Categories
Books

What I Read in May 2021

Happy Juneteenth!

In May 2021, I read 1 nonfiction book, 1 anthology (science fiction), 1 cozy mystery, and historical/paranormal mystery. Check it out… Hopefully, my June post won’t be so late. The videos below explain more.

2021 Reading Challenge

2021 Reading Challenge
Toi has
read 0 books toward
her goal of
50 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 my thorough book reviews (and sometimes TV and movie stuff) 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, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

5.0 – An Excellent Resource.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

4.0 – I wanted more.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

4.0 – A collection worth reading. 

 

No review. |  Amazon

4.0 – Can’t wait for the next one.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

You can watch my update video here. Click below to watch my review video.

So, did you read any good books in May?

What did you think of the ones I read?

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

What I Read in April 2021

In April 2021, I read 2 graphic novels, 1 picture book, 1 nonfiction book, 1 suspense short, 1 horror novella, 1 literary fiction novel, and 1 ARC I won’t be able to talk about just yet. Check it out.

2021 Reading Challenge

2021 Reading Challenge
Toi has
read 0 books toward
her goal of
50 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 my thorough book reviews (and sometimes TV and movie stuff) 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, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

4.0 – Visually and culturally stunning.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

5.0 – I wish more how-to books were like this!

 

Goodreads | Amazon

3.0 – Poetic homage to the joy of reading.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

5.0 – The curse ends here! A bittersweet series end.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

4.0 – Beast Boy has cool friends.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

4.0 – I feel like this is only the beginning (6 books in)!

 

Goodreads | Amazon

2.0 – Didn’t like it. Read my review at your own risk.

 

Goodreads | Amazon

 

So, did you read any good books in April?

What did you think of the ones I read?

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
Excerpts Fun Hops

FREEDOM MORNING #WEPFF Challenge featuring Good Freedom Dream #amwriting #poetry

Above Photo by Viajero from Pexels


Updated May 10, 2021

Thank you W.E.P. for this honor. I’m glad my words made an impact, whether good or bad. It’s nice to know that I was able to write something that in turn made others feel something. I have learned so much from this community.

 

For anyone wanting to see the Winner’s announcement post and see the other winners of the wonderful challenge, please click here. All recognition is well deserved.


[Original post from here on.]
I’ve been working on a sweet and inspiring story about a group of activists planning several protest marches, ranging from DACA to AAPI to Black Lives Matter and more, while sipping coffee at a diner. I haven’t been able to finish this story for weeks and have decided to put it aside to revisit later. After hearing the verdict of the Derek Chauvin case, I decided to write something else, something inspired by the heat of the moment, and something that I haven’t fully processed or thought through, but something I’m still going to share anyway.

 

Good Freedom Dream

Good morning, “they” say.

What’s so good about it?

It’s just another morning for me to wait.

To wait for the freedom that didn’t come in 1865.

Another day for a freed black person to be addressed as “boy” or “girl”.

 

Good day, “they” say.

What’s so good about it?

It’s just another day for me to wait.

To wait for the freedom that was taken by Jim Crow.

Another day for a freed black person to be killed for walking on the wrong side of the street.

 

Good afternoon, “they” say.

What’s so good about it?

It’s just another afternoon for me to wait.

To wait for the freedom that didn’t come with the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Another day for a freed black person to be paid less for their work and time while someone else appropriates and profits from it.

 

Good evening, “they” say.

What’s so good about it?

It’s just another evening for me to wait.

To wait for the freedom that won’t come while Black Panthers are call terrorists but the KKK is not.

Another day for a freed black person to face the ugly truth of a lying and unapologetic nation.

 

Goodbye, “they” say.

What’s so good about it?

It’s just another passing for me to wait.

To wait for the freedom that didn’t come with the acquittal of George Zimmerman.

Another day for a freed black person to be criminalized just for being black.

 

Good Freedom Morning, I hear my people say.

What’s so good about it?

It’s another morning of no more waiting.

No more waiting for the dream of freedom promised for more than 200 years.

No more waiting… but it’s only a dream, a dream we’re one small step closer to.

 

NCCO- 287 words- Good Freedom Dream 2021 Copyright © Toinette J. Thomas

 

I’m glad George Floyd got the justice he deserves but this isn’t the end. Nothing has been solved. Black people are still being seen as a violent threat just for being black. Someone WILL surely come along and say, “See, we held that one guy accountable.”, “Aren’t we done talking about this yet?” or “Just wait, you’ll get your police reform eventually,” because that’s the story of U.S. black people. We get a sliver of freedom or justice and then we wait…


Updated 4/25- I’m limiting my response to “Thank you for your words.” on any comments to this post as an acknowledgment and appreciation to those who took the time to comment. Reading the comments of this post is turning out to be too emotional for me at the moment.

Please visit other entries in this hop and enjoy some funny, scary, touching, and thought-provoking stories. You’ll be so glad you did.

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