Tag: blog hop

Categories
Movies

3 clues to guess my August ‘16 movie: A Mock Squid Soup Teaser #cinephiles #film #review

movieclueWhen left to my own devices, I will usually over think things or make them harder than they need to be. So for this month, I’m actually reviewing two movies- an original and a remake.

Clue #1– Both leading ladies are British actresses with a dancing background; one black, one white.

Clue #2– Both leading men are known for their looks, though the original actor has more acclaim.

Clue #3– The original blockbuster movie released 1963; the box office bomb remake released 2002.

Do you think you know what my movie is? Am I making this way too hard?

I can’t wait to see everyone else’s clues. I hope I guess some right. I’m so looking forward to the actual reviews that will be posted next week.

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. 14- What’s your favorite beach?

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: “What’s your favorite beach?”

This is a question that’s hard for me to answer for three main reasons.

1. I live in a beach town (Virginia Beach & Chesapeake Bay) and therefore don’t have the great admiration for it that someone might have, not being a beach dweller. Don’t get me wrong, I like the beach, but when it’s just down the road, it doesn’t see so exotic. Then there are the tourist that also affect my appreciation of the beach.

2. I’ve never seen a beach off the eastern shore of the U.S. I don’t really have anything to compare my cold, cloudy water experiences too just yet. I’m going on a cruise later this year and will finally get to see some mid Atlantic (closer to tropical) waters.

3. There is no sand at pools and depending on my mood, that can be a deal breaker.

beachWith all this considered, a Spring Break in Myrtle Beach was one of my most relaxing beach experiences. I was delighted by an artificial indoor beach in Atlantic City. After a day of touring casinos and the boardwalk, we headed inside to escape strong winds and looked out over the water in the safety of department stores and food vendors. I guess I’m still waiting for a beach experience that makes me fall in love with it. For now, I like the beach and appreciate that it’s something to do on a nice day when there’s nothing else to do.

Please visit the other participants in this hop and even join in if you’d like. I can’t wait to see what other beaches people like or don’t 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

Categories
Books FlashbackFriday

#FlashbackFriday: #Fantasy #Book Review: Night Circus


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, October 12, 2012.

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I give this story a solid 5.

LoveIt

This is the story of an unconventional game played to the death, only the participants don’t really understand that they are just pawns in a rivalry that has gone on far too long. It is the Night Circus that is their playing field and the weapon of choice is magic, though there won’t be any waving of wands or chanting of spells here. In many ways, that aren’t so oblivious, mystery and intrigue are the catalysts to changes in the player’s favor whether they are actively playing or not.

When posting my typical To the Point review of the audio book I said, “Think Cirque du Soleil meets Harry Potter with youthful imagination and mature sophistication. Listening to this story is like hearing a secret that no one else can handle, except you.”

Maybe I was being a bit deep, but that’s how the story made me feel. This is not a story for children, but only because I don’t think they’d get most of it. Teens with a fever for magic would probably eat this up, but still, the story is mature. I like that the story is for and about adults, but it’s clear the that Erin was definitely in touch with her inner child when she imagined this quirky Circus and all the people in it.

The story is filled with youthful imagination and has a mature appeal, but most of all, it has that ‘love conquers all’ or that ‘good triumphs over evil’ feel to it. The best thing about the story to me is the fact that the reader never really gets to pick sides in the game. Every time you think you’re going to pick one player over the other, something happens and the story takes you in a whole new direction. Like every story that inspired and shaped my imagination as a child, Night Circus left me wanting to leave the world of reality and take a trip through the lines of the story. I can just see myself now staring into the white flames of the bonfire just as the festivities are about to begin. I wish there was more of it to read.

Get a copy of this Kindle book here.

Get a print copy with free international shipping 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