Categories
Books

Review: The Trustee in the Toolroom

 

The Trustee in the Toolroom by Nevil Shute

I give this book a 4 (and a half, if I did halves).

 

I really enjoyed this story when it wasn’t making me angry (more on this later), but then I just have anger issues to begin with. This is a really simple and sweet clever story about a man who’s willing to go to great lengths to keep his word- and what’s not to like about that.

The story of Keith Stewart describes the rare instance of a man finding true peace and contentment in his life, career, and relationships. For Keith, the whole world revolves around his workshop and the work he does there writing for a magazine, but he’s no hermit. The one thing he finds that’s more important to him than his work is his word and his love for his family. When Keith finds himself the new guardian of his young niece and the trustee to her would be inheritance, he makes it his life’s purpose to secure a fine future for his new charge, despite not having the means to do so (here’s where I get angry).

As wonderful and miraculous as this story is, Keith’s adventure never would have taken place if someone living comfortably above his station had simply acknowledge and compensated him for what he was truly worth…that’s all I’ll say about that.

The story is told with almost manual precision, but the author’s style and flare with words keeps you pulled into the story. It’s not a fast pace action packed chronicle of a great adventure, but it is indeed a great adventure. Keith literally goes on a journey around the world trying to retrieve a modern-day treasure. He ends up traveling by bus, train, plane, boat, ship, and even helicopter while encountering a great number of interesting characters along the way. To help Keith along on his journey is his forever honest and cheery disposition, his masterful mind, and his unexpected fame.  This is a different kind of underdog story where there is no real favorite, just one man with a purpose fighting against a plethora of obstacles. The reader has no choice but to root for Keith all the way home.

This was a wonderful book to listen to, perfect for my drive home. There is a lot of technical engineer talk that may or may not be interesting to readers (or listeners), but I don’t feel it took away from the overall story. Though I can’t imagine a child or teenager having the temperament for this kind of book, I’d recommend it to anyone else.

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

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
Holiday

Happy Independence Day U.S.A. ’14

I hope everyone is spending time with loved ones and enjoying the freedoms of the country, even the ones you don’t like. Remember how this country got to where it is now, good and bad, and think about where it can go. Outside of that, don’t worry about politics today, just have fun and be happy.

Here’s a look at my patriotic pinboard, Land of the…

Click the image to view my pinboard on Pinterest.

As for the rest of the world, I sincerely hope you are having a wonderful day wherever you are :).

This is an updated and reposted post.

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
Promotion Videos

Major #discount on indie short story collection, Unexplained! July 3-7, ’14.

Unexplained

At a regular price of $2.99, Unexplained will be irresistible at a special discounted rate.

From July 3rd through July 5th, own your copy of Unexplained for only $0.99.

If life gets in your way, don’t let it get you down too much. You’ll still be able to save on this purchase from July 6th though the end of the day on July 7th for only $1.99.

About The Book

Looking through a window can be like looking into the past. The images can’t always be explained. In this collection of short stories, the reader will have an opportunity to discover mystery, magic, romance, and even terror in everyday things. This collection includes the award winning title “In the Window” (paranormal), as well as “Encounter” (romance), “Our Place” (general fiction), and “What She Lost” (psychological thriller).

This book is a collection of short stories written by up-and-coming author, Toi Thomas. These are stories from Toi’s early days of pursuing writing and brushing up on her writing talent. Some of these stories are derived from tales she’d spun back in high school, while others are derived from more recent short story contests she has found online. When or wherever the inspiration came from, Unexplained will be a delightful little read you won’t soon forget.

Please enjoy this excerpt.

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