Tag: various authors

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

Post author By Toi Thomas
Post date February 10, 2022
2 Comments on #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.

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

Toi has
read 2 books toward
her goal of
60 books.

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2 of 60 (3%)

view books

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.

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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

Book Club

#iwsgbookclub Sept. 2021 Micro Discussions

Post author By Toi Thomas
Post date September 23, 2021
5 Comments on #iwsgbookclub Sept. 2021 Micro Discussions

Please join the IWSG Book Club today on Goodreads for two short discussions about the two books we featured in the month of September, there’s still another week left in this month so there’s no rush. We are hosting 3 short questions for each book we featured and encourage you to share your reviews and or thoughts. Discussions will remain open indefinitely, so stop by anytime, even if you haven’t read the book(s). Scroll down for a small surprise.

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.

Parallels: Felix Was Here, an IWSG Anthology. Please click the image below to join the short discussion.

Find it on Amazon.

Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime an IWSG Anthology. Please click the image below to join the short discussion.

Find it on Amazon.

Because I was able to acquire some special questions from the winning author of the Tick Tock contest Gwen Gardner (A Stitch in Crime), I have a few more questions to share here for anyone interested (She provided the questions and my (Toi) answers are in italics). Comment below with your answers and please be sure to visit the group discussions if you have a chance.

Thank you Gwen Gardner for the following questions:

A Stitch in Crime is a cozy mystery and has a happy, feel-good, ending. Given the chaotic state of the world, do you prefer this gentler approach, or do you prefer a harsher, more twisty or ambiguous ending?

I enjoyed the feel-good ending to this story. There is a place and time for something harsher, which we get later in the anthology, but I thought it was refreshing to start the collection off this way.

A Stitch in Crime is character-driven, featuring Indigo Eady, the ghost-whispering sleuth, and her sidekick, Franny Bishop, the ghost of a former madam of some repute. Do you prefer stories that are character-driven, or do you read for plot/mystery first?

I do enjoy a good mystery. I’ve read countless stories where I didn’t care about the characters but enjoy the plot. In this case, I feel the characters are what really make the story work.

A Stitch in Crime is one of the few paranormal stories in the anthology. Do you prefer a ghostie or two to “liven” things up? Or do you prefer more realistic stories?

I feel I’m right down the middle when it comes to this question. While speculative genres are my usual read, when it comes to mystery, I don’t need the additional supernatural elements- not that I’m complaining. I may not need them, but I do enjoy them when they show up in a good mystery.

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

Tags #IWSG, #iwsgbookclub, alternate reality, book club, community, crime, encouragement, Goodreads, Gwen Gardner, insecure writers support group, IWSG anthology, member spotlight, mystery, parallel dimensions, Parallels: Felix Was Here, poll, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, Toi Thomas, various authors

Book Club

#iwsgbookclub Sept. 2021 Check-in

Post author By Toi Thomas
Post date September 16, 2021
3 Comments on #iwsgbookclub Sept. 2021 Check-in

It’s time for a monthly check-in. We, at the IWSG Book Club, invite you to share your thoughts and or progress on our current member spotlight books via the social media platform(s) of your choice. I’ll be sharing my thoughts below and encourage you to share here if you’re not up for heading to social media.

Of the two featured books, I picked this one up first. However, shortly after, I also picked up the other title. Since I’m a little book crazy, I’m always reading 3-4 books at once and this month is no different. Since I’m also reading another mystery-type book, I put this one down after the first story, which I enjoyed, to focus on the other anthology. Now that I’ve finished Parallels (still working my way through that other mystery book), I can pick Tick Tock back up and discover the other stories within.

I’m saving my review for the end of the month, but I have finished this book. Just finished it yesterday and I really enjoyed it. The diversity of these stories is incredible. Fiction has a way of making you appreciate reality when you start thinking about alternative worlds. I’m really looking forward to what people have to say during the group discussion later 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.

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

Tags #IWSG, #iwsgbookclub, book club, check-in, community, encouragement, Goodreads, insecure writers support group, IWSG anthology, member spotlight, Parallels: Felix Was Here, social media, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, Toi Thomas, various authors

2022 Reading Challenge

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