Tag: collection

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Book Club Books IWSG

#IWSG Dec. 2022- #HappyHolidays & What I #read in Nov.

IWSG

Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.

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Optional Monthly Question: It’s holiday time! Are the holidays a time to catch up or fall behind on writer goals?

My answer to this question is, it depends. I think it changes from year to year. This year I’m playing catch up but that has mostly to do with the fact that I took a month off from blogging, social media, and socializing (outside of family), and even reduced my reading and writing. After a few recent traumas, I needed some time to process.

As far as goals go, I’m using this time to get a head start on my goals for next year. My first order of business was to get rid of the newsletter I’ve been struggling with for years. I’m done. I know every author should have a newsletter, but to what end? It hasn’t benefited me personally or been a creative outlet for me. I still wholeheartedly believe that authors should have a way of reaching their followers and fans, which is why I’ve decided to focus all my effort, moving forward, into maintaining this blog, my Youtube channel, and my Patreon community.

I’m even encouraging people to follow me on Patreon for FREE and receive my monthly updates- Oh, wait, that kind of sounds like a newsletter… That’s because it’s a free email subscription just like a newsletter would be. So that’s where I am. I won’t be heartbroken if people refuse to follow me on Patreon but I’m also not going to keep struggling to make something work just because everyone says I should.

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IWSG BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS

#iwsgbookclub

Member Spotlight

Little Ragdoll: A Bildungsroman |Amazon | Bookshop.org

Craft Book

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers… | Amazon  | Bookshop.org 

In November 2022, I only managed to start and finish one book and I’m okay with that. 

2022 Reading Challenge

2022 Reading Challenge
Toi has
read 2 books toward
her goal of
60 books.
hide

 Below you’ll find my star ratings and review tags for each title I completed in the indicated month. You can also click the Goodreads links to see the thorough reviews. Below the book image(s), you’ll also be able to watch a video of my monthly reviews, if that’s more your style.

 

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Front cover of a digital book entitled, Fist Love: The Art of Making Doughuts. The title is listed at the top in a variety of red, white, and pink letters. A the bottom the following text is featured, "An Insecure Writer's Support Group Anthology." In the center of the image is a take-out of cup of coffee and doughnut with an icing drizzle and a small amount of red jelling coming out the side.
5.0 – Fun and sweet

Review

Amazon

Bookshop

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I didn’t do a separate Goodreads Challenge video this month. Click below to watch my November book review video, if that’s more your speed.

Now, on to the personal updates.

I took a month off and feel much better for it. My Thanksgiving was not as restful as I would have liked, so I’m hoping a Christmas will be more laid back.

I got some really cool new glasses and would love for you to watch my unboxing video.

I’ve been feeling disconnected from the writing community for a while now. I attend events when I can and that helps, but I wish I had the time to do more. I’m blessed to live in an area that has a very active writing and bookish community, but I’m usually working during the times events are being held. I’ve been thinking of trying to host a Zoom social (with or without appearing on camera) for writers to simply connect, no pressure to produce anything but maybe have some fun with writing prompts, or just talk about our insecurities. I’d love to know if any of you’d be interested in something like that. (Wonder if the IWSG will ever have a video group?)

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Are you catching up this season or taking it easy?
Did you read any good books in November?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog. My response time has gotten slower but I’m still making my rounds.

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Joylene Nowell Butler,
Chemist Ken,
Natalie Aguirre,
Nancy Gideon, and
Cathrina Constantine!

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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #30).

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 #blacklivesmatter

Categories
Books

Review: Linger

Linger and Other Short Stories by Glynis Rankin

I give this book a 3.

 

I am not a fan of short stories in general, though they are growing on me, and I’m not a fan of intense, emotional, realistic dramas (I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi), but I enjoyed this book, if enjoyed is the right term. This book, this collection of stories, is more of an experience that you either appreciate or not. There are moments that I enjoyed, but overall this book is a reaction seeker. It’s not really something you enjoy, but something you experience and react to.

Many aspects of this collection made me very uncomfortable, but if it didn’t I’d wonder about the kind of person I am. I know myself very well and understand that I intentionally stay away from certain topics, but that doesn’t mean I’m afraid to address those issues head on. I’ve recommended this book to many people because it is powerful. I’m sure there are others who’ll receive it even better than I have, but for now, I’m glad to have had the experience and am ready to return to my world of fantasy.  😉

I do not recommend this book to children, and only recommend it to teens under strict parental supervision. This is an intense adult read worth experiencing.

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
Books

Review: Grimm’s Fairy Stories

Grimm’s Fairy Stories by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

I give this book a 4.

 

This is one of those cases where you’ve heard of something for so long that you think you’ve already experienced it, but then you realize that you haven’t so you give it a try and it’s not what you expected…Does that make sense?

Everyone is familiar with some aspect of the Grim Fairly Tales, but how many of us have actually read any of the original stories. A fan a fairy tales for as long as I can remember, I decided it was time for me to right a great wrong I had committed against myself. I had never read any of the Grim stories until recently and I was shocked, amazed, weirded out, and a little disappointed.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved these stories, they were awesome, but they were not what I think of as fairy tales. I have been so brainwashed by mainstream modern thinking that I almost wouldn’t allow myself to enjoy these stories for what they truly are, brilliant.

I think the main two reasons I didn’t give this book a five is: 1. that I would never actually read these to any child under the age of 10. If a nine-year-old happened to pick these up and love them, good for them, but I’m not planting crazy dreams into the minds of any kids anytime soon…oh and fables these are not; not many good lessons to be learned here. 2. Some of the stories seemed to overlap or repeat. I know that in this day and age, everyone borrows ideas from everyone else, but I figured back then, these guys should have been able to come up with a collection of stories that didn’t all sound the same…but of course, I’m exaggerating. Most of the stories were quite original, but the little bit of repetition there was, drove me crazy.

I must give the brothers Grim and whoever influenced them, some French guy I can think of, a clap of praise for inspiring and influencing storytellers for centuries beyond their time. I might, just for fun, one day write my own versions of these wonderful stories. I mean, they are now permanently stained onto my brain, I might as well do something with them…Truthfully, I’d recommend this to anyone ten or over, but a mature adult mind may appreciate them better.

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