt that if her husband was here, he'd be doing the same for Victoriana and Theo. On second thought, maybe it was for the best that Ewan was working.

"What do you think Victoriana wants with Theo?" Bronwen asked her sister, watching as the princess took confident strides toward the hot tub. "She seems pretty determined to do whatever it is that she's doing."

"Jealous much? She has the same chance that you have with him, which would be zero. The guy is obsessed with his boyfriend, Bron. Move on."

"I'm not jealous," Bronwen hissed, looking around for anyone who might have heard the accusation. "We're just friends. And Victoriana could do way better than Theo, I'm just surprised. She's going to be queen one day and she wants Theo?"

"Maybe she just wants to yell at him for something. He's always screwing up with his blood magic, maybe he went too far and the queen is pissed," Elowen replied. "Victoriana seems jumpy whenever we mention her mom."

"I think something might be going on with her mom," Bronwen said, looking over her shoulder to check for eavesdroppers. "You've seen how twitchy Dad has been lately, and your mom seems to be practically living in the archives. When I tried to do my homework on her desk, I could barely find a place to write on. She had all sorts of weird books and scrolls."

"Yeah, something is up with her. I found her crying in the kitchen before we left for school, but of course she denied it. Do you really think their weirdness has something to do with Victoriana's mom? Victoriana has been staying at her grandparents' house on the weekends now, which is weird, and now she's determined to talk to Theo? It's all weird, but does it mean anything?"

Bronwen shrugged.

"I guess we'll see how this thing with Theo goes today. Maybe it's all just a coincidence."

Travis Goldman tried to walk as quietly as he could across the backyard, hoping to sneak past his mother's watchful eyes. He wasn't sure just what powers a reaper had, but she had to have super sensitive hearing for all the times she had caught him trying to sneak out of social occasions.

Today was no different. His royal niece had been staying with them, forcing social interactions on him the entire time. Now he had to endure a bunch of loud kids and all of Victoriana's friends at the busy family cottage. All he wanted to do was sit down with a good book and ignore all the noisy people around him, but his mother would never allow that. He had to always put on a smile and try to make some friends everywhere he went. His parents "worried about him" far too much. All the damage and trouble he'd caused at school made them think that he was lonely or lashing out because there was something in his life that he lacked. Ironically, the only thing he did need from them was some space, which the two of them could never give.

"Travis, honey, are you alright? Do you want a snack? I think the other teens are meeting in the hottub if you want to join them."

"Mom, I was just going to read a little. I don't want to use the hottub, I want to read. By myself."

"Well that sounds lonely," Anna said. "Why not join the other teens? You know all of them. They're nice girls and I'm sure they wouldn't mind the company."

"Maybe," Travis muttered. "Can I at least read a few chapters? I'm at a cliffhanger."

Anna frowned. It wasn't an unreasonable request, but the instant she said yes, her son would be locked in a room in the cottage, completely alone with the stacks of books he could magically summon. There was no way that he'd actually meet with the other teens.

Her other two children had had the opposite problem as teens. Claudia and Oliver were extremely social, driven to be the top student with a large group of followers. Travis was shy and reclusive by nature and his parents were at a loss trying to know what was best for him.

His biological mothers had both been outgoing, charismatic witches who had the combined audacity to try to kill the Grim Reaper. Travis had none of those traits, preferring to read quietly until people forgot that he was still in the room. She and Ewan had tried to raise him just as they did their biological children, and she'd like to believe that they had succeeded. Little Travis was an introvert in a family of extroverts; maybe it was just as simple as that.

"Go finish that chapter and then maybe you can read beside the pool," she decided. "You don't have to swim, but maybe you can join in some of the conversations later. I love you, you know that, right? I just want what's best for you."

Travis reacted to her words with embarrassment, just as Victoriana had earlier. God forbid an adult tell a teen that they loved and supported them.

"I'll go in the hottub for twenty minutes," Travis proposed, noticing the worry on his mother's face. "But that's it. Then I get to read as much as I want."

Anna had experience with the darkest minds, and the most hateful creatures of the supernatural world, but they were nothing compared to the roller coaster of parenting teenagers.

"I think that sounds very mature and understanding of you. I appreciate you and our talks, Travis."

"Mom!"

With that, Travis scurried away to find a bathing suit, desperate that none of the other teens see his mother expressing her feelings for him.

[adrienneryatt]

And by now I don't need no help to be destructive I've been gone Yeah, I've been on this road too long

►GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Adrienne Layla Ryatt NICKNAME(S): Jynx, Adri, Riot LABEL: The Mystic AGE: 32 DATE OF BIRTH: October 31, 1991 ZODIAC: Scorpio Sun, Aries Rising, Capricorn Moon GENDER & PRONOUNS: Female; She/Her HERITAGE: French, Mexican, Italian SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): English, Spanish, Italian OCCUPATION: Occult Specialist/Demonologist SEXUALITY & ROMANCE: Bisexual; Biromantic PET(S): Doberman named Khaos & a black cat named Hekate

► APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Seychelle Gabriel HEIGHT: 5'2" WEIGHT: 112 lbs. DOMINANT HAND: Left HAIR COLOR: Brunette EYE COLOR: Brown SCARS: None notable. TATTOOS: None.

►PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: Clever, Dauntless, Beguiling, Open-Minded, Authentic, Prophetic. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Sarcastic, Intangible, Arrogant, Sycophantic, Self-Sabotaging. LIKES: Stargazing, burning candles/incense, thunder storms, music on vinyl, horror movie marathons, deep conversations with strangers, solving a problem before everyone else, eureka moments when researching, conducting tarot card readings, making intention jars/journaling, cooking. DISLIKES: Being the scapegoat, people who think they are smarter than her or belittle her, critics/cynics.

►MENTALITY

PHOBIAS: Nyctophobia DISORDERS: Not diagnosed. ALLERGIES: Seasonal (Pollen)

►BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Danvers, MA CURRENT RESIDENCE: Merrock, ME EDUCATION LEVEL: MA in Magic and Occult Science at Salem State University FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS: - Reina Ryatt - 55, Mother, Not In Contact - Sylvester Ryatt - 54, Father, Deceased

►FAVORITES

FOOD: Mushroom Gnocchi DRINK: London Fog MOVIE: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Practical Magic, Scream TV SHOW: Criminal Minds, Rick & Morty, Goosebumps BAND/ARTIST: The Killers, Lana Del Rey, Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac SONG: Lilith - Halsey

► EXTRA INFORMATION

JUNG TYPE: ENTP ENNEAGRAM: The Free Spirit (4w5) TEMPERAMENT: Choleric MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral SIN: Wrath VIRTUE: Temperance ELEMENT: Fire CHARACTER PLAYLIST

I just fuck things up, if you noticed Have you noticed? Tell me have you noticed?

► BIOGRAPHY

TW; Religion mention, funeral mention

It was raining when Adrienne was born. Maybe that was the first tell of the path she would be walking. Or, maybe it was the intention of her given name; Adrienne: dark woman or dark waters. There was some odd fascination with the darker things in life. Growing up attending more funerals than weddings, can anyone really blame her on that impact? Though, her nickname was Jynx due to the chaos that would spiral in her presence. For instance, her grandmother's ashes going missing when they were addressed to her apartment, or traveling all the way to California just for a once in a lifetime storm to be passing through and the festival being cancelled, or every color she calls for Roulette being the wrong one and her friend then going into the negatives with funds. Though she was labeled as an outcast and was seen as the black sheep in the family because of this, she still had something about her that drew people in. She had a great group of friends, and her fair share of experimental relationships. In short: she didn't miss anything, but she wouldn't have cared if she did. Her aunt was the one who taught her about spirituality after Adrienne had a paranormal experience at the age of 5. Whilst being in a Catholic household, Adrienne and her aunt would often sneak in order to practice their own eclectic belief. Magic, tarot cards, seances, you name it - Adrienne has dabbled in it. What no one was expecting was for her to make a career move out of it. It started in high school, she helped assist her teacher in their paranormal investigation group. It was through this teacher that she learned about anomalies and the role of the paranormal in anthropology. Her job as an investigator was just the groundwork for her BA in Parapsychology with a minor in Religious Studies at Stockton Univeristy, where she studied the connections of the paranormal and demons with the human psyche. She then went on to gain her MA in Magick and Occult Science with a specialization in Women and Minority Studies where she learned more about the occult across various religions and cultures as well as witchcraft and the impact and power women have within interaction, at Salem State University. At this point in her career, she can be seen as an expert in the occult as well as a demonologist. She actually works alongside various religious institutions, is still a researcher for a paranormal investigation team, and is also hosts a podcast about horror movies, the paranormal and the occult.

► PERSONALITY (DEEP DIVE)

Adrienne is one of those people who can attract and attract and attract, but still feel alone underneath the surface. She can be sarcastic and condescending if someone asks a question she deems as 'stupid'. She's known to bully as her type of flirting. She's actually not online, and prefers it that way. She's clever and witty and goes on passion-dump sprees about her line of work and conspiracies pretty often, or about her research or podcast. She loves people who have a sense of humor and can dish it back out to her. Adrienne used to not like being seen as a Jynx, but now she is sorta indifferent. She just knows something bad or weird is bound to happen when she's around, and it's just within her chaotic state of being. She used to be deathly afraid of the dark, mostly because she didn't know what was in it. It's still a fear, but she works through it due to her career. Adrienne comes across as intimidating and mean cause of her resting bitch face. This is partly true; seeing that she does bring hell to people and her wrath can be intense. But, if you're on her good side you have a very loyal and fun friend in your corner.

[theblurbwitchproject]

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Published: September 27, 2022 Publisher: Delacorte Press

The Author

Adrienne Young is the New York Times and international bestselling author of the Sky and Sea duology, the Fable series, and Spells for Forgetting. When she’s not writing, you can find Adrienne on her yoga mat, on a walk in the woods, or planning her next travel adventure. She lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Story

Spells for Forgetting is a deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love.

Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Vibe: remote island, secretive villagers, magical realism, autumnal atmosphere, omens in nature, everyday magic, deep betrayals, small town, secrets everywhere

The Style: breadcrumb murder mystery, standalone, multiple POVs, flashbacks, character driven

Trigger Warnings: child abuse, domestic abuse, murder, sex

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Review

When I hear that a book is “deeply atmospheric”, containing a story infused with ancestral magic and folklore, I’ll instantly add it to my TBR. I can’t help myself. I think I’m still desperately trying to find my next Practical Magic; a book whose prose perfectly evokes the sort of magickal world I want to run away to. I’d been looking forward to reading Spells for Forgetting since I first read the summary, and finally found myself getting lost in the mystery this past week.

Our protagonist is Emery, who, in her thirties, owns Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe, a family business that has been handed down through generations and is a responsibility that she never wanted. Emery lives on Saoirse, a remote island just off Seattle; a place that is saturated in ancestral magic (and feels very much like it would exist in the Practical Magic universe). What I loved about Saoirse is that magic isn’t a secretive, shameful thing that one family is “cursed” with and that the townspeople fear; magic is a part of everyday life on the island. Families own grimoires containing spells passed down the generations, characters provide magical first aid using plants and herbs, and they celebrate sabbats. (This book gets bonus points from me for mentioning more sabbats other than Samhain- Imbolc and Beltane also get a shout out!)

“There was a whisper in the air when I lifted the lid on the box. For a moment, I thought it was some kind of warning, my mother touching the veil of the Otherworld in a last plea from her to let the past go.”

Emery was part of a small friend group as a teen on the close-knit island, which included her first love, August Salt, her best friend Lily, and Dutch, who is now her partner. Emery and August’s relationship was super peachy until a terrible event swept Saoirse one night, causing August to flee mysteriously without so much as a goodbye. Now, he has to return to the island one final time and old wounds are reopened.

One choice Young made which I really appreciated was that Emery and August are not teens or in their early twenties; they are very firmly in their thirties and it’s a demographic that I find isn’t represented massively in literature like this. (Can you tell I’m the same age as them?)

Spells for Forgetting is written from multiple perspectives, including Emery, August, various famiy members and at one point even the island itself (an idea that I absolutely loved). I particularly enjoyed chapters involving Aunt Albertine, who provides some lovely blindness representation. The island of Saoirse is also beautifully fleshed out; it really feels like it could exist out there somewhere off the coast of Seattle. It becomes a central character of the novel whose moods you can read as well as the human cast members.

“The island had been restless all day, the air growing colder. Since the leaves had turned, nothing had felt right, and I had a feeling there was a deeper work at play. Saoirse was finally digging up the things we’d buried.”

The magical realism element in this novel is super enjoyable and was probably my favourite part of the book all around. I also found it interesting that for the majority of the narrative the plot could have been a straight up drama without any inclusion of magic at all; it was nice that it felt like magic was a part of the lore without it mattering to the story, but then it becomes more obvious that it is intrinsically linked as the mystery is revealed.

As the plot is told from multiple POVs, the chapters are short which allows you to take in the story in bite-sized chunks if needed. (This can also cause an “I’ll just read one more chapter… and another one…” situation as each breadcrumb of the mystery is dropped.) Unfortunately, the flow of the writing did trip me up a few times, I’m not quite sure why, as the prose is really very simple, and while I don’t dislike first-person perspectives, when they are also split into multiple character POVs I find that most writers struggle to create individual voices, which was the case with this book.

Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of romance stories, but inevitably this is a central theme of the novel as Emery tries to get to the bottom of the abrupt end to her relationship with August. A slow-burn, kind-of-enemies to lovers theme makes absolute sense as Emery revisits the past in order to discover the truth of what happened the night August left, but honestly, Emery and August are a little bit cringe; the writing gets pretty over the top when demonstrating the strength of their relationship as it reignites; “She was so beautiful that I could hardly stand to look at her. It physically hurt to feel her skin under my fingertips.” That’s just a little over-dramatic, right? I found myself zoning out whenever they spoke about each other.

“I’d been in love with August Salt since before I knew what the words meant. I don’t know when it happened - the narrow space between seconds, when a spark like the birth of a hundred stars found a home in my blood.”

Full Disclosure: There are some spicy scenes in the novel, and while Spells for Forgetting is suitable for a teen audience, I did find the juxtaposition between YA writing style and adult themes was a bit jarring at times.

Overall, I really enjoyed spending time on Saoirse, and would definitely pick up a sequel if one should appear. (The book is currently a stand-alone, but I feel like the ending left enough open, while resolving the main plot points, to allow for a return to the island.) A simple writing style, intriguing plot and fantastic setting make this one worth picking up.

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 [Goodreads]

[oblivions-arts-culture]

ENVY'S TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2022 -part 1

No one asked and none of you know who I am but I made SO MANY spreadsheets and lists about this, so!!!!!

10

Wet Leg’s breakout single Chaise Longue could have been their whole legacy, a novelty-adjacent one hit wonder who never captured that magic again. Except they did; and I actually think they did it better on a lot of the tracks on their debut album. The excitement around the Isle of Wight’s premier indie rock act is well warranted, and their debut LP delivers on the promise of their viral hit. The humour never runs dry, the energy persists through to the last note, and the fun never stops. It’s been a long time since a debut album made me so excited for the next one.

10

(yeah I couldn't choose. This is a top 11 xoxox)

It’s hard to pin down exactly what’s so captivating about this album. It’s enchanting on a surface level, a gorgeously written and utterly unique post-rock project filled with alluring idiosyncrasies. But I don’t have words for the beautiful, ethereal something in the heart of the album that keeps me coming back. Maybe I’m entranced by the swirling mix of guitars and brass. Maybe it’s the vivid but abstract tapestry of Isaac Wood’s lyrics, enthralling in their oddness but relatable in a way I don’t know how to describe. Maybe I’m trying too hard to make sense of my love for this album, but we all know snow globes don’t shake on their own.

9

I have very little to add to the discussion of this album, save to add to the chorus of people singing its praises. Though I can understand why Kendrick Lamar’s latest record has been somewhat divisive; it’s certainly not an easy listen, but it’s a deeply rewarding one. The strength of Lamar’s conceptual vision runs like a rich vein throughout, adding a theatrical element to even the musical arrangements that elevates the work without taking away its sting. Lyrically, the album touches on every touchy topic under the sun. It’s challenging, at times deeply uncomfortable, but also truthful, and nuanced in a way that so many attempts to diagnose our age have lacked. He’s also getting bonus points for the best song about Being Trans a cis person has ever written. Same Love by Macklemore this is not.

8

Don’t let the minimalist album cover or the lofi, rough-around-the-edges production fool you: Adrienne Lenneker has fit the entire universe into this double LP. Big Thief step well beyond their comfort zone on this record, and out into the cosmos beyond with swirling, almost shoegazey guitars that blend seamlessly into more straightforward folk and country without missing a beat. This is an album about finding the small, mundane joys in life, and filling them with love until they expand into the celestial. But in spite of the grand scope, the album art still sells the vibe; it’s the whole universe, but it’s about the view of it all from beside a warm campfire, surrounded by friends. It’s sweet, it’s heart-wrenching, it’s at times bizarre, and it’s in a league all of its own.

7

If Big Thief takes the beauty of the mundane and makes it celestial, Friendship has chosen to preserve the mundanity in its retelling. That may sound like a criticism – and certainly more cynical listeners may write the album off as boring – but I promise you it isn’t. Appreciating the little things is not always about finding a life-affirming revelation in every cup of coffee. Sometimes it’s about taking things as they are, no matter how boring or unglamorous. There’s something deeply comforting about Friendship’s expression of this reality through stark, alt-country instrumentation and the blue-collar emotional truths in the blunt imagery of their lyricism. As the year went on I found myself returning more and more to this album’s down-to-earth roots.

6

From the year’s least-flashy album to perhaps the year’s boldest stylistic statement. The quality and creativity of the production alone on Death’s Dynamic Shroud’s latest LP would have been enough to land Darklife a spot on this list; there really is nothing like the sound of this sprawling tapestry of experimental electronica. But what keeps me coming back is the strength of the songwriting that production is draped around; each track is its own world, with multiple ideas bouncing off of each other in ways that at times sew mesmerising chaos and in others offer striking, impossible moments of cathartic clarity. This is an LP that is begging to be experienced as an LP, a project even grander than the sum of its parts. If you want just a taste though, Judgment Bolt is the year’s biggest banger.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: From New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young comes a deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love. Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget. August knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery. But the town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all.

Review:

A unsolved murder, two ex lovers, and an island full of magic. Emery Blackwood and August Salt, two people who grew up on Saiorose, a small island filled with magic and a close knit community, have their lives completely overturned when August is accused of murdering Emery’s best friend Lily.... it doesn’t help that same night his family orchard is set on fire and then Lily’s body is discovered on dry land yet there was seaweed in her stomach... everyone on the island believes that August did it but Emery never did. August and his mother suddenly leave and Emery spends years looking for him but resigned to the staying on the island taking over her mother’s Herbal Tonic and Tea Leaf Reading store while taking care of her father.... yet years go on and then now August is back in town to bury his mother’s ashes as was her last wish. Yet with August’s return things from the past are starting to become unearthed, and both Emery and August are rediscovering the feelings between them and the fact that what happened that night and what happened to Lily is something they have to solve because someone on the island doesn’t want them too and now they have to. Soon Lily will discover secrets about those she thought she knew and her family that will leave her reeling and questioning who she can trust and what the truth behind Lily’s death means. August wants nothing more than to bury his mother, sell her home on Saiorose, and explain himself to Emery before he leaves... but he finds himself drawn further into the mystery of why he was accused of Lily’s death and why someone wants him to leave the island as well as the fact that he knows that he is still in love with Emery. This was an absolutely beautiful book to read, it definitely captures the beautiful autumnal small town vibes, second chance romance, and of course a little bit of magic and a mystery to bring together two people ( seriously I’m a sucker for “lets solve a mystery and discover our feelings for each other while we’re at it” trope). I have always liked Adriene Young’s writing style and this one perfectly creates a beautiful atmosphere and vibe, seriously the scenery feels gorgeous and really this is a must add to your tbr for autumn reads! I adored the romance between Emery and August, they have loved each other and continued to love each other despite everything, their romance was sweet and them re-discovery each other was great. The mystery was fun to read and I do enjoy a good small town everyone has a secret vibe. Overall, definitely add it to your TBR!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[gena-rowlands]

jean's read in 2022

hello! so as university reading will take up a lot of the rest of my reading for the year, i thought i'd give a full wrap up here! i may update a few times, but this is my almost-comprehensive reading list of 2022! (insp. by @adamronans)

books in red come with moderate< trigger warnings so feel free to ask on/off anon for more info or please look up the tw's before reading!

non-poetry:

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh (★★★★★)

The Dumb House by John Burnside (★★★★★)

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (★★★★)

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (★★★½)

Heaven by Mieka Kawakami (★★½)

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (★★★★★)

It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror (★★★★½)

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca (★★)

Clementine #1 by Tillie Walden (★★★)

Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito (★★★★)

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma (★★)

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (★★★)

The Sluts by Dennis Cooper (No Rating)

We Have Always Lived in The Castle by Shirley Jackson (★★★★)

Heartstopper vol.1 by Alice Oseman (★★★★★)

Queers: Eight Monologues by Mark Gatiss (★★★★½)

Heartstopper vol.2 by Alice Oseman (★★★★★)

The Harpy by Megan Hunter (★★★★)

Politics and the English Language by George Orwell (★)

Little Weirds by Jenny Slate (★★★★½)

Alcestis by Euripides (★★★★)

Medea by Euripides (★★★★½)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (★★★★½)

Pew by Catherine Lacey (★★★½)

Pine by Francine Toon (★★)

Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz (★★★★★)

Normal People by Sally Rooney (★★★★)

poetry:

The Book of Women by Dorianne Laux (★★★★½)

Flux by Orion Carloto (★★★)

Sweetdark by Savannah Brown (★★★★½)

Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass by Lana Del Rey (★★★½)

Life of the Party by Olivia Gatwood (★★★★★)

She Felt Like Nothing by R.H. Sin (★½)

Madness by Sam Sax (★★★★½)

soft magic. by Upsile Chisala (★★)

Stag's Leap by Sharon Olds (★★★★★)

The Perseverance by Raymond Antrobus (★★★★)

The Boys I've Loved & The End of the World by Catarine Hancock (★★)

Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong (★★★★½)

Portrait of my Body as a Crime I'm Still Committing by Topaz Winters (★★★★)

There Should Be Flowers by Joshua Jennifer Espinoza (★★★★½)

Grit by Silas Denver Melvin (★★★★½)

Voyage of the Sable Venus and Other Poems by Robin Coste Lewis (★★★★½)

Wild Embers by Nikita Gill (★★½)

Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara (★★★½)

God I Feel Modern Tonight by Catherine Cohen (★)

Diving Into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich (★★★★★)

Salt by Nayyirah Waheed (★★½)

Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson (★★★★½)

Incarnadine by Mary Szybist (★★★★)

Firstborn by Louise Glück (★★★½)

Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth by Warsan Shire (★★★★)

Mules of Love by Ellen Bass (★★★★½)

What Is This Thing Called Love by Kim Addonizio (★★★★)

New American Best Friend by Olivia Gatwood (★★★★)

At Least This I Know by Andrés N. Ordorica (★★★★½)

Rail by Kai Carlson-Wee (★★★★)

The Asylum Dance by John Burnside (★★★★½)

War of the Foxes by Richard Siken (★★★★)

I Would Leave Me If I Could by Halsey (★★★★)

Bloodsport by Yves Olade (★★★★)

American Melancholy by Joyce Carol Oates (★★½)

The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman (No Rating)

[hummingbee-lievable]

Song of the Day #23:

'Sparrow' by Big Thief (released 2022).

Mama the scream of the eagle

Threading my heart through the needle

Threading the blood through the apple

Eve sucked the juice from the apple

Nakedly running I saw her

Boy chasing after to stall her

I wish I'd have spoken to call her

Before she found fabric to shawl her

Breasts bound and burdened with fiber

Adam came trembling beside her

And he said, he said

"She has the poison inside her

She talks to snakes and they guide her"

Track #6 on 'Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You'.

Fun fact: Adrienne Lenker (singer/songwriter) created this album name as a mantra for herself and her bandmates, to remind them of the beauty of things in their lives. Indeed, often her songs tend to focus on something small and simple; they remind us of where magic really is.

'"The first song on the record, 'Change' has that has that line, 'Would you live forever never die while everything around passes?'. The last song on the record 'Blue Lightning' is 'I want to live forever till I die'. And then 'Spud Infinity': 'when I say infinity, I mean now'.'*

Personal blurb: Okay, I've surprised myself today because really this song:

This is the one that, upon first hearing it, reached me exactly the way I needed it to. Not sure why I chose 'Sparrow', but maybe it's what I needed. I'll be honest: I'm not religious. I have personal issues that prevent me from seeing the concept as anything other than a cult at an institutional level (but I have no issue with it on a personal level, when friends are believers, it's just the administration as a whole and how it operates). So the concept of Adam and Eve isn't reeeaaaallyyy something I buy into. (There's also the whole not-trusting-in-the-concept-of-a-diety thing, but that's another novella. And I believe enough in Something, for me.) But I love the visceral imagery of these lyrics, and the concept that by eating the apple, she has the poison inside her. That we all do, now.

Really makes you think about the conceptual influence of religion and the imposition of that onto gender norms today, and the treatment of people born with female anatomy as a result of this story. Anyway. I don't need to go into all of that. You have plenty of angry relatives to have that conversation with; this is a safe space to just be you, no matter what you believe in.

The whole album is lovely, although it took me a while to love it. (You know how some songs are just like that? It's only on the 5th listen that you really start to get into it.) My tops from the album are: 'Change', 'Time Escaping', of course 'Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You' (which I've apparently typed enough times that my phone recognises what's happening as soon as I type 'Dragon'), 'Sparrow' and 'Dried Roses'. I honestly think this album isn't done with me yet, though.

I love the lines 'I believe in you/ even if you need to/ recoil'. Especially lately, I have not wanted to be touched. I recoil from it, quite literally. I used to be a very affectionate person and there is a part of me that craves it, but I just can't. Every time I'm touched my whole body just shuts down. But the person I'm with has been so understanding of it. And it's nice to know that beyond the frustration and guilt and shame and everything else that I'm still believed in, even when I need to recoil.

I love both the song and the album cover for the same reason: they're reminiscent of the magic I don't feel capable of recognising anymore.

When I was a kid, I think it was less magic that I was surrounded by and more possibility: that I might walk through a gap in the trees and enter a faerie ring, that if I was quiet enough and alone enough, forest people would find me and take me in and I would become one with the first. I fell in love infinitely and desperately in a nightly basis because I couldn't sleep unless I could pretend that I was falling asleep in someone's arms that really cared, and wanted to hold me as much as I wanted to be held.

That was magic, wasn't it? The limitless possibilities. Now, it seems that those possibilities are confined by logic and the weight that tends to settle on those that live long enough and hard enough. This song feels like a little tingle of magic in our everyday world. And the lyrics are sprinkled with reminders of the things we see daily and are lucky enough to enjoy. Neil Gaiman said, upon being asked if he believed in magic:

'I can write down a few words and make people thousands of miles away, whom I have never met and will never meet, laugh tears of joy and cry tears of true sorrow for people who do not exist and have never existed and never will exist. If that isn't actual literal magic I don't know what is.'

The concept of things being 'limitless' makes me think of this song by Dodie, called 'In The Middle'. You don't have to listen to the whole song to enjoy the monologue at the end, and the monologue at the end is so good that I may just copy/paste it here:

'Have you tried the cake? It's good. Maybe you're thinking: 'I've already eaten' or 'I want to dance later and don't want to feel bloated'. Maybe you're thinking: 'I'm on a diet'. But then, how many times will you be offered a piece of cake as delicious as this?Perhaps, two or three times a year, if you're lucky. Over the course of your life, maybe two hundred times. And how many times will you refuse? How many times will you go skinny dipping in the moonlight? Maybe seven, if you're lucky. How many times will you lie on your back in the grass and watch the stars? How many times will you let yourself be completely overwhelmed by the great inconceivable expanse of the universe. There are only so many chances to take. And of course, you don't know when it will end. So it all feels... limitless.'

We're surrounded by magic. We just have to look for it. What magic have you seen today?

Oh look! Squirrel! Hehe. For you, Guacker-Snacker. (Oh my gosh, because you eat guacamole, this is so accurate hehe. Your nickname just reached new levels.)

*Reference:

[sitpwgs]

Hi Cossette! Happy (belated) Pride Month and I hope you're having a wonderful first half of 2024 💖 This year has been keeping me busy (it was nevertheless eventful in a good way), hence the belated message following up from January.

I feel you! I also need to comb through my favourite albums & books to think about how I'd pair books / albums. After relistening & checking out different music releases I would go with the following:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Bewitched by Laufey - this album dazzles just like the magic in the book 🤩 The tracks from Bewitch also radiate this vintage quality that I personally associate with the book's setting!

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey! Just like the book, Halsey's 4th studio album has this expansive quality that features empowering female narratives.

Circe by Madeline Miller: The Loneliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen & Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain by Raveena. Recurring theme from the book is about loss/grief and self-discovery/healing - something that both music albums also explore!

Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley: OUT OF THE BLUE by Brynn Cartelli & In The End It Always Does by The Japanese House - Brynn's debut album has this wintry feel to me that reminds me of the book's setting. Sofi's character arc is very much "returning to her muse" which is reminiscent of Amber when she was working on her sophomore album!

Heartstopper comic series: a mix of You Signed Up For This by Maisie Peters, Quarter-Life Crisis by Baby Queen, and Sour by Olivia Rodrigo!

Ahh this is a totally valid take regarding fantasy books! I can imagine that listening to someone narrating fantasy books being a more immersive experience. While I prefer reading in silence with a hardcopy I also feel that I sometimes need more time to process fancier writing style - though usually the effort will pay off later on!

P.S. Ahh thank you so much! I really enjoy finding parallels between different media - the realisation that many themes explored in my favourite pieces of media are universal & a shared experience 💖

jennifer!! hi friend! i hope you're well 🤍 happy belated pride month, happy june! i'm glad the first half of the year kept you busy in a good way! what were some highlights? you had your eras show already, right? i think you said you were going to london but i can't remember if it was the june dates or august!! how was it! how was it? 🤍

i am very :/// to say that i have not read a whole lot this year! i finally read lessons in chemistry and that was a new favorite, and finally read s. which i've been putting off for ages, but aside from that i feel like all i've been doing is audiobooking classics (my local library got hacked and took everything offline and somehow i got locked out of libby for like a month so the only audiobooks i could listen to were classics 💔). i'm currently making my way through the hunchback of the notre dame though! i'm hoping to finish that one soon!!

have you been reading anything good lately? i definitely want to get back into reading more soon! i've been very busy (and dealing with some stuff) and i feel like i haven't read a fantasy in a hot minute so i'll take any recs if you have them! i have technically been "annotating the starless sea" for ... over a year now (i stopped at page like, seven and never got back to it — which is a trend i think with some of my "annotation projects" for books i love, i get too overwhelmed and never finish it) but i do want to go back to it soon... maybe that's my "homework" for the rest of the year — to finish the annotation projects i've started (gatsby, normal people, the starless sea).

i think that pairing bewitched with the night circus is perfect!! and i really do like the if i can't have love i want power + priory combination! i still haven't read circe (it's been on my tbr cart for about two years now... if not longer... maybe i will get to it soon (unlikely)). and i still haven't read adrienne tooley! i think i meant to read sweet & bitter magic ages ago and never did 😭 definitely agree with heartstopper + baby queen + YSUFT + sour too!!

so lovely to hear from you as always <3333 i hope you're doing well and staying safe!

[just---keep---simming]

Zest - Autumn 2

We're back in Del Sol Valley for the last rotation of Autumn 2, where we join Peaches and Johnny Zest, along with teenager Axel and toddler Hendrix.

Hendrix is as cute as ever in his ducky PJs, and has a sophisticated palate for a three year old, with his eggs benedict for breakfast.

Then it's off to bed with a story from Dad.

Since Dad wants to head out to blow off some steam tonight. Peaches stays home with Hendrix and Axel while Johnny and Lilith hit the city for some karaoke. The bar is quiet when Johnny first arrives, so he enjoys a quiet beer before Lilith shows up and they head over to the karaoke machines.

After Lilith heads home, Johnny is surprised to bump into his younger brother Malcolm. Johnny is estranged from his family, and that has included Malcolm - this is the first time he's seen the kid, now a teenager, since he left home. They briefly reconnect but Johnny gets the sense a close relationship with his brother is probably off the cards. He doesn't understand anything about Johnny's estrangement from the family, and has clearly swallowed their parent's version of events. Still, it was nice to briefly reacquaint himself with at least one member of his family.

Back home, poor Axel isn't having an easy time of his mid-teen years. A mood swing hits just as Angela Pleasant drops by for one of her regular visits. Mortified, he slinks off to his room to hide under the covers.

Thankfully, his horror at all things his life has passed by the morning of Harvestfest.

And he's able to join his mother and stepdad for a celebratory breakfast.

Then, with Peaches' blessing, he makes his way down to Willow Creek to meet with Adrienne Pancakes. His unrequited crush on Marion from last season has finally passed, and young Axel has come to appreciate what was right in front of him all the time - his childhood friend, now a rather lovely young lady. While her father, Bob, hovers in the background, laying ground rules and supervising awkwardly, Axel confesses his feelings to Adrienne.

After Bob reluctantly withdraws, they share a tentative first kiss. How sweet!

Axel's feeling pretty good about himself and life in general the next morning as he heads off to school!

Where, despite day-dreaming about Adrienne for most of the day, he does manage to get some work done in his social studies class.

As well as some studying for exams. The early stages of planning for futures are underway for the current teens of the save - Adrienne already knows she's going to university, and Axel is starting to wonder about heading there himself, ideally on a football scholarship.

Meanwhile, back home, Peaches finds time around toddler caregiving duties to squeeze in some yoga.

While Hendrix is adorable.

The next afternoon, Axel and Adrienne head back to Thirftea again, this time most definitely on a date.

Adrienne is flattered to receive a promposal from Axel this time around, and accepts.

He and Hendrix chat about it over dinner that night. The two half-brothers have a good relationship despite their age difference.

Then, it's time for Axel to catch up with his Dad again, as he promised when he moved in full-time with Peaches and Johnny. They meet at a sports bar in Windenburg this time around, and enjoy an evening of father-son time. John is gratified when Axel asks his advice about Adrienne, and suggests he goes all out to make sure prom is magical for them both.

Axel shows his appreciation by absolutely smashing John at Foosball.

Back home, Hendrix is living the good life of toddlerhood - playing, flashcards, parents pretending to be airplanes.

Johnny is here too, and spending a little more time jamming on the guitar these days. Rocketing to the top of your career on like day two of work really leaves you some extra time for hobbies.

And while the adults live their cosy, grown up lives, it's time for the teens to head to prom!

Axel and Adrienne have both been to prom before, but this is their first time going with a date. It's pretty nice.

Axel tries to follow John's advice and sweep Adrienne off her feet.

Then, they get together with a bunch of the others and head to the pier for their after party.

Adrienne and Axel pick the ferris wheel to ride, and while they're circling slowly over the pier, Axel asks Adrienne to be his girlfriend. She accepts!

Which leads to the perfect romantic end to their perfectly romantic evening.

And that's a pretty nice place to leave the Zest family at the end of their second autumn. Axel is going through a phase of being embarrassed by all adults, but otherwise things are idyllic in the valley for this charming family!

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Seychelle Gabriel

full name: Adrienne Jynx Ryatt

nickname(s) / goes by: Jynx

pronouns & gender: cis woman ; she/her

sexuality: Bisexual

birth date: October 31, 1991.

birth place: Danvers, MA

arrival to merrock: 2 years ago

housing: Loft @ historical downtown

occupation: Occult Specialist / Demonologist

work place: N/A

family: N/A

relationship status: Single

PERSONALITY

Adrienne is one of those people who can attract and attract and attract, but still feel alone underneath the surface. She can be sarcastic and condescending if someone asks a question she deems as 'stupid'. She's known to bully as her type of flirting. She's actually not online, and prefers it that way. She's clever and witty and goes on passion-dump sprees about her line of work and conspiracies pretty often, or about her research or podcast. She loves people who have a sense of humor and can dish it back out to her. Adrienne used to not like being seen as a Jynx, but now she is sorta indifferent. She just knows something bad or weird is bound to happen when she's around, and it's just within her chaotic state of being. She used to be deathly afraid of the dark, mostly because she didn't know what was in it. It's still a fear, but she works through it due to her career. Adrienne comes across as intimidating and mean cause of her resting bitch face. This is partly true; seeing that she does bring hell to people and her wrath can be intense. But, if you're on her good side you have a very loyal and fun friend in your corner.

WRITTEN BY: Noelle (she/her), est.

BACKGROUND / BIO

triggering / sensitive content warning: funerals, religion

It was raining when Adrienne was born. Maybe that was the first tell of the path she would be walking. Or, maybe it was the intention of her given name; Adrienne: dark woman or dark waters. There was some odd fascination with the darker things in life. Growing up attending more funerals than weddings, can anyone really blame her on that impact? Though, her nickname was Jynx due to the chaos that would spiral in her presence. For instance, her grandmother's ashes going missing when they were addressed to her apartment, or traveling all the way to California just for a once in a lifetime storm to be passing through and the festival being cancelled, or every color she calls for Roulette being the wrong one and her friend then going into the negatives with funds. Though she was labeled as an outcast and was seen as the black sheep in the family because of this, she still had something about her that drew people in. She had a great group of friends, and her fair share of experimental relationships. In short: she didn't miss anything, but she wouldn't have cared if she did. Her aunt was the one who taught her about spirituality after Adrienne had a paranormal experience at the age of 5. Whilst being in a Catholic household, Adrienne and her aunt would often sneak in order to practice their own eclectic belief. Magic, tarot cards, seances, you name it - Adrienne has dabbled in it. What no one was expecting was for her to make a career move out of it. It started in high school, she helped assist her teacher in their paranormal investigation group. It was through this teacher that she learned about anomalies and the role of the paranormal in anthropology. Her job as an investigator was just the groundwork for her BA in Parapsychology with a minor in Religious Studies at Stockton University, where she studied the connections of the paranormal and demons with the human psyche. She then went on to gain her MA in Magick and Occult Science with a specialization in Women and Minority Studies where she learned more about the occult across various religions and cultures as well as witchcraft and the impact and power women have within interaction, at Salem State University. At this point in her career, she can be seen as an expert in the occult as well as a demonologist. She actually works alongside various religious institutions, is still a researcher for a paranormal investigation team, and is also hosts a podcast about horror movies, the paranormal and the occult.

[littlemosbookrecs]

Title: Spells for Forgetting

Author: Adrienne Young

This book was the perfect mix of mystery, magic, and long lost love!

Fourteen years ago, Emery Blackwood’s life changed in the blink of an eye when her best friend Lily was found dead and her boyfriend August was accused of murdering her. August and his mother high-tailed it out of town, and Emery was left wondering what really happened that night. Now August’s mother has passed away, and he’s returned to his hometown of Saoirse Island to bury her ashes, but while there, he must confront Emery and the community that turned it’s back on him. In the middle of settling his mother’s affairs and preparing to sell her home, both he and Emery discovered there was more than one reason the town wanted him gone and that they’d go to any lengths necessary to keep him away.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story and loved digging deeper into the mystery of Lily’s death. While August’s unannounced return really threw the town into a tizzy, it was clear that Emory still harbored feelings for him. But after all those years and all the pain she endured from losing her best friend and the love of her life in the same night, she wasn’t about to jump back into a relationship with him. She needed answers, and the ones she got were NOT what she was expecting…I wasn’t expecting them either!

Highly recommend this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://amzn.to/3SD7ebX

[richincolor]

I've got my eye on several fantasy books I hope to read this summer. What do you have planned for your vacation or poolside reads?

The Witchery by S. Isabelle Scholastic

A bewitching debut by S. Isabelle, perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater, Zoraida Córdova, and Leigh Bardugo!

THE HAUNTING SEASON IS HERE AND THE WOLVES ARE AWAKE.

Haelsford, Florida is a Hellmouth. Or at least, that’s what Logan, a baby witch struggling to control her powers, thinks as she arrives to the witchtown to begin the new school year at Mesmortes Coven Academy. She is immediately taken under the wing of the infamous Red Three. Iris is a deathwitch who wants nothing more than to break the town’s curse; Jailah is one of the most powerful witches at the academy but her thirst for power may lead her down a dark path; and Thalia, the talented greenwitch, is on the run from her religious family and a past that still haunts her.

Fear and prejudice still fuel the uneasy truce between humans and witches who are forced to work together when the Haunting Season begins and Wolves rise from the swamp to feed. With this approaching, two Hammersmitt boys prepare to make their first sacrifices to the witches in exchange for protection. But as they become involved with the Mesmortes witches’ plan to end the Wolves’ reign of terror once and for all, old dangers lie in wait.

The cost to break the curse may be greater than any witch or human could ever know.

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen Delacorte Press

A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.

A Venom Dark and Sweet (The Book of Tea #2) by Judy I. Lin Feiwel and Friends

The enthralling conclusion to Judy I. Lin's Book of Tea duology—A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet—is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo.

A great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust.

Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi—a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making—has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess' loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning's newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen's rightful throne.

But the golden serpent still haunts Ning's nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world...

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: The enthralling conclusion to Judy I. Lin's Book of Tea duology—#1 New York Times bestseller A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet—is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo. A great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust. Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi—a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making—has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess' loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning's newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen's rightful throne. But the golden serpent still haunts Ning's nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world...

Review:

A shénnóng-shi on the run and a commander forced to decide his loyalties between family and what is right will both have to come together to stop the evil that will destroy everything they hold dear. Picking up where the first book left off, Ning has escaped with the Princess Zhen, the princess’ loyal bodyguard and love Ruyi, and Ning’s newly healed sister Shu. The four young women must travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and help Zhen take back her throne. Ning is still reeling from the betrayal from the one person she loved and thought she could trust, the son of the Banished Prince and commander, Kang. Ning is labeled as a murderer, a thief, and has to evade capture as she faces off against the golden serpent that haunts her nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. Ning knows something much darker is going on and if she does not stop it, the entire world could be consumed in the evil. Kang has finally helped his father achieve revenge, but he notices something is not right... there is something much darker going on in the palace and the violence has only escalated. Kang’s loyalties will be divided between the want to please his father and doing what is right for the people. Both Ning and Kang find themselves once again coming together, but can they really trust one another and will they be able to stop the evil before it’s too late? This is the ending to the duology and wraps up everything pretty neatly, I guess I just felt like it was missing something. I loved the first book and the cliffhanger on the first book made my excitement going into this book pretty high. While the stakes were high the overall journey wasn’t as compelling as the shénnóng-shi competition and court politics of the first book were. The romance has definitely definitely toned itself down in this one. Overall, it was a sweet ending to the overall duology and I did have a lot of fun reading the books (It definitely made me want to start brewing up another pot of tea for myself).  This was a magical and lush series, filled with court politics, intrigue, and just a touch of romance. 

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*