Answering the prompt : Haunted House | Find out what #JorieReads which befits this prompt for #SpooktasticReads!

Posted Friday, 25 October, 2024 by jorielov , , , , , , 0 Comments

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We LOVE challenging each other during #WyrdAndWonder and #SpooktasticReads with prompts which inspire responses which can be taken literally by the words of the prompt itself or become explored more creatively by what sparks a response from the reader, blogger or social Fantasy lover to share with us during the months of May and October. This year, I’ve decided to post complimentary discussions featuring the prompts I am responding to via Instagram on our @WyrdAndWonder feeds. As it was a goal of mine last year but not one that I could fulfil properly.

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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I have been curious about ‘haunted houses’ the whole of my life – despite the fact, I very rarely go inside ‘haunted houses’ because I am always on the brink of believing they are simply too much for me to experience! Mostly, as whenever I’ve gone to Halloween parties or events – they have the tendency of taking the fear factor a bit too far afield for me. More Horror than Halloweeny and definitely more scare than fright! It is good to have a bit of fright in your life at this time of the year but not to the point where you think your heart will fail. I love the lighter side of Halloween – which sort of plays out in the types of stories I gravitate towards reading as well.

My favourite ride at Disney World is The Haunted Mansion and likewise, I love the accompanying film by the same name – especially how it ends, and all the ghosts go to Heaven. It is a beautifully scripted film and has such a wicked ending. I also love the film The Canterville Ghost (the one with Neve Campbell) – as it also plays into the theme of hauntings as does the silliness of the plot within High Spirits. Whereas my favourite tv series was The Ghost Whisperer (starring Jennifer Love Hewitt). 

When it comes to books however, I am less versed in hauntings except for when there are ghosts present whenever I read a Paranormal or Witchy story as ghosts tend to take centre stage in those kinds of stories. This is why I wanted to tackle this prompt this year – to seek out the stories which befit this prompt and how the prompt can be answered in different ways as you approach stories which speak towards it.

I elected to select two backlogue review copies I’ve had for audiobooks – seeing if I can finally attach myself inside their stories and focus on reviewing them before the end of the year. I’d love to know if anyone has heard either of these themselves or what their takeaways were as well.

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Posted Friday, 25 October, 2024 by jorielov in #25MinutePreview, #SpooktasticReads, Jorie Loves A Story

Answering the prompt : Hocus Pocus | Find out what #JorieReads which befits this prompt for #SpooktasticReads!

Posted Wednesday, 23 October, 2024 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#SpooktasticReads banner created by Imyril. Art credit: Vera Petruk (https://www.123rf.com/profile_samiramay). Banner used with permission.

We LOVE challenging each other during #WyrdAndWonder and #SpooktasticReads with prompts which inspire responses which can be taken literally by the words of the prompt itself or become explored more creatively by what sparks a response from the reader, blogger or social Fantasy lover to share with us during the months of May and October. This year, I’ve decided to post complimentary discussions featuring the prompts I am responding to via Instagram on our @WyrdAndWonder feeds. As it was a goal of mine last year but not one that I could fulfil properly.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I am a HUGE appreciator of #WitchyFiction – as I am quite sure many of followers and bookish friends online can attest as I regularly feature them during both #WyrdAndWonder and #SpooktasticReads annually! This year, I decided to seek out new voices in this niche of Fantasy I adore to discover – one was a recommended read by a fellow book blogger and reviewer I’ve known for quite a long time now, Maelia. She also used to be a regular chatter when I hosted @SatBookChat (on Twitter) every week and then, bimonthly, until I had to take a sabbatical from hosting the chats due to my work schedule the last few years. We’ve both crossed paths with the author Emma Jackson – as I previously read her novel The Devil’s Bride (which was a featured review during #SpooktasticReads 2021).

This time round, I am soaking into the audiobook version of her novel “Witch You Weren’t” which sounds like a delightfully lighter read than the previous one! And, a bit of a cheeky plot, too, which is right up my street this year! As I try to find a balance between the more dramatic stories and the lighter ones which give me more laughter than tears. Spooky reads to me are the kind of stories which are more Cosy than Horrific and give a cheeky glimpse into the paranormal realms moreso than they scare me out of my mind. Laughs. We all approach this readathon and concentration of stories differently but for me, I love seeking out the magic and delights moreso than the chilling stories which chill your bones!

A second audiobook which I read about by a fellow book blogger and bookstagrammer (of whom I’ve forgotten offhand!) leant me the impression that I might enjoy “The Crescent Moon Tearoom”. Whereas there was something enchanting about “Cinders and Sparrows” and I purchased the audiobook during one of Audible’s sales this end of Summer.

I am appreciating having a subscription to Everand again, as it helps me re-align back into audiobook stories and seeking out different genres of interest which they have in their catalogue of audioreads available to listeners. Whilst with my membership with Audible, I can purchase audiobooks as well as listen to others in their Plus catalogue which also consume a lot of the bookish interests I have in respect to genre and niches of literature I routinely seek out to read.

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Posted Wednesday, 23 October, 2024 by jorielov in #25MinutePreview, #SpooktasticReads, Jorie Loves A Story

#TheSundayPost XX | Time to get our #SpookyReads on this #SpooktasticReads!

Posted Sunday, 20 October, 2024 by jorielov , , , 4 Comments

#TheSundayPost banner created by Jorie in Canva.

[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!

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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I didn’t think Autumn would ever arrive this year! :(

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.

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In regards to my life behind the blog:

I will admit, the past several months turnt out to be on the harder side of the ledger for myself and my family. Between bouts of illness and injuries to a hard-won Summer all the way round – to a resurgence of my migraines and some dreadful weather occurrences – it feels more like I’ve run into Autumn without realising what became of Summer! Oyy.

My Dad had some rough patches himself – and that was a difficult moment of time for Mum and I, too. I’ve had some good visits with him which gave me glimpses of the Dad I know is still with us even though more times than not it is hard to see that side of him. He’s gone through so many changes these past two years he’s been in long term care. That’s still an adjustment I feel because even though we’ve become accustomed to where we are in life with him right now, it still is so very different than it was before and sometimes that seems harder somehow. Mostly I try to put those thoughts aside and just enjoy the moments I am with him. I am sure other families who have gone through this know what I’m referring too.

As a special treat to ourselves, we resumed NetFlix and started to settle into watching “Young Sheldon” which was one of the last series I watched with my Dad. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel revisiting it again as I haven’t watched it since he entered the hospital all those months ago now. It was a bit like how I wasn’t sure if I would ever finish the Jurassic Park franchise until a new friend encouraged me to do that and now I’m glad I had. It was emotional for me going through the Jurassic World films without Dad and even, seeing the finale where everything concluded – but in some respects, I felt he was still there with me seeing it all himself, too. It was one of those quirky film series we got into as a daugher and her father – seeing that conclude this year was one bittersweet memory for me.

And, how that I’ve gone through Series 1-6 of Sheldon, I have the same reaction as I had with Jurassic. Time shifts forward but sometimes the mind and heart shifts backwards. I’m glad Mum took a liking to Sheldon – we both can’t follow him into the main series it was spun-off of as neither of us likes the humour of the ‘other’ show but prefer this one instead. Uniquely Series 7 isn’t yet available to be seen on NetFlix (or anywhere else without paying for the season itself) so part of me questioned why I didn’t research that before we started watching the show. We’re on this cliffhanger of sorts right after the tornado took out MeMaw’s house and like Mum, I would love to know how the series concludes although spoiler alert, I already knew George Sr. would pass on. I’ve become attached to George Sr. and part of me isn’t quite ready to let him go.

Between both my jobs and the weather, the months seem to be passing me by a bit too much lately. It is hard to find stillness when time keeps moving forward at such a fast pace. I try to carve out small moments of downtime and enjoy the days off I receive because I do work two jobs five days a week which sometimes can take its toll too. I’ve wanted to focus on my knitting but have barely touched it since earlier in Spring or late Winter; hard to tell when I last worked on it really! I also wanted to start travelling again with Mum – small day trips which we tried to get underway between Spring and Summer but alas, all the time just seemed to evaporate, and we only made it twice to have time ‘away’.

Despite the chaos of the recent storms and weather patterns, we have been blessed with a return to Autumnal temperatures which is lifting my own spirits quite a heap! I can start to wear my long-sleeved shirts and I’m about to dive into bringing out my sweaters and pullovers, too! Won’t that be grand? It has taken forever for Summer to conclude this year and I’m personally thankful the clingy humidity might soon be a thing of the past. I’ve already started drinking more lattes but I need to resume drinking more hot tea especially to curb getting anymore seasonal illnesses. 

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Posted Sunday, 20 October, 2024 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

It’s a #WyrdAndWonder Wednesday! | Exploring the #WyrdAndWonder Challenge | What does Cosy Cottage mean to you? Let’s check out Jorie’s stack of Cosy Fantasy!

Posted Wednesday, 16 October, 2024 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

Wyrd And Wonder banner created by Imyril. IMAGE CREDITS: black dragon image by crosspixel on 123RF.com. Banner is used with permission.

We LOVE challenging each other during #WyrdAndWonder with prompts which inspire responses which can be taken literally by the words of the prompt itself or become explored more creatively by what sparks a response from the reader, blogger or social Fantasy lover to share with us during the month of May. This year, I’ve decided to post complimentary discussions featuring the prompts I am responding to via Instagram on our @WyrdAndWonder feeds. As it was a goal of mine last year but not one that I could fulfil properly.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

You might be wondering if you’ve travelled back in time to May, and fear not, you have! Or, at least via the portal of my blog – as I’ve decided to finally reveal the lovely prompts, I answered this year during #WyrdAndWonder in a more comprehensive manner of exploration! I meant to release these alongside the prompts as they went live on #bookstagram, however, May clocked off faster than I could type and alas, I felt it was more fitting to re-explore the prompts as a chase-up to our lovely Autumnal event: #SpooktasticReads!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with our lovely mini-event – we host 13 days every October to devour and read as much spookified reads we can lock eyes and hands upon which give us a bit of a chillingly fantastical read within the pages of Paranormal Fantasy, Cosy Horror intermixed with Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, stories of the Fae which might prove to be more Unseelie than Seelie as well as any darker corridor of Fantasy realms which might celebrate the darker veils of Autumn. It is a time to get our spook on and walk alongside witches and familiars as well as explore the stories which befit the season of changes as Summer’s wrath has led into a lovely respite of cooler weather!

Thereby, this is the first #WyrdAndWonder Wednesday post I’ll be sharing which discusses the books on my radar to read betwixt and between 2025’s Wyrd And Wonder as I discovered them during 2024’s #WyrdAndWonder and/or am celebrating having read them in previous years. Let’s see which stories I’m settling into might entice and encourage you to read as well. If you’ve previously read any of the lovely stories yourself – kindly drop me notes in the comments and let me know your takeaways and reactions, too! Especially if you think I’ll share a similar reaction after I’ve concluded the stories myself. Happy to visit you if you have a link to a post on your blog as well. Whilst more details about #SpooktasticReads will be in the footer of this post!

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And, now, without further adieu: On the fourteenth day, I took a different path – I wanted to research the prompt fully and find out if there were ANY stories I had previously become aware of which were truly ‘Cosy Fantasy’ and thereby, curate my own Cosy Cottage in the process OR if this was one part of the genre I haven’t yet explored. My initial reaction to the prompt was of the thought this was meant to celebrate the Cosier side of Cosy Mysteries fitting into the world of Fantasy – such as the stories I love to devour by Jeannie Wycherley (as mentioned on my #WitchyWednesdays post).

Yet, whilst I was researching the term ‘Cosy Fantasy’ – no one was broaching the idea of Cosy Fantasy Mysteries but rather, tucking closer to the mindset of having the following inclusive of the stories:

* Found Families
* Slice of Life
* Centred on Community or Family
* No Violence or Overt Tension or Strife

Which of course takes you a different pursuit altogether! Of the stories I discovered through all my cross-referenced research, only a few stories bubbled to the top of those recommendations which weren’t previously known to me. I was quite gobsmacked to realise that quite a number of my own #nextreads fit into this category selection and that made me wicked happy for the discovery! I simply never knew they held this designation.

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Posted Wednesday, 16 October, 2024 by jorielov in #25MinutePreview, #WyrdAndWonder, Jorie Loves A Story

Welcome to #TheWriteReads blog tour | showcasing “Flightless Falcon” by James Charles Smith

Posted Wednesday, 2 October, 2024 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Book Review banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: I started hosting blog tours with The Write Reads in 2020 and prior to hosting with Dave (who runs the tours and has built an incredible community of the socially bookish behind it) I was following their feeds via Twitter. I took an unexpected hiatus from hosting their tours until this Summer, 2024 wherein I reconnected with Dave and started to get back into the tours as they were available to join.  I love finding new Independent publishers as much as I love finding new niches of fiction and Non-Fiction alike in which to absorb a story or style of narrative I haven’t yet come across and through hosting for The Write Reads I am finding my journey of discovery is regularly heightened to travel into new spheres of where story can take us all.

I received a complimentary copy of “Flightless Falcon” from the publisher Brown Books in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comHallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I will admit, I almost took a pass on reading Flightless Falcon – though for a reason you might not be aware of – for a while, here I refer to ‘years’, I’ve taken a step back from reading war dramas and/or any story fiction or otherwise that is set within a timeline of war. I used to consume a lot of Historical Fiction set during the world wars and I know I burnt out on reading them. There were a few which hit quite hard emotionally and psychologically and I knew for my own sanity, I just needed to step away from them. And, of course, then, in (2018) another novel perked my interest to read which was writ differently than others I had come across and I read it – though I had a feeling I’d have to take another break from stories of war as I began it.

The novel I am referring to is The Fourteenth of September which was published by She Writes Press – a publisher I have the tendency to be drawn to read more times than not. You can read my review and find out my thoughts on behalf of that novel, too. It takes place during the Vietnam War era as well. What drew my eye into accepting to re-open this door on the Vietnam War era and for stories set around war was the opportunity to view that timeline of our American History through a different portal and through an alternative route one man took during a tumultuous period of our lived history. I personally love Autobiographical Fiction, and I love being on the open road as a traveller – and that in part, influenced my choice to read this novel. There is something to be said for travelling by road and for getting out in the open country – seeing America outside of the larger cities and just moving town by town and city by city – having conversations with the people you meet along the way and seeing different slices of life as you travel, too.

I had a feeling this novel was going to be introspective as it was going to be emotionally compelling – and just by the statistics you are presented when you first open the pages to read it – you are brought back to the harrowing realities of that era and time in our history. Somehow, I still find myself compelled to read these kinds of stories, but I am seeking out different ones to read than I used too, and I feel I am a better read for those choices I am making as I carve out my own path into read the stories which talk about war through different perspectives and experiences.

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Welcome to #TheWriteReads blog tour | showcasing “Flightless Falcon” by James Charles SmithFlightless Falcon
Source: Publisher via The Write Reads

In this Vietnam-era coming of age novel, a young man abandons military life and becomes an eyewitness to America’s deep divisions over the war. Adrift and alone in 1969 America, a young man takes to the road.

When Sam Roberts resigns from the Air Force Academy, his father is furious. His mother is understanding but offers little support. All Sam knows is he doesn’t believe in the US’s involvement in the Vietnam War and he can’t be part of it any longer.

Cut loose from a life he once believed in and the woman he once loved, Sam hitchhikes across the country in search of himself. As a passenger in the countless cars who stop to offer rides, he encounters people from all walks of life: Hispanic youths on their way to a quinceañera, retired WWII veterans with surprisingly different perspectives on the war, even a hippie who just left the military himself. His journey is an eye-opening tour through the polarized politics of 1960s America, a transporting exchange of ideas that sends Sam on his way to becoming the man he’s meant to be.

Genres: Autobiographical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Introspective Literary Fiction



Places to find the book:

Format: Paperback Edition

Published by: Brown Books

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Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #ComingOfAge
as well as #TheWriteReads & #FlightlessFalcon

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Posted Wednesday, 2 October, 2024 by jorielov in #TheWriteReads, 20th Century, Autobiographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, History, Indie Author, The Sixties, The Vietnam War, Vignettes of Real Life