Categories
Books

The Cephalopod Coffeehouse #Review: Monstress 1 #fantasy #graphicnovel

The idea is simple: on the last Friday of each month, post about the best book you’ve finished over the past month while visiting other bloggers doing the same. In this way, we’ll all have the opportunity to share our thoughts with other enthusiastic readers. Please join us below.

“I’m late, I’m late. Late for a very important date.” (or something like that.) ~The White Rabbit

So, all month-long I’ve been reminding myself not to miss this post, and sure enough, that’s exactly what I did. Oh well, I tried. I’ve been doing a self-assigned graphic novel read-a-thon this month and I’m down to wire trying to squeeze in as many books as I can before nightfall on Wednesday. Of course, this would also be the month that my creative juices would start to flow, but I just don’t have enough time in the day. In any case, I’ll tell you what has been my favorite read so far, but I don’t have a full review for you yet. So sorry for that….

Below I’ve listed its stats, blurb, and my overall rating; however, I will say that the artwork in this book is so beautiful that even if the story wasn’t that great, I probably would have given it a 4.5 stars with an asterisk.

Title: Montress, Vol. 1: Awakening
Series: Montress #1
Author: Marjorie M. Liu & others
Artist: Sana Takeda
Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Pages: 192
Reading Level: Teen-Adult
Content: R (strong language, violence, brutality, crime, war, adult and mature situations, brief partial nudity, oppression)

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steampunk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both.

Collects MONSTRESS #1-6

I give this book a 5.

Please stop by and see what others have read. 😀

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
Movies

Zootopia #TheToiBoxOfWords #film #review

moviereview
So, in case you don’t know, I’m going it alone with my monthly movie reviews from now on. This is my first solo effort. It’s mostly the same review I’ve been doing with some minor changes. I’d love for you to leave comments or responses to any of the questions I pose. Thanks for sticking with me through this transition.

If anyone is interested in my experience of watching Zootopia, click here to see my notes.

This review will consist of me asking myself 10 questions and answering them to the best of my ability.

Wikipedia
Wikipedia

1. What is this film about?

In an animated world where mammals are the peoples of the world, mammals have evolved. Predators and Prey live together in harmony, mostly. At the center of this utopia is the great metropolis of Zootopia. It’s a city, a jungle, tundra, and more where a bunny has a chance to live out her dream of becoming a police officer. When the country bunny hits the big city, she quickly learns that Zootopia isn’t the Mecca she hoped it would be; plus, there’s a mystery to be solved to which no one believes a bunny can do.

It took me a while to realize that there were no reptile, bird, or other talking animal characters. At least I don’t think so.

2. What did I think of the title, poster, and or trailer?

I’m really disappointed that I missed this in the theater. It just wasn’t in the cards for me. I remember thinking the movie looked cute; plus, I love animals and figured that there was probably some great social lesson to be learned in the end. But if I’m being totally honest, the main reason I wanted to see this was because of the Sloth clip.

3. What did I think of the main character(s) and how the actors performed them?

I thought the voices fit the characters well. I especially thought Bateman, Idris, and Slate fit their characters perfectly. I know there must be a lot that goes into making a voice come alive and match up with an animated image, but for me, it’s hard to judge whether or not they really performed well. I either like the match or I don’t.

4. What did I think of the direction and cinematography?

Again, when it comes to animated movies, I don’t know how much cinematography makes a difference, but in terms of direction, I get it. Someone has to decide if the voices sound right and match up, someone has to make sure what’s going on the background applies but doesn’t detract, etc… I’d say Byron Howard and Rich Moore did a great job conveying so much emotion in such a lighthearted setting.

5. What did I think of the soundtrack and score?

I enjoyed the soundtrack and score. They seem to go together well; songs coming in at the right moments that were built up by the score. I liked the use of popular music and the original song performed by Shakira.

6. What did I like about the story as a whole?

I thought the best part of the story were there not-so-hidden social messages that overflowed in this story. I could see small children missing some of them, but any adult who didn’t pick up on these messages were in denial. Themes of racism, bullying, discrimination, stereotypes, and more filled this story and I truly appreciate that.

7. What did I not like about the story?

Even though I saw it coming, I didn’t like who the villain ended up being. I understand that it was all a part of teaching the lesson that we humans still haven’t learned. Oppression will eventually make some people angry and desperate in dangerous ways. We have to stop keeping people down.

Without giving too much away, I wish the movie had addressed some ways in which the Zootopia community was going to keep other “underdogs” from doing crazy stuff like the  villain did.

8. Would I recommend this movie to others and what would I rate this movie?

Yes, I would totally recommend this film. Even if viewers don’t get the social messages, it’s very entertaining. I did actually LOL a few times.

On a scale of 1 to 5 movie reels, I give this film 5 reels.

MLoveIt

9. Is there anything I would have changed or done differently?

I think I would have tried to include the entire animal kingdom, but who knows; there may be a very good reason Disney didn’t go there with this story.

10. Was there anything in this movie that could be related to me or anything I have written?

I have not yet attempted a tale with talking animals as the main characters, but I’d love to give it a try. In any case, I do often slip in some sort of social message in my writing; sometimes I do it without even realising I’m doing it.

Watch, rent, or buy this movie here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
Book-Fiction Virtual Book Tours

A Dewdrop Away by @c_a_allen Virtual Book Tour Interview by #thetoiboxofwords via @RABTBookTours #fantasy


Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors and welcome to The ToiBox of Words. I’m your host Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse, and today I’m sharing a special interview with author, C.A. Allen, about her fiction book entitled, A Dewdrop Away. Enjoy!

Amazon.com

Where did the idea for A Dewdrop Away come from?

I can’t remember the where or when of it, really. The world just popped into my head one day, and I built it up until I just had to write about it.

How did the title of this book come about?

The title of this book is based on one of the last things the main character Rupert’s mother says to him before she dies at the beginning of the novel- that though everyone is different in the divided world in which they live, their souls are “only a dewdrop away” meaning they’re essentially similar in the ways that really matter.

What genre is this book and why did you choose to make it so?

Fantasy. It’s really all I write (apart from poetry) and at the time I had the idea for this book, it was all I read as well (I’ve since branched out with reading, but fantasy is my first and best love).

What would you say is the overall message or the theme of this book?

I don’t really write with a message or theme in mind- I’m much more story and character-driven as an author. But I would have to say the core of the book goes back to the title and to the fact that it’s when we focus only on our differences instead of what we have in common- even if it’s just the experience of being a living creature- that we grow truly, hopelessly divided and lost. Also, think for yourself and give your intuition more credit than it usually gets- it’s often right (so much so that in Dewdrop, it’s considered a form of magic).

Tell me about the experience of writing this book; how long did it take.

From conception to finished, edited book this took me about ten years- though there were a LOT of breaks in there.

Where and when is this story taking place?

A Dewdrop Away takes place in the fictional, squirrel-run land of Arborand, in which there are six major territories: Oakwood, Pinewood, Firwood, Maplewood, Ashwood and Beechwood. Arborand is surrounded on all sides by water and it is unknown what other lands- or creatures-  lie across the water, if any.

Who is your favorite character in this book?

I really like Rupert, I’ve put him through a lot and he’s been an amazing sport about it. Kyan was amazingly fun to write. I also love Perris the chipmunk, he’s a really genuinely good soul and someone I would like to know in real life. His interactions with Theo were some of my favorite parts to write, in turns touching and funny.

As you can see, I can never pick just one.

Are there elements of your personality or life experiences in this book?

There are probably elements of my personality scattered about through all of my characters.

What is one thing from this book you wish was real or could happen to you?

I sometimes wish that magical artifacts like the golden chestnut actually existed, though it might cause a lot of trouble- being immortal would be an experience. Also, running around in trees without breaking my neck sounds like a good time.

What is something you wish wasn’t real and hope doesn’t happen to you?

I am really glad mind-control doesn’t operate on the same level in real life as it does in this book.

Do you have any special plans for this book in the near or far future?

Not at the moment. I would love if this book were someday made into an animation of some sort, that would be baller on so many levels, but right now there’s nothing to report. I’ve already written a prequel trilogy to Dewdrop, consisting of the books Flight, Fall and Overworld, all available on Amazon as well. No further books in the land of Arborand are currently planned, but that could change.

~

Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. To obtain your copy of A Dewdrop Away, please visit the link provided.

Amazon.com

This has been a

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords