Tag: Murder on Monday

WWW….Wednesday #2: One Book at a Time, One Day at a Time!

Posted Thursday, 26 September, 2013 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

WWW Wednesday badge by Jorie in Canva

I loved the premise of this meme {WWW Wednesdays} due to the dexterity that it gives the reader! :) Clearly subject to change on a weekly rotation, which may or may not lead to your ‘next’ read which would provide a bit of a paradoxical mystery to your readers!! :) Love the concept! Therefore, this weekly meme is hosted by Should Be Reading. 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!?

Afterwhich, your meant to click over to Should Be Reading to share your post’s link so that the rest of the bloggers who are participating can check out your lovely answers! :) 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!

What are you currently reading!? A better question would be to ask “What is Jorie not reading!?” (smiles a bit mischievously!) You see, I fell behind on my Septemb-Eyre + Classics Re-Told Reading schedules, but I stubbornly refuse to abandon ship on either project! Afterall, I am stitching together posts this week for 4 adaptations in motion picture for “Pride and Prejudice”, as well as making headway towards having book reviews ready as well! Therefore, I am knee deep inside Chapters XII-XXI of Jane Eyre, expecting to post my ruminations by Sunday, which coincides with my review of The Boxcar Baby, which I am starting on the morrow! The Pride books I am reading are as follows: Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister by C. Allyn Pierson, The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater, and The Independance of Miss Mary Bennett by Colleen McCullough.

Meanwhile, I have seven! lovely books in progress at different stages of absorption:

  1. Larkrise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
  2. Bluebird or the Invention of Happiness by Sheila Kohler
  3. The Secret Papers of Madame Olivetti by Annie Vanderbilt
  4. The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland
  5. Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs
  6. Murder on Monday by Ann Purser
  7. & Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert

To the keenly observant, this list was included on my #1 WWW! I still fully intend to read each of them!

What did you recently finish reading!? The Secret Keeper K.B. Laugheed! This story bewitched my mind, as it was such an engrossing multi-dimensional stroke of narrative!! I was quite gobsmacked when I read the other reviewers’ opinions, as I would never consider this to be a book for a pre-teen! Unless they were emotionally mature, but even then, its not a story of innocence nor of a life lived wrapped around the warmth of hearth and home! Its a gutting testament of the power of overcoming your past and carrying forward into your future! I seriously wonder at times, am I reading a different book altogether!? When I was between the ages of 9-12 I wouldn’t be caught dead reading a book with such heavy story-lines as these, because I was wrapped up in: Anne of Green Gables, Mandie, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Thoroughbred, The Black Stallion, Agatha Christie, and other childhood favourites I’ve outlined under “Children’s Lit: The Undiscovered Frontier“.  By 13, I was exploring more mature texts, as I was in a Michael Crichton, John Grisham, and Tom Clancy phase by then, but evenso, the books I chose to read by them were not on this same theme. I was also entering my cowboy and frontier fiction days, yet those authors were more tempered than Laugheed in their descriptions of frontier Americana. As I would consider this book akin to “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” the tv series, which I watched in my twenties! The story is still haunting my thoughts, because I very much want this book to transform itself into ‘a first of a series’ OR at the very least ‘one of two’ stories stitched together. Its very much one half of a whole! I truly love this book, for adults! I’ll step off my soapbox now, my ire was irked that’s all!

What do you think you’ll read next!? I will be diving into the world of Ave, [The Fires of Eden series] by way of a short story collection that knits together previously spoken about characters or events, inside The Chronicles of Ave: Volume I by Stephen Zimmer! My review of this lovely collection will be live on my blog: 5th of October! Continuing forward with Eyre, Chapters XXII-XXIX will be consumed next, as well as Two Shall Become One: Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Pride and Prejudice Continues by Sharon Lathan, Pemberley by the Sea {alternative title: The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice} and Mr. Darcy’s Obsession by Abigail Reynolds; Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Field by Melissa Nathan; Dancing with Mr. Darcy: stories inspired by Jane Austen and Chawton House {anthology} by Sarah Waters and Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal. I am still awaiting materials through ILL &/or books to boomerang back to me, to complete my Classics Re-Told Project, therefore, this is an abbreviated list!

BONUS: What did you forego reading at the moment to read again lateron? Sadly, I had to let go of Lucid Stars by Andrea Barrett, which was an ILL book, and therefore, will be a bit trickier to get back again! I simply ran out of hours to read all the lovely books I was attempting to read having been ill for a week [third week of September!]. There are times when you simply cannot do anymore than your able too. The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe, and Jane and the Unpleasantness of Scargrave Manor slid into this category as well! I was able to reach the audio clip that I shared with you during my Top Ten List for Autumn Reads, yet that was about as far as I made it before it was called back! With Scargrave, I felt like it would be possible to conclude the story, but in the end, the hours rain out of the hourglass! I am back on hold for both of these lovelies, and eagerly await their return! I have also decided that for whichever reason, my ‘time’ to read Mistress of my Fate has not yet arrived!

Whew!

I wonder what everyone else is up, too!?

{SOURCE: The WWW Wednesday badge created by Jorie in Canva as a way to
promote the weekly meme for those who want to take part in it.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Thursday, 26 September, 2013 by jorielov in 19th Century, After the Canon, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Books of Eyre, British Literature, Classics Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics, Cosy Mystery, Debut Novel, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Historical Fiction, Library Find, Literary Fiction, Reading Challenge Addict, Science Fiction, Septemb-Eyre, Speculative Fiction, Steampunk, the Victorian era, WWW Wednesdays

WWW…Wednesday #1: What is a girl to do? Except continue onward!

Posted Wednesday, 28 August, 2013 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

WWW Wednesday badge by Jorie in Canva

I loved the premise of this meme {WWW Wednesdays} due to the dexterity that it gives the reader! :) Clearly subject to change on a weekly rotation, which may or may not lead to your ‘next’ read which would provide a bit of a paradoxical mystery to your readers!! :) Love the concept! Therefore, this weekly meme is hosted by Should Be Reading. 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!?

Afterwhich, your meant to click over to Should Be Reading to share your post’s link so that the rest of the bloggers who are participating can check out your lovely answers! :) 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!

What are you currently reading!? Such a question, this week! :) I must confess, this is my first day past my migraine, and even I am a bit surprised at how well I am doing! I had to let go of Bout of Books, 8.0 whose postings are still a bit run amuck as I haven’t had the proper chance to go back and flesh out what needs to be completed! I’ll get to it, just not today! Which is why I am still in-progress with my first Austen in August selection: “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, of which I am hoping to conclude either tonight or on the morrow! I want to post my review of this lovely novel before September whips into view!! I have plans for how I want to read through my other selections, but those plans will be revealed at a later time! :)

I am going to forego attempting to read my first Annie’s Attic mystery, until Bout of Books, 9.0 in January! However, I may or may not dig into “The Crimson Petal and the White” by Michael Faber at some point between now and then! The reason I’m holding off on Annie’s Attic’s series, is because that is what my focus for Bout 9.0 will be! Ha! I’m going COSY!! :)

Meanwhile, I have seven! lovely books in progress at different stages of absorption:

  1. Larkrise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
  2. Bluebird or the Invention of Happiness by Sheila Kohler
  3. The Secret Papers of Madame Olivetti by Annie Vanderbilt
  4. The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland
  5. Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs
  6. Murder on Monday by Ann Purser
  7. & Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert

If you choose to click over on each title, you will be drawn back into the days of the Bout, and see what first motivated me to read each book and the progression of reading them as each day lulled forward!! I must say, it’s a remarkable chronicle of one week out of my life, of how unwellness and rollicking thunderstorms can swerve in and out of your reading hours, and cause quite a bit of havoc on your overall outcomes!! 1 out of 10 books consumed isn’t quite so bad, when you think on it!

What did you recently finish reading!? “Haunted” by Heather Graham was the 1 out of 10 books I consumed during the Bout, and “The Prayer Box” by Lisa Wingate is the book I read for review whilst taking part in my first book blog tour for JKS Communications Publicity Firm!! I had such a profound personal attachment to the book, that I wasn’t quite sure how I wanted to direct my review of it, but after putting the finishing touches on that post this afternoon and evening, I must say, I am happy with where it led me to go!! :) My review of Haunted will be clustered closer to when I can finish more of my Bout books!!

What do you think you’ll read next!? A far easier answer to provide! :) You see, after I read “The Golem and the Jinni” by Helene Wecker, I wrote a very cheeky note about what I wanted to read next!! Which is why, dear hearts, as soon as I get my tail caught up with all these lovely books I am reading, I will be digging into Mistress of my Fate. However, short of that, I will be picking up my copy of Jane Eyre, as I am participating in Books of Eyre 2013 + Septemb-Eyre 2013! Evenso, there are a few books that came into my hands via the library, which I’ll be outlining in my next post, “Library Loot #1“, which surely will curtail my reading of Mistress of my Fate, a wee bit more due to the fact the books will need to be returned forthwit! And, there is the issue of Lucid Stars finally making its way to me, as there was a bit of a glitch in my ILL’ing recently, to where, I received the two books AFTER this first one! Oy! Time shall reveal!

{SOURCE: The WWW Wednesday badge created by Jorie in Canva as a way to
promote the weekly meme for those who want to take part in it.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Wednesday, 28 August, 2013 by jorielov in Austen in August, Books of Eyre, Bout of Books, Septemb-Eyre, WWW Wednesdays

Day Five: Bout of Books, 8.0: Murder Most Cosy!

Posted Friday, 23 August, 2013 by jorielov , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

Bout of Books Readathon
Day Five: Bout of Books, 8.0.

Realistically, by Friday, the start of Day Five of the Bout, I had hoped to be progressing through the first five books to where I could start to dig into the cosies that I had selected to read as the weekend began! However, I lost quite a large number of hours earlier in the week, ironically, not all due to my own devices, but rather instead with life  moments & dearly horrid lightning & thunderstorms!! Therefore, I am not sure if I will be able to open these lovelies today! but I am going to make a fervent attempt to spend time in each book that I am currently attempting to read, so that I can ascertain a bit of its story and pacing!

Whilst heading towards the finish line such as the tortoise I am! :) :) Fearless. Determined. Confident. And, happy with what I’ve accomplished even if I am falling a bit short of where I had hoped to be! :)  The adventure of reading far out ways any unexpected limitations of completing the challenge, because I’ve been able to focus on reading and reading alone! whilst the week has progressed forward,.. my mind has lit up with characters and plots, and I am finding myself smiling again as I read! Who could consider that an epic fail when you have conquered the one thing you were intending to do!? To jump out of a looming reader’s rut!? They are as follows:

  • Death by Darjeeling {Book One: Teashop mysteries} by Laura Childs
  • Murder on Monday {Book One: Lois Meade mysteries} by Ann Purser
  • Thyme of Death {Book One: China Bayles mysteries} by Susan Wittig Albert

Each of them is the first book in a continuing series by their author, as I had come across them earlier in my 20s, yet hadn’t had the proper chance to dig into their settings, stories, and lead characters! I forget when I began to purchase the ‘first books’ of not only these series, but a few others as well, but it was my intent to read + collect them one at a time! I have amended that goal now, to reading the first in the series, and borrow the rest through m local library! :) I’ll leave the gathering for another time!!

Acquired Books By: Honestly, I am not certain which bookstore I purchased these books at, but they were purchased by me, that much I do recollect! :) It was the start of being able to sink into cosy mysteries that I had stumbled across whilst browsing big box bookstores, hoping to further my adventures past my initial introductions to the genre by way of Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dick Francis, and !?

And, why they appealed to me:

Teashop mysteries:

Lois Meade mysteries: coming soon!!

China Bayles mysteries:

Friday — Murder can be ever so cosy!

Number of Pages Devoured | Out of: Death by Darjeeling: ? | ?; Murder on Monday: ? | ?; Thyme of Death: ? | ?  Bluebird or the Invention of Happiness:  ? | ? ; The Secret Papers of Madame Olivetti:  ? | ? ; Lark Rise to Candleford:  ? | ?

Tally of Pages Read Thus Far:

Books in Progress | continuing onward | happily consumed:  ? | ? | 1!!

A six word summary of today’s reading:

Best Moment of the Day: OOh, my dear ghouls!! When I originally asked Squeesome to create some *library love!* badges, I was thinking they might make one or two,.. guess what they did instead!?!? They made enough for me to promote my LOVE + ADMIRATION of libraries [and everyone else as well!] from today until the full life of this blog is fulfilled!! :) :) Check out their new LIBRARY LOVE badges + READING is smashing collection!!! There are now *3*!!! new rows of bookish love to spread around!!! Run! Grab them! Promote library goodwill!!

Llibaries badge provided by Squeesome Designs and used with permission.EEk!! I was so seriously consumed by the bookish love they are promoting, I completely missed they added more COFFEE + JAVA love too!! OOhh, my dear, dear ghouls, this IS a day to REMEMBER!!

——>>>THANK YOU SQUEESOME!! YOU GUYS ROCK MY WORLD!!!

Favourite Character:

Challenge Participation?

Bout of Books blogs I visited: [Must Read Faster]– need to repost my comments– [Pretty Pug], [Quinn’s Book Nook], [Pen in Her Hand],

Tick Tock, there goes the clock:

Book badge provided by Squeesome Designs and used with permission.

3:00p: Not quite the proper start I was hoping for today, as I am languishing behind in my slumberments to the brink, that I am now on an off-setted 12 hour clock! I turn in nearly by 3am each day, and I am not ready to ‘begin!’ the new day until 12 hours have thus expired off the clock! How horrid, I know! Yet. Hopeful, too! I spent the time cleaning up my postings today, sorting out what I want to add-on to my Bout posts, and how to manage visiting all the Bout’er blogs whilst the storms keep raging outside the windows!! Oyy vie. Of all the weeks to be involved with the Bout, I’m the unlucky Southerner who gets a hearty dose of thunderstorms to compliment the atmosphere of digging into books for the first time since I brought them home! :) :)

Omm Nom Nom badge provided by Squeesome Designs and used with permission.4:45p: Unquavering in my attempts to prouse my books,… I was on page 19 of Madame Oliveretti when the aromas of homemade cookies beckoned to me, and I found myself delighted in noshing on: rolled oat, rice krispie, marshmallow, chocolate chip delicate whispers of cookies that taste like a pillow of a cloud with the gentle kiss of toffee! Beyond YUM! I devoured three before I realised that could be considered excessive! Fresh pulled from the oven, who dare resist!?

5p-6:43p: I am on a tasting fest; sampling at least 20 pages per book, savouring the small doses, with a curious mind that wants to drink in more of the narratives! I travel between time and settings; Revolutionary France backlit with a surge of anguished memories and the terror of how the future could hold anything positive; the French Riveria sun-drenched beaches, quaint village life bubbling with a mecca of settling inward peace; a seemingly docile English village set-back from the urban cities yet to its own beguiling truth forestalls murderous thoughts!!

6:43p: Updating my Bout posts + visiting Bout’er blogs!! :) :) Soon dinner shall be here, with a plump and boiling rich pizza topped with cheese, onions, spinach, and mushrooms giving me a thrist for comfort food and a balm before I inhale more cookies!

?? continuing,…

Review(s):

All the posts interlinked to *Bout of Books, 8.0* are a work-in-progress post! Therefore, what you read on one visit, might alter/change or be added to by the time you swing back!!

{SOURCES: Bout of Books Badge created by Jorie in Canva to give readers & visitors who come to her blog a way to know of its existence and therefore increasing the mystery & lore surrounding it!! Seriously wicked bookish, coffee and foodie badges {entirely FREE!} provided by Squeesome Designs!}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Friday, 23 August, 2013 by jorielov in Bout of Books