Tag: Anni Moon & the Elemental Artifact

#WitchAThon | a readathon celebrating #WitchyReads – Find out what is on Jorie’s TBR!

Posted Thursday, 12 March, 2020 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

#WitchAThon banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Happily discovered #WitchAThon via @WitchAThon

Hosted by: @rhiannonthropp

#booktube channel: Crescent Moon Reads

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

I will readily admit, the last time I felt I could dive into my #WitchyReads were not the best months for me – May 2019 was the 2nd Year of #WyrdAndWonder and I began reading the Magical Midway series by Leanne Leeds. I was loving my journey into this witchy world where a magical circus was at the centre of the action and how a witch who wasn’t yet ready to embrace her heritage was the unexpected heroine of the Midway! I was struck down by too many migraines to finish my #mustreads last May and despite trying twice in the Autumnal months to make amends (including our sister event #SpooktasticReads in October, 2019) – it was my health which prevented the revisitations. I’ve been blogging about the whole diabolical cycle of unwellness off/on recently so I’ll spare the repeat here. Just know between month-long illnesses and chronic migraines it was a wicked awful six months from September to February; even if I did carve out a bit of joy at the holidays – I found the beginning of 2020 adverse from several fronts.

When I discovered this readathon I was wicked HAPPY because I’ve been wanting to just hone in on my #WitchyReads and just settle into their worlds with a heart ready to embrace their worlds. One of them I *devoured!* during #SpooktasticReads – this would be the second #WonkyInn – “The Ghosts of Wonky Inn” which arrived in my life at just the right moment to where it was a happy burst of JOY to be listening too! I love the narrator (Kim Bretton) for how she’s crafting this series together – from her performance to her innate ability to understand Alfie – I truly cannot think of a better ‘fit’ for this series than Ms Bretton because of how she’s approached voicing the lead character! Not to mention at the pen of the author – you’re in wicked good hands! The humour stitched into this series will keep your spirits lifted irregardless of what chaos is alighting in your life! Specifically this is keen to mention as we all have a tipped scale of woes if you consider the newsfeeds out there! Best to tuck into a series that will make you LAUGH more than feel unsettled by anxiety!

The more challenging story on my list is “The Black Talisman” as I was struggling a bit to get into the rhythm of the story. I am not sure if it was the timing of when I first attempted to listen to it or if I just couldn’t connect to the plot. Whichever way – the truth will let out this week because I am re-listening to this story and will see what I make of it now. The rest I look forward to discussing with you about why I’m happy their on my TBR this #WitchAThon! I did hold back one series of Witchy Reads for the next #WitchAThon – which are penned by Suzanne Palmieri.

If you missed my first #MagicalMidway review – kindly catch up to know why I love the series:

#EnterTheFantastic with #WyrdAndWonder | Book Review of the Magical Midway Series Invalid book: 0 “The Witchiest Circus on Earth” by Leanne Leeds

Likewise, if you want to know why I heart Alfie and the #WonkyInn be sure to see my first review:

An #AudiobookMonth Audiobook Blog Tour | “The Wonkiest Witch: (Book One: the Wonky Inn, series)” by Jeannie Wycherley, narrated by Kim Bretton

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

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The *official!* challenges for #WitchAThon this March:

Spring means rain, pick a book that involves water… on the cover, in the title, or as part of the story!

Ostara is a sabbat of rebirth, and accepting oneself as trans (including non-binary & other gender marginalizations) is often an experience of rebirth… choose a book with a trans MC!

Pan is a god of Spring, wildness, & nature, select a book where the theme of survival in nature is prominent

The light is coming back this season, let it lighten your load! choose a novella

Ostara brings about color in the natural world, choose a graphic novel!!

If you can, plant a seed of some kind and begin tending to it… if you cannot commit to plant parentage, try planting something new at a park or nature preserve (a plant that is compatible with that ecosystem)

Read the group book: THE BLACK GOD’S DRUMS by P. Djèlí Clark

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comI had already picked my stories to read for this #WitchAThon which is why I am unsure if any of my selections are going to match with the challenges this month. I’ll have to see as I’m reading if any of them might match the prompts in one way or another – a part of me thinks either *Anni Moon!* or *Magical Midway* might qualify for an elemental element of ‘water’ but outside of those two stories/series I am unsure if anything else would work. Will be interesting when I go to write my wrap-up post at the end of the readathon to see the results!

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission. Read More

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Posted Thursday, 12 March, 2020 by jorielov in #WitchAThon, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, RALs | Thons via Blogs, Reading Challenges

#MiddleGradeMarch | a readathon celebrating #MGLit | #MiddleGrade stories – Find out what is on Jorie’s TBR!

Posted Wednesday, 11 March, 2020 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

#MiddleGradeMarch badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Found out via the tag #MiddleGradeMarch on Twitter

Then discovered A Dance with Books blogged about it

Whilst I traced down who is hosting: @BooksAndJams

This runs concurrently with @MGBookVillage‘s #MGBookMarch!

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

I’ve been appreciating Middle Grade Fiction for quite a long while now – as a book blogger, I’ve had the chance to explore this category of fiction a bit more closely than I might have on my own – however, my local library has a hearty collection of Middle Grade titles – whilst they are also open to purchase requests for either print or audiobook copies. My regional libraries are of the same mind and it makes finding Middle Grade stories to read quite lovely because there is such a wide sea of choice nowadays for readers who are of the age Middle Grade stories were initially meant to be discovered by and for today’s adult reader who likes to revisit the stories of their childhood whilst being updated for today’s market, world and audience of Middle Grade Fiction.

I first started to revisit Children’s Lit due to feeling inspired to convey selections to my nieces and nephews whilst at the same time, knowing I would be an adoptive Mum in the future – I also wanted to find stories being writ by contemporary writers who were writing the kind of stories I would feel comfortable sharing with my future children. This is partially why ever since I first started book blogging in [2013] (as 31st March, 2020 marks the start of my 7th Year) I’ve elected to feature works of Children’s Lit (known on Twitter as #KidsLit) which encompass all stages of a child’s reading life – from Picture Books to Chapter Books, to Middle Grade and Young Adult.

A Sampling of my Favourites over the Years are as follows:

Book Review | “The Walking Fish” by Rachelle Burk & Kopel Burk A new #MGLit novel speaking directly to girls & boys who love science and the curious realms they can endeavour to explore!

Book Review | “Call Me Amy” by Marcia Strykowski – a #middlegrade coming-of age story set amidst the rescue of a baby seal

Finding a readathon this March which champions #MGLit is a wicked chance for me to find redemption in reading the stories which arrived on my shelf to be reviewed but which were not able to be read the months and years they first arrived. The timing was off due to health afflictions and/or my chronic migraines – whilst I am sure there were more than a few unexpected life moments peppered in for good measure as well!

Whatever first took me away from these stories – this particular readathon is re-aligning me with these books and I am wicked thankful for it! As you’re about to find out – I have a rather eclectic mix of Middle Grade stories – from a diverse group of authors and the genres are a brilliant dance of topics, subjects and the kind of world-building I love to disappear inside! If you’re taking part in #MiddleGradeMarch this year – kindly share a link to your blog or your Twitter *thread of updates for me – as I’d love to see what you’re reading as well!

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Share this #booktuber’s tweet!

& let them know you’re joining #middlegrademarch!

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The Challenges I am undertaking this year:

  • Challenge Two: Non-Human Main Character
  • Challenge Three: Read a MG Fantasy novel
  • Challenge Four: Written in Verse (*)
  • Challenge Five: Diversity of Any Kind

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I decided to skip round to the challenges which befit the stories I have on hand to be read this year rather than trying to seek out more titles than I honestly have time to devout to reading. In regards to the challenges I’ve picked – the only one I’m most worried about finishing is “Written in Verse” as I only have one book on hand which fits this category choice and I’m uncertain if it will even count – as various sites list this as either YA or MG depending on whose defining where it ‘belongs’ in Children’s Lit. The book is “The Crossover”.

The rest of the selections I’ve made will become quite obvious once I start talking about them! Especially as the category for “diversity” is being read from different perspectives & angles this year whilst I sadly only had *one!* Fantasy novel which was considered to be Middle Grade.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission. Read More

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Posted Wednesday, 11 March, 2020 by jorielov in #MiddleGradeMarch, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, RALs | Thons via Blogs, Reading Challenges