Category: Books

Reviews and ratings of books Toi has read for pleasure.

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Books

#Review : Code Name Verity #YA #spy #book

Goodreads

Title:  Code Name Verity

Series: Code Name Verity #1

Author: Elizabeth Wein

Genre: Historical Fiction (WWII)

Pages: 441

Reading Level: YA

Content: PG-13 (war action and violence, intense emotion, mature themes)

This book was part of a new audio promotion, so I received it free from the distributor. I had no idea what it was about and was thoroughly pleased with what I discovered.

The story is about two female friends trying to make a place for themselves in a world dominated by men during WWII. Maddie is a pilot and the other girl has too many names for me to stick with just one, so we’ll call her Verity. Most of the story is told from Verity’s perspective as she writes to save, or at least prolong, her life once captured by the enemy. I want to say more, but I don’t want to give too much away. I’ve read a lot of books, and watched even more movies; this book, with all its twists and turns, caught me off guard and totally surprised me.

Not to give the wrong impression about this book, but it almost made me cry and not because the two main characters are female. This story feels so real that the sense of loss, which multiple characters experience throughout the story, feels all too real. To be a prisoner of war and have the choice of standing strong and die or give in and live one more day isn’t as easy as you might hope, but Verity is tougher than you ever imagine she’ll be at the beginning. In the end, though, it’s Maddie you’ll feel for the most.

Anyone, even men, who appreciate gritty stories of WWII will appreciate this book, but I think it’ll also be a crowd pleaser with women’s groups and historical clubs. I don’t know if it was written for adults, but I don’t think it really matters. These characters are so young, as are many who go off to fight wars. I would totally recommend this to my teenage nieces and nephews. After all the flying, fighting, lying, and surviving there is a strong gut-wrenching message about true friendship which should appeal to anyone.

I give this book a 5.

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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: Amazon

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

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Books FlashbackFriday

#FlashbackFriday: #Fantasy #Book Review: Breath of Air


Brought to you by, Michael G D’Agostino at A Life Examined, this is a time of the month (the last Friday) where you can republish an old post of yours that maybe didn’t get enough attention, you’re really proud of, or you think is still relevant, etc. I’ve chosen to share old book and movie reviews because those are always relevant.

Originally posted Friday, September 21, 2012.

Breath of Air (The Dryad Quartet), By Katie Jennings

I give this story a solid 4. Almost everything you could want in a story.

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This is the story of an orphan named Capri who discovers that her suppressed dreams are actually memories and that she does actually have a family. You’d think that finding out something like that would be enough to carry a decent story, but Breath of Air takes this heartwarming tale for a good old fashion thrill ride. This wild, funny, and sometimes scary journey opens Capri up to a world of mystical and mythological beings and helps her cope with the idea that she may just be one of them.

Not my usual read, but so worth my time. I’m used to more intensity and less romance, but this wasn’t too much or too little of anything. I’m still wondering what happened to the fairies. Were they real or did I overlook something?

The whole story was delivered in a laid-back Sunday afternoon kind of approach, but that doesn’t mean it was slow or boring in any way. It was beautifully descriptive, but very simplistic making for an easy and enjoyable read. It took me a while to warm up to Capri, but I think it’s because I’m more like the character of Blythe. Once I realized just how important Capri was to the whole dynamic of the relationships around her, I fell in love with her. She’s just the kind of person I’d love to have as a friend.

There were several prince charming types, a charismatic one and a brooding loner one, readily available for rescues and romance, but it was the plethora of diverse and dominant female characters that stole the show, so to speak. Always a fan of mythology, I loved seeing how the characters and story plot would play out in this world of Euphorea.

Get a copy of this book here.

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

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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