Categories
Books

The Cephalopod Coffeehouse #Review: The Dirty Parts of the Bible #fiction #book

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.

Well, I guess it’s a good thing the New Year is fast approaching- I’m gonna need a fresh start. This is my first time posting with this hop and I’ve fallen short. I didn’t finish the book I was planning to review, so for today, I’m sharing another fairly recent read that I failed to review until recently. Next month, I’ll do better.

Title:  The Dirty Parts of the Bible
Author: Sam Torode
Genre: General Fiction
Pages: 278
Reading Level: Adult
Content: PG-13 (adult content and situations, language, sexuality)

I’ll tell you right now, the title sounds much more controversial than this book really is, but it definitely leaves you questioning some things upon reading it. What the title doesn’t imply is just how funny the story is.

Tobias is almost helpless as he sets out into the world for the first time, on a journey to find a treasure that will save his family. I know it sounds like a Grecian epic, but in its own way, it is. Tobias has been so sheltered by his strict Baptist upbringing, that the aid of a hobo name Craw is the only thing that keeps him from going astray. Together Tobias and Craw conquer Tobia’s greatest fears and help him discover who he is meant to be, all the while discovering who his father once was. And let’s face it, when I boy sees his father for the man he really is, he’s a boy no more.

This story is funny and quirky. Yes, it does have a few taboo moments for Tobias to learn from, but for the most part, it’s an honest portrayal of what happens when people stop thinking for themselves and shelter their children to the point where they can’t relate to the world. So many aspects of this story hit home to me, and while I’m sure many people will derive different meanings from this tale, for me it was reaffirming.

I guess this modern tale of adventure would be good for anyone 13 and older, considering the world we live in, but I’d check with the parents first before recommending it. I see this going over well with young men trying to find their place in the world and any adult looking for a good laugh.

I give this book a 4.

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This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Also, I completed my reading challenge this year. Check out what I read this year at Goodreads.com.

If you’re interested in sampling some new-to-you reads, check out my #BooktagBlogHop category.

Please stop by and see what others have read and Merry Christmas to all. 😀

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

John Carter #Review – Mock Squid Soup No.15 #cinephiles #film #sci-fi

Wikipedia

Let’s recap my clues from last week:

Clue #1– It’s a 2012 Disney live-action, sci-fi release with a PG-13 rating. The title also has a handful of aliases.
Clue #2– Written and Directed by the same guy, known for his work with Disney animated features.
Clue #3– Most viewers either loved it or hated it, but it definitely tanked when compared to its production budget.

So what do you think, was I too vague or was my movie just too obscure? I think I had most people stumped, but for the Ninja Captain, Alex, this was easy.

If anyone is interested in my experience of watching John Carter, 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.

1. What is this film about?

This is a space opera with a time travel feel. There are so many elements at play with this story that you may not catch them all in one viewing. In any case, John Carter is a Civil War vet, I think, running from his past and pledging allegiance to no one. In pursuit of a treasure, John defeats an attacker and ends up on Mars somehow. Yes, there are green men, but also white men, and white apes… don’t recall seeing too many black people, but I’m used to that. Anyway, a reverse Krypton-like affect aids John in his quest to return to earth, which somehow throws him into the path of yet another civil war and the destiny of 2 princesses (one is never recognized, but I picked up on it)

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

I remember thinking the trailer was very confusing the first time around and after going back and watching it again, I realize that it was extremely misleading and heavily edited. The trailer is probably why I never saw it in the theater, that and the fact that so many didn’t like it at the time of its release.

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

I thought the actors did a fine job. There were no standout performances, but no stinkers either. I liked the aboriginal-like Mars characters with all their faults and flaws. John was a good character to slowly warm up to.

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

Considering the time and how many were still not doing such a fine job, I thought the effects and CGI were well-blended in with the live action. The lighting was good, not too dark in the dark scenes; that’s always an issue for me.

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

I slept on this one. Sorry. I’ll make a point to pay more attention next time.

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

I liked how the Mars John paralleled the Earth John without him realizing it. I also like the connection between ships that sail on water and ones that sail on light. There were many small or subtle details that made this film enjoyable, even some of the not so in-your-face themes such as: oppression, prejudice, and science vs magic.

7. What did I not like about the story?

There are a few cheesy moments and some logistics I didn’t quite get, but I can’t complain too much. This movie didn’t blow my mind, but it was still pretty cool.

8. Would I recommend this movie to others?

Yes, and I will.

9. If yes, who? What would I rate this movie?

I’m sure there are others who stayed away from this film for reasons similar to mine. I’m going to share this with all my friends, even the ones who don’t like sci-fi. Maybe this will become a cult classic if it’s not already.

On a scale of 1 to 5 movie reels, I give this film 4 reels.

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

Not yet really, but it’s perfectly in line with a new fantasy I’m working on. I like the world building of this story and am inspired to continue working on aspects of my story that have kept me stumped for a while.

Watch, rent, or buy this movie here.

Mock Squid Soup – Film Society

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MOCK! and The Armchair Squid are proud to introduce Mock Squid Soup: A Film Society. Each month, on the second Friday, we shall host a bloghop devoted to movie reviews. We invite others to participate and post their reviews…Don’t be shy; come join the fun! 😀

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
Question of the Month

#Question of the Month: a #bloghop to think about. No. 7- Which one social convention would you get rid of?

A little while ago, Michael D’Agostino, of A Life Examined, brought up the idea of a new blog hop called Question of the Month. He thinks blog readers would like to know a little more about us, the bloggers. So we’re all gathering to show you guys who we are by taking part in the Question of the Month blog hop. On the first Monday of each month, we answer the question that gets posted here.

This month’s question is: “Which one social convention would you get rid of?”

It’s been awhile since I’ve given much thought to annoying social conventions. In some ways, the world has changed for the better in that regard. There was once a time I worried about what to wear to church, but so many churches (not all, but many) have truly embraced the “come as you are” mentality that no one is expected to show up in their “Sunday’s Best” unless they want to or it’s a special occasion that calls for it.

While I think it’s silly for me to “dress up” every day for a job that will literally require me to get down on the floor with children, I do actually like to dress up from time to time. I just don’t like being told I need to. How I dress doesn’t really affect my ability to do my job unless I happen to be wearing a skirt that’s too short to bend over in. If that’s the case, I probably shouldn’t be wearing that at all.

I wonder if hand shaking counts as a social convention. I don’t have a problem with it, but I’ve noticed that people don’t really do it much anymore with introductions unless the setting is formal. Maybe it’s a germ thing or maybe our culture is simply changing. Maybe a man’s handshake isn’t as important as it once was or perhaps it has become so important that people don’t want to squander that moment on casual insignificant intros.

Hugging is where I have a problem. I like to hug people I’m comfortable with, but just because I’m related to someone doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with them. I’m tired of social conventions that state you have to act like you love everyone you’re related to, even when you’ve only just met them. Blood or not, if I don’t know you, I don’t want to hug you.

And why am I expected to give a graduation gift to a cousin’s kid I’ve never met? …

There is one social convention that I’ll keep as long as it’s needed. Business gifts are always uncomfortable to some degree. You know, those gifts you give or get from the people you work with. Just accept the gift, smile, and decide what to do with it later. When you spend as much time with someone as you spend with your co-workers it just seems wrong to not offer some kind of gift for socially accepted holidays, even if it’s just a card. If we’re really honest with ourselves, whether we like it or not, some of us spend more time with our co-workers than we do our families. It would be a bit cold-hearted not to acknowledge them on a significant or mutual day of celebration.

It’s the last month of the BooktagsBlogHop trial period and I hope you’ll consider joining in. It’s a great way to sample a book and get an opinion on it without scouring its list of reviews. Please check it out. BooktagsBlogHop

Also, please visit the other participants in this hop and even join in if you’d like.

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