A #SciFiSundays #SciFiMonth Author Guest Post | Let’s travel into the Silly Hat Verse with E. Chris Garrison!

Posted Sunday, 19 November, 2023 by jorielov Alien Beer and Other Stories, E. Chris Garrison, Reality Check, Silly Hat Books, Silly Hat Universe, The Multiverse Blues, Trans-Continetal series 1 Comment

Why I’ve chosen to showcase the Silly Hat Verse this SciFiMonth, 2023:

As far as years go, [2022] had been a brutally difficult year for myself and my family. No season was without it’s own share of adverse circumstances to transition through but last November, six years after my father’s stroke and surgery, he was hospitalised twice. The first time we were a bit more fortunate as it was scary as heck to go through but had a simple solution to rectify. On a Tuesday, everything changed in that regard and we almost lost him overnight. By Wednesday, we had a bit of Hope we could find a workable solution and worked towards sorting out aftercare post-hospitalisation — only to have that dissolve into a wreck of emotions by day’s end. I partially blame the doctors & nurses for not having better supportive care and response for families at the hospital — something they’ve lacked this year vs six years ago. But, I digress.

That’s where my heart/mind was focused last November as I had this small hope of a goal of bringing my LOVE and JOY of reading E. Chris Garrison stories into the life of the party for #SciFiMonth last year as a way of helping to further introduce her stories to other readers who are seeking the same kind of Sci-Fi I am. Most of you will already recognise the name as I have fond memories and showcases featuring her Urban Fantasy stories – of which populated throughout my blog over the years, including during #WyrdAndWonder.

As another year has passed through my hours, I have been reflective of late of how many hours I’ve lost betwixt and between trying to sort my way through the continuing changes in our lives. For those of you who are new to Jorie Loves A Story, kindly read through my collection of #TheSundayPost to become up to speed on the goings on of events in respect to my father and our continuing advocacy on his behalf now that he is in long-term care. Meanwhile, the struggle to find and capture a better work/life balance is something I hope to have mastered or at least, maintained in better frequency over the next twelvemonths as I have completely failed to do so over the last year.

The JOY I had reading this lovely guest feature last November as the hours were elapsing off the clock for SciFi Month is hard to put into words. It felt like a wonderful capture of the series itself – as it isn’t necessarily a series per se, but as you will soon find out for yourself – it is a succession of stories which are interconnected and tethered together through a rather ingenious thread of thought by Ms Chris herself. I love how this guest feature also celebrates Science Fiction and the many different avenues an author can take to thread their own needle through a genre which is constantly expanding and redefining itself through each new person who takes on the adventure of writing a story within its realms of exploration.

I had intended to read this Silly Hat Verse series throughout November (in 2022 and in 2023) and have the capstone become this lovely guest feature wherein I knew my own curiosities about the multiverse she’s created might tip interest in others to learn about themselves. I still intend to share a review from the Silly Hat Verse before the close of November (this year) and will be continuing my reviews of the stories therein during my SciFi Sundays features, too. Let this be the beginning of a wonderful shared journey into an expanse of stories which have wickedly captured my curiosity!

What I have to share is a wicked brilliant guest post wherein she dives us into the heart of the multiverse she’s created, explains the origins of how it was created and also, the future of where the next stories will generate forward from here as well.

Join me as we dive straight into a multiverse world –
which will implore you to read each story in turn and savour the discovery therein.

On my connection to Ms Chris (aka E. Chris Garrison):

My path first crossed with Ms Chris through a podcast sponsored by an Indie Speculative Fiction publisher which led me to hosting blog tours which celebrated her stories. Since our first encounter with each other, we’ve developed a friendship I am blessed to have and I appreciate getting to know a bit more about an author whose not only developing a unique style in the world of Fantasy but is receptive to the thoughts readers have as they gain impression by reading the stories themselves.

I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Ms Chris through our respective blogs, the twitterverse, the podcast world, and privately. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time. For more information, I disclosed a bit more on my first 10 Bookish, Not Bookish Thoughts (read No.7!).

Posted Sunday, 19 November, 2023 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Bookish Discussions, Futuristic Fantasy, Hard Science Fiction, Indie Author, Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Space Opera, Speculative Fiction

#TheSundayPost XVII | Jorie’s favourite time of year has arrived whilst #SpooktasticReads is underway!

Posted Sunday, 22 October, 2023 by jorielov #SpooktasticReads, Jorie Loves A Story, Jorie Story, Stories of Jorie 2 Comments

[Official Blurb] The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little. Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies. Link up once a week or once a month, you decide. Book haul can include library books, yard sale finds, arcs and bought books…share them!

Enter your link on the post-

Sundays beginning at 12:01 am (CST) (link will be open all week)

Link back to this post or this blog

Visit others who have linked up

Read this week’s #TheSundayPost!

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Isn’t it grand? Autumn has FINALLY arrived!

I had an inkling of hope Autumn was arriving when I caught a whisper of cooler winds and crisper weather was starting to become the new normal! It is such a blessing from the harsher wrath of Summer and for me, truly, when the Autumnal tides start to turn into my hours – I find myself blessedly happier for a season that invigorates my soul! It is such a calmer time of year.

In regards to my life behind the blog:

I remember being at work one morning and wondering if the weather was ever going to turn as we have such long and expansive Summers here, it can become a bit overwhelming having to deal with them all the time. You tend to feel as if volcanic heat and muggy humidity is the ONLY season you’re going to experience the whole year through and that is part of the reason why I have a deep aversion to the Sun. It could take a full sabbatical from my life, and it would be too soon to return. I crave overcast skies, Wintry temperatures and the crisp feel to the air as you breathe rather than the alternative which everyone else seems to crave themselves. And, yet, one day at work – there was a whisper of change moving through the trees and the winds – and blessedly, that is what started to make the difference I am loving right now!

It isn’t full-on Autumn nor anything akin to Winter but I’ll take it! Even a smidge of a change is a positive step forward in my book! Laughs. Ergo, I’ve been concentrating on work the last while and not finding a lot of free time outside it save from visiting with my Dad. He has his good days and his indifferent days and anyone who has a loved one who has a form of dementia of any variety (as there are so many kinds nowadays) knows the uphill climb it sometimes feels like to have a conversation. There are other days where I feel we’re connecting (Mum and I to him) and there are days where it feels as if he doesn’t even notice we’re there which is all too common with people who have his same affliction. The mind isn’t kind when it loses its connections and its understanding of what is going on around the person.

Not too much to report on that front – I haven’t even sorted out which knitting project to pick up again nor have I done much on my off hours than catch up on some must needed rest! It hits me every so often where I get a lot of fatigue or outright exhaustion, and I just crash. I’ve slept through 13 hours recently due to how much the week can catch up to me in regard to how much output of energy it takes to maintain my work hours. Not that I mind – I enjoy my work environment and my co-workers’ company – but any job done well takes energy and spirit and sometimes I just need to let myself recharge. Which of course doesn’t also lend well to trying to read or blog! Laughs.

I have been a bit indulgent in drinking Autumnal lattes of late. I admit, there is something about the flavour profile of Autumn which warms my heart and spirit. I’m picky the most when it comes to Pumpkin Spice, but I have a new affection for different spins and combinations of flavour when it comes to Caramel which didn’t use to be the case! I drink more decafe lattes than anything else but every odd moon I’ll have a real latte as they say!

Posted Sunday, 22 October, 2023 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Memes, JLAS Update Post, Jorie Loves A Story, Reading Challenges, Stories of Jorie, The Sunday Post

#TheSundayPost XVI | Sometimes you have to look long and hard for the silver lining

Posted Sunday, 8 October, 2023 by jorielov Jorie Loves A Story, Jorie Story, Stories of Jorie 5 Comments

[Official Blurb] The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little. Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies. Link up once a week or once a month, you decide. Book haul can include library books, yard sale finds, arcs and bought books..share them!

Enter your link on the post-

Sundays beginning at 12:01 am (CST) (link will be open all week)

Link back to this post or this blog

Visit others who have linked up

Read this week’s #TheSundayPost!

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

and bless you if you’ve held out a candle of hope I’d return!

This blog post germinated originally in March,

however, I had several MAJOR life changes between April & June;

specifically: an unplanned relocation and a new job which included 5x weeks
of training with a serious commute attached to it before I started to work locally.

AND, then, I thought I could finish and tweak this during August.

Best laid plans, as it took until the END of SEPTEMBER / EARLY OCTOBER
to post by the 8th of October! Though, *cough* that did involve a nearly dead computer!

In regards to my life behind the blog:

As you might recall, I was attempting to journal my life earlier in the Spring of 2023 – wherein, I was enjoying the rhythm of writing #TheSundayPost as it was acting as a cathertic release for me. However, during the search for a new flat to rent I lost track of the hours – it came down to the very wire, too. We nearly didn’t find a flat in time and we were just blessed it all worked out in the end. It was one of those long weekends (of a move) where you were quite literally up for 24 hours straight relocating and settling into a new flat whilst maintaining your night job the ENTIRE week leading up to the ‘move day’. And, then, on the day of the move itself and the next day thereafter, you didn’t skip a shift and still somehow balanced all the chaotic balls as they threw themselves at you all at once.

Mum and I were so exhausted, we didn’t unpack a single box for two months, save our clothes and linens. We also ate out considerably, as to be frank, that relocation took the wind out of our sails. The main blessing though – as living in a neighbourhood for eight years, you get into a comfortable place with your neighbours, even if they sometimes would come and go with the tides. Relocating meant we’d be in a different neighbourhood and a different part of the city. So, all in all – that was a bit stressing, too. Until we met our new neighbours – mind you, only the ones closest to us – the rest of them seem to keep pretty much to themselves. On both sides, they look after us and we look after them, whilst being neighbourly and kind as well. It was a good fit on that side of it and we were thankful as it made the transition a bit easier on us.

Somewhere between May and June, I sorted out there was a new job opportunity which might be good for me to chase after and in a lot of respects, I am glad I took that leap of faith. I was hired at the end of May, but it wasn’t official until the first week of June. Training occupied the next 5x weeks of a gruelling commute whilst managing to arrive on time at my night job all the same! Some days, between the stress of the on-the-job training out of towne and the traffic on the commute, I am not sure how I kept my sanity. It was beyond hard but I muddled through and even found some joy along the way. I also started to gain confidence in what I was being trained to do and realised that if I could I’d like to give back eventually and help train others*. (*this will be discussed lateron in this post)

The hours and months morphed into each other as well. At one point, I was working 3x jobs round the clock so to speak and I still am in a way, as some of my hours were cut recently. I’m hoping they might bounce back into my schedule but for now, I’ve taken the high road. I’m trying not to stress out about how what I hoped the new job would provide isn’t quite what I hoped and looking at it as a positive experience despite the hurdles its giving me with a reduced work schedule. Aside from that angle of it – we’ve also lost a lot of the new employees who trained either alongside me or at different locations. I am not entirely sure why they’ve left, as they had different reasons but considering we’ve all been a team for a scant few momths now, it seems hard to believe there have been so many changes at my work place already. More of my co-workers are contemplating exiting in the next few weeks as well. I know its due to the cut in hours as this isn’t the best time for anyone to have reduced schedules and inconsistancies in their work lives. I can’t blame them at all and some of them, as I’ve gotten to know quite well in recent months and of whom will be missed.

I did decide to take a step in advancement – a small one, where I could give back a bit of the joy I had in being trained. I’m now a trainer myself and I have already taken on the challenges of training new staff. I enjoy being able to pass forward the knowledge that I have about the job but also, help others through the anxieties of what the job entails, as well, as it is long hours and sometimes very physically demanding work. I’ve trained just under 10x co-workers now and it makes my heart happy knowing that I’m helping them settle into the work with the knowledge I was given myself.

Whilst all that was going on:

If I thought losing the ability to celebrate my 10th Blogoversary was going to be taxing,

I wasn’t quite prepared to be so physically exhausted to even acknowledge my 10th Blog’s Birthday!

This year, by far, has been an especially trying year all round.

I realise my 10th Twitterversary is coming up in November, but to be fair, that one seems like one I’ll bypass or turn into a memo about losing what I loved about tweeting and am grateful for the memories I had. I wasn’t able to log onto my blog or my Twitter feeds this Summer with any kind of regularity – hence the strong reduction in posts and the clear absence of my voice online in any capacity. I’ve decided the fact I made it to my 10th Year is worth celebrating, which is why on my new profile on BlueSky (yes, I’m on there!) (look for @joriestory) I’ve mentioned just that – I am celebrating jorielovesastory.com!

I, knew, too — more changes were in the air for me as a socially bookish girl. Which meant endeaviouring to tackle new socially bookish frontiers and joining a few social communities that I might have hestitated to engage with previously. More disclosures coming in this post!

Posted Sunday, 8 October, 2023 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Memes, JLAS Update Post, Jorie Loves A Story, Stories of Jorie, The Sunday Post

#RomanceTuesdays feat. Harlequin Heartwarming | “Her Island Homecoming” (Hawaiian Reunions series, Book One) by Anna J. Stewart

Posted Tuesday, 18 July, 2023 by jorielov Anna J. Stewart, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, HarperCollins Publishers, Hawaiian Reunions series, Her Island Homecoming 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: Whilst speaking with Ms Stewart about being a guest on @SatBookChat in the New Year of 2021 (as our conversation was in late 2020) – I realised there was a whole collection of stories by her I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading! The first series which charmed my heart was Butterfly Harbour – which we happily discussed during #SatBookChat in January, 2021 and it is the series I am continuing to read throughout 2023. At the time, she mentioned to me she also writes for Harlequin’s Romantic Suspense and I was quite curious about those stories as I regularly read their Love Inspired Suspense novels. The key difference between the two is Love Inspired is their faith-based imprint and the Romantic Suspense stories are Contemporary and mainstream. I tend to be a hybrid reader of both mainstream and faith-based markets which is why I was keen on reading her Romantic Suspense releases.

I am a member of her Review Team (as you will see the badge I created at the bottom of this review) and I am thankful I have the opportunity to be clued into her new releases and series, as they become published and available to read. I will be continuing to read her Heartwarming and Contemporary Suspense releases via Harlequin as a Review Team member, too.

I received a complimentary copy of “Her Island Homecoming” direct from the author Anna J. Stewart in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

NOTE: All the Press Materials for this series (Hawaiian Reunions) were provided by the author, Ms Stewart for use on my blog.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

You might recognise the author I am reading (ie. Anna J. Stewart) as I first became introduced to her style of storycrafting whilst reading the #BlackwellBrothers series via Harlequin Heartwarming! Whilst continuing to get to know her further through her guest appearances on @SatBookChat (the Saturday chat I’ve hosted since 2014 celebrating Romance, Women’s Fiction & Feminist Lit). You’ll find me reading selections from her Romantic Suspense stories for Harlequin as well as her wicked lovely series ‘Butterfly Harbour’ which is a celebration of family, community and new beginnings!

In recent years, you will have found reviews of the following novels
featured on Jorie Loves A Story:

Undercover Heat and Colton on the Run

Gone in the Night, Guarding His Midnight Witness and Recipe for Redemption

And, this Summer, I am returning to her novels as I re-establish where I am within the Honour Bound series and Butterfly Harbour whilst beginning my journey into this NEW series: Hawaiian Reunions. I am also going to be dipping back into the Blackwell stories as well as there are more than one series of the Blackwells available, and I haven’t had the chance to properly finish the last two series about them. I am overjoyed their stories continue to enter our lives as I was so dearly attached to the first one (ie. Return of the Blackwell Brothers) and look forward to new memories and reactions as I continue to proceed inside the series which follow suit.

Betwixt the angst of life’s uncertainties, an unplanned relocation and a new job – you could say, I’ve been a bit whisper quiet on Jorie Loves A Story for the last several months! I had been attempting to read this novel for several weeks, especially at the latter half of June when I thought I was going to have a bit more balance in my work life. However, with my new job came a lot of training hours and sometimes, those hours were a bit more intensive than I perceived them to be originally. In essence, it was a lot of commuting and exhaustive hours to where unwinding into a book I wanted to read was pushed aside for much needed rest. As I was still juggling my night job whilst training for my new ‘day’ job. The only good news on that front at least, is the new company I’m working for is paying for mileage for my last two weeks of commuting. I wish it had been retroactive from the beginning but at this point, a little return on the commute is a blessing.

Shifting into July, I had inked out some downtime for myself over the Fourth, only to be greeted by lightning storms and internet outages. Not the best timing for a girl who ached to soak into a novel! It took a bit more time to get another day off in order to continue reading “Her Island Homecoming” and I was especially grateful the day arrived sooner than later! As my training schedules were getting a bit more complicated with delays and re-scheduled transitions, etc. I am hopeful by the close of July my training will conclude, and I will no longer have a long commute as I will be working locally at long last. For now, the joy of being in Nalani rejuvenated my readerly spirit but also, gave me a bit of a ‘holiday’ away from work and the stresses of life. I truly loved being set in this world!

This also marks my return to reading and blogging. I’ve had a lot of unbalances in my life since February and even, further back since last October, 2022. A lot of life has been lived between those months and although, things are starting to get better for my family – it simply has been a long haul to get to this point. I’m grateful to have regular hours at work starting after I shift to working locally as I will know my schedule for day and night shifts and which days, I’ll have off vs the pattern of insanity I’ve been going through with training at my new (day) job. The night job has always remained consistent but it’s the day job I replaced with a new one which has caused the recent strife in my hours.

Settling into a Heartwarming novel felt like the right choice for me. Whenever I pick up one of these lovelies, I feel as if I can just soak into a story, relax into the lives of the characters and settle the chaos for a bit. We all need those moments to ourselves where we can just find ways to decompress and find what can relax us outside of work and life’s commitments. If you’ve been waiting for me to showcase new content, I appreciate your patience. And, if you’ve had a hard-won year this 2023, I hope you’ll find some peace soon in a story that lets you take a step out of your everyday and just soak into something uplifting and renewing like this novel has been doing for me.

Her Island Homecoming
Subtitle: Hawaiian Reunions : Book One
by Ms Anna J. Stewart
Source: Author Review Team

Will he stay too?

From sand in his shoes to a gecko eating his dinner, Theo Fairfax is way outside his comfort zone in Hawai'i. Sent to convince pilot Sydney Calvert to sell the tour company she just inherited, he finds himself being won over by the tight-knit community, the natural wonders and Sydney’s free-spirited beauty. Could exploring their growing feelings lead to a future as magical as a tropical sunset?

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Romance Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1335584984

Also by this author: Undercover Heat, Colton on the Run, Gone in the Night, Recipe for Redemption, Guarding His Midnight Witness, Their Surprise Island Wedding, Prison Break Hostage

Published by Harlequin Heartwarming

on 23rd May, 2023

Format: Larger Print (Mass Market Paperback)

Pages: 384

Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming (@HarlequinBooks) | imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

The Hawaiian Reunions series:

Her Island Homecoming (book one)

Their Surprise Island Wedding (book two) : coming September, 2023!

*features Keane, the surfer who returned to Nalani in book one!

A Surprise Second Chance (book three) *

← *forthcoming release: March, 2024!

View the list and keep tabs on this series via Fantastic Fiction!

Converse via: #ContemporaryRomance and #HawaiianReunionSeries
as well as #HarlequinHeartwarming

Posted Tuesday, 18 July, 2023 by jorielov in #RomanceTuesdays, 21st Century, Book Review (non-blog tour), Contemporary Romance, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Geographically Specific, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Life Shift, Modern Day, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Romance Fiction, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA

#WWWednesday No. XVIII | Jorie dives back into reading via #WyrdAndWonder!

Posted Wednesday, 10 May, 2023 by jorielov #WyrdAndWonder 2 Comments

I ♥ the premise of this meme {WWW Wednesdays} due to the dexterity it gives the reader! Smiles. Clearly subject to change on a weekly rotation, which may or may not lead to your ‘next’ read providing a bit of a paradoxical mystery to your readers!! Smiles. ♥ the brilliance of it’s concept!

This weekly meme was originally hosted by Should Be Reading who became A Daily Rhythm. Lovingly restored and continued by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. Each week you participate, your keen to answer the following questions:

What are you currently reading!?
What did you recently finish reading!?
What do you think you’ll read next!?

After which, your meant to click over to THIS WEEK’s WWWWednesday to share your post’s link so that the rest of the bloggers who are participating can check out your lovely answers! Score! Perhaps even, find other bloggers who dig the same books as you do! I thought it would serve as a great self-check to know where I am and the progress I am hoping to have over the next week!

Join the Convo via: #WWWWednesday

the event of fantastical JOY has returned,
join me as I dive back into reading via #WyrdAndWonder!

About: *Wyrd & Wonder*

Wyrd and Wonder is an annual celebration of the fantasy genre. Sign up to join the party as we explore worlds of myth and magic, re-imagine traditional tales, cheer on heroes (prefer villains? Sure, we won’t judge you) and discover the secret doors that lead from familiar streets to adjacent realms where a discourtesy or a misstep may land you in hot water.

This year we’re focusing on all things magical, whether that’s magic users, magical creatures, magic systems, or things that raise the hairs on the back of your neck (in a good way). As always, you’re free to read and post outside the theme – we love low fantasy too! – but magic will be the theme for our banners and prompts this year.

We’ll be reading books, watching movies, playing games and sharing our thoughts online through blog posts and social media with as many like-minded adventurers as care to join us – there’s always room by the fire for a newcomer with a tale to share.

_{(Paraphrasing official 2022/23 blurb) : visit Imyril’s Announcement for Y6}

You might be curious where the heck, heck Jorie has been these past several months as past a certain point, I was unable to continue to UPDATE my blog and the only time I was able to re-surface was via tweets celebrating my JOY over S3 of Star Trek: Picard. Something I will go into further details about when I formulate the words to anchour a life update into a forthcoming Sunday Post as it is all connected. For now, I’d like to take a breath and re-focus on my top favourite bookish event of the year — as I happily co-host our Year 6 of Wyrd And Wonder!

For those of you who are used to me being more visually present during the opening week of Wyrd And Wonder and for a chase-up to the event itself in the months ahead of May — this year clearly went a bit differently for me as a reader and as a book blogger. My best foot forward is actually visible on our #bookstagram feeds on Insta wherein I’ve been quite active this Year 6 by finding 12x different prompts to respond to visually with book photos and commentary. I’ve been enjoying that pursuit and learning more about Insta and layouts for text additions by Annemieke who has kindly been tutoring me on the ins/outs of how much to say and the ways in which to say what you want to share. FYI: For those of us who are longer winded (ie. bookish chatterboxes), adding graphics is an easier solution than lengthier posts which dip too much into the comment sections!

Smashing, eh?

I couldn’t be happier as working on those photos in a new environment (ie. flat) and having a blank canvas (ie. bookshelves) has had a bit of a cleansing effect on me. Whilst at the same time, as I have only a few boxes unboxed at the moment, my photos are a bit different than in the past as I don’t have any props to use except the books and the shelves themselves. Ergo, I am focusing on the themes of the prompts and using my words on the graphics or in the post itself to celebrate the theme of the day so to speak.

Also: note to self, where EXACTLY did I pack ALL my bookmarks!?

I do personally feel Wyrd And Wonder snuck up on me this year because I had a bit of an insurrection of personal time and space to prepare for it. When you have to undergo a major relocation which was both unplanned and unwanted in your life, it is hard to shift back into something that gives you a lot of JOY. I’ve found myself unmotivated to blog, read or participate in a lot of things socially online since February and it is all connected to the relocation. I do admit, I like living here better as it is a quieter space – there isn’t a lot of jarring outside noises (ie. sirens, heavy traffic or whatnot which came with living off a major highway) but at the same time, it doesn’t quite feel like ‘home’ either. The other flat was happily lived in for eight years and everything had its proper place and it was ‘cosy’. This one still feels like we’ve ‘just arrived’ and we’re just making do. Oy. Towards that end, I think it has affected my desire to read or listen to audiobooks – although, that does seem a bit silly in one respect because I have better set-up for reading now than I did previously and my books are easier at hand than they were as well. *le sigh* To say I just feel overwhelmed going into May would be an understatement. Plus, of course, last year and all years prior Dad was living with us at home, and I admit, that is still an adjustment for Mum and I.

I guess to be frank, this #WyrdAndWonder just feels a bit more muddling to me and I’m just trying to make the best of it as I go along with what I am attempting to read, blog and share socially. Likewise, I’m trying like mad to sort out a way to be more present on our feeds via Twitter for @WyrdAndWonder as well. I’d be thrilled if I could sort that out before week’s end.

I am sure others might feel this way too, this year, as I know some of my fellow co-hosts have had their fair share of strife as well this early half of the year. Whilst I am sure our participants might feel similar angst as us, too. Sometimes the timing just feels ‘off’ for whichever reason but I refuse to let it take all the JOY out of May for me and that is why each day/week I am striving towards participating in some small way even if I can’t fully achieve what I had hoped to do when I first set plans in mind last year.

What Jorie is currently reading:

→ Wyrd and Wonder’s RAL: Howl’s Moving Castle
by Diana Wynne Jones, narrated by: Jenny Sterlin *audiobook

Week 1: Chapters 1 through 7 – hosted by Dear Geek Place
Week 2: Chapters 8 through 14 – hosted by The Fantasy Hive
Week 3: Chapters 15 through End – hosted by The Fantasy Hive
Discussions will be via Discord on our Other Worlds channel

Hosted by: @deargeekplace and @TheFantasyHive
Read the Announcement of the RAL via deargeekplace.com

So far, I can attest to the fact I am grateful for this choice as one of our RALs this year! I decided to borrow the book (in print) for my book photos during #WyrdAndWonder, but in truth I am actually listening to the audiobook which is narrated by Ms. Sterlin. Of whom is doing such a smashing job of getting my attention to listen to the story which on one side of the ledger is a bit scary (in respect to the Wizard Howl by the way in which he’s described!) and engaging on the other in respect to the girls’ themselves. I am quite charmed by Sophie who speaks to hats as I’ve long been fascinated by hatters and those who work in the shops where they are sold.
Read More

Posted Wednesday, 10 May, 2023 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Memes, JLAS Update Post, Jorie Loves A Story, WWW Wednesdays