Category Archives: Blog Hops

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Your Theme Song for This Year

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

A stereo audio equalizer showing a rainbow visualization of a beat. My theme song for 2022 is a song that was released a few years ago.

It was written by one of my favourite modern musicians, Ed Sheeran, and the title of it is “Beautiful People.”

Here is a link to the lyrics for anyone who would like to read them before listening to the song.

What I love about this piece of music is how it encourages everyone to embrace their true selves, flaws and all. That’s such a positive and helpful message to share with the world! It’s something I need to hear sometimes, too.

Here is the official music video for the song: Beautiful People by Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Character Names In the Titles

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

A cup of hot cocoa sitting on an opened book that has little plastic golden stars on it. The book is lying on a window ledge nestled next to a cozy, white blanket. There is snow and ice on the outside of the window. There are so many books out there whose titles include character names that I’m going to be narrowing this week’s topic down a little.

This is a list of books with character names in their titles, and I’ve read and would recommend all of them.

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

2. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

3. I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

4. Heidi by Johanna Spyri

5. Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery

6. Bridget Jones’s Diary (Bridget Jones, #1) by Helen Fielding

7. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

8. Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh, #1) by A.A. Milne

9. Still Alice by Lisa Genova

10. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Before I wrote this post, I hadn’t realized that so many of the books featuring character names that I’ve read were written 100+ years ago. I hope that some of you will have good suggestions of contemporary works that fit this criteria.

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: The Best TV Show from 2021

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

The retired astronaut Leland Devon Melvin posing with his dogs for his official NASA photo in his spacesuit. I watch many excellent science fiction series, so this answer was a little surprising. A nonfiction miniseries won out over the the many works of fiction I could have selected instead!

Dogs is a Netflix miniseries that released its second season in 2021. Each episode follows the lives of different dogs as they provide companionship, work alongside their humans, or do extraordinary things.

Leland Devon Melvin is the name of the astronaut in the photo accompanying this post. His loving relationship with his two dogs was explored in-depth in one of the season two episodes as they prepared for a long and difficult hike, and it brought a tear to my eye.

It’s incredible to see just how much joy and meaning dogs bring to people’s lives. The rest of the stories in this series were also interesting for a wide variety of reasons, from the journey of a young girl who has severe epilepsy and was getting her first service dog to the tireless work of animal rescue groups who save countless lives and so much more.

This is one of those wholesome series that I think should appeal to a wide audience. There’s something for everyone in it no matter how old or young you are.

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Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2021

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Strawberries, coffee, cookies, and an art book on a white sheet. Sometimes it feels like the January Top Ten Tuesday topics are so closely connected to each other that I need to be careful about repeating myself when responding to them.

For that reason, I’ll keep this week’s list short and sweet. Here are five books I read last year from authors who are new to me.

 

Author: Betty MacDonald

What I Read from Them: The Plague and I

Would I Read More from Them? Yes! I never would have guessed that a memoir about living in a tuberculosis hospital in the 1930s would be so funny or relatable nearly a century later. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for anything else she might have written.

 

Author: Annalee Newitz

What I Read from Them: Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age

WouldI Read More from Them? Yes! This author had a conversational writing style that made learning about history amusing and educational.

 

Author: Kathy Iandoli

What I Read from Them: Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah

Would I Read More from Them? No. I found the author’s writing style to be choppy, and she only skimmed the surface on some pretty important questions about Aaliyah’s life. I know that it was probably quite difficult to dig up new information about this singer given how private her family is, but I wasn’t impressed with this biography.

 

Author: Katherine Arden

What I Read from Them: Small Spaces

Would I Read More from Them? I already have! I’ll be reviewing Small Spaces and it’s sequels on this site in the near future, so stay tuned.

 

Author: Sandy Skotnicki

What I Read from Them: Beyond Soap: The Real Truth about What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful, Healthy Glow

Would I Read More from Them? Maybe. There was a lot of excellent information about skin care in this book, but I found the writing to be a bit repetitive at times. So I’d pick up more books from this author, but I might skim through them or only read the sections that are most applicable to my skin in particular.

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: What Inventive Ways Do You Have to Keep Warm?

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

A bowl filled with chilli I’m going to assume that everyone already knows about practical ways to stay warm like wearing multiple layers of clothing, choosing thick, warm socks, and doing something active like cleaning or exercising to get your blood pumping faster.

Eating hot, hearty meals is another trick up my sleeve on cold days. If you like and can eat spicy food, that will make it even more effective.

Filling foods that take a long time to digest really go a long way in warming someone up. This is even more true on days when you know you’ll be spending more time outside than usual. It’s much easier to brace the cold when your stomach feels like a happy little furnace that filled with fuel.

I do not know why spicy meals are even better at doing this. Maybe it’s because they make your mouth and esophagus feel extra warm while you’re eating them?

At any rate, some of my favourite things to eat on cold days are chili, stews, soups, spaghetti, and other dishes that have a nice balance of complex carbohydrates, fat, and lots of protein from meat or beans. If you pick the right ingredients, you can get at least one serving of nearly every food group in a single meal as well which is an awesome bonus.

Stay warm, friends! If you live in a part of the world that is not freezing right now, I am just a tad jealous of your balmy weather.

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Top Ten Tuesday: 2021 Releases I Was Excited to Read But Didn’t Get To

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

A cup of coffee, a dried rose, and an opened book lying on a light purple blanket. Today I’ll be grabbing some books I mentioned in various seasonal TBR topics from previous Top Ten Tuesday posts.

While I did read quite a few of the books I mentioned in those posts, I certainly did not read all of them!

Here are some of the books I’ve yet to read (or finish reading) and my reasons for not reading or finishing them yet.

Maybe this winter will be a good opportunity to dive into their stories?

 

The Salt in Our Blood  by Ava Morgyn book cover. Image on cover shows young girl holding a lantern against a stylized night sky that includes swirls of red, orange, purple, and blue.

The Salt in Our Blood  by Ava Morgyn

Why I Didn’t Read It: I didn’t have time.

 

The Conductors by Nicole Glover book cover. Image on cover shows young woman holding a lantern. There is an illustrated celestial map superimposed on the trees behind her.

The Conductors by Nicole Glover

Why I Didn’t Read It: I didn’t have time.

 

Sisters of the Neversea  by Cynthia Leitich Smith book cover. Image on cover is a drawing of three children wearing pajamas and flying in the air above their homes.

Sisters of the Neversea  by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Why I Didn’t Read It: I didn’t have time.

 

Far Out- Recent Queer Science Fiction and Fantasy  by Paula Guran book cover. Image on cover is a drawing of a magical woman in a blue dress who looks like she's doing a spell. There are twinkling lights around her.

Far Out: Recent Queer Science Fiction and Fantasy  by Paula Guran

Why I Didn’t Read It: I’m still on the library waitlist for it.

 

The Lost Girls  by Sonia Hartl book cover. Image on cover shows vampire with blood coming out of the corner of her mouth .

The Lost Girls  by Sonia Hartl

 

Why I Didn’t Read It: I’m not sure if I’m still interested in it.

 

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor book cover. Image on cover shows african woman holding her head up high.

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

 

Why I Didn’t Read It: I actually did read the first chapter! The plot was so slow that I didn’t get around to finishing it before it was due back at the library. Maybe I’l try again this winter?

 

 

Within These Wicked Walls  by Lauren Blackwood book cover. Imageon cover shows a woman's face superimposed over an imposing mansion

Within These Wicked Walls  by Lauren Blackwood

Why I Didn’t Read It: I’m still on a very long library waitlist for it.

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books I Want to Read in 2022

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

Person with curly hair and glasses cheering on a blue couch as they hold a laptop in their lap.

This isn’t me, but I have been this excited for certain releases in the past!

I’m an avid mood reader who generally finishes 100+ books per year and sometimes gets through much more than that.

As I’ve said in previous posts, many of the books I read are spontaneous picks based on what I find in the new release section of the Toronto Public Library.

That is to say, I’d need a crystal ball in order to know exactly what I’m going to read this year. Ha!

I think there’s something to be said for embracing these moments of joy whenever they happen. No one is ever too old to be thrilled when a favourite author releases something new.

Here are two books I’m so excited to read that I’ve literally put alerts for them on my calendar so I can request them from the library (or buy them if the library doesn’t have them) the second they’re released.

 

A Prayer for the Crown Shy (Monk & Robot #2)  by Becky Chambers 

Release Date: July 12

I know I mentioned this in a recent Top Ten Tuesday post, but I had to include it here as well.

What I loved the most about the first book in this series was how hopeful it was. The narrator described a science fiction future that (so far) has shown no signs of climate change, pandemics, prejudice, war, or inequality. Human populations are much smaller than they are today, but they live quiet and harmonious lives in their little villages.

There’s something irresistible about that setting to me. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live in such a harmonious society?

 

Empty Smiles (Small Spaces #4) by Katherine Arden

Release Date: August 9

This is a delightful middle grade series about a group of three friends who keep running into a dangerous spirit called the Smiling Man.

I love paranormal stories in general. The nice thing about this particular series is that generally happy endings are all but guaranteed when you’re reading books meant for this age group. So I can enjoy the spooky scenes while being pretty sure that the characters will be triumphant in the end.

That’s the sort of reassuring storyline I’ve been craving this past year or two, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this quartet ends.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

An ereader, a cup of coffee, a pair of black glasses, and a watch sitting on a wooden table. I’m narrowing this week’s topic down to free ebooks that I’ve downloaded from Indie authors. I believe in supporting other authors, especially if they haven’t already established a large audience!

If you’re interested in learning about new free science fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal, and other speculative fiction books, most of which are written by Indie authors, go follow me on Twitter. I share some of these books every Thursday, and everything in today’s post came from one of those past threads.

I have not read most of these books yet, so I won’t officially recommend them. This is simply a list of tales I thought sounded interesting.

The Baby on the Back Porch by Lucia N. Davis

Is There Anyone Here With Us by Mace Styx

The Ghosts of Holleford Lake by Nicholas R. Adams

Five Fantastic Short Stories by Patrick Canning

Terror at Deventhier Bay by Eloise Molano

 

Oli the Old Owl by Lee Keene review coming in 2022

Escape from the Haunted Planet by Dubya-Ay P the Third

Dare vs. The Doll by Si Clarke

Dead Souls: A Supernatural Short Story Collection by Andrew S. French

The Visitor by Mark Lawrence

 

Have any of you read these books? How often do you read Indie stories and Indie authors in general?

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Your Goals for 2022

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

Welcome back, everyone! I’ve missed this challenge while it was on break for the winter holidays.

Let’s take a quick look at my 2021 goals.

  • I did a pretty good job of exercising (almost) every day and finding the good in the world in 2021.
  • Meditation was not a habit that stuck, so I’ll try again with that this year.
  • I did get vacccinated against Covid-19 last year and am currently waiting for a spot to open up so I can get my booster shot.
  • I tried as many new things as I could given the circumstances. Most of them were food related!

What are my goals for this year?

Meditate Daily. I need it for so many different reasons, one of which I’ll mention below.

A wooden cutting board that has a knife and chopped broccoli, carrots, red pepper, cucumber, and tomatoes on it. Grow Leaner and Stronger. I gained weight, lost muscle mass, and ate more junk food last year because cooking and eating delicious meals were some of the few safe things to do in lockdown. I’m working to reverse those trends in 2022. Since I’m already exercising, I really just need to clean up my diet in order to hopefully become healthier and feel better soon.

Find an Effective Treatment Regiment for My Migraines. I was finally officially diagnosed with migraines in 2021 and am currently working with my family doctor to find the best combination of medication, dietary changes, meditation, lifestyle changes, and other treatments to reduce how often I suffer from them and how painful they are.

Spend at least 15 Minutes a Day Practicing Spanish (and more if possible). I’ve done it every day so far this year! Maybe I’ll be able to count myself as somewhat fluent in it by the end of the year?

Make One New Friend. When I was a kid, I never would have guessed how much harder it is to make friends as an adult. If I can meet just one person who becomes a good friend in 2022, I’ll be thrilled.

Go On More Hikes and Nature Walks. This is something I find both relaxing and invigorating. I can’t wait until the weather warms up enough for me to go wander around outside again.

How about all of you?

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The 2022 Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge Topics

List of blogging topics for The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for 2022

Long and Short Reviews has released the list of topics for their third year of Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge posts.

If you’re having trouble reading the graphic above, scroll down for a transcription of it. Everyone is welcome to join in at any point of the year for as many or as few of the prompts as you wish! I know this is short notice for tomorrow’s prompt, but luckily it seems to be an easy one. 🙂

The fun begins tomorrow, so stay tuned.

 

January 

5 – Your Goals for 2022

12 – Books You Want to Read in 2022

19 – What Inventive Ways Do You Have to Keep Warm?

26 – Best Book, Movie, or TV Show from 2021

 

February 

2 – Your Theme Song for This Year

9 – Ways to Show Someone You Love Them

16 – Favourite Book Genre and Why

23 – Something New You Learned Last Year

 

March

 

2 – Tell Us Something About a Pet

9 – Book Setting You’d Like to Visit and Why

16 – Something “Lucky” That Happened to You

23 – Your Favourite Podcast and Why

30 – What Mythological Animal You’d Want as a Pet

 

April

 

6 – A Unique Talent You Have

13 – What’s On Your TBR List

20 – One Meal Everyone Should Try

27 – Book, Movie, or TV Show You Can’t Wait For

 

May

4 – Best Mother in a Book, Movie, or TV Show

11 – Do You Believe in Aliens? Why or Why Not?

18 – What You Do When You’re Not Feeling Well

25 – Favourite Quote from a Book

 

June

 

1 – Book, Movie, or TV Show Set In or Near Your Town

8 – Design Your Perfect Wedding

15 – Best Father in a Book, Movie, or TV Show

22 – Your List of Auto-Buy Authors

29 – A Real Life Event That No One Would Believe

 

July 

6 – Have You Met Anyone Famous? Who?

13 – Character in a Book You’d Love to Meet and Why

20 – Describe a Perfect Weekend Getaway

27 – Show Us Your Bookcase(s)

 

August

3 – Weirdest Food You Love

10 – Thoughts on Fan Fiction

17 – Where Would You Spend One Day in the Past?

24 – Bookmark, Scrap Paper, or Dog-Ear?

31 – A Plot Line You Refuse to Read/Watch and Why

 

September

7 – A Plot Line You Love to Read/Watch and Why

14 – What Makes You Pick Up or Buy a Book?

21 – Least Favourite Chore and Why

28 – Using the Library vs. Buying Books

 

October 

5 – Something from Sci-fi You Wish Were Real

12 – Do You Buy Books New or Thrift Them?

19 – Fantasy Animal You Wish Was Real?

26 – Scariest Real Life Ghost Story

 

November 

2 – What Sci-fi/Fantasy Book You’d LIke to Visit

9 – Best Way to Spread Love of Books

16 – Favourite Social Media Platform and Why

23 – Overused Character Stereotypes

30 – Share Your Morning (or Bedtime) Rituals

 

December 

7 – Best Fictional Siblings and Why

14 – Your Favourite Crafty Thing to Do

 

Header for the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews. The image shows a laptop sitting on a wooden table.

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