Short Stories I Read In February

It’s the twenty-ninth of March. So it’s time to write about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in February.

This month was a much slower one, so I settled for reading a couple of stories from Naomi Novik’s short fiction collection, Buried Deep and Other Stories. I went into this one knowing I would likely encounter spoilers for Novik’s other series, including The Scholomance (which I have two books left to read). However, it doesn’t bother me or ruin my potential enjoyment, but it is something to keep in mind.

Araminta, Or, The Wreck Of The Amphidrake is the first story in the collection. Lady Araminta often went-against-the-grain, and as the story tells, she was caught reading a spellbook among other things. So a solution was reached: she was going to get married. But, as the way these things typically go in fiction, even the best laid plans can (and often do) go awry. I liked the seafaring and fantasy aspect of this story as well as Lady Araminta’s personality, her practical way of thinking, her inclination toward adventure, and her desire to do anything other than go home and do what was expected. That plus the environmental dangers and a rather inventive solution to Lady Araminta’s problems, made a story I found interesting and ultimately wanted more of.

Then there was After Hours, a story set in the Scholomance (and I believe it takes place after the end of the trilogy), about a mushroom witch who—after finding herself backed into a corner—enacts a desperate plan. But, the rules are there for a reason, and to break them is really at your own peril. And that was, ultimately, part of the lesson in the story for Beata. Oh, and it’s good to have friends/be on friendly terms with your roommate—because the Scholomance had its reasons for pairing people. Honestly, I adored this story, and I reminded me what I loved about A Deadly Education. And, hopefully, maybe, I’ll have time to take a look at the series again, like I did with The Raven Cycle.

From Around the Web…

• Thee Enduring Appeal of Magnificent Trees and Fantasy Forests [Kali Wallace; Reactor Magazine; January 30, 2025]: It's an essay about trees (both real world and of the magical/imagined variety from various works of fiction and media). 

• Choose Your Fighter: YA versus Adult [Maggie Stiefvater Substack; December 6, 2024]: I enjoyed this essay from Maggie Stiefvater about her decision/mindset/approach to making the switch from YA to Adult fiction.

Music Monday (312): Michi, Mothica

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I've been listening to Michi lately, specifically her latest album, Dirty Talk. It's Disco/Funk music, and I love it! Check out one of my favorites: Walking Away.

Adri: Last Music Monday, I picked Red by Mothica and was going to listen to the rest of the album. However, I waited when I saw there was going to be a visual version. So of course my pick this week is Kissing Death (Visual Album) by Mothica.

What are you listening to this week?

What I've Been Listening To: January-February

One type of media which has brought me some measure of joy and relaxation at the current moment is: music. January and February saw the release of some of my most anticipated albums, and with how many of them I enjoyed, the first quarter of 2025 has set the bar pretty high. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd is supposed to be his last under this particular name. Honestly, this album is a vibe. It was a sequel to Dawn FM and a callback to his previous work, mixing in references, themes, and dark imagery while also pulling in beats which could sound familiar at times but with a fresh take. Hurry Up Tomorrow was contemplative; an album that was in conversation with The Weeknd’s career and discography—the effects of the persona on the person behind the artist—while, at the same time, as the title suggests, it was looking forward.

I’m an occasional listener when it comes to Kendrick Lamar, as such his latest album, GNX, wasn’t initially on my radar. However, I circled back to it after his Super Bowl Halftime performance, particularly in search of his collaboration with SZA, Luther, which was one of the songs they performed. GNX felt like a hip-hop and rap album from the early 2000s but with an update. Kendrick Lamar delivers some excellent verses over quality production.

Next, I checked out four artists—The Pocket Queen, ALT BLK ERA, Defences, and Justice— based on Adri’s recommendation.

Justice’s Hyperdrama is a solid electronic album with a number of great features including with Tame Impala (Neverender, One Night/All Night), Thundercat (The End), Miguel (Saturnine), RIMON (Afterimage), Connan Mockasin (Explorer), and The Flints (Mannequin Love).

Then Groove Theory Vol. 1 by The Pocket Queen is a short EP. I really like this artist’s style. Her music is almost like a drumming showcase while it also takes some influence from R&B and disco, for a very smooth listening experience—this is also true for her latest song, Good Vibes featuring Duckwrth.

Shadowlight by Defences and Rave Immortal by ALT BLK ERA scratched my itch for rock music. Shadwlight falls on the heavier side standing firmly in metal. All-in-all, it’s an incredibly enjoyable album. And then there’s Rave Immortal, which is the first of the two rave inspired albums I’ve listened to so far this year. It’s rock and, in the words of Adri, “dubstep,” but it isn’t all fun and game, there are some reflective songs there too (Straight To Heart and Come On Outside for example).

And last, but certainly not least: Eusexua by FKA Twigs. This was my most anticipated release for the first quarter of 2025, and it did everything I hoped it would. It kind of filled the space left by Brat with FKA Twigs’s take on rave. They’re two very different albums, and Eusexua, in particular, has a grungier party vibe—a little strange, a little ethereal—which was complimented by Twigs’s vocals.

Here are some singles which made it onto my playlist: Weight of Desire by Tennis, Disease and Abracadabra by Lady Gaga, Monsters by Nova Twins, Good Vibes by The Pocket Queen featuring Duckwrth, Meddle In The Mold-A Colors Show by Banks, and Butterfly by Marina.

Doctor Who: Blink, Silence in the Library & Forest of the Dead

On Christmas Day, my co-blogger and I ended up watching a marathon of Doctor Who episodes on BBC America, rather than other holiday staples. I was in, because there were showing some of my favorites, like Blink, as well as episodes I’d missed such as the two part story in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead.

Where to begin? Well, Blink, for starters, is one of my favorite episodes of Doctor Who. I always remembered it best for the montage of gargoyles and statues at the end, while the Doctor says “Don’t blink,” as well as for the design of the Weeping Angels and the menace they presented in the narrative. What I think is interesting is how little the Doctor and Martha appear in this episode but how impactful they still are to—who is arguably the main character in this story—Sally Sparrow, who is drawn in to this complex web, this almost cat and mouse game.

Then there’s the two part story: Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead. The Doctor and Donna arrive at a library, one that’s the size of a planet, which presented a whole new complicated and puzzling set of circumstances. How can so many people be saved and yet there are no survivors? And it’s here where the Doctor and Donna’s paths crossed with River Song—who knew more about the Doctor than he knew of her—and a motley crew of explorers, tasked with figuring out what occurred in the library. Like Blink, Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead was complex, engrossing, and eerie. It was a mission destined to go haywire. And, it had these emotional beats taking place, so when something occurred you kind of experience the horror of the situation as its happening to the characters.

Some of the reasons why these episodes resonate so much with me are because of the non-linear timelines affected how the Doctor and Donna or Martha interacted with other characters. And for the atmosphere, this almost thriller mystery-esque setup that wants to lean more toward horror, and it does with the way the events play out as well as how the Weeping Angels and the Vashta Nerada impact the stories.

It was nice to revisit Blink. And, it was great to finally see how River Song was introduced to the series.

Music Monday (311): Courtnie & Phoelix, Mothica, Mary J. Blige and Jadakiss

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I've been listening to a lot of good music lately, from favorites like Banks and Lady Gaga, and new-to-me artists like my pick for today's Music Monday: It's Alright by Courtnie featuring Phoelix. I love this song so much!

Adri: This week my pick is by another artist I came across (and need to listen to everything else by). That is Red by Mothica.

Andrea: Recently, I had the chance to attend the Las Vegas stop of Mary J. Blige's The For My Fans Tour. Needless to say, her music remains apart of my daily playlist. I'm currently listening to You Ain't The Only One and Need You More featuring Jadakiss. Have amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?