Tag: reviews

Categories
Interviews

Friday Forecast : 05/02/14- Yes I still do these! :)

forecast

Highlighting interviewees, guest posters, my standard weekly posts, and whatever else I can think of, going into the next week.

So the past few weeks have been a jumble. I’ve been just barely getting by and throwing up posts as best I can and that’s not like me at all. Slowly but surely, I’m getting back on track.

So, here what’s happening next week:

Sample Sunday

My Top 5

Character Files

Insecure Writers Support Group post and WWW Wednesday

Tea and Conversation

Friday Forecast possibly followed by an author interview with Jodie Sampson

Weekly Recap and possibly another Adventures in Blogging Post

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Today will be a day of playing catch up. See what I’ve been too distracted to show you that I’ve been up to.

Writers Alive – youtube/radio interview (not your standard Q&A), worth a listen

My Week at the Writer’s Revolution

Preview |Interview Part 1 | Guest Post (There is a continuation.) | Interview Part 2

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the return of my Author Insights (Did I mention something about a continuation?)

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: Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

I give this book a 5.

 

This is a really good book that still has me a little confused a month after listening to the audio presentation of it. I can’t image how Hollywood was able to pull this story off, but maybe one day I’ll bring myself to the point of watching the movie.

I’m not going to make any attempts to sound super profound here: I like this book because it was magical in a completely magic-free way. Themes that come to mind in this story of stories are: reincarnation, propaganda, racism, the power of knowledge and or education, and so much more…and of course there is a sense of love, but not really romance.  There is sex, violence, music, art, philosophy, and more all cosmically mingling from one story to another in this odd anthology.

I’ve probably already confused a few people, but that’s ok because I’m still a little confused myself. I mean, I get it. I understand what I heard and how it all works together, but just don’t know if I get the meaning of it all. What I do get is a warning about the human condition and the many great and scary things we are capable of. When advancements in technology, communication, and politics come together it’s powerful, but that’s only one part of it. Time and change is a variable humanity has no control over and it seems to be the ultimate mastermind of fate.

I seriously do not have the words to describe exactly what it is about this story I loved, I just know I was intrigued and compelled to complete it from the very start. I’m a lover a well told stories and this book tells amazing stories and in a very creative way. This book makes you think about things you never knew you neglected, at least I did. I can clearly see that this book would be too intense for a great majority of my friends, which is why most of them have seen the movie, and based on their responses to that, it’s a good thing they stayed away from the book.

In any case, I think this is a great adult read. Something to get your mind going to places you never thought to go. The pace fluctuates, the themes and stories can be confusing, but reaching the end is totally worth it.

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 Guest Posts

Review: The Reader of Acheron

The Reader of Acheron Review

By Jaq D. Hawkins

Amazon

Traditional Fantasy as it should be. The story begins with a wizard’s apprentice learning his letters, but the mood soon turns dark as the reader is brought into a world where reading is forbidden and a collusion of renegade magicians is formed.

What I loved about this story is that it drew me in right away, instantly transported into a fantasy world where the parameters were clear even as I learned each detail of the world as I went along. This is a mark of well-written Fantasy fiction. It has all the testosterone-laced marks of the sword & sorcery genre; mercenaries, a runaway slave, renegades who hide their ability to recognise letters and that sort of mock-medieval feeling to the imaginary world.

I noted that it held my interest more than a better-known classic fantasy novel (big 6 published) that I’ve been reading at the same time. There is hope, we do have a new generation of Fantasy writers who can tell a story that is both intriguing and full of action. We just have to sift through the self-published slush pile to find these gems. I will be keeping an eye on Walter Rhein.

Rhein can write a good battle scene. Just enough description to make the movie play in your head. The book finishes on a note that leaves the door open for the inevitable sequel, but with an interesting world established, I may well have to read it. I can see this series developing as it goes along and look forward to reading more from this author.

This review has been posted to Amazon US and Amazon UK.

****

image provided by author

If you enjoyed this review, why not check out more from Jaq D. Hawkins? See what she likes to read and learn about her own writing. Go ahead and click the images provided to add these books to your Amazon wish lists or purchase.

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