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    Burial by Burial

    Burial by Burial

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    This first album on Kode9 s deeply-respected Hyperdub label comes from the mysterious Burial, who...

    Ballads 1 by Joji

    Ballads 1 by Joji

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    Album

    Osaka, Japan-born singer and producer Joji is a multi-talented visionary, with a cult following from...

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Moses Boyd recommended Untold Stories by Buju Banton in Music (curated)

 
Untold Stories by Buju Banton
Untold Stories by Buju Banton
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I didn't really grow up listening to Buju, I kinda got into him a couple years ago, I would say. But soundsystem culture is interesting in that respect, same with soca, same with some of grime, a lot of dancehall, where you’ll go into a party and you’ll know the tune but you don't know who it is. I’ve always had that kind of relationship with Buju. When I really started going through his discography was the same time I got into Count Ossie and The Mystic Revelation and listened to a lot of Nyabinghi - spiritual music that’s not for entertainment. Then later finding that this record was when he was converting to Rastafarianism, but when I listen to this tune it always stuck out to me because how do you sound like the deepest gunman in Kingston, but yet also like the poet. It's perfect man. I'm getting married later in the year and was telling my fiancée ‘You know I’m gonna walk down the aisle to some Buju?’ And even she’s like I can’t really say you’re wrong. We get it as well, if you’ve grown up in London soundsystem culture is so important, there's something you just get. It feels like you’re listening to Kano or Dizzee cos they’re borrowing from it. That album just has a sound, it's really emotive, when you listen to it you feel everything, you know. Whether it's the way he's recorded the guitar or the choice of mic, it all adds to that sound world. It’s more than music - that was really influential to me, I would say."

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His Lordship's Master (His Lordship’s Mysteries #2)
His Lordship's Master (His Lordship’s Mysteries #2)
Samantha SoRelle | 2020 | LGBTQ+, Mystery, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
HIS LORDSHIP'S MASTER is the second book in the His Lordship's Mysteries series, and we continue on our merry way with Alfie and Nick. Now, you 'could' read this as a standalone but, honestly? To get the most out of it, I would absolutely recommend you read it in order.

We leave the grime and corruption of London behind us as we travel to Scotland with Alfie and Nick. However, what we find there is cold, wet, and mysterious! A big old house, an urban legend of the 'Wicked Master', plus a murder or two, and you've got plenty to keep you occupied.

I loved how the relationship between Alfie and Nick just went so much deeper. Their love is true, even if they're not at it like rabbits all the time! (Understandable considering the time period).

There are so many layers woven into this story and I love it all. I won't go into detail as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else but nothing is as it seems. The closest I got was with a couple of the female characters. I was sure something was going on with them, but I did not imagine it would be what it was!

For a great historical mystery with some MM tenderness as an added bonus, I can absolutely recommend this.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 22, 2022
  
Big Lies in a Small Town
Big Lies in a Small Town
Diane Chamberlain | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Morgan Christopher is shocked when she's plucked from prison and told she will be released early, as long as she perform a certain task: restore an old mural from the 1940s. Morgan, an art school dropout, has no restoration skills, but she is desperate to leave prison, where she is imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. Once released, she finds herself captivated by the mural and what she finds underneath the layers of grime. Meanwhile, in 1940, young Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey wins a contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. She travels there to learn more about the town that she needs to capture. But once there, Anna is confronted both by kindness and deep-set prejudice.

I've never read a book by Diane Chamberlain before, and I really enjoyed this one. It's oddly captivating for centering on a painting from the 1940s. The point-of-view switches between Morgan and Anna and each are compelling narrators in their own right. This was one of those books where I found myself desperately wishing I could read faster, as I wanted to find out what happened to Anna (we're told early on she "went crazy").

I applaud Chamberlain for her original plot. It's odd, but not in a bad way, as it had me interested the entire time. She does a wonderful job of creating two completely different worlds: Anna's in the 40s and Morgan's in near present-day. She deftly weaves in art aspects; Morgan's drunk driving conviction and her past in prison; Anna's possible mental illness; and Morgan's benefactor, so to speak, Lisa, who springs her out of prison to fulfill the wishes of her late father, Jesse, a famous artist.

While this novel is mainly fiction, there are some great twists and turns, especially as we learn what happened to Anna. Chamberlain delves into race relations, as Anna confronts the prejudices of the south in the 1940s. Her writing style is easy, making you want to keep reading, and overall, I quite enjoyed this one. 4 stars.
  
Fearless (Somerton Security #3)
Fearless (Somerton Security #3)
Elizabeth Dyer | 2018 | Romance, Thriller
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
far darker than the others, but equally brilliant!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book direct from the author, and I thank Ms Dyer for that!

This is book three in the Somerton Security series and I would strongly recommend that you read books one, Defenseless and book two, Relentless before you read this one. There is some of an on-going story arc, and I don't think you'll get the full benefit of THIS book, if you don't. And,I mean, both are five star reads too!

We haven't met Will or Cooper before, but we know of Will. He is Georgia's brother and we thought him long dead. Cooper is a sniper, and they have talked before, Will and Coop, long intimate conversations, but never got round to meeting. When Coop's life is threatened by her actions on orders, she needs Will to find the answers and clear her name. She just needs to free Will from his captivity.

I loved this one, too!

It's far darker than the other two, because some of Will's torture is described, in detail, as it happens and as memories surfacing, but it's needed. You NEED to know what happened to Will, while he was held all that time, because it has some baring on what happens later in the book. Quite graphic, but absolutely necessary.

Will and Coop's history is all phone calls and texts, but I loved that the full picture isn't immediately clear. You're left guessing at the clues and I love being kept on my toes.

I loved that Coop could SEE Will, you know, under all that dirt and grime and all those scars. She could see the man he was, will be again, even if Will couldn't. Loved that Will knew he had to let Coop go, if he was going to keep her and LOVED how he pulled her back!! I was like, way to go man!!

Parker and Georgia, and Ethan and Natalia all pop up, if only towards the end but it was nice that they did.

There is a character here who has piqued my interest, particularly after what he says to Coop and Will when the sh*t hits the fan, and more importantly, it was the WAY he said it. Makes me think that HIS story could be next, and he isn't quite the bad guy he portrays here. Maybe he is, but I think there is a teeny tiny soft spot in his heart for a certain doctor who is missing.

Please keep these coming!!

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**