Tag: writerslife

Read, Watch and Listen (November)

It is time for me to share some of my recommended reading, viewing and listening again. I think I actually forgot to write a Read, Watch and Listen post in October but I may just squeeze two in this month to make up for it.

This week I wanted to share an Apple TV Plus show that is in its third season and a new, fascinating Joanne Harris book. Also, I recommend a wonderful podcast about Bees and sustainability.

Read ‘Broken Light’ by Joanne Harris

As a big fan of Joanne Harris’ writing, it will come as no surprise that I am currently immersed in her latest novel. This one is about a middle aged woman experiencing the menopause. For her, the menopause goes hand in hand with a special power.

Joanne has a way of getting inside a character’s head in a way that we end up rooting for them. Bernie Moon, when hearing about the murder of a woman in her local park, unlocks a teenage memory that awakens her ability to shine a light on male aggression.

I am a third into this book but totally fascinated, as usual. It is hard for me to go into detail without giving too much away.

Suffice to say, check out a sample for yourself and see if it takes your fancy.

Watch ‘The Morning Show’ on Apple TV Plus

I always look forward to this epic show about two TV News anchors who have experienced working with exploitative men.

Now in its third season, Alex (Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) are back with more drama. Alex now has an evening hard-hitting interview show and Bradley is presenting the early evening News. Bradley’s brother has a secret which could mean trouble for her and Alex develops a fondness for the billionaire who is buying the TV network.

Brilliant TV with a gripping storyline.

Listen to the ‘Queen Bees’ podcast

I may have mentioned this one before a while ago but it is still one of my favourites. Jane Horrocks (from Absolutely Fabulous) and Ester Coles (from Enola Holmes) talk about Bees and related subjects. They often have celebrity guests or experts on sustainability and nature join then for chats.

Jane and Ester lived together when they were students and often share a giggle. They discuss all sorts but generally their podcast relates to nature and ways to garden, keep bees and look after the environment.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully these three suggestions have interested you and you may consider checking one of them out. ‘The Morning Show‘ is gritty and comes in series of ten episodes. Broken Light is currently available in Hardback and on kindle. Queen Bees podcast is easy to access on all good podcast apps.

You may also want to check out Read, Watch and Listen (September) and consider following my little blog for similar future content.

My Second Blog Birthday

I am currently on holiday but thought I should acknowledge a milestone for my little blog. It is now two years since I started blogging properly. When I get my teeth into something, I generally stick at it for a while but doing this for two years was totally unexpected. My blog birthday is here and I am grateful to all the wonderful readers and contributors who have helped me get this far.

Looking Back

Although I had a free WordPress blog for a while, I rarely used it. Once in a while I would write a book review or poem but it was very much a hobby.

Then, at the end of May 2022, I made a decision to blog regularly and establish a site that celebrated the things that I enjoy. In doing so, I became a part of the brilliant blogging community. As a result, I have made some blogger buddies and appreciated making valued connections and friendships.

Things I Have Achieved

At the time of writing, I now have 983 followers, written 671 posts and welcomed many wonderful guest posts.

I have also joined an incredible group of bloggers called ‘The Climate Change Collective’ where we celebrate environmental initiatives. Each month we take turns to write posts, including recent research and practical methods to help fight global warming.

Here is our May article for you to have a look at:

Climate Change Collective: How green spaces help our planet

Thank you so much for supporting my blog and taking time to respond to my articles with comments. I really appreciate the love my blog has felt and look forward to another year of producing lifestyle articles. If you haven’t already followed the blog, please consider it.

On it’s second blog birthday, I think I will have to raise a glass in appreciation for the blogging community.

My Current Projects

Sometimes I feel like just taking stock of what I am up to with regards to writing and blogging. This post is to let you know what my current projects are and how I am getting on with these.

As a teacher, I have to be very organised in order to write fresh content. I also want to keep expanding my horizons because one day I want to write for a living.

Blogging

My blog is nearly two years old and I have varied the amount of content I produced. Lately I have tried to be more consistent and I can see the engagement has gone up. Here are a couple of recent articles I am proud of:

Allelujah Film: Celebrating The NHS
Read, Watch and Listen – April

Audio

I have also decided to really get into podcasting again. I dallied in it once before but did not make enough time to grow the podcast. Now I have decided to make sure I produce some spoken content weekly, even if just a small amount.

Here is my first episode:

Or you can find it here:

JamieAdStories Podcast – on Apple Podcasts

Final Thoughts

I appreciate your thoughts on my current projects and would love some followers for my brand new podcast. Thank you for being supportive and keeping up to date with my content.