Category: Jorie Loves A Story

*SFN* | A Book Showcase [focused on] Steampunk!

Posted Sunday, 3 November, 2013 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

SFN Feature badge created by Jorie in Canva

IF I were to be completely honest, I have been intrigued with the world of Steampunk for many, many moons as I simply adore the style of dress, the artwork of illustrators & indie visual artists, the motion pictures that bring a bit of Steampunkiness to the story-lines (especially the last Three Musketeers & The Invention of Hugo Cabret!), and of course, the idea of having the technology of Steampunk fused and fixed in the Victorian age whilst the regular time continuum shifts forward through the centuries! Now, that is something that I think most can appreciate because Steam Energy and Technology is a cleaner resource than those that were utilized in the Industrial Revolution. I have never known honestly how to jump-dash into the Steam-side of Literature, as I even was so bold and daring as to contact the largest SteamCon over on the West Coast about how one would go about digging into Steam novels — only to be returned a short notice that due to the vastness of the genre, it’s up to each reader to decide! Aye! How then, did I sort it out!? Let me tell you!

Prior to a fortuitous evening at my local library, I took part in The Clockwork Carnival which served as my Introduction to the literary side of Steampunk! Whereupon I read my first-ever novel set in a Steampunk world that revolved around automation! Prior to this contribution piece where I read the novel “The Clockwork Man”, I hadn’t realised that the genre of Steam was as far-fetching as the SteamCon had led me to believe! For instance, when you first start to research books & authors to read, you’re going to run into a few hurdles, especially if you’re at your local library as the card catalogue can only give you certain cross-reference word searches! Of which, limitations pursue, because you’re not always given the direct line of results you’re looking for as I would search for: cogs, clocks, clockwork, steam, steampunk, Victorian London, etc. Some of the best Steam books do not even come up cross-referenced as you think they would be listed but rather are listed as something else entirely! Such as the main subjects that are contained in the book rather than the genre by which the book is attached! A bit frustrating but I must be making progress because for this SFN Reading Challenge I harnessed for myself, I found quite a few new selections that I hadn’t discovered back during “The Clockwork Carnival!”

I do hope you will take the time to click-through to read my piece on The Clockwork Man, because its such a humbling story that emotes such a level of humanity through its wholly unusual lead character! I was taken by his willingness to learn how to adapt to our society, but also, how to love, how to feel, and how to properly live! I wonder if anyone else has read this novel by the indie author William Jablonsky!?

After I read it, I had it in mind to pick up the other alternates I had selected to read during that time, but alas! Time and life tend to run into our blogging affairs every so often, and I was detained! I decided to hold off until another moment arrived where Steampunk could be the main focus again! (hmm, did I have to wait long? winks!) Whilst I tabled reading those selections, I had the pleasure of being given the opportunity to read another indie author’s novel set in a post-apocalypse Steampunk world, where I would imagine it would be considered part Dsytopian as well!? I am referring to “The Boxcar Baby” by J.L. Mulihill, in which the main character is taking a quest to find her long-lost Papa!? As you will read in that review, I was left with mixed feelings when I came to the conclusion of the story. However, what it did for me was open up my eyes further to the wide expanse this genre affords us to read! Each time I find a new book that is of Steampunk nature, I get a bit giddy inside for where I will be led next! Reading is a learning curve, as each book and author you stumble across as your seeking what you’re looking for will be a step closer to where you hope to arrive!

I was originally intending to start off my Steampunk Book Showcase with the selection of “The Iron Wyrm Affair” as its been one of those books that starts to vex you because you keep having to return it and re-check it out again!? I was thinking this would have been perfect timing for me to consume it, only I was not alone in this thinking, as it is quite high in the hold que! Either that, or perhaps a sequel is due out and everyone is trying to re-read the beginning! I do notice that that can happen as well! Instead I am thinking that my first selection could be “The Dark Unwinding” by Sharon Cameron, as I speculate this based on what I read of the author’s website just the other day! I haven’t yet opened the book because I must confess, I am running a bit behind on my SFN writings & readings due to the fact I get a bit addicted to visiting all your lovely SFN blogs!! I get caught up in the social aspects of the event, to where I burnt so much midnight oil on the first three days of SFN, I had to crash a bit earlier today in order to make up the deficient in sleep! Don’t misunderstand me – I am not complaining, but my posts are being drawn out a bit longer to post due to this! Plus, too, let’s face it during lunch I decided to see a new Hallmark Thanksgiving movie entitled: “The Thanksgiving House” which was a lovely addition to the holiday film season!

I am only in the beginnings of my journey into this wicked genre, which is why I do not have too much to disclose in this opening post, as I find that each book brings me a bit closer to understanding it overall! I would love to open up a discussion thread though right now, and encourage anyone who has had history with Steampunk in Literature to post a link back to a post on your own blog that delves into how you came to start reading Steampunk &/or of whom your favourite authors, stand-alone novels, and Steam serial books would be!? Be sure to come back to this post to attach the link of your post in the comments! ONLY link directly to the post you created on this topic, DO NOT link to the main page of your blog! I will be checking! Thank you! I cannot wait to see what everyone’s post!! :)

In the interim, these are the books I pulled from my local library to explore this month:

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron – A most excellent choice! Started to read on 17 November!
The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi
Steamed: A Steampunk Romance by Kate MacAlister
Not Less For Gods by Kage Baker
Steampunk: An Anthology by
Ann Vandermeer
The Clockwork Universe by Edward Dolnick
Mainspring by Jay Lake
Airborn by Kenneth Opel

I selected each of them for different reasons, as I wanted to see how far I could push myself into the realms of the genre itself. I am not even sure if the settings, plot, and characters will be ones that I can warm myself up too properly, as that is all part of the discovery process, but those that I do warm too are going to be reviewed during SFN! Again, I am running a bit behind in this, as my first Steampunk review might post on the 10th rather than the 3rd as I am just this shy of falling asleep on my keyboard!

I would be curious to hear from you, dear hearts, if you have perhaps read one of these books yourself, what your lasting impression was of them, and if you have a few book selections to provide me for future Steampunky readings!?

This feature is brought to you by:

Sci-Fi November | Hosted by Rinn Reads{SOURCES: Sci-Fi November Badge provided by Rinn Reads for participants to advert the month long event and to encourage people to follow along with those of us who are contributing! SFN badge used with permission. SFN Feature badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Sunday, 3 November, 2013 by jorielov in Alternative History, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Bookish Discussions, Dystopian, Horror, Indie Author, Library Find, Library Love, Sci-Fi November, Science Fiction, SFN Bingo, Speculative Fiction, Steampunk, Tomorrow Comes Media, Young Adult Fiction

*SFN* | Feature: Seventeen to Seven: One Girl’s Quest for Sci-Fi

Posted Friday, 1 November, 2013 by jorielov , , , , , , , 7 Comments

SFN Feature badge created by Jorie in Canva

A Curious Title for a Curious Attachment:

I am not even sure if I could properly explain when my initial attachment and curiosity that surrounds the genre of ‘science fiction’ first began, because I grew up in a family who was already wholly enthused with Star Trek (the Original Series), Star Wars (the Original Trilogy), and Battlestar Gallactica (the Original Series). Therefore, from the time before I even entered kindergarten, I had a working knowledge of the characters I would lateron become beloved within the Star Trek and Star Wars Universes. I still remember eager to return home from a boring day in elementary school, to see which episodes my Dad was able to tape from the Trek marathon as we ‘d sit and watch them together! I have a LOT of fond memories of seeing Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty through the eyes of my father! This sparked a pulling towards science fiction story-lines across multi-visual media outlets, which included but are not limited too: motion picture, tv serials, sound for motion picture, and literature. I appreciated the art of including science within the confines of the story arcs, as much as daring to push the breadth of what was readily known with the limitlessness of what theoretically could be plausible.

I am quite sure, that aside from an appreciation of MacGyver part of the reason I was keen on science from such a young age, was the fact I was a mainstay at the local science center whilst growing up! I was completely enraptured by the planets (early roots of seeking knowledge of Cosmology, Astronomy, AstroBotany, etc), solar system, the oceans, and the diverse ecological systems that are on Earth from one continent to the next; as much as how different each section of Earth can remain completely independent, yet co-dependent of each other. The inter-threads of connection were something that I picked up in the very beginning, but it was my yearning desire to understand not only the natural world outside my front door, but the upper atmospheres (i.e. Meteorology to Space Science) straight-through to what existed beyond our sphere and ventured into the dark unknowns of the galaxy where we see glintings of at night whilst peering upwards towards the constellations and moon.  Whose assurance of presence is never forsaken no matter where we find ourselves positioned on Earth. You can change hemispheres, (North to South or vice versa) and even Coasts (East to West or vice versa) and you’ll still be exalted in the pure awe of what you will find once your eyes are cast heavenward. I learnt the outlines of constellations whilst participating in the planetarium and observation laboratory at the science center. I participated in a Young Astronauts Program as much as attend Space Camp (when it was quite an extraordinarily exotic place to visit and not just an exit on an interstate).

Through my pursuit of science fiction, the undercurrent desires of my heart and curiosity of thirst to understand how everything worked, kept revolving around theoretical science rather than finite or applied sciences. I used to joke around with classmates and teachers alike exclaiming, “There isn’t an ‘alogy’ that I haven’t met that I didn’t like or wish to know more of!” This was my cheeky declaration that hinted at the fact that I ‘collected’ an appreciation for more branches of science than most would dare think possible! It was in the sixth grade that I learnt the most about the oceans and the currents and how they intersected with the patterns of climate. How a shifting in the tides could cause irrevocable damage and how the patterns of our moon affected the tides. The greater sense of how each branch of science was one leaf towards the whole equation fascinated me to no end!

And, then you have science fiction in the background, etching these theories and fact into stories that leap alive before your eyes, jettisoning your imagination into hyper-drive as you explore the possibilities of what is limited and unlimited, what is conceivable and what challenges your perceptional irises. My eighth grade year, Quantum Leap was a tv serial that combined my passion for science and history.  As it jumped like gangbusters into a new sub-genre where time travel, quantum physics, and the acceleration through historical actuarial data to right the wrongs of the past proved to be a tv serial that was unlike any other I had thus become exposed to. I liked the tenacity of the series mission and the depth of which the writers took the episodes.

I quirkly give a nodding to the first beginnings of my genesis towards a new height of understanding in the science fiction community, as the roots of what I appreciated began before I was seven years old, but that is the approximate age in which I started to stand my ground and assert what I liked or didn’t like about certain sci-fi media platforms. I knew my leanings and tendencies, and I was constantly seeking out new realms to explore. By seventeen, I had joined the Science Fiction Book Club, whereupon I was casting a net of discovery into seeking the very beginnings of the genre itself, as grandmothers and grandfathers of the literary side of sci-fi were spoken about throughout the monthly club mailings. I ate up the knowledge inside those pamphlets which afforded me a guide like a lost wanderer in the desert seeking a map to find the nearest nomad community. I didn’t have a lot of friends who appreciated this genre.  Those that did I noticed liked other aspects of it more than I did which is why I sort of presumed outside of my family, I might run a bit solo in my pursuits.

Seventeen to Seven is my metaphor for realising that for each passion we carve a niche for out in our lives is a constant and ever-changing beginning and starting ground towards our full understanding of what that passion can yield. We will always have ground to cover whether that means uncovering which writers of the past exhume the context of stories we appreciate or whether that means we take a stand against ‘sequels’ and stand firm in line with the originals that we feel still have merit.

Whilst we walk through November together, you’ll start to find glimpses of where I fall in the science fiction world, where my feet amble around in the media choices we all have before us, and how I seek a course that is true and right for me to tread. I am challenging myself to seek out authors who write in the sub-genres of: Steampunk (as foretold in my inclusion of The Clockwork Carnival), Dystopian (as I have always been on the fence), and Time Travel (a closet interest that truly is one that I seek out the most). I wanted to push the limits of what I might perceive to be of interest to me, and challenge myself to dig into a genre like Dystopia which I have overlooked thinking there wasn’t a part of it that I would be keen to read (or watch).

As you root around my blog, you’ll notice that I am a blog tour hostess with Tomorrow Comes Media (which features books from Seventh Star Press), of which I have already posted a lovely assortment of science fiction and epic fantasy reviews throughout September and October! IF you’re keen to know which ones I am referring to, kindly scope out this indexed category: Seventh Star Press. I will be making cross-references with my experiences towards this regard, as they cross-sect my posts for SFN! I want to make a special shout-out for Stephen Zimmer who is looking for new hosts for Tomorrow Comes Media! Therefore, if you like the books I’ve reviewed on my blog, think about contacting him to be a tour host!

Join me, as I embark on a daily blogging challenge, where each new day that dawns this month will lead to 30! full days of science fiction ruminations that reflect and expand on my own interests in a realm that is as fascinating as considering the poem about heaven in a grain of sand! All posts will be archived on my SFN: November dedicated page at the header of my blog and indexed through my blog itself by the category: Sci-Fi November. Either way, you can always jump forward and back into which posts you might have missed whilst hopping through to the other lovely bloggers who are taking part in this wonderfully wicked sci-fi event!!

In the forefront of my blog each week you’ll find a book tour being hosted at the top of my blog. However, I am going to be blogging quite a heap of dedicated posts for SFN which will run underneath the header posts for the book tours! As much as posting about the first book in a fantasy book series: Finnikin of the Rock,  which I meant to post about last month! There are a lot of curious things going on in November on Jorie Loves A Story, and I look forward to seeing who alights on my blog in the comment threads whilst Autumn swings into full force! And, to those who are ducking in and out from participating in Nanowrimo — WELCOME! I’ve been there, and I know how happy I was to take a reprieve!

My hat is tipped with warm gratitude to Rinn, of Rinn Reads, who set-up this event and brought all of us together!

Remember if your a tweater to engage in conversation on this channel: #RRSciMonth

And, for those of you who like to converse in the blogosphere, please take the time to sit a spell with each of us on your blog touring adventures, dropping us a note or two, returning back to see our replies, and helping us make this event a chatter-happy and friendly event where conversations and the mirth of sharing our conjoined passion for sci-fi possible!!

This feature is brought to you by:

Sci-Fi November | Hosted by Rinn Reads{SOURCES: Sci-Fi November Badge provided by Rinn Reads for participants to advert the month long event and to encourage people to follow along with those of us who are contributing! SFN badge used with permission. SFN Feature badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Friday, 1 November, 2013 by jorielov in AstroBotany, Astronomy, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Cosmology, Dystopian, Ecology, France Book Tours, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Mail-Order Book Clubs, Meteorology, Oceanography, Quantum Physics, Sci-Fi November, Science Fiction, Space Science, Steampunk, The Clockwork Carnival, Time Travel, Tomorrow Comes Media

*Forthcoming Reviews, Book Tours, and Exciting News!* | A JLAS Update!

Posted Saturday, 26 October, 2013 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

Forthcoming Reviews, Book Tours, and Exciting News!
{A JLAS Update!}

My dear readers, I must apologise for the extended absence I have taken here on JLAS! I was hit quite hard earlier in the month when I took ill, and in the weeks since, I was dealing with a family matter that is now resolved, however, I have lacked the proper time to not only complete the readings I was happy to have the opportunities to participate in but I did not have the proper time needed to populate my blog with postings and reviews until now, as I am editing the posts that will start to go live lateron in the weekend and into the early bits of Halloween week! I have lots of exciting things to share with you, and I do apologise if it looked like I had vacated Jorie Loves A Story, but hopefully, you did see the two postings I put on the top margin!?

I originally posted this NEWSFLASH:

The review of “The Study of Murder” by Susan McDuffie, has simply been delayed whilst I recover from being ill. I apologise for my absence, but I will be resuming life on my blog shortly! Thank you if you had ducked back to see the review, as it will post this week instead!

And, followed it up with this NEWSFLASH:

| Small UPDATE: 21 October | My review of “The Study of Murder” is in-process as well as a review of “Redheart” by Jackie Gamber. I am working on my first 2 discussion posts for “Finnikin of the Rock”, as well as my second post for “Jane Eyre”. I have 3 “Pride & Prejudice” posts in the mix for “Classics Re-Told”. Between now and the 1st of November, I will be working on getting my posts back on track, as I had an extended leave due to a family matter that is now resolved. I appreciate everyone’s patience during my absence.

My heart you see has been in the right place, but I have unfortunately not been able to give my dear readers the content they were hoping to see on my blog! Thankfully, I have noticed that you (my subscribers and faithful readers) have held with me during this time and for that, I extend my gratitude to each of you! :) I wanted to post this today to duck in and say, I am thankful for your patience and I look forward to interacting with you quite soon! Therefore, let me not delay the exciting news I have to share with you, so that you will know what will be coming up next!

The Study of Murder by Susan McDuffie

“The Study of Murder” by Susan McDuffie

This review was meant to posted on the 12th of October, however, as foresaid, I was delayed until this weekend to complete my full review of this book. I will be posting my review on Sunday, 27th October!

RJ Sullivan Vitrual Blue Book Tour with TCM

“Virtual Blue” By R.J. Sullivan

This exciting book tour is heading to JLAS on Monday, 28th of October, as I will be reviewing the 2nd book in this exciting (Blue) series by Mr. Sullivan, whose humour I expect to leave me in stitches!

Redheart by Jackie Gamber

“Redheart” by Jackie Gamber

I was attempting to post this review shortly after “The Study of Murder”, however, my entire posting schedule for October has been altered from how I planned it originally. Therefore, I am going to be posting my review of this first book of the Leland Dragon series on Wednesday, 30th of October.

Iluminations by Mary Sharratt Book Tour HFVBT

“Illuminations” by Mary Sharratt

My first book tour with HFVBT (Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours) will be alighting on my blog on All Saint’s Day, the 1st of November! I am looking forward to this, as I always enjoy my ‘first’ tour with each touring company!

Meanwhile,… there are a few reading challenges and read-a-longs,

Septemb-Eyre hosted by Entomology of a Bookworm

Remember, I was reading “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë?! The good news, is that I am still in the middle of the book, and I am going to be posting the next installments as soon as I am ready to reveal my next impressions! I have longed to know how this story proceeds, as I left off right as Mr. Rochester and Jane were starting to interact with each other! :(

Classics Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics | Focus: Pride & Prejudice hosted by Bookish Whimsy

I picked “Pride and Prejudice” as my focus for this lovely Reading & Viewing challenge to uncover all the ‘after canons’ that were interconnected with Ms. Austen’s original story! I actually did quite well in viewing a few adaptations in motion picture as well as encountered quite a few ‘after canons’, however, the posts are in-progress and will be fleshed out for proper posting over the course of the next weeks! Two of my favourite adaptations that I stumbled across during this wicked challenge were the 1940 film adaptation with Greer Garson and the re-telling adaptation of “Lost in Austen”.

During the course of October, whilst I was off-blog for a fortnight, I lost my footing with this reading challenge, as the posts I was meant to contribute, which is why I’ll be making amends for this by posting everything after the weekend in full, but hopefully, will get a few pieces up on JLAS before the conclusion on Sunday! :( I was so hopeful that I could have participated with this during the event itself, but life sometimes takes us off-guard and re-focuses our attention elsewhere! Needless, I am simply thankful to have discovered this book, and will enjoy making my rounds to the blogs/readers who participated!

And, the exciting news is that this event:

Sci-Fi November | Hosted by Rinn ReadsIs the one in which, I am participating in a month-long series of posts that will revolve around my chosen 3 topics of interest, which are as follows: Steampunk, Time Travel, and Dystopian! I will be posting a more comprehensive post about this lovely event on Halloween, as the kick-off is the 1st of November!

What a wonderful time of the year for reading, eh!?

The winds are starting to turn crisper, leaves are starting to fall, and all the lovely divine foods that give us comfort and goodwill are starting to become available at the farmer’s markets! Days were being out-of-doors is a pure delight, as the temperatures forestall the heat, and there is an energy in the air that uplifts the soul! Autumn is always such a beautiful time of the year, and I am thankful, that this year, not only do I get to enjoy the natural environments, but I am able to turn inward, and explore a lovely diverse range of books and celebrate the joys of reading! I wonder what books your exploring and picking up!?

November will be an exciting month here on Jorie Loves A Story, as I have *5!* book tours arriving!!

I hope you were able to *catch!* Jorie Loves A Story’s first contributor post, “World Book Night: from a Giver’s Point of View” by Greylen!? This posted a few days ahead of the official 2014 World Book Night Sign-Ups went live! I am curious if any of my readers are taking part in this exciting event!?

Be sure to stay tuned!!

And, I thank you for your patience until I could return!

Autumn and Harvest blessings to all!

{SOURCES: Book cover for “The Study of Murder” provided by the author, Susan McDuffie. Book Cover for “Redheart” provided by Tomorrow Comes Media. Book Tour badges provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours respectively. Finnikin of the Rock Read-A-Long badges provided by Bookish Whimsy. Sci-Fi November Badge provided by Rinn Reads. “Septemb-Eyre” & “Classics Re-Told” badge created by using the Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven with edits by Jorie in Fotoflexer.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Saturday, 26 October, 2013 by jorielov in Classics Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics, Finnikin of the Rock, JLAS Update Post, Jorie Loves A Story, Sci-Fi November, Septemb-Eyre

World Book Night : from a Giver’s Point of View

Posted Monday, 21 October, 2013 by greylen , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

JLAS_ContribGreylen

Hello all!

I am Greylen, a long-time friend of Jorie’s and a fellow voracious reader. Luckily, my path in life led me to become a librarian, so I get to be around books all the time. I don’t always get too much time to read, being also a homemaker, wife, and cat Mom, but I am forever trying to bring my life back into balance to allow more reading time!

Although I spend a lot of time giving out books and other materials that are free to borrow if you return them on time. Once a year, I enjoy giving away free books that do not have to be returned. For the past two  years I have been a volunteer Book Giver for World Book Night. WBN began in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2011 and came to the US in 2012. It is always on April 23. April 23 is the UNESCO International Day of the Book, as well as Shakespeare’s birthday. It was also chosen in honor of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, who died on April 23, 1616 (the same day as Shakespeare).

World Book Night’s mission is to reach out to infrequent, reluctant or non-readers of all ages and socio-economic classes. The books are carefully chosen each year to include a mixture of genres as well as a gender, ethnic, and geographical balance. Also, for practical reasons as all WBN special editions are trade paperbacks, the titles must be available in paperback form. When signing up to be a Giver, you must choose three titles in order of preference.

You may say, well, you are a librarian, why not just direct people to the library? WBN is about meeting people where they are and bringing books to them. Libraries are awesome, but not everyone gets there easily. You may live in an area without much public transportation, for example, as I do. If a person has no car, they can’t get to the library. Also, for someone like the clerk at the local Subway who is working there as their second job in addition to going to school, they don’t have time to seek out what to read for pleasure on their own, but if you put it in their hand, there’s a good chance they may read it in the spaces in between the busy parts of their life.

In 2012, I received my first choice book, Just Kids by Patti Smith. Among 2012’s 30 titles to choose from were The Stand by Stephen King, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I have admired Patti Smith’s music and poetry for many years and read the book when it first came out. It is a memoir of her life as a young artist in New York and her close relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. It is about art and freedom and all sorts of amazing things. I distributed my books with my husband on the campus of his Alma Mater, The University of Maryland, College Park. We distributed books to members of the University’s board gaming group and all sorts of other random people walking around campus or eating dinner and hanging out in the student union. I was sad to keep hearing “who?” when I mentioned Patti Smith but hopefully the people I gave the book to will check out some of her music and be able to answer their own question!

For 2013, I got my third choice book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I am a big fan of Bradbury so I kind of picked this just because it was him. It had been a long time since I read it. While it is science fiction, it is an incredible story about knowledge and censorship and freedom of information and it is a really ironic yet awesome choice for a program focused on giving out books and spreading knowledge instead of restricting it. There were also 30 titles to choose from for 2013, but two were available in Spanish as well as English this time– Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist, and Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street. Other titles included Bossypants by Tina Fey, Playing for Pizza by John Grisham, and Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

More of my friends participated this year– one friend who is a massage therapist in Los Angeles gave out Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and another friend who works at a homeless shelter gave out Walter Mosley’s Devil In A Blue Dress to her clients and co-workers.  Yet another friend who is an elementary school teacher gave out Norton Juster’s classic The Phantom Tollbooth to the more reluctant readers among her students– you know, not the ones begging their parents to go to the library like I was, but after they get hooked on reading, they probably started. One book can change a life.

My husband’s involvement with the board gaming group at his University has pretty much ceased so we stuck to more local places in our neighborhood to give out books in 2013. A local coffee shop was our launching pad, followed by the waiting room of an urgent care walk-in clinic (what a terrible place to be stuck without something to read!) and just popping in to random stores in a local shopping center. Also a couple of pre-teen girls playing in the woods near our house received copies. It could be a bit beyond their reading level, but being someone who was reading the Complete Works of HG Wells at age 8, I try not to assume anything.

I fully intend to be a Giver for 2014 as well. It is a very simple exercise. You sign up entirely online and your books (20 copies of whichever title WBN has chosen for you) are sent to a local bookstore or other collection point (I picked up from Barnes and Noble) the week or so before WBN. There is no cost to you other than whatever gas you use driving around and giving out books. It is very rewarding and engages you with people of whom you might not talk to otherwise. When people realize you’re not trying to sell anything or convert them to your religion (I make it a point to say I am not giving out religious books), they are pleasantly surprised for the most part that someone is giving out something so cool for absolutely nothing in return.

On October 23, six months before WBN 2014, World Book Night will be hosting a live unveiling of the 2014 titles at 6:30 PM EDT. Giver applications open up on October 24 and I will be signing up on the first day, however they are open until January 5, 2014.

Have you ever given or received for WBN?

Do you plan to sign up for 2014?

{CONTRIBUTOR POST: by Greylen for Jorie Loves A Story}

{SOURCE: Badge post lovely provided by Shabby Blogs, with edits by Jorie in Fotoflexer.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Monday, 21 October, 2013 by greylen in Art, Contributor Feature or Post, Freedom of Expression, Freedom to Read, Literacy Advocacy, Literary Event, Photography, Poetry, World Book Night

Spontaneously Museful About the Curiously Random Bits that Lift our Spirits

Posted Wednesday, 16 October, 2013 by jorielov , 1 Comment

Whilst Ms. Spektor passed through my state touring with Keane, I had the unexpected joy of seeing her perform LIVE and I must confess, it was a smashingly brilliant concert!! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but her vocals and her raw energy to perform is what has staid with me, and in two years, that makes a full 10 years since I saw her last! Her command of the stage, the diverse vocality of her range, and the experience she gives to her audience is unlike any performer I have seen prior and after this particular performance of hers! I cannot recollect which albums I brought home with me, but I have at least the first two of hers which were produced and released! I like to seek out musicians, songwriters, and artists who walk a creatively unique path in the world of sound and music, imparting a special insight into the human spirit and the joy of living our adventures!

Equally, I like to duck into the typosphere every blue moon, seeing what is new, and to keep tabs on the typewriters that are being retrofitted and restored, as its my secret dream to own a power-horse of the 1930s or 1940s (as incredibly incredible as that sounds!) to simply cart off my words and purge-pin them to paper, imparting my fictional words and my thoughts in equal blissitude! Whilst on such a sojourn tonight, I stumbled across this video that spoke to me, as much as it visually lifted my spirits due to the creative imaginative imagery that befits the song, by which Ms. Spektor gave to the world to listen with a pensive ear! This isn’t the first video out of the typosphere I’ve wanted to share with you, dear hearts, but its the first of which has made it to my blog! Laughs. Consider this a spontaneously musing post about the particulars of the unexpected hours and the joys that alight in our lives at such randomly chosen moments of discovery!

What did this evoke out of you after you listened to the words and soaked in the video!?

IF you want to follow alongside me as I make other random discoveries that are visually expressive in the format of film, please take a gander at my Bookish Films!

Regina Spektor “Eet” [Official Music Video] by Regina Spektor

Regina Spektor Official Website

{SOURCE: The music video by Regina Spektor had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this song and the artist who gave it a voice.

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Wednesday, 16 October, 2013 by jorielov in Film Music Book Typewriter Focus, Jorie Loves A Story, Spontaneous Musings, The Typosphere, Typewriter Culture, Typosphere Film Find