Having been released in 1962, We Have Always Lived In The Castle was American author Shirley Jackson’s last novel to be published before her death three years later. The story is told from the perspective of one of the main characters, eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine Blackwood, nicknamed Merricat, who lived in a mansion-like house with her older sister, Constance, and their Uncle Julian. Hated by the townsfolk, Merricat and the remaining members of her family have as little interaction as possible with anyone but each other. However, a surprise visit from an estranged cousin just might tear the family apart and destroy the solitary life for them which Merricat has fought to maintain… Whether you’re looking for something new to read, or perhaps have already read this extraordinary piece of fiction, why not give it a read while listening to this book playlist we created below? You can also listen to our playlist on Spotify!

Into The Village
People Are Strangers by Zella Day
They tell you that they’ll never tell you a lie / Put you in a spell to get you on their side / They’re trying to hide, but they’re crossing the line / And it’s bad behavior / People are strangers / I’m getting stranger / The moment they want to get closer / I push them further / People are danger / It’s human nature / The moment they want to get closer / I push them further…

Time For Tea
Beautiful Crime by Tamer
We fight every night for something / When the sun sets, we’re both the same / Half in the shadows / Half burned in flames / We can’t look back for nothin’ / Take what you need, say your goodbyes / I gave you everything / And it’s a beautiful crime / Each breath I left behind / Each breath you take is mine / Walking on a line ten stories high / Fear a fall, you’re asking why / Leaving the things we lost, oh / Leaving the ones we’ve crossed / I have to make an end so we begin / To save my soul at any cost.

A Change Is Coming
Empires by Ruelle
A storm is coming / Desire burns / A war is calling / The tides are turned / Empires rise / Empires fall / We live or die / To take the throne / Empires rise / Empires fall / We live or die / To take the throne / Only one will stand at the end of it all…

The Arrival Of Cousin Charles
Everybody Loves Me by OneRepublic
God love all the people that have warned you / God love all your sentimental virtue / Eight balls with the takers that’ll make you / Lay calls with the lovers that’ll hate you / And you don’t have to make a sound / They got what you need / What you need / Make you say / Oh my! / Feels just like I don’t try / Looks so good I might die / All I know is everybody loves me!

Buried Goods
Bury by Unions
A woman can’t run / From the things she’s done / When the weight’s got her on her knees / Time don’t know / where the river flows / But I pray it’s out to sea / Ooo, ooo gonna bury me / Ooo, ooo gonna bury me / Keep them going down now / Let them drown…

Please Go Away
 Seven Devils by Florence & The Machine
Holy water cannot help you now / Thousand armies couldn’t keep me out / I don’t want your money / I don’t want your crown / See, I have to burn your kingdom down / Holy water cannot help you now / See, I have to burn your kingdom down / And no rivers and no lakes can put the fire out / I’m gonna raise the stakes / I’m gonna smoke you out / Seven devils all around me / Seven devils in my house / See, they were there when I woke up this morning / I’ll be dead before the day is done.

Constance and Charles Grow Closer
Toxic by 2WEI
Baby, can’t you see / I’m calling / A guy like you / Should wear a warning / It’s dangerous / I’m fallin / There’s no escape / I can’t wait / I need a hit / Baby, give me it / You’re dangerous / I’m lovin’ it / With a taste of your lips / I’m on a ride / You’re toxic / I’m slippin’ under / Taste of a poison paradise / I’m addicted to you / Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

This Is A Crazy House
Control by Halsey
They send me away to find them a fortune / A chest filled with diamonds and gold / The house was awake, the shadows and monsters / The hallways, they echoed and groaned / I sat alone, in bed till the morning / I’m crying, “They’re coming for me” / And I tried to hold these secrets inside me / My mind’s like a deadly disease / I’m bigger than my body / I’m colder than this home / I’m meaner than my demons / I’m bigger than these bones / And all the kids cried out, “Please stop, you’re scaring me” / I can’t help this awful energy / God damn right, you should be scared of me / Who is in control?

Fire
Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift
I don’t like your little games / Don’t like your tilted stage / The role you made me play of the fool / No, I don’t like you / I don’t like your perfect crime / How you laugh when you lie / You said the gun was mine / Isn’t cool, no, I don’t like you / But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time / Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time / I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined / I check it once, then I check it twice, oh! / Ooh, look what you made me do / Look what you made me do!

Death And Destruction
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Think Up Anger Ft. Malia J
Load up on guns, bring your friends / It’s fun to lose and to pretend / She’s over bored and self assured / Oh no, I know a dirty word / Hello, hello, hello, how low? / Hello, hello, hello! / With the lights out, it’s less dangerous / Here we are now, entertain us / I feel stupid and contagious / Here we are now, entertain us.

I Put It In The Sugar

Straight To Hell by LVCRFT x Sabrina Spellman
There’s no rest for the wicked heart / When you can’t see now what you really want / Got a fire in my blood that can burn the sun / And I’m not afraid ’cause I’d die for love / Tick tick tock and now it’s time / To get back what I’ve left behind / I know that there’s a sacrifice / And I’m ready to pay the price / I’ma dance, dance, dance into the dark, I hear my / Heart beat faster, I’m not afraid to / Take that chance ’cause let me tell you / When it comes to love I’m going straight to Hell, yeah!

Charles’ Charm
Devil’s Playground by The Rigs
Come, if you’re curious to see / Pull the tricks out of my sleeve / All you find is yours to keep / Brave, are you brave enough to meet / The desires that you seek / Hold my hand, I’ll set you free / Welcome to the devil’s playground / You can tread where demons play / It’s your Candyland where dreamers dance / And I promise that it’s safe / Welcome to the devil’s playground / You can look and you can touch / It’s a real fine day at the black parade / And I swear it won’t cost much.

We Have Always Lived In The Castle
White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane:
One pill makes you larger / And one pill makes you small, / And the ones that mother gives you / Don’t do anything at all. / Go ask Alice / When she’s ten feet tall. / And if you go chasing rabbits / And you know you’re going to fall, / Tell ’em a hookah smoking caterpillar / Has given you the call. / Call Alice / When she was just small. / When the men on the chessboard / Get up and tell you where to go / And you’ve just had some kind of mushroom / And your mind is moving low. / Go ask Alice / I think she’ll know.

So what do you think of the playlist above? Don’t forget to add your own suggestions down in the comments below!

The post Book Playlist: ‘We Have Always Lived In The Castle’ by Shirley Jackson appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Music plays a big role in our modern society. It is a medium that transforms along with our society thanks to the artists that create it. It influences consumers emotionally, morally, and culturally and plays an important role in popular culture particularly movies, television shows, and video games. Commonly, a combination of instrumental scores and complementary music plays during and in between scenes and they help convey the desired emotion and tone of particular scenes.

Reading is defined as “the process that involves recognising words, leading to the development of comprehension”. Reading is a process that negotiates the meaning between the text and the reader. The music is missing when we lose ourselves in a bookish world but this has all changed with readily available music streaming apps. When I think of how I read, it is almost like watching a movie that takes place in my mind. With the help of my inner monologue, I become the narrator, director, casting director, and make important decisions regarding costuming and musical numbers.

With smart devices, music is now constantly available at our fingertips. Streaming services provide immediate access to millions of songs and most platforms have a seemingly endless supply of archived playlists. These playlists can be created by anyone and are shared across the world.

Bookish playlists seem to be this untapped resource of the streaming world, if you know what to look for. There are playlists made by readers to play as background noise, playlists made by fans of particular books, fandoms,  OTPs (one true pairings), and there are even playlists curated by authors of the songs that they listened to while writing particular books, which gives another insight into their creative process!

Throughout my research for this topic, I discovered a diverse range of fan related musical content that extended further than simple playlists on music streaming platforms. One of my favourite discoveries was Reading Riffs, which can be found on Instagram @beardedbookie and what you will find is an aesthetic feed filled with books, popular culture, and more books. The reading riffs can be found on their IGTV and they are a wonderful blend of the artists’ passions.

Music can create an environment that helps you focus, become ‘in tune’ with the reading space, and helps mirror the emotions in your story creating an opportunity to feel a deeper connection to situations and relationships within your text. Reading while listening to music isn’t for everyone but I believe it is something everyone should try at least twice (my motto is: always try new things twice).

Personally, I love listening to music while reading and since discovering the existence of bookish playlists I haven’t turned back. Below are some recommendations of some of my favourite bookish playlists and I think you can guess my favourite genre of book!

Fan Curated:

Author Curated:

Let us know in the comments if you have any bookish playlist suggestions!

The post Bookish Playlists: What Are They and Why Do We Love Them? appeared first on The Nerd Daily.