Categories
IWSG

#IWSG Oct. 2024- Ghost Stories?

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.

**This site has been experiencing outages. If you are able to see this post, thank you bunches for stopping by. I look forward to spending time with you this month.**

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Any amount I make goes towards my dream to host a book fair in Hampton Roads, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

Optional Monthly Question: Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What’s your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.

I’ve read many scary stories in my life, but most of them make me feel either sad or mad. There have been a few that stuck with me long after reading simply because of how scary they were.

When I was much younger, I didn’t think Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart was that scary, yet it stuck with me. The madness of the killer and the depiction of paranoia made me feel sorry for the guy. Still, I would have called the cops on him if someone else hadn’t (Wink Wink). It was later in my early twenties when the story took on a level of terror that I still can’t fully explain. It was then that I learned that ravens can actually mimic human voices and words, even to a greater degree than parrots if they are properly trained. Before I simply imagined the madman hearing the bird say “nevermore”, after learning that, I could envision the scene playing out, where the raven is talking to him from above the door. That’s what got me. To this day, it’s one of the scariest stories I re-read each year.

Update- After writing this post, I realized that I was mashing two stories together- The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart. I still think the talking raven is spooky but the beating heart from Tell-Tale is what really sticks with me. I always imagine the raven is a call back to the other story letting the reader know, “I know what you’ve been doing.”

On a slightly different note, there is one fairly recent scary book I’ve only read once. It’s so scary that I may never read it again, but if a sequel comes out, I will definitely pick it up. You can click the image to read my Goodreads review and I’ve also included a purchase link in case you are interested.

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And now, on to the personal updates…

I have plenty to say, but I’m not yet ready, so nothing to update at the moment.

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What are your favorite or worst ghost stories?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Nancy Gideon,
Jennifer Lane,
Jacqui Murray,
and Natalie Aguirre!

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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 #25).

Did you know you can join my community for FREE over at Patreon to receive a monthly update on the creative projects I’m working on? I tell you the truth, it’s better than a newsletter!

Thank you for making it this far down the virtual page. Kudos to you! I’d love to know what you thought of this post in the comments below. Stay safe and be blessed.

Categories
Book Club Books

#iwsgbookclub Oct. 2022 Poll & What I #read in Sept.

Please join the IWSG Book Club today on Goodreads for a short general poll. Aside from spotlighting two IWSG member books each month, we also want to engage in bookish whimsy and encourage others to have a healthy reading lifestyle. You don’t have to be reading or have read the 2 current featured books to be able to participate in this poll, so please, join in the festivities. Click the image below to see our fun poll. This month the topic is about audiobooks.

In Sept 2022, I read 4 titles, but only finished three. This month I will be focusing on lighter, silly, and fun reads.

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 blurbs for each title I completed in the indicated month. If you have not signed up for my newsletter, please consider doing so. That’s where I post an overview of what I’ve been reading, watching, and writing quarterly, as well as talk about my love of reading while offering tips for having a healthy reading lifestyle. You can also click the Goodreads links to see the thorough reviews. At the bottom of this post, you’ll also be able to watch a video of my monthly reviews, if that’s more your style.

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4-stars

Review

Unrated

Review

4-stars

Review

5-star

Review

So, did you read any good books in Sept. or did you try either of the IWSG Book Club Books?

What did you think of the ones I read? Any recommendations?

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
Book Club Books

#iwsgbookclub Feb. 2022 Poll & What I #read in Jan.

Please join the IWSG Book Club today on Goodreads for a short general poll. Aside from spotlighting two IWSG member books each month, we also want to engage in bookish whimsy and encourage others to have a healthy reading lifestyle. You don’t have to be reading or have read the 2 current featured books to be able to participate in this poll, so please, join in the festivities. Click the image below to see our fun poll. This month the topic is about subgenres and subplots.

Feb. ’22 General Poll

In January 2022, I read 5 books and am ahead in my Goodreads challenge, making my way through the Write With Fey challenge, and enjoying the IWSG book club reads. Check it out.

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 blurbs for each title I completed in the indicated month. If you have not signed up for my newsletter, please consider doing so. That’s where I post an overview of what I’ve been reading, watching, and writing quarterly, as well as talk about my love of reading while offering tips for having a healthy reading lifestyle. You can also click the Goodreads links to see the thorough reviews. At the bottom of this post, you’ll also be able to watch a video of my monthly reviews, if that’s more your style.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Any amount I make goes towards my dream to host a book fair in Hampton Roads (Coastal), VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

5.0 – Great end to this series.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

4.0 – Fun variety of monsters.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

3.0 – Unsettling, wanted more.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

4.0 – Funny, angry faeries.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

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5.0 – Excellent skill builder.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

You can watch my January Goodreads challenge update here. Click below to watch my January book review video, if that’s more your speed.

So, did you read any good books in Jan. or did you try either of the IWSG Book Club Books?

What did you think of the ones I read? Any recommendations?

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