I will readily admit, the last time I felt I could dive into my #WitchyReads were not the best months for me – May 2019 was the 2nd Year of #WyrdAndWonder and I began reading the Magical Midway series by Leanne Leeds. I was loving my journey into this witchy world where a magical circus was at the centre of the action and how a witch who wasn’t yet ready to embrace her heritage was the unexpected heroine of the Midway! I was struck down by too many migraines to finish my #mustreads last May and despite trying twice in the Autumnal months to make amends (including our sister event #SpooktasticReads in October, 2019) – it was my health which prevented the revisitations. I’ve been blogging about the whole diabolical cycle of unwellness off/on recently so I’ll spare the repeat here. Just know between month-long illnesses and chronic migraines it was a wicked awful six months from September to February; even if I did carve out a bit of joy at the holidays – I found the beginning of 2020 adverse from several fronts.
When I discovered this readathon I was wicked HAPPY because I’ve been wanting to just hone in on my #WitchyReads and just settle into their worlds with a heart ready to embrace their worlds. One of them I *devoured!* during #SpooktasticReads – this would be the second #WonkyInn – “The Ghosts of Wonky Inn” which arrived in my life at just the right moment to where it was a happy burst of JOY to be listening too! I love the narrator (Kim Bretton) for how she’s crafting this series together – from her performance to her innate ability to understand Alfie – I truly cannot think of a better ‘fit’ for this series than Ms Bretton because of how she’s approached voicing the lead character! Not to mention at the pen of the author – you’re in wicked good hands! The humour stitched into this series will keep your spirits lifted irregardless of what chaos is alighting in your life! Specifically this is keen to mention as we all have a tipped scale of woes if you consider the newsfeeds out there! Best to tuck into a series that will make you LAUGH more than feel unsettled by anxiety!
The more challenging story on my list is “The Black Talisman” as I was struggling a bit to get into the rhythm of the story. I am not sure if it was the timing of when I first attempted to listen to it or if I just couldn’t connect to the plot. Whichever way – the truth will let out this week because I am re-listening to this story and will see what I make of it now. The rest I look forward to discussing with you about why I’m happy their on my TBR this #WitchAThon! I did hold back one series of Witchy Reads for the next #WitchAThon – which are penned by Suzanne Palmieri.
If you missed my first #MagicalMidway review – kindly catch up to know why I love the series:
The *official!* challenges for #WitchAThon this March:
Spring means rain, pick a book that involves water… on the cover, in the title, or as part of the story!
Ostara is a sabbat of rebirth, and accepting oneself as trans (including non-binary & other gender marginalizations) is often an experience of rebirth… choose a book with a trans MC!
Pan is a god of Spring, wildness, & nature, select a book where the theme of survival in nature is prominent
The light is coming back this season, let it lighten your load! choose a novella
Ostara brings about color in the natural world, choose a graphic novel!!
If you can, plant a seed of some kind and begin tending to it… if you cannot commit to plant parentage, try planting something new at a park or nature preserve (a plant that is compatible with that ecosystem)
Read the group book: THE BLACK GOD’S DRUMS by P. Djèlí Clark
I had already picked my stories to read for this #WitchAThon which is why I am unsure if any of my selections are going to match with the challenges this month. I’ll have to see as I’m reading if any of them might match the prompts in one way or another – a part of me thinks either *Anni Moon!* or *Magical Midway* might qualify for an elemental element of ‘water’ but outside of those two stories/series I am unsure if anything else would work. Will be interesting when I go to write my wrap-up post at the end of the readathon to see the results!
This runs concurrently with @MGBookVillage‘s #MGBookMarch!
I’ve been appreciating Middle Grade Fiction for quite a long while now – as a book blogger, I’ve had the chance to explore this category of fiction a bit more closely than I might have on my own – however, my local library has a hearty collection of Middle Grade titles – whilst they are also open to purchase requests for either print or audiobook copies. My regional libraries are of the same mind and it makes finding Middle Grade stories to read quite lovely because there is such a wide sea of choice nowadays for readers who are of the age Middle Grade stories were initially meant to be discovered by and for today’s adult reader who likes to revisit the stories of their childhood whilst being updated for today’s market, world and audience of Middle Grade Fiction.
I first started to revisit Children’s Lit due to feeling inspired to convey selections to my nieces and nephews whilst at the same time, knowing I would be an adoptive Mum in the future – I also wanted to find stories being writ by contemporary writers who were writing the kind of stories I would feel comfortable sharing with my future children. This is partially why ever since I first started book blogging in [2013] (as 31st March, 2020 marks the start of my 7th Year) I’ve elected to feature works of Children’s Lit (known on Twitter as #KidsLit) which encompass all stages of a child’s reading life – from Picture Books to Chapter Books, to Middle Grade and Young Adult.
A Sampling of my Favourites over the Years are as follows:
Finding a readathon this March which champions #MGLit is a wicked chance for me to find redemption in reading the stories which arrived on my shelf to be reviewed but which were not able to be read the months and years they first arrived. The timing was off due to health afflictions and/or my chronic migraines – whilst I am sure there were more than a few unexpected life moments peppered in for good measure as well!
Whatever first took me away from these stories – this particular readathon is re-aligning me with these books and I am wicked thankful for it! As you’re about to find out – I have a rather eclectic mix of Middle Grade stories – from a diverse group of authors and the genres are a brilliant dance of topics, subjects and the kind of world-building I love to disappear inside! If you’re taking part in #MiddleGradeMarch this year – kindly share a link to your blog or your Twitter *thread of updates for me – as I’d love to see what you’re reading as well!
I decided to skip round to the challenges which befit the stories I have on hand to be read this year rather than trying to seek out more titles than I honestly have time to devout to reading. In regards to the challenges I’ve picked – the only one I’m most worried about finishing is “Written in Verse” as I only have one book on hand which fits this category choice and I’m uncertain if it will even count – as various sites list this as either YA or MG depending on whose defining where it ‘belongs’ in Children’s Lit. The book is “The Crossover”.
The rest of the selections I’ve made will become quite obvious once I start talking about them! Especially as the category for “diversity” is being read from different perspectives & angles this year whilst I sadly only had *one!* Fantasy novel which was considered to be Middle Grade.
DETAILS: Read as many books as you can in the 7 days of the readathon which are 25th November – 1st December. Use the hashtag #ThankgivingReadathon via your social accounts to help celebrate the readathon and/or share it! Publish a Sign-Up Post between November 1st and November 30th. Publish a Wrap-Up post between December 1st and December 7th. Participate in the Bookstagram Challenge or in theory you could do those posts via #bookishTwitter. Link Up your sign-up and wrap-up posts. Comment on all the wonderful #ThanksgivingReadathon blog posts, Twitter updates, and Instagram photos from all the participants!
→ and a few extras for good measure via audiobook →
Yuletide: A Jane Austen Inspired Collection of Stories by the Quill Collective focusing on “Pride & Prejudice” narrated by Harry Frost
One Magical Christmas by Berni Stevens, narrated by Willow Nash
Mr Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva, narrated by Euan Morton
Whilst reading a selection of Science Fiction & Magical Realism which are found viamy #SciFiMonth TBR post – these lovelives will be alighting onto my blog’s archives during this readathon and through 7th of December to re-write history a bit & bend time per losing hours with my migraine & the crisis of my father’s BP spike as microblogged.
The ones I’m specifically looking forward to finishing are as follows:
The Renaissance Club (Time Travel) by Rachel Ducas
Far Orbit: Apogee (edited by) Bascomb James (Space Opera anthology)
The Case for Space (Non-Fiction) by Robert Zubrin
The Robot in the Next Cubicle (Non-Fiction) by Larry Boyer
The Time Key (Time Travel) by Melanie Bateman
Little Computer People (Speculative Sci Fi) by Galen Surlak-Ramsey
The Dream Keeper’s Daughter (Magical Realism) by Emily Colin
The Fighter of Aldea (Alt. Earth Spec Fict Fantasy) by Kira Weston
Trans-Continental: Girl in the Gears (Steampunk) by E. Chris Garrison
Failure to Communicate (First Contact, Space Opera) by Kaia Sønderby
If you love reading #ChristmasReads and/or #HolidayReads – which befit the following genres of interest – kindly leave me notes on this post – Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction or INSPY Lit.
DETAILS: Read or Listen Between Midnight 8th November and ending at 11:59 pm 17th November read or listen to holiday and Wintry novels and novellas. So grab your holiday reads, your winter books, your yuletide murder-mysteries, your naughty & nice romances and even your holiday horror and get ready for some fun! Share your progress on Twitter or Instagram using #HoHoHoRAT
→ (*as well as my purchase requests at the library*) →
A Family by Christmas by Viv Royce
Christmas Once Again by Jina Bacarr
→ and a few extras for good measure via audiobook →
Yuletide: A Jane Austen Inspired Collection of Stories by the Quill Collective focusing on “Pride & Prejudice” narrated by Harry Frost
One Magical Christmas by Berni Stevens, narrated by Willow Nash
Mr Dickens & His Carol by Samathan Silva, narrated by Euan Morton
The one novel I am unsure if I will have enough time to read during the duration of the readathon itself is: “Home for Christmas” by Catherine Lanigan. See my reading schedule for Lanigan’s series via #WWWeds! Whilst in the early morning hours of the first day of #HoHoHoRat I read & finished “Her Christmas Pregnancy Surprise” by Jennifer Faye (see also Review).
If you love reading #ChristmasReads and/or #HolidayReads – which befit the following genres of interest – kindly leave me notes on this post – Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction or INSPY Lit.
Let us take a closer look at why I’ve pulled these stories to be read:Read More
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
DETAILS: Read or Listen Between Midnight 10th October and ending at 11:59 pm 15th October read or listen to thrillers, mysteries, paranormal, horror, supernatural, witchy, ghostly, fantasy, or serial killer novels and novellas. (to clarify..these can be cozies and include romance. No need to sleep with the lights on if you don’t fancy a good scare!) Share your progress on Twitter or Instagram using #FraterfestRAT
Why I decided to participate in #FraterfestRAT this year:
I love #SpookyReads alongside the next person – give me ghosts and romance OR ghosts on a mission – I’m quite the happy reader! I love Gothic settings & ambiance – whilst I happen to love reading certain kinds of Thrillers! In this particular instance, I’ve been wanting to *jump-start!* my #SpooktasticReads wherein I’ll be disclosing which kinds of fantastical reads I’ll be digging inside for @WyrdAndWonder‘s second year of hosting a mini-event the fortnight leading into Halloween! For now, I want to focus on the stories on this particular reading list which have been languishing a bit too long on my bookshelves – most of which are also on my backlogue of reviews!
If anyone has any suggestions for Paranormal Romances, Suspense & Thrillers of the paranormal variety (even without a romance element!) or other stories which are either: Southern Gothic, Victorian Gothic or might constitute being labelled “Cosy Horror” – as it owns to the origins of Psychological Suspense without being overtly graphic and horrific – kindly leave me notes on this post!
Let us take a closer look at how successful I was this #FraterfestRAT Year II:Read More