Happy New Year, Valkyries! With 2020 firmly behind us, we shift our focus to what lies ahead in this story-starved world. Though you can’t see it yet, Bookish Valhalla is evolving. Behind the scenes, a friend of ours–KJ– has been re-designing the website, giving it the unique look it (and all of you) deserve.
When I approached her in the summer of 2020, I stressed one goal: I wanted Bookish Valhalla to be a place of true engagement, one where readers can be honest about their experiences with stories. To do this, I wanted to bring the blog back to why we love to read. What is it about a story that captures our attention? How does it evoke such emotions from us? Why do we read stories the way we do, which is so different from how our closes companions read them? What important lessons do stories impart, if they contain lessons at all? I guess you could say I miss exploring the relationship between stories and readers. In 2021, we’re getting back to those roots, digging in. Gods, I hope we’re ready for this. Are you?
Vague peek at things to come: A Valkyrie VIP Club, Reader Appreciation, Giveaways, A Super Secret Place You Have to FIND Full of Fun Things. Talks Of Things That Might Piss A Few Bookish Peeps Off. Indie, baby. Free sh*t.
I don’t want to elaborate too much because I want you all to explore the site on your own–make it a little adventure into this strange and unknown Bookish Valhalla. However, I do want to highlight two new discussion sections you’re likely to stumble across, which are our boldest attempts yet at having truly open and honest discussions about stories: The Folklore Files and Forbidden Fruit.
We attempted to launch The Folklore Files in 2019, but we found the scope of it (to focus on writers researching and re-imagining the lore behind their stories) just didn’t work for the blog. It was about the creators when, deep down, we wanted to dig into the stories more. So this year, The Folklore Files is being revamped to be exclusively about the hunt for modern meaning in old stories. This doesn’t necessarily mean classics, though. When we say “old stories”, we mean mythology, legends, and folklore. We mean to explore creation stories, superstitions, ghostly accounts–all in the hopes to find some kernel of meaning hidden there. What will these stories reveal about the people who lived then? What can it tell us about ourselves now? And why, after all these years, are those stories still with us, still important and embedded in the back of our minds? Let’s explore this, shall we?
The second discussion category is Forbidden Fruit, and as the name suggests, we aim to talk about all the hush-hush, taboo, or generally frowned on perspectives connected to reading. We believe it’s important to have thoughtful and honest discussions, even if those talks are unpopular, go against the grain, or make us uncomfortable.
Bookish Valhalla is a place for READERS. While we do interview authors or participate in blog tours, this realm is ultimately for you. These discussion categories are for you. This is where unpopular opinions are respected, where raw and transparent experiences with stories are embraced and examined.
It’s where the unkempt path is OKAY to wander. Come right in. Get a little lost. Question everything. Don’t hesitate to wonder, dream, and dare to share.
Welcome to Bookish Valhalla.
Thanks For Sharing Such beautiful information with us