#reading playlist

Finishing Martyr today! Excited to start The Wax Child tomorrow and Paradise Lost next week.

Also I have been listening to my latest playlist during my reading sessions and also at the gym

Deep focus without noise. Vietnamese instrumental music creates space, clarity, and calm attention.

Here is my House Of Leaves playlist, made up mostly of Ambient and Liminal music. It also includes A Day In The Life by The Beatles as that song is quoted in chapter one of The Navidson Record. I also included some songs off Haunted by POE, who is MZD’s sister who made songs referencing House Of Leaves.

(Once in a while I do like to promote my own reading playlists)

ᴄᴀsᴇ ғɪʟᴇ: ɴᴏ. 341 // ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴅʜᴇᴅɢᴇ ɪɴᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ

A cluttered wooden desk, a heavy brass trench lighter, and a stained case file left open under the dim glare of a desk lamp. If you are setting up the table for a late-night mystery board game, plotting out your next crime novel chapter, or just staying up past midnight to finish that detective novel, you need the right soundscape to stay in the shadows.

This is the definitive 1940s private eye atmosphere. Think heavy double bass plucks skipping like a heartbeat, a smoky saxophone cutting through the mist, and the steady, cold rhythm of a midnight downpour hitting the pavement outside. It keeps your head down and your focus sharp while you piece the clues together.

𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖲𝖳𝖱𝖤𝖤𝖳𝖫𝖨𝖦𝖧𝖳𝖲. 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖲𝖤𝖢𝖱𝖤𝖳𝖲. 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖴𝖭𝖲𝖮𝖫𝖵𝖤𝖣 𝖢𝖠𝖲𝖤.

Pull the brim of your fedora down, lock the office door, and let the investigation begin.

𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑝𝑠𝑦𝑐𝘩𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝛰𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡.

I made a playlist for Hopefinder! Some notes on the songs I chose for it:

You Can’t Kill Us - This song captures a lot of Meric’s resiliency in the face of what they’re struggling with. In particular the first verse of the song goes absolutely raw, both in general and in terms of how it relates to the story.

Sunrise - Trigger warning on this one for lyrics alluding to self-harm, suicidal ideation, and grief. That said, this song similarly conveys some of the vibes of Meric’s healing journey. The quote at the end of the song has the feel of what I want the group of Hopefinders as a whole to feel like.

The Stolen Child - It feels like this could be the song playing during the climax of the novel. I love the way it slowly builds up over time, and the amount of emotions in the string instruments. No lyrics here, just vibes.