Then And Now #10 (9/27-10/3)

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted @ Caffeinated Reviewer. See rules here: Sunday Post MemeMailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week.  It is hosted weekly over at Mailbox Monday and every Friday they do a round-up of some of their favourite, shared reads! 

Last Week

What a week! First of all, it's October, how did that even happen! What's next, November?! Time is flying but thankfully most of that time is being spent on fun things. I had a great meet-up with friends and I continue to really enjoy my lectures at university! There does also seem to be the option of another assistantship with a lecturer of mine on a Medievalism book, which would be great fun. I also know there is a great new show on Netflix which I can't wait to binge this Halloween-month, Midnight Mass, by the creator of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Can't wait to dig into that as the weather turns stormy and the nights turn dark. I also sent of two paper proposals to conferences, so fingers crossed! I'm definitely attending one of them, but the other one would be a great extra experience! 

On the less yay side, as I mentioned last week, our washing machine gave up its ghost. We got a new one through family friends of mine yesterday but now that one also isn't working properly. Basically, I spent most of Saturday, literally from like 10am to 5pm, on removing the old washing machine, calling the landlord for help, installing the new washing machine, running the new washing machine, realizing the new washing machine was not draining, mopping, wringing out wet clothes, mopping some more, etc. I was utterly done by 5pm, as I'm sure you can imagine. Do I ever want to see another washing machine? No. Is this the worst thing to ever happen to anyone? No. Do I really need to wash my clothes? Yes. Laundrette it is! If the weather complies, that's where I'll be spending today. 

What I posted:

Recommendations

A week or so ago I saw that Audible was releasing another 'Sandman' audio drama and I was so excited! While I'd never read the comics, I completely fell in love with the first "volume", which had an amazing cast! Neil Gaiman is of course a great narrator for his own work, but James McAvoy as Dream, Kat Dennings as Death and Michael Sheen as Satan just elevated it. So the new installment, The Sandman: Act II went straight onto my phone and into my ears. I started listening this week and I'm trying to take it slow so I can continue to enjoy it for as long as possible. Just look at this cast list!

And now, this is not an ad, this is just excitement!

Mailbox Monday

Manifesto by Bernardine Evaristo (Grove Atlantic; 1/18/2022)

Bernardine Evaristo’s 2019 Booker Prize win was an historic and revolutionary occasion, with Evaristo being the first Black woman and first Black British person ever to win the prize in its fifty-year history. Girl, Woman, Other was named a favorite book of the year by President Obama and Roxane Gay, was translated into thirty-five languages, and has now reached more than a million readers.

Evaristo’s astonishing nonfiction debut, Manifesto, is a vibrant and inspirational account of Evaristo’s life and career as she rebelled against the mainstream and fought over several decades to bring her creative work into the world. With her characteristic humor, Evaristo describes her childhood as one of eight siblings, with a Nigerian father and white Catholic mother, tells the story of how she helped set up Britain’s first Black women’s theatre company, remembers the queer relationships of her twenties, and recounts her determination to write books that were absent in the literary world around her. She provides a hugely powerful perspective to contemporary conversations around race, class, feminism, sexuality, and aging. She reminds us of how far we have come, and how far we still have to go. In Manifesto, Evaristo charts her theory of unstoppability, showing creative people how they too can visualize and find success in their work, ignoring the naysayers.

Both unconventional memoir and inspirational text, Manifesto is a unique reminder to us all to persist in doing work we believe in, even when we might feel overlooked or discounted. Evaristo shows us how we too can follow in her footsteps, from first vision, to insistent perseverance, to eventual triumph.

I was absolutely blown away by Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other, so I can't wait to learn more about her, her ideas, what inspires her, etc. This should be a great read!

Crickets by Lee Chappel (BooksGoSocial; 9/13/2021)

Kara Peterson last drove away from Paige, Ohio ten years ago after reporting her rape.

She thought she knew who was responsible. She thought it was over.

But she doesn’t know everything that happened that night.

When her father passes away unexpectedly, Kara’s forced to return to Paige. It should be a safe little town, especially for the daughter of its favorite sheriff, but something’s not right with Kara’s memories. There are times that have gone missing. In fact, there are more and more of them the longer she stays in town.

Maybe it’s her hometown getting to her. Or maybe it’s just him.

I was really drawn in by the cover, but then the blurb completely drew me in with its mystery and suspense.

The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess by Andy Marino, narr. Christine Lakin (Hachette Audio; 9/28/2021)

Possession is an addiction.

Sydney's spent years burying her past and building a better life for herself and her young son. A respectable marketing job, a house with reclaimed and sustainable furniture, and a boyfriend who loves her son and accepts her, flaws and all.

But when she opens her front door, and a masked intruder knocks her briefly unconscious, everything begins to unravel.

She wakes in the hospital and tells a harrowing story of escape. Of dashing out a broken window. Of running into her neighbors' yard and calling the police.

The cops tell her a different story. Because the intruder is now lying dead in her guest room—murdered in a way that looks intimately personal.

Sydney can't remember killing the man. No one believes her.

Back home, as horrific memories surface, an unnatural darkness begins whispering in her ear. Urging her back to old addictions and a past she's buried to build a better life for herself and her son.

As Sydney searches for truth among the wreckage of a past that won't stay buried for long, the unquiet darkness begins to grow. To change into something unimaginable.

To reveal terrible cravings of its own.

I kept seeing this on other people's blogs and being super jealous and THEN I realized I had just been given access to the audiobook on NetGalley. Such joy! The moment I finish The Sandman: Act II this is what I'm listening to. 

Voices of the Winds: Native American Legends by Margot Edmonds, Ella Clark (BooksGoSocial; 9/14/2021)

Learn about the rich history of North America through the legends and tales of those who inhabited the land first in Voices of the Winds.

This wonderfully appealing anthology gathers more than 130 Native American legends, many told to the authors by elder storytellers and
tribal historians. The legends feature a broad array of mythical figures, such as Thunderbird, Coyote, and Raven, as well as human-like characters “The
Girl Who Married the Moon” and “Two Brothers Who Became Stars.”

Organized by region—with tales from the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Southeast, and Northeast—the legends are drawn from many tribes, including the Wasco, Aleut, Apache, Yosemite, Cheyenne, Sioux, Hopi, Navajo, Chippewa, Cherokee and others, and are introduced by an informative headnote, accompanied by a variety of evocative line-art drawings. The stories include:

The Bridge of the Gods, WascoRaven’s Great Adventure, AlaskaSong of the Horses, NavahoOrigin of Fire, Jicarilla-ApacheThe Corn Ceremony, HidatsaThe Great Serpent and the Great Flood, Chippewa-OjibwaThe Origin of Earth, TuskegeeThe Legend of the Bear Family, PenobscotThe Origin of the Iroquois Nations, Iroquois

Get to know the first peoples of North America through these stories from their rich oral traditions.

As some of you might know, I absolutely adore myths, legends, and folklore of any type. So when I saw Voices of the Winds I knew I wanted to get into it. I don't know Native American legends as well as the European/Germanic ones, so I'm very intrigued already. 

So that's me! What's new, or old, for you?

Comments

  1. I feel your pain re: the washing machine saga. Glad the rest of the week was so fab to make up for it.
    I'm listening to The Sandman Vol 1 at the moment and loving the theatrical sound. It's like listening to a radio play. I enjoy Gaiman's stories but I haven't read the comics either, Juli.

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    1. Ooh it really is like a radio play, you're right! If you're enjoying the first one then you'll love the second one as well! And yes, washing machines are a bane but thankfully everything can, usually, be fixed ;) Thanks for dropping by!

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  2. Sorry to hear about the washing machine woes. That has to suck. Last time it was our dryer that gave out on us. We had to go to a nearby laundry place as well to get our clothes and sheets dried, because of course it happened on the day we washed our sheets!

    Nice new reads! Those are new to me ones but I hope you enjoy them all!


    Here's my StS

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. Hahaha those machines always know when it's least convenient and that's when they decide to die xD Can't wait to see what's new for you!

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  3. Oh, no, the washing machine woes! I am hoping to stall those things from happening for a while, but one never knows! It's always something that could happen.

    Enjoy those books and your week. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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    1. Maybe if I take all the "bad washing machine luck", then yours can continue on their merry way and not trouble you :) I will most definitely enjoy these books! Thanks for dropping by!

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  4. Oh no that's awful about the washer. Glad it was a good week otherwise though. I love this time of year and amready for all the spooky shows. :)

    Nice mix of books this week! I love reading about myth and folklore.

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    1. Oooh yess, all the spookiness! And yes, in the grand scheme of things the balance still shows a fun week! Thanks for dropping by :)

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  5. I am not sure how it got to be October either, but here we are. I am glad university is going well and you were able to meet up with friends this past month. I'm curious about Midnight Mass and may have to check it out for myself. It does seem perfect for this time of year. I am sorry to hear about the washing machines. We ended up having to replace our washer and dryer last year. It was a pain for awhile there. I hope you enjoy your new books! Have a great week, Juli!

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    1. I think 'Midnight Mass' might be solidly terrifying, so I'm going to save it for closer to Halloween time I think! Thankfully we have a laundrette nearby so worst comes to worst, that's the plan until we can replace the washing machine. Thanks for dropping by :)

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  6. Oh no! I'm so sorry about your washing machine. What a pain.

    I love your Netflix list for Halloween month.

    Enjoy your books and Netflix. Have a great week!

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    1. Hahaha pain indeed, I felt very dramatic for a bit on Saturday xD And I intend to enjoy this month of Halloween to the fullest this time around. Thanks for dropping by :)

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  7. I'm not having quite the washing machine nightmare that you are having. However when our washing machine of 25 years finally gave up the ghost, the insurance we had taken out on it entitled us to a replacement. There was quite a substantial pay-out, so we went to the same German manufacturer, in the hope that buying quality would see us through for a good few more years, Alas! the new machine was one of the worst investments we have ever made and I spend my days having nightmares about the things which just don't perform as they should.

    On a more positive note, you have some great books added to your shelves this time and I particularly like the sound of 'Voices Of The Winds' Not my usual reading at all, but the cover caught my eye and I am really intrigued to read some of the stories. maybe a book I can dip in and out of and not have to read all in one sitting!

    At least your time alone in the launderette will give you some quality reading time :)

    Have a great week xx

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    1. Oh wow, that's quite a washing machine saga as well! Glad to know I'm not the only one who lives in terror of them xD 'Voices of the Wind' will also be something new for me, and, like you, I'm hoping to dip in and out of it! Thanks for dropping by :)

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  8. Sorry about the laundry issues. I hope you can escape into a good book and forget about machine malfunctions!

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    1. Hahaha that was exactly how I spent yesterday, chin-deep in either 'The Sandman' or a good thriller! Thanks for dropping by :)

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  9. My last washing machine that bit the dust did it mid-wash 3 days before Christmas. I never want to go through that again (although, I know, first world problems...). Crickets and The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess both looks great! Have a fab reading week.

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    1. Oh yes, that is the last moment at which you want laundry piling up under the Christmas tree! But yes, there are worse things xD Thanks for dropping by!

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  10. Hope your washing machine problem gets taken care of. Sorry to hear this.

    These book covers are quite unique.

    I hope you enjoy the books.

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    1. I do think all of the covers have something striking, don't they? Each in their own way! And this is one of those problems that goes away if you throw money at it, so I'm currently attempting to source that xD Thanks for dropping by!

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  11. Sorry about your washing machine troubles. The one thing I always liked about the laundromat was an hour of so time to read. :-)
    So many new books - all new to me. Enjoy!

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    1. Oddly I did actually really enjoy my time at the laundromat, it smells lovely there and it is definitely a way to get some reading in! Thanks for dropping by :)

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  12. Sorry to read about your washing machines troubles!
    You've got some striking covers here, I'm especially intrigued by The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess. And the story sounds perfectly spooky for the season. Have a great week and happy reading!

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  13. I'm not quit sure how it got to be October either. I feel like I've lost all concept of time. I have to look at my phone to remember what day it is! I'm still having nightmares over the bent neck lady from The Haunting of Hill House! I haven't been brave enough to try anything else by them! I hope you're having a wonderful week!

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