Category Archives: Blog Hops

February 9, 2022 · 1:00 am

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Ways to Show Someone You Love Them

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

A red heart that’s been affixed to the other side of a windowpane that’s foggy and covered with rain. 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.

My comments on certain blogs do not seem to be going through for reasons I haven’t been able to ascertain. If you don’t see reciprocal comments on your site, that is why. I am doing my best each week to say hello to everyone! 

There are so many different ways to show someone you love them!

Here are a a few of my personal favourites. All of them are assuming that the person in question actually enjoys these things, so do tweak them as needed if, say, the people in your life prefer going to a basketball game to taking a hike or would be embarrassed if you praised them in front of other people!

 

  • Stop and truly listen to what they’re saying.
  • Cook or bake something you know they love.
  • Fix their broken cell phone (or leaky faucet, or squeaky door, or anything else you might know how to fix).
  • Change the oil in their vehicle for them.
  • Take them on a nature walk and picnic.
  • Compliment them on something you generally don’t think to mention.
  • Give them a big, warm hug.
  • Send them a funny Internet meme, article, or video about a topic they love.
  • Surprise them with a few uninterrupted hours of your time, and let them decide how you’ll spend those hours together.
  • Tell a heartwarming story about something wonderful they said or did.
  • Invite them out for coffee and a donut.

As an added bonus, most of these ideas are either very inexpensive or won’t cost you a single penny.

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February 8, 2022 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Helpful Nonfiction Books About Relationships

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

 

Rose petals being shot through the air in the shape of a few different hearts. This is happening in a desert area. Happy early Valentine’s Day to everyone to celebrates it!

I do not celebrate Valentine’s Day, but I do have a short list of helpful nonfiction books about creating better relationships, whether they’re with friends, romantic partners, family members, or other people you know.

Yes, some of the information in some of them is specifically written for certain types of relationships like a romance or dealing with a pushy mother-in-law, but the principles in them can be applied to many other situations as well.

Some of these books were written for specific groups like Christians or people who are polyamorous. I encourage you to check them all out even if those specific labels don’t apply to you. Just like with the different types of relationships, there are far more similarities between these groups than you might originally think. We’re all human, after all!

I mean, every relationship should include things like clear communication, setting boundaries, compromising, kindly handling conflict, and giving/receiving emotional support no matter who you are, how you identify, or whether the person you’d like to get along with better is your spouse, best friend, mother-in-law, or coworker.

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman book cover. Image on cover shows a couple embracing on a beach as the sun sets behind them.

1. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman

What I Like About It: Not everyone values the same methods of showing affection. I think there’s something to be said for figuring out what makes people feel appreciated and doing those things as much as you can.

 

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud book cover. Image on cover shows a red pencil drawing a line on a plain white sheet of paper.

2. Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud

What I Like About It: Setting boundaries can be tricky for me sometimes, but it’s important for every type of relationship. This book is filled with examples of how to figure out what you can offer someone and how to say no to the rest. It was also cool to see what specific phrases they recommended for people who have trouble saying no.

 

The Polyamory Breakup Book: Causes, Prevention, and Survival by Kathy Labriola, Dossie Easton book cover. Image on cover is a drawing of a gold leaf on a blue plant.

3. The Polyamory Breakup Book: Causes, Prevention, and Survival by Kathy Labriola, Dossie Easton

What I Like About It: I believe that we should all be methodical about who we invite into our inner circles and move slowly when dating, making new friends, or even deciding where we’d like to work (if possible).  This book goes beyond picking out red flags for more obvious things like abuse and encourages the audience to figure out exactly what we want out of all of our relationships and who we are (and aren’t) compatible with.

You can prevent a lot of heartache if you move slowly in the beginning of any sort of relationship and pay close attention to how you are (or aren’t) matching up with your potential romantic parter or friend.

I also loved what it had to say about gracefully ending relationships that aren’t working for whatever reason. There’s no need to demonize anyone if you find that you’re not actually compatible with them. Some relationships simply weren’t meant to last, and that’s okay.

 

Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love by Amir Levine book cover. Image on cover shows two magnets being drawn to each other.

4. Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love by Amir Levine

What I Like About It: While attachment styles can be changed with time and hard work, they are part of figuring out compatibility for many different types of relationships and learning how to communicate better.

For example, I tend to have a bit of an anxious attachment style, so I know that people with avoidant attachment styles are not a good fit for me at all. (Although I do wish them the best!)

 

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman book cover. There is no image on this cover. It’s just blue and red background.

 

5. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

What I Like About It: Emotional intelligence matters in every sort of relationship we have as human beings. There are ways to approach difficult subjects that can make it much easier to discuss and hopefully resolve. A harsh phrasing of the same sentiment might lead to nothing but an argument that goes nowhere.

Which books would all of you add to this list?

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February 2, 2022 · 1:00 am

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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February 1, 2022 · 1:00 am

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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January 26, 2022 · 1:00 am

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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January 25, 2022 · 1:00 am

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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January 19, 2022 · 1:00 am

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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January 18, 2022 · 1:00 am

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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January 12, 2022 · 1:00 am

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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January 11, 2022 · 1:00 am

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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