The premise behind “Booking the Rails” was the impetus of a scathingly brilliant idea on behalf of Jorie! How does a girl who lives in the Southeast of the United States *actively!* participate in the mission of Books on the Underground & Books on the Subway!? How can she make a difference with a bookish blog without placing the books on the rails herself!? *lightbulb!*

Generate a book blogosphere gathering, where readers and bloggers can reach out to each other and start a social conversation! Expounding social interest to a new high to where those who pick up the books left on the rails by Hollie (in London) & Rosy (in New York City) will be encouraged not only to touch base by their mutually exclusive hashtags #BooksontheUnderground & #BooksontheSubway but might find themselves sharing their impressions of the books which alighted in their hands! This is one bookish blogger’s mission to read the books left on the rails! Jorie is therefore “booking the rails!”

Join her discoveries! Chat your thoughts! Tweet & share the movement behind volunteer public libraries! Unite bookish souls! Unite!

 About the Girls of the Rails:

*:Hollie*:

website: booksontheunderground.tumblr.com
twitter: @BooksUndergrnd
hashtags: #BooksOnTheUnderground
facebook: Books on the Underground

I moved to London five years ago after graduating from university and I’m originally from Lincolnshire. I left university adamant that I was going to get a job as a Creative in an Advertising agency. After 2 years of interning at agency after agency, I now find myself working at Leo Burnett, London. I have about an hour commute to work everyday, from Dalston to West Kensington, so reading is a nice escape for me. I love receiving recommendations for books and I have always loved passing on great books to my friends. One day I finished a book I was reading on the tube and just thought what a lovely surprise it would be for the next person to find. I didn’t leave my book that day because I realised there were a lot of hurdles to overcome. I didn’t want it to be just a book out in the world alone; I wanted it to be part of something bigger. I designed and printed Books on the Underground stickers and that’s how it started. What’s Books on the Underground? It’s a public library on the go! Find a book, take it, read it and when you’re done with it, put it back on the train for someone else to enjoy! All books are marked with the BOTU sticker and encourage people to tweet & follow the blog.

*:Rosy*:

website: booksonthesubway.com
twitter: @BooksSubway
hashtags: #BooksOnTheSubway
facebook: Books on the Subway

I’ve been living in New York for around one year when I found out about Books On The Underground, thanks to Facebook. I saw an article about Hollie and BOTU when it hit me right there: I need to do this in NY. I think I thought about it for 5 minutes before I decided that I’m going to do it. I reached out to Hollie who was amazing and supportive; we did the NYC stickers together. Why did I decide to do it? I have a 40 minute commute to work everyday, and that’s nothing compared to some other commuters who have even longer commutes. Looking at people in the early morning is the most depressing thing ever. It’s like their eyes are lifeless. They stare into space as they cruise from stop to stop. Why not give these people something to look forward to when they get onto the train? Why not pass the time enriching their brain instead of bobbing their head along with the train movement. That’s why I decided to expand BOTU to BOTS. And I haven’t regretted my decision for one bit. What’s BOTS? It’s a public library on the go! Find a book, take it, read it and when you’re done with it, put it back on the train for someone else to enjoy! All books are marked with the BOTS sticker and encourage people to tweet & follow the blog.

And, then came *:Jorie*: {Booking the Rails!}

website: jorielovesastory.com
twitter: @joriestory (updated: at time of post I was @JLlovesAStory)
hashtags: #JLASblog, #ChocLitSaturdays, #BookingTheRails

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and after a ten-year writer’s block I discovered Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. In December 2013 my path crossed with Rosy & Hollie (of Books on the Underground & Books on the Subway) via Twitter whereupon I was encouraged to play an active role in promoting their bookish mission. I conceived the idea of an exclusive feature entitled “Booking the Rails” to showcase the books they leave on the trains in London & NYC thinking this would create a social conversation. The first feature debuts 19 March 2014 to coincide with my third appearance on The Star Chamber Show. I am the Chambers volunteer live tweeting secretary.

@JLovesAStory & Rosy of @BooksSubway in the @starchambershow 9pm EST Wednesday! #blogtalkradio #BooksOnTheSubway http://t.co/eohdKaMFVx

— Star Chamber Show (@starchambershow) March 17, 2014

*:Booking the Rails, No.1*:

A book entitled ‘Wonder’,

with a curious proposition held within its story,…

Waiting in the station at West Ken this evening are some of the final copies of Wonder by @RJPalacio from @RHKidsUK pic.twitter.com/ybFmbFcVjH

— Books Underground (@BooksUndergrnd) November 22, 2013

Each feature spotlight of “Booking the Rails” will be drawn from the books left on the rail systems via New York City and/or London! For my first spotlight, I was trying to sort out which of the books I pulled from my local library to read first! Oh, I had forgotten to say, whilst the rail passengers are taking part in a volunteer-run library, I am ‘booking the rails’ along with them by borrowing the books from my own public library! Mine might be stationery but the books allow my imagination to remain transient! “Wonder” was a selection of mine to read when it first debuted, having been checked out numerous times to where I was a bit vexed it simply *had!* to boomerang back due to lost hours whilst checked out to me! The premise never left me and it felt fitting my first selection would come from the London rails! The start of everything!

Borrowed Book: My local public library originally purchased Wonder by R.J. Palacio at time of publication. I had always meant to borrow and read the book directly thereafter but never had the opportunity! I feel twice blessed by this book ahead of reading its pages; the first was finding it through my local library and thus, a second time in the feeds of Books on the Underground! The very Twitter account which launched a budding friendship and a conjoined effort to bring awareness to volunteer libraries on the move! I borrowed “Wonder” from my local library and this time, I read it through and through!

Inspired to Share:

The compassion Ms. Palacio has for this story and its heartfelt message of hope in the face of adversity is something that I not only support but am appreciative to observe! Her kindness is revealed in her worriment over the reactions of her sons, which served as the impetus of writing Wonder; drawing light upon our own apprehensive nature, and to serve as a sounding board towards social change & tolerance of the unknown. To change our immediate reactions which might even come to surprise us whilst allowing compassion and acceptance to be the greater good in which we impart. Listen to her words and open your heart to engage directly into the narrative.

Authors Revealed: R.J. Palacio via NCTV17

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Published By: Random House Children’s Books
(an imprint of Random House Publishing Group), 14 February 2012
Official Author Websites:  Site | Blog | Twitter | Facebook for Wonder
Available Formats: Hardcover, E-Book, Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition Hardback
Page Count: 320

Converse via: #TheWonderofWonder & #ChooseKind

A boy named August:

August has a keen philosophical intuitiveness about himself, the dynamics of his family, and his personal living environment around him. He seeks to find solace out of uncertainty and squalls chaos with simplistic truths which etch out the stigmas of which society oft-times places on individuals who are in some shape or form ‘different’ from the ‘norm’. And, the sad truth is that normalcy is in the eye’s of the beholder! To be normal is quite definitively the ability to be wholly true to yourself, your internal resolve of spirit, and in knowing who you are without the prejudgements and negative thoughts of others assembling into your heart. August has instinctively dry humour to convey his thoughts about life, dispelling any unease to meet him because he breaks the ice by simply being himself! He draws you into his sphere by engaging you in a way you were not expecting! No pretense. He’s simply ‘August’, who prefers to go by ‘Auggie’, the brother of Via and the boy who wants to live like a regular ten-year old entering fifth grade!

The author instinctively took the elephant out of the room by not revealing the true nature and perception of how August looks to the world. I can only hope that if this were to become a motion picture, the film-makers would make the same choice in revealing the story as told by those who interact with August without the full sight of his facial features. Because this isn’t a story about medical afflictions and physical disabilities which challenge us, this is a story about a young boy seeking to find his niche inside of a world who is not yet understanding how to accept him in its fold.

When August started enveloping me into the block of New York City he calls home, I felt as though I could sense the comfortable aura of where he walks and of whom he interacts with on a daily basis. The inertia of home outside of his house, where people know his name and his personality giving him a true sense of acceptance in the outside world. Whilst on the fringes of leaving the cosy-comforts of this reality to trade it in for the unknown perils of attending school for the first time.

My Review of Wonder:

The author chose an opening quotation from the song “Wonder” by Natalie Merchant, which I must admit, was one of my favourite songs on the radio whilst I was in high school! I loved the simple and honest truths stitched inside the lyrical story, allowing you to feel instantly uplifted by its spirited message of Hope and Acceptance. A tune which for the greater part of my teenage years was one of the few songs which lived inside me, a bit like some of the spirited songs by The Cranberries, Jewel, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Moriesette, Sarah MacLachlan, and the Indigo Girls. Free spirits seeking to spread enlightenment and harmony through their vocals and melodies! To realise that this song was the inspirational foothold to allow Palacio the ability to transcend into the heart of the narrative is quite humbling! A song of reverberated ideals and a moral uplifting resonance transmorphed into a story of a young boy who leads quite the extraordinary life! I oft felt that the extraordinary individuals we perchance to encounter whilst living through our everyday hours are the very individuals who never consider themselves anything outside the ‘ordinary!’ Their inner light does not only shine bright, but with a humbling arc of self-acceptance and awareness which infects all of us with a measure of gladness we did not realise was amiss!

[ Speaking from a teenager of the mid-1990s, I love how the title of page 61 begins with the key lyric of the Green Day song which I actually liked back then! ]

August is a character held within a sincere voice of the transforming and wonderment of youth; where we get to be on the ‘verge’ of every new experience in trepidation of the unexpected and unknown for the very ‘first’ time! We get to have the belly bouncing butterflies of indifference and of anxiety stemming out of our inability to trust ourselves by a confidence we have not yet garnished into place. We are on the brink of discovering the layers of our personalities and the depths of our resolve to compute the outward changes of our lives, whilst muddling through our growing years in full wonder of how we are able to rise into each new obstacle and challenge us with a determined spirit of growth. August is like so many of us who felt as though each new experience coming into view arrived too quickly, and was not fully wanted at its time of arrival!

#ChooseKind is cleverly taken from the novel (off of page 48!) inside Mr. Browne’s English class where he is inviting his students (and August too!) to examine their conception of who they are and who they are striving towards becoming. It’s a preceptional challenge to have the students in the story step back from themselves and examine how they are being perceived by their peers and if they are representing their inner truth. It’s a classical technique to include a key word or phrase into a storyline, but in the advent of the technological age of social media, this clever phrase being turnt to clue in the reader to an impactful life lesson takes on a higher level of meaning! A hashtag allows all thoughts and observations attached to the tweet embedded to become interwoven into the global thread of conversation whilst allowing everyone to have a conjoined and collaborative exchange! This takes a book whose message is self-evolving outside of its sleeves to a new height in ‘interaction’! And, I am celebrating this achievement! Choose kind is the individual choice of being who you ought to be in the moment which intersects with right and wrong behaviour. As much as it’s an exercise in learning that being right ‘all the time’ isn’t something to strive to achieve either! There is always a middle ground in life, and the younger everyone can embrace this, the more enlightenment can be ignited. In my thinking, alongside the lines of using the hashtag for #randomjoy (one of my most favourite ways of sharing my ‘extra’ bubbles of joy!) this new hashtag could be inserted to express, convey, and materialise little notes of thought where a kindness was given openly and freely. Or an acknowledgement of a generosity in the midst of in-difference could be honoured. A seedling of a conversation where in every point of face reaction, ‘choosing kindness’ over aggression or even in projecting a position of righteous thought could be replaced by ‘a kind act of humanity’.]

Seeing August slowly become integrated into his class, where Summer breezes into his life during lunch and Jack (Jack Will) decides to make up his own mind about August, chooses to help find the humour in everything that could hurt August if he weren’t on his side, I started to get a warm glowing in my heart. I liked the direction of progress Palacio used inside the story. Especially with the additional “Precepts” by Mr. Browne’s English class! No one is ever too old to wiggle their mind around something quite larger than the scale of our lifepath. Yet, appearances of friendship can be a dicey sea to navigate properly! Those who appear to be your stand-up friend and confidante might actually be a wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing. The tricky part is sorting out who is a friend and who is truly a foe. For young August, his mask of reality was shattered by Halloween on campus. He was given a golden opportunity to listen to his classmates speak about him, but the startling and scary truths coming out of their mouths was enough to shatter anyone’s heart and soul. His spirits had been keenly lifted by prior kindnesses, yet in that one moment of clarity he saw what all of us who are bullied have to see: sometimes the people you trust are not the people whom you trust them to be.

I have to give credit to Palacio for switching up the regular order of the novel by inserting full-on chapters which reveal a principal character’s insight into August! She started out by showcasing Via (August’s sister), followed by Summer (August’s first true friend), and then came Jack Will. I wasn’t sure what to think as I started to read Jack’s section because I had previous information about how he effectively tainted his friendship with August. You get an inside glimpse into each of the character’s emotions and thoughts as their lives intersect with August at school and off school grounds. It’s quite unique, because the author has this ability to keep a vein of realism in how she portrays the children and not forgetting to keep August grounded at the center. Writing Via’s boyfriend Justin’s perspective in undercaps was a charming way of revealing his inner spirit. I especially loved how some scenes we’ve already read are re-examined or pulled back through another interpretation of the events as they unfolded. As though even as we had seen them, we were still missing pertinent pieces to understand the wholeness of the scene. By the time I reached Miranda’s section my heart-felt quite full. I knew of a girl like Miranda who felt safer and more at home at a classmate’s home.

The greatest gift we can all give is the gift of love and friendship intermixed with everyday kindness. This is a novel which celebrates the simple joys in life and the complications of when the views and opinions of the outside world can sometimes cloud our own perspectives and hearts. It’s a novel which champions those few who might have a harder line to walk in life but do so with a gladful heart. They see the light and the sparks of joy whenever possible and attempt to let go of the swarming of negativity that can overshadow them. They are the true heroes and heroines of our world, because it’s in their quiet calm of recognition of our frailties and our insecurities that we remain our humanness back to them. This is a novel which exposes the will to carry-on in a positive way whilst allowing for the grace of acceptance of other people’s weaknesses not to overshadow inner strength. The true ‘wonder’ of ‘wonder’ is how kind the world truly is when you walk out each day with a heart full of joy, a spirit full of kindness, and a warm smile to reflect your innermost feelings at heart.

Via, no Olivia? : A sister whose brother has special needs:

Never one to assert her own needs ahead of her brothers, Via is one of those strong-willed and self-reliant children who has a sibling with medical special needs whereupon she built an armour of strength to support herself without parental oversight. Her side of the story isn’t explored until page 81 where Part 2 begins. The honesty her character was given was especially giving as I would feel that it was a very real emotional change of perception on Via’s behalf when her eyes betrayed her heart in seeing August as the outside world does. She was the supportive older sister for all of his life, but when she spent time away with her grandmother she was led out of her routine. She was given the freedom to be Via, to express herself without cause for alarm, and to be surrounded in perpetual light rather than with shadows and darkness looming in and around her steps. She was living without consequence of prejudicial perceptions and for the first time in her young life, her eyes changed how she saw the world. The way in which she saw her brother terrified her on one level and opened her up to a new awareness on another level. Its how she dealt with balancing the two living truths that would set her character on a path she might not be willing to explore.

Via goes into more detail about August’s birth defects and what she presumes is the underlying problem between her, August, their parents, and the world. She’s on the verge of adulthood and deciding on who she wants to be, and that includes the type of sister she will be for August. I’ll admit, I cannot always picture characters as they are described inside stories, sometimes my mind falters and sees the character as my heart sees them rather than what is visually on display through descriptive narrative. For me, August doesn’t quite fit the picture Via has painted for us, as I see August’s heart.

The mere fact that she was reading “War and Peace” inside her ninth grade year made me smile inwardly! Except to say, I’m reading “War and Peace” this year ahead of turning thirty-five and to me, that’s something to smile about as well!

Why a book called ‘Wonder’ is transformatively positive:

Full credit for the bravery shown throughout “Wonder” from the guiding hands of its author, Ms. R.J. Palacio who guides her audience through the brewing storm of August Pullman’s fifth grade year. This is a pivotal transition for August because he is going to be mainstreamed into regular school without the protection of family and the homeschooling environment of learning at home. Palacio placidly and pointedly gives the readers strong evocations of what is right and wrong throughout the dialogue exchangements between the principal characters and supporting characters. She allows the reader to decide in some ways, what is the right phrase to express yourself and what is the wrong way to implicate a negative response out of someone you want to bully. She draws out the undercurrent issue of the anxiety bullies have about their peers, and how their anger towards the bullied is fueled by an intolerance for nonacceptance of children who are different from them. This indifference turns quickly into hatred which grows out of the inability to accept what is not yet understood. She pulls you into August’s heart by seeing how he reacts and distracts from the extra attention he is given by his new classmates. Her bang-on narrative to include popular motion pictures and video games, garnishing a truism of narrative that young people can relate too helps aide the dialogue about bullying to be brought out into the open, because August feels 3-dimensional rather than flat on a page!

The absence of focusing specifically on what medical conditions August is afflicted by and exactly which surgeries he has undergone I believe adds to the gentleness of the story. Afterall, if anyone is living a life inside shoes similar to August, they might not feel comfortable disclosing their full medical history! They are already on the defensive and internally dealing with the emotional trauma of being misunderstood and misconstrued, so why add to their burden to adapt into a new environment?! Much less give any potential bully more fodder to stoke the coals of the fire!? I felt that this disfragmented perception of only subtle clues and hintings of what August is facing day-to-day brings his life full circle. We’re in ‘his thoughts’ and ‘sensing’ how he projects himself and internalises his world. We’re walking quite literally inside his shoes to see how what others are projecting towards him are being received. In this, I think Palacio hit the proverbial nail on the head!

An added reason for loving this book is the dimension of multicultural heritage woven into the background of August & Via’s parentage! Their father is of Russian & Polish descent and their mother is Brazilian! It isn’t often you get to see characters having a diverse background of ethnicity and ancestral roots, and being that I love genealogical histories, this was an extra special treat for me! However, it also sparked a unique perception of how exceptionally diverse New York City has become due to the multitude of immigrants who call her home! This is transformative in of itself, as there are only a handful of authors who include such a unique family in their stories! We are a melting pot in America, and seeing more of us represented in stories for children and for adults, (as Wonder is brilliantly lovely to be a cross-over sensation in both sections of readership) is one way of opening up our hearts to the wholeness of who we are as Americans.

Within the story of ‘Wonder’, I was Summer growing up because I oft befriended those in my classes no one else could understand at first glance. I did not focus on their disabilities or their learning difficulties, mostly because I had my own strugglements with speech, reading, and mathematics. I saw the world through a pair of dyslexic eyes and I was always considered the ‘different one’, so I suppose you could say I always sought out the friends who were a bit different like me. I saw them the way I hoped everyone else saw them. Not as the boy in pre-school who was feared mute; he was simply a happy-go-lucky soul who had such an aura of kindness around him, he made glow and chuckle without words at all! I didn’t even notice the girl’s wheelchair at the Science Center, but saw her active mind for solving complicated issues and tasks whilst we pretended we were stranded on a desert island without proper provisions. And, I could continue to call out cherished friends throughout my schooling years who always staid close in thought and mind. I oft wondered over the years where they are and what they are doing. If perhaps they found others like me who saw their souls shining bright and their voices conveying their courage and their friendship? Each of us is on a path towards understanding more of who we are and why we are here. Why then do some try to make our path a bit more difficult by simply not accepting we all are different from each other, but we’re all the same at the very same time!? Our differences make us unique, and our similarities connect us through a tapestry of thread that extends from one heart to another until everyone is united.

If only the story of August Pullman could continue and carry-on as he grows and gains more experiences in middle school, high school, and the life awaiting him past the walls of school. I’d welcome a series of sequels which allow us back into his family and his inner world.

A notation on bullying:

I will always celebrate those writers who are on the forefront of the social conversation for change in regards to ‘bullying’. I previously reviewed The Pact by Mitchell S. Karnes, which dealt with a decidedly different point of view on bullying and being bullied; to the brink of challenging this reader’s opinion of how much violent inclusion is necessary to carry the story. Within that narrative, a true impression of the depths of which bullying is now surfacing to include was both harrowing and insightful; showing the true measure of how much change we need to bring to the limelight for a very difficult challenge to overcome. I am going to be reviewing the second book in Karnes novel this Summer (The Dragon’s Pawn) in which I resume the story where the last installment left off; on the suggestion of the author that my wrinkles and flies in the ointments would be fully understood and fleshed out in the sequel. Until then, as I am quite open to seeing where his vision is leading him in this conversation, I am going to seek out other stories for children and young adults to tie in the conversation further whilst exploring the literature sparking the dialogue amongst adults who seek to protect the innocents who are affected.

The following video was unearthed whilst I was seeking supporting content for this special feature of “Booking the Rails”. I always strive to find content that has merit and interconnecting positions within the theme or context of what I read. Every small pebble and ripple of change has to begin with one person deciding that enough is surely enough. Bullying isn’t something that we have to ‘agree to disagree’ about happening; it’s an underbelly issue of intolerance and negative passive aggression, rage, and unprecedented psychological trauma. We need to take a stand and re-direct the behaviour by giving clear guidelines of proper communication skills, action-reaction tactics, and the ability to intercede through mitigation where parties involved in bullying will talk out their emotional triggers and start a conversation towards resolution, change, and reconstruction of childhood interactions. There is a heap of work yet to be done, it all starts with a single conversation about how to interact with peers and what do when your faced with the cruelty of the growing years being taunted in your face.

This is one bullied girl on a mission to seek out stories which bring both sides of the discussion to the forefront. Join me?

Choose Kind Compaign (inspired by “Wonder”) via Random House Kids

 

Love to see the books making their way around the tube. Thanks for sharing! #payitforward@RJPalacio@randomhousekidspic.twitter.com/h16xivTWPc

— Books Underground (@BooksUndergrnd) February 17, 2014

 

Question to Readers: All comments & reactions are welcome!

Are you one of the readers from the London tube who picked up a copy of “Wonder”?! What were your initial thoughts and impressions of the book!? What staid with you the most after you placed the book back on the rails for a new reader to discovery!? Did you have trouble parting with the book!? Perhaps you’re a reader of “Wonder” stateside or elsewhere in the world. Was “Wonder” gifted to you? Did a teacher introduce you? A book which caught your eye whilst walking in a bookshoppe!? How did “Wonder” alight in your life and what did you appreciate the most from its story!? IF you haven’t yet read the story, does this spotlight endear you to find a copy!?

Official Book Trailer of “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio by Random House Kids

{SOURCES: Booking the Rails conjoined badge of all three blogs made by Hollie (Books on the Underground) and used with permission. The book trailer by Random House Kids 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 novel and the author who penned it. Tweets were able to be embedded by the codes provided by Twitter. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

I’m a social reader | tweeting my reading life

Oh, I WONDER, wonder what JORIE is up too! Such a curious wonderment this new #blogFEATURE! Oh, I wonder,…@starchambershow 19MAR14 :) Eek!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 19, 2014

Oh, I WONDER, wonder what JORIE is up too! Such a curious wonderment this new #blogFEATURE! Oh, I wonder,…@BooksSubway 19MAR14 :) Eek!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 19, 2014

Oh, I WONDER, wonder what JORIE is up too! Such a curious wonderment this new #blogFEATURE! Oh, I wonder,…@BooksUndergrnd 19MAR14 :) Eek!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 19, 2014

*#BookingTheRails, No.1* A book entitled 'Wonder', with a curious proposition held within its story,… http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG by @RJPalacio

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 22, 2014

#TheWonderofWonder Let’s start a conversation, shall we!? Share your story in comment threads! http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG #ChooseKind @RJPalacio

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 22, 2014

Did you tune into @starchambershow #podcast WED MAR19? Archived: http://t.co/DlhqKv76Oc #BookingTheRails launches http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG! :)

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 22, 2014

Attention: Hollie (@BooksUndergrnd) + Rosy (@BooksSubway) you have a waiting message for you! #BookingTheRails http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG :)

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 22, 2014

@RJPalacio Wonder touched me quite deeply; its the note my Mum left on my #BookingTheRails post which endeared me! http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 22, 2014

@RJPalacio Wonder touched me quite deeply; its the note my Mum left on my #BookingTheRails post which endeared me! http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 22, 2014

Ride #LondonTube? Catch a train on #NYCSubway!? Did you know #books are left for your #reading joy? #BookingTheRails http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 23, 2014

#BooksOnTheUnderground readers & commuters: are you finding #books left on the #LondonTube check out #BookingTheRails http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 23, 2014

#BooksOnTheSubway readers & commuters: are you finding #books left on the #NYCSubway check out #BookingTheRails http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG Chat?

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 23, 2014

#BooksOnTheMetro readers & commuters: are you finding #books left on the #DCMetro check out #BookingTheRails http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG Chat!?

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 23, 2014

Ride a #train OR #subway to work!? Live in #London, #NYC, or Washington DC? You might find a #book! #BookingTheRails http://t.co/baoAgaNttc

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 25, 2014

#booksontheunderground unique concept of a public #library; #books dropped off for passengers 2find! #BookingTheRails http://t.co/baoAgaNttc

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 25, 2014

#BookingTheRails with #TheWonderofWonder by @RJPalacio! Jorie delves into heart of August http://t.co/baoAgaNttc whilst inspiring #London!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 25, 2014

#TheWonderofWonder alights on http://t.co/2cv2gDLQCz Featured review introducing #BookingTheRails (#books on #trains) http://t.co/baoAgaNttc

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 28, 2014

Come celebrate with Jorie on behalf of her 1st #blogoversary! Read why #TheWonderofWonder & #ChooseKind impacted her http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 31, 2014

#ChooseKind each & everyday. One simple act of courage is worth everything to the person you've given kindness too http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG :)

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) April 11, 2014

Comments via Twitter:

@SendInTheCanary Thank you for RT'ing my lovely new #bookish #blog feature #BookingTheRails! Quite happy Wonder by #RJPalacio was my 1st!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 25, 2014

@nigeford Thank for your RT'ing my #BookingTheRails #blogfeature about Wonder by #RJPalacio! The #book & the feature mean so much! Grateful!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 25, 2014

@blinkist Thank you for favouring my #blogpost about #Wonder by R.J. Palacio! :) I do hope you enjoyed my ruminations! Did you read it, too?

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) March 28, 2014

@Rutabega80 I posted a #bookreview on Wonder by R.J.Palacio;love to hear your reflections on the story & the students http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) April 11, 2014

@RHKidsUK @RJPalacio I completely agree with this statement because that is why I choose to review Wonder http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG #ChooseKind

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) April 11, 2014

@whatlexieloves Read where you absolutely *loved!* Wonder!? Love to talk to you about it? Reviewed Wonder on my blog: http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) April 11, 2014

@WestcottWriter Between my #bookreview for Wonder http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG & my champion for Equality in Lit http://t.co/3EAQ49V8YF I agree!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) April 11, 2014

@Mrs_JAitken I chose to write a #bookreview for Wonder http://t.co/JSYcfq6lIG because it has no boundary in ages; #ChooseKind is universal!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) April 11, 2014

@aishacs Oh, wicked sweet! #TheWonderofWonder is getting a nod in #WeNeedDiverseBooks! I reviewed Wonder on my #blog! <3'd Auggie! Champion!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) May 1, 2014

@tubooks #diverselit Just replied to @aishacs tweet about Auggie from Wonder!? <3'd the book! I blogged my thoughts: http://t.co/7IjED91Me3

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) May 1, 2014

@ConnieBDowell #k8chat Did you read Wonder by R.J.Palacio!? I reviewed this for my #BookingTheRails feature http://t.co/xp6473vjBW Beautiful

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) May 16, 2014

@ConnieBDowell #k8chat Perhaps after you've read Wonder, you can drop by my #bookblog & we can chat about it on my post!? <3 the heart of it

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) May 16, 2014

@kellypolark #K8Chat I am still trying to draw readers to my blog post & review about Wonder by RJ Palacio! I wrote a LOT about it; <3'd it!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) June 20, 2014

@kellypolark #K8chat Wonder was simply one of the best books I have come across that honoured the subject matter, the characters & the story

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) June 20, 2014

@edayneal Ooh, my dear ghouls!! Positively felt like I would burst about what I had to blog about #Wonder http://t.co/xp6473vjBW let's chat!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) June 21, 2014

@langstonEtc #K8Chat This is one reason I picked Wonder as my first #BookingTheRails featured novel & why I seek out #EqualityInLit stories!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) November 21, 2014

@langstonEtc #K8Chat You'll find a few stories I've reviewed that qualify for this on my Story Vault: Wonder, The Strength of Ballerinas etc

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) November 21, 2014

@JanetUrsel Really!? Oh do send them to my review for Wonder! :) I keep hoping I'll attract other readers & we can talk about the novel! :)

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) December 3, 2014

Caught sight of WONDER on your TBR via October #Book Haul (https://t.co/wt0NcvzxJw) You'll <3 the story! I definitely did! @ElliePilcher95

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) December 9, 2015

You're quite welcome! :) wrote an extensive review for WONDER & keep looking for readers who are on the verge of reading it @ElliePilcher95

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) December 9, 2015

I positively *loved!* #reading 📚 WONDER! :) Maybe you can drop by & share your thoughts after? Enjoy https://t.co/I6K33kETtE

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) September 5, 2016

wells, if you truly didn't like it, I'd like to know why! :) I always encourage comments on my blog that are honest! :)

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) September 5, 2016

This is why I tell my readers to leave me notes or comments even if they disagree w/ my opinion(s) as that's honest convos!

— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) September 5, 2016