Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

SOOOOOO, I can’t believe that 2020 is already half over! This year has simultaneously flown by while also lasting forever. I’ve read a lot of books so I had some trouble choosing these books, but I hope you enjoy my Mid Year Book Freak Out post!

You can click any of the photos of the books below and be linked to the GoodReads page for the book!

WHAT IS THE BEST BOOK THAT YOU HAVE READ SO FAR IN 2020?

These were some of my favorites. This list is non-exhaustive, as I have soooo many good reads this year. I can’t just pick one. I’m sure many can relate to that feeling!

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE SEQUEL OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR?

I love a good story with gray morality and none of the characters here are objectively -good.- They all think they are good and doing the right thing and they all do bad things for their own reasons. I highly recommend this series if you haven’t read it already. You can read my thoughts on this sequel here. (There are spoilers for the first book in the series, Vicious, so if you have not read that one, I would recommend staying away from my review until you have read the first one)

IS THERE A NEW RELEASE THAT YOU HAVEN’T READ YET, BUT YOU’RE REALLY EXCITED TO?

This book came out in March, and I’ve been putting it off for whatever reason. This is a book about the Bone Crier’s who ferry the souls of the dead. It follows Ailesse, who is prepared to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers. To become a Bone Crier, she must first kill the boy who she is destined to love. It also follows Bastien, who is looking to capture a Bone Crier and have vengeance for the death of his father, killed by a B.C years earlier. I’m really looking forward to this one and will probably read it in October or the Fall season 🙂

WHAT IS YOUR MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR?

Coming out August 11th

Coming out October 6th

Coming out August 4th

Coming out September 29th

Coming out November 17th

Coming out October 13th

I could not just choose one here. There are so many amazing books that are being released in the second half of 2020, and I couldn’t even include them all here. These are some of the ones I’m most excited for though! If you one more info, click the photos for the GoodReads page! (It will open in a new tab.)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT SO FAR?

I was really disappointed with these. I didn’t review Soulless, but it was disappointing and overall boring. As far as The Deep goes, I was just disappointed with the ending and the way that the paranormal aspects were handled. I had a bunch of ideas of what this was going to be and all of those were better than this book. Like I said, I was disappointed. It just wasn’t for me. If you want to read my review, click here.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SURPRISE SO FAR?

When I was told that this world had a very soft magic system I was ready to be disappointed. When there is a soft magic system I am generally disappointed because I definitely like structure and rules, especially when it come to magic. While this world had a magic system that was soft and fluid and I feel like the author definitely took some liberties, I genuinely enjoyed this world. The writing was beautiful and the fairy tale elements were some of my favorites.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NEW TO YOU OR DEBUT AUTHOR?

This was such a good and beautiful book. This is not Lori M. Lee’s first book, but it was my first book that I read by her. I loved it so much and definitely plan to read more from her and any future books that she puts out. I really can’t wait for the next book in this series!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FICTIONAL CRUSH FROM THIS YEAR?

Sirscha Ashwyn from Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee. I’ve included a link to the artist who drew the art included above. Their name is Dimary on Deviantart. This particular piece of art can be found here.

WHO IS YOUR NEW FAVORITE CHARACTER?

What can I say, I’m a girl of simple tastes. Again, the artist is Dimary on Deviantart and can be found here, or by clicking on the beautiful art above. Oh, also read Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee.

A BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY?

Okay, so this nonfiction book about the death of democracy did not make me CRY necessarily, but it made me VERY sad. I read through this and saw the parallels between the US state of politics and the state of politics of many countries before us and the similarities were chilling. While this book is a little out of date (and things have gotten WORSE since it has been written) I would still recommend this. It was incredibly eye opening and informative.

A BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY?

I recognize that Sarah J Maas has some problematic aspects. I’ll say that first and foremost. That being said, I’m SJM trash. I really liked this book. It was typical SJM writing and love interest, but I really liked this romance. The last 200 pages were so fast-paced and the ending made me so incredibly happy. When I finished this book, I NEEDED the sequel. I’ll be honest, I still do.

YOUR FAVORITE BOOK TO MOVIE/TV SHOW THAT YOU’VE SEEN SO FAR?

I’ll be honest, I haven’t been watching a lot of book to movie/tv shows lately. For one, movie theaters are closed due to COVID and two, I haven’t really kept up to date with the releases for TV shows. I know for a fact that I’ll watch Shadow and Bone when it comes out later this year though!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE POST THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN SO FAR THIS YEAR?

This is a tough one! I’ve been so meh about writing and only really started to actively write posts recently. I’d say some of my favorites are:

How to Be A Better Ally: Books on How to Be AntiRacist
Books Set on the Ocean
Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020
Forest of Souls Book Tour

WHAT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK THAT YOU HAVE BOUGHT?

There are SOOO many beautiful books out there. I again…. can’t choose just one. These are some of the books that I have bought this year. There are going to be so many more that come out in the coming months, so keep an eye on my Instagram: cosmiclattesandbooks for more pics of some of the beautiful books that I acquire in the rest of 2020.

WHAT ARE 6 BOOKS THAT YOU WANT TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR?

There are just a few of the books that I have been meaning to read this year, but haven’t gotten to quite yet. I’m really excited for all of these and will hopefully get to them. Have you read any of them? What did you think?

Anyway, that’s it for me. That is my Mid Year Book Freakout post for 2020. I have read a lot of good books, some bad ones, but many great ones! I hope to read many more awesome books with the time left in 2020? What about you? Link your MYBFO posts in the comments below or tell me some of your favorite books!
Have a wonderful day, stay safe, healthy, and as always, keep reading,

~Cam

July TBR

I cannot believe that the year 2020 is half over! This year has simultaneously lasted forever while also going by way too quickly. I have a lot more time on my hands now that I’m only in one class, so I have a lot of plans for reading. About half of these are ARCS or review copies that I was given by the author in exchange for an honest review. I’m really looking forward to reading all of these books this month. What are you planning on reading this month?

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms- N.K. Jemisin
A People’s History of the United States- Howard Zinn
The Eternity of Masks and Shadows- Karsten Knight
Spring Girls- Karen Katchur
The House of Styx- Derek Künsken
Voice of War- Zack Argyle
The Hollow Gods- A.J. Vrana

Foundryside- Robert Jackson Bennett

The Angel’s Game- Carlos Ruiz Zafón
A Curse of Ash and Embers- Jo Spurrier
Shp of Magic- Robin Hobb
Upon a Burning Throne- Ashok K. Banker

What are you planning on reading in July? Are you staying safe and healthy? I hope that you and your loved ones are safe.

I’m going to include the bit that I posted in my wrap up last month here with links included:

As crazy as the world has been, I hope that everyone knows how much their lives matter. With that being said, all lives will not matter until black lives matter. I was incredibly saddened by the murder of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor that occurred over the last month or so. If you haven’t please sign the petitions here:

Petition for George Floyd
Petition for Breonna Taylor
Petition for Tony McDade
Petition for Ahmuad Arbery
Petition to Stop the use of rubber bullets (Graphic Content Warning for the image associated with this petition.)
Defund the Police Petition
Life Sentence for Police Brutality
Hands Up Act
More Petitions

Find ways to speak up about senseless violence, racism and police brutality in your communities, and in your social networks. Don’t let this pass us by with nothing changing. This has gone on for long enough. I hope for the safety of all the protesters and activists who are on the front lines. Use your voices to make a change. If you can, there are ways that you can help monetarily, but obviously this is not something that everyone can do, but if you are able, I have included links to many different organizations and the GoFundMe for the families of three of the victims below. (I couldn’t find one for Tony McDade).

GoFundMe for George’s Family || GoFundMe for Breonna (and Legal Representation) || GoFundMe for Ahmaud || Minnesota Freedom Fund (Helps pay for bail for those who cannot afford it) || ACLU || The Bail Project || To The Protestors || Black Owned Businesses || Organizations || To the Victims || Other Ways to Help

Want to donate, but can’t afford to? Watch the video linked here. Watch the ads, as the ad revenue will be donated to Black Lives Matter, and many other charities who are helping Black people and helping protesters.

Like I said, not everyone can donate, and not everyone is in a position to protest, especially given the fact we are in the middle of a pandemic, but please know that there are many things you can do to help. I am using my platform here to talk about it. If you can do nothing else, talk about it, and vote for politicians who abhor police brutality and violence. Stand up against racism when you see it. Don’t let this be something that continues past out generation. That being said:

Have a wonderful day, stay safe and healthy,

~Cam

June Wrap-up

June has been….busy to say the least. I finished a class that was keeping me crazy busy, so I had a lot of time to read at the end of the month! I’ll have so much more time to read in July and I’m excited for some of the books that I have in mind for July! 🙂

I started The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms at the very end of the month, so I do not have a rating or review for it quite yet, but I’m pretty sure that it’s going to be a 5 star book. All of the other books that have reviews are linked below. You can click the links provided to read them if you want more of my thoughts!

Between The World and Me- Ta-Nehisi Coates

Rating: 5 out of 5.
Inkheart- Cornelia Funke
Read my review here!

Rating: 3 out of 5.
White Fragility- Robin DiAngelo

Rating: 5 out of 5.
In the Woods- Tana French
Read my review here!

Rating: 3 out of 5.
White Rage- Carol Anderson, Ph.D

Rating: 5 out of 5.
Guild of Tokens- Jon Auerbach
See my Book Tour Stop post here!

Rating: 5 out of 5.
A People’s History of the United States- Howard Zinn

Currently reading this!

Dragonfly Maid- D.D. Croix
Review to come!

Rating: 3 out of 5.
Paragon- Shauna Alderson
Look at my book tour post here!

Rating: 4 out of 5.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms- N.K. Jemisin
Review to come!
Forest of Souls- Lori M. Lee
Check out my review here!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

What have you been reading this month? Are you staying safe and healthy? I hope that you and your loved ones are safe.

I’m going to include the bit that I posted in my wrap up last month here with links included:

As crazy as the world has been, I hope that everyone knows how much their lives matter. With that being said, all lives will not matter until black lives matter. I was incredibly saddened by the murder of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor that occurred over the last month or so. If you haven’t please sign the petitions here:

Petition for George Floyd
Petition for Breonna Taylor
Petition for Tony McDade
Petition for Ahmuad Arbery
Petition to Stop the use of rubber bullets (Graphic Content Warning for the image associated with this petition.)
Defund the Police Petition
Life Sentence for Police Brutality
Hands Up Act
More Petitions

Find ways to speak up about senseless violence, racism and police brutality in your communities, and in your social networks. Don’t let this pass us by with nothing changing. This has gone on for long enough. I hope for the safety of all the protesters and activists who are on the front lines. Use your voices to make a change. If you can, there are ways that you can help monetarily, but obviously this is not something that everyone can do, but if you are able, I have included links to many different organizations and the GoFundMe for the families of three of the victims below. (I couldn’t find one for Tony McDade).

GoFundMe for George’s Family || GoFundMe for Breonna (and Legal Representation) || GoFundMe for Ahmaud || Minnesota Freedom Fund (Helps pay for bail for those who cannot afford it) || ACLU || The Bail Project || To The Protestors || Black Owned Businesses || Organizations || To the Victims || Other Ways to Help

Want to donate, but can’t afford to? Watch the video linked here. Watch the ads, as the ad revenue will be donated to Black Lives Matter, and many other charities who are helping Black people and helping protesters.

Like I said, not everyone can donate, and not everyone is in a position to protest, especially given the fact we are in the middle of a pandemic, but please know that there are many things you can do to help. I am using my platform here to talk about it. If you can do nothing else, talk about it, and vote for politicians who abhor police brutality and violence. Stand up against racism when you see it. Don’t let this be something that continues past out generation. That being said:

Have a wonderful day, stay safe and healthy,

~Cam

Top Ten Tuesday: Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl

This a very short list of some of the releases I’m excited for in the second half of 2020! This post is coming a little early, but here it is, nonetheless! These are in the order of release!


How is everyone doing? I’m doing pretty okay! I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, but hopefully these new releases will really get me hyped up for reading more in the second half of 2020!

What are you excited for that is releasing in the next six months?

1. Cinderella is dead- Kalynn Bayron

Coming out July 7th, 2020

2. Girl, Serpent, Thorn- Melissa Bashardoust

Coming out July 7th, 2020

3. the Dark Tide- Alicia Jasinska

Coming out August 4th, 2020

4. Star Daugther- Shveta Thakrar

Coming out August 11th, 2020

5. Blood and honey- Shelby Mahurin

Coming out September 1st, 2020

6. To sleep in a sea of stars- Christopher Paolini

Coming out September 15th, 2020

7. A Deadly Education- Naomi Novik

Coming out September 29th, 2020

8. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue- V.E. Schwab

Coming out October 6th, 2020

9. Black Sun- Rebecca Roanhorse

Coming out October 13th, 2020

10. rhythm of war- Brandon Sanderson

Coming out November 17th, 2020

What are you excited for that is being released in 2020?

Have a wonderful day, and as always keep reading!
~Cam

Book Tour: Forest of Souls- Lori M. Lee

Rating: 5 out of 5.
  • Author: Lori M. Lee
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Publisher: Page Street Kids
  • Page Count: 400
  • Date Started: June 21st
  • Date Finished: June 25th
  • Spoilers? No

A Brief Description

Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

Danger lurks within the roots of Forest of Souls, an epic, unrelenting tale of destiny and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Susan Dennard.

Find it: Goodreads || Amazon || Kindle || Audible || B&N || iBooks|| Kobo|| TBD || Bookshop.org

MY REVIEW

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the FOREST OF SOULS by Lori M. Lee Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post below and make sure to enter the giveaway!

This was a book that was on my raider way before it was released. I remember being drawn to the beautiful cover and when I read the synopsis, I knew I was going to need to read it as soon as possible.

When I saw that Rockstar Book Tours accepted me to have a tour stop on the tour for FOS I got SUPER excited. I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this and I started reading it right away, and this book did not disappoint.

I loved this book from the beginning to the end. The pacing on it was phenomenal. There were the valleys of world building and set up along with the high peaks of action at all the right times. Speaking of, the action scenes in this book were AMAZING. They flowed just right and were awesome to read and imagine.

The world of Thiy was so well constructed, and felt real. I felt like I was reading about a real place. There was a lot of show and not much tell here. The Dead Wood, which gives me major Uprooted by Naomi Novik vibes, was spooky! It was certainly a new and different idea that was perfect executed. Every single kingdom and city had their own traditions, customs and beliefs that made them feel all the more real and fleshed out. Like I said, I felt like I was reading a story that took place somewhere real.

The characters were AMAZING. They all felt multidimensional, each with their own voices and personalities. They felt fleshed out, and real. You can tell that the author put a TON of work into character backgrounds. The internal dialogue of our main character, Sirscha was wonderful to read from. The dialogue that occurs between characters is also funny. There were moments where I would laugh out loud because Sirscha made a sarcastic remark that put the other character in their place. The friendship between Sirscha and Saengo was so pure and wonderful.

Next, the plot was great. Like I said before, the pacing here was great. There were a lot of unexpected turns but they came at the right time. The political intrigue was so cool and the motivations of the antagonists were not anticlimactic in any way and the villain felt like a real villain, not a caricature. I would HIGHLY recommend reading this book if you love fantasy, tales of friendship and standing for what is right. You can buy it at the links included above at your chosen retailer.

Oh, and the ending? How could the author do this to me? It was explosive and I cannot wait for the next entry to the series. I highly recommend it. Go read it now if you can!

Thank you Lori M. Lee, Page Street Publishing and Rockstar Book Tour for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book! If you want to support local bookstores use the bookshop.org link

Thanks for reading my review! Check out more info about the author of this amazing book, Lori M. Lee below, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

PS: Check out the other tour stops too! Give some fellow book bloggers some love!

~Cam

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lori M. Lee is the author of FOREST OF SOULS, first in the Shamanborn duology, as well as GATES OF THREAD AND STONE and THE INFINITE. She’s also a contributor to the anthologies A THOUSAND BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS and COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES. She considers herself a unicorn aficionado, enjoys marathoning TV shows, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family.

Sign Up for Lori’s Newsletter!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr | Goodreads

Giveaway!

Link to Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21112/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/22/2020BookHounds yaExcerpt
6/22/2020A Dream Within A DreamExcerpt
6/23/2020Confessions of a YA ReaderExcerpt
6/23/2020Lifestyle Of MeReview
6/24/2020Kait Plus BooksExcerpt
6/24/2020Discover ElysianReview
6/25/2020Sifa Elizabeth ReadsReview
6/25/2020History from a Woman’s PerspectiveReview
6/26/2020The Layaway DragonReview
6/26/2020cosmiclattesandbooksReview

Week Two:

6/29/2020Locks, Hooks and BooksReview
6/29/2020Smada’s Book SmackReview
6/30/2020Wonder StruckReview
6/30/2020A Bookish DreamReview
7/1/2020Bookwyrming ThoughtsReview
7/1/2020The Book DutchessesReview
7/2/2020Descendant of Poseidon ReadsReview
7/2/2020Careful_of_booksReview
7/3/2020Rajiv’s ReviewsReview
7/3/2020The Try EverythingReview

~Cam

Book Tour: Paragon- Shauna Alderson

Rating: 4 out of 5.
  • Author: Shauna Alderson
  • Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Sci-fi
  • Publisher: Zimbell House Publishing
  • Page Count: 396
  • Date Started: June 15th
  • Date Finished: June 20th

A Brief Description

Now that high school is over, Randi just wants to live her quiet life in her little town, but it doesn’t feel right without her friends there. Ever the daredevils, they’ve gone to seek adventure in the capital city of Grandin, and Randi can’t help but feel left behind.

Not to mention that she definitely can’t stop thinking about that kiss she and Eddy shared before he left.

When Randi discovers a mysterious mark on her skin that matches an illustration in A Handbook on Paragonhood, she’s thrown into a world of powerful gods and ancient magic that she thought only existed in the myths. She’ll have to step out of her comfort zone-and into the dangerous streets of Grandin-to find a way to protect herself and the people she loves.

Randi’s not the only one with a secret, and she finds herself questioning who she can trust. Randi will have to wrestle with what it means to be a Paragon and how far she’s willing to go to do what’s right.

With the fate of the world on the line, can she live up to being one of the chosen?

Find it: Goodreads || Amazon || Kindle || B&N || iBooks || Kobo || TBD || Bookshop.org

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PARAGON by Shauna Alderson Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post below and make sure to enter the giveaway!

MY REVIEW

I struggled to get into this at first, but once I got about 25% into it though, I was hooked and reading it was quick and easy. I started to like the characters more and the plot was getting increasingly interesting. The premise was also pretty interesting. We have a world where there are Paragons, powerful gods with ancient magic. They are believed to be mythical, but are still hunted by Hunters. Randi, our main character is one of these Paragons. She needs to step out of her comfort zone so that she can protect herself and those that she loves. She needs answers, and she struggles to find who she can trust.

You are given a lot of information about the mythology of Paragonhood at first, almost too much to know what to do with at first, but once you get used to that, the pace improves. I actually enjoyed reading about the myths, and in the end, all of the information that is given in the beginning makes sense and is important. I especially loved the sci-fi twist.I always love speculative fiction that implements twists that are rooted in sci-fi.

The trope of a teen who finds herself with magic, on a quest to save the world, is a rather common one. I feel like it was well executed in Paragon. The magic was something I had not seen before. There were elements of it (i.e. the dreamscape, totems, and the eighth power) that were new and intriguing. It definitely made the story more interesting to read.

The setting was also pretty interesting. Here we have a world where even speaking about the myths of Paragons could get you a visit from the Hunters. The world is dangerous and there are strange things happening in the nearby shrines. The world felt real and it felt like there were high stakes.

The characters were all fleshed out. They all had their own secrets that led to new twists and turns that were unexpected and fresh. The group of friends had such a strong bond and each had their own voices that all worked well together, without all sounding exactly the same. Some of them frustrated me, especially with some of the choices they made, but that did not hamper my enjoyment of the book. Randi was an interesting character to read a perspective from. You can see a lot of growth from her character. She goes from being very insecure and unsure of herself to knowing what she wants and how to get it. I really liked to see her grow through the course of the novel.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves magical worlds or quest stories. I would also recommend this to anyone who likes sci-fi twists or mythical tales of overcoming overwhelming adversity!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shauna Alderson is a Young Adult fantasy writer and author of PARAGON (Zimbell House, 2020). She began writing teen fantasy even before she was a teen. After she “grew up”, she completed creative writing courses (and a BA in Development Studies) at the University of Calgary. When not reading or writing, she can usually be found teaching ESL, composing on the piano, creating art, or volunteering abroad. She also enjoys dessert, Studio Ghibli films, and being the silliest person she knows. Connect with her on Twitter @AldersonShauna.

Photo by Laura Grace Photography

Website | Twitter | Instagram |  Goodreads | Amazon Author Page 

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Link to Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21108/

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/15/2020Lone Tree ReadsExcerpt
6/16/2020BookHounds ya Interview
6/16/2020JaimeRockstarBookToursInstagram Stop
6/17/2020A Dream Within A DreamExcerpt
6/18/2020Rajiv’s ReviewsReview
6/18/2020Rajiv’s ReviewsInstagram Stop
6/19/2020Lifestyle Of MeReview

Week Two:

6/22/2020The Try EverythingReview
6/22/2020jenifer_reads Instagram Stop
6/23/2020Two Chicks on BooksInterview
6/24/2020Locks, Hooks and BooksReview
6/25/2020cosmiclattesandbooksReview
6/25/2020cosmiclattesandbooksInstagram Stop
6/26/2020Book BustleReview
6/26/2020Book BustleInstagram Stop

I want to thank Rockstar Book Tours and Shauna Alderson for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

~Cam

Book Tour: Guild of Tokens-Jon Auerbach

Rating: 4 out of 5.
  • Author: Jon Auerbach
  • Genre: Urban Fantasy
  • Page Count: 410
  • Date Started: June 11th
  • Date Finished: June 15th

A Brief Description

SHE WANTS TO LEVEL UP HER HUMDRUM EXISTENCE. BUT HER NEXT QUEST COULD SPELL LIFE OR DEATH.
Jen Jacobs’s nights are spent traversing a strange city finding hidden objects, slaying dragons, and tangling with a host of fellow adventurers. And her days are spent counting down the seconds until she can return to the grind and continue racking up tokens and leveling up.

Except Jen isn’t playing a video game.

It’s all real and happening right in New York City.

After a particularly harrowing quest pairs her up with Beatrice Taylor, a no nonsense and ambitious mentor, Jen hopes she’s on the path to becoming a big time player. But as she dives deeper into the game’s hidden agenda, she realizes Beatrice has her sights set on the Guild, the centuries-old organization that runs the Questing game. And the quests Jen loves are about to put both of them in grave danger.

Will Jen survive the game before powerful forces cut her real life short?

Guild of Tokens is a thrilling new twist on conventional urban fantasy. If you like determined heroines, gritty cityscapes, and vampire-free adventures, then you’ll love Jon Auerbach’s roller coaster tale.

Book Links
Goodreads || Amazon ||Barnes and Noble|| IndieBound|| Book Depository ||

Audibooks
Audible||Apple Books || Google Play || Nook || Kobo

Note: I received this book from the author through Storytellers on Tour. I wanted to thank them for this opportunity! If you click the link below, you can see the full schedule.

Storytellers on Tour: Tour Schedule

MY REVIEW

This book had me interested from the start. The premise is interesting and something that I have never seen before. The idea is that Jen Jacobs gets an email to start doing quests in real life. She completes the quest and in return gets tokens. The quests range from easy and mundane, such as getting blueberries and popsicles and leaving them at a certain location, to difficult and seemingly impossible, such as stealing a certain kind of pocket watch. Think your average RPG game, but in real-life. Jen embarks on a journey into the unknown, a world of magic, Councils and Guilds that have been hiding in plain sight the whole time.

The world built in Guild of Tokens felt real and well built. It was a solid and realistic world with a believable magic system built in. The magic had stakes. There aren’t overpowered villains or heros here. Each use of the magic takes a toll on the user, which is something that I greatly appreciate when we are talking about a magic system.

The RPG elements were interesting to someone who loves to play video games. The fact that it features a female coder is cool too. As a woman in the tech field, I felt some of the issues that Jen faced in her workplace.

The characters felt very varied and so did their relationships. They were flawed as well as morally gray at times. All of the characters who are introduced here play a vital role in the plot and move the story forward in a cohesive and important way. Their interactions are organic and there aren’t any “cop-out” moments where a character is just used as a device to forward the plot, as each character is important in their own way. They are all fleshed out and are easy to connect with. Sometimes I felt bad for Jen as I felt like nothing was really working in her favor.

That being said, the middle felt like it could have used a little bit of tightening up, as the plot felt like it jumped around a little too much and I couldn’t catch the direction of it until later in the book. There were also some small typos and grammatical errors that the aforementioned tightening up could fix, but none of those detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

The end was very fast paced and interesting and I had to read the last 100 pages very quickly, as I needed to know exactly what happened in the end. I still have some questions about things that were not answered in this book, but I plan on reading the second book when it comes out later in 2020!

Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who loves Urban Fantasy or loves MMORPG games.

Again, my many thanks to the author, Jon Auerbach and Storytellers on Tour for providing me with a copy of Guild of Tokens in exchange for an honest review!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jon Auerbach’s love of fantasy began at the tender age of six, when his parents bought him the classic 1977 animated version of The Hobbit (the less said about the recent trilogy, the better). His passion for sci-fi developed from nights watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and from his dad’s old paperback copies of Foundation and I, Robot. Jon writes in both genres and hopes to pass on his stories to the next generation, including his kids, who have their own copy of The Hobbit that they lovingly call “the Bilbo book.”

Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || Goodreads

Win A Copy of Guild of Tokens!

Click here for a direct link!

This has been my stop on the Guild of Tokens Book Tour! Check out the schedule posted at the beginning of this post to check out more posts by other content creators on this tour!

~Cam

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Summer 2020 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl

This a very short list of some of the books I’m excited to read in Summer 2020 ! The majority of these are backlist titles that I’ve been meaning to get to, but there are some new releases in there as well. One of the books listed (number 9 to be exact) comes out in September, but here in Florida, that still counts as Summer.

1. FoundrySide- Robert Jackson BennetT

2. The Eye of the World- Robert Jordan

3. The Starless Sea- Erin Morgenstern

4. The weight of the stars- K. Ancrum

5. The Angel’s Game- Carlos Ruiz Zafón

6. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms – N.K. Jemisin

7. fOREST OF sOULS- lORI m. lEE

8. STAR DAUGHTER- sHEVETA tHAKRAR

9. TO SLEEP IN A SEA OF STARS- Christopher Paolini

10. THe city we became- N.K. Jemisin

What about you? What are you planning on reading in Summer 2020?

Have a wonderful day, and as always keep reading!
~Cam

Book Review: In the Woods

Rating: 3 out of 5.
  • Author: Tana French
  • Genre: Thriller/Suspense
  • Page Count: 429
  • Date Started: 6/4
  • Date Finished: 6/11
  • Spoilers?: Sort of. (Not the twists or anything, but some vague references to the end)

A Brief Description

As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.

Richly atmospheric and stunning in its complexity, In the Woods is utterly convincing and surprising to the end.

Goodreads || Amazon

“I am not good at noticing when I’m happy, except in retrospect.”

MY REVIEW

***Content Warnings: Rape, Sexual Assault, Talk of Abuse, Death of a Child***

I’m going to start by saying that I don’t normally read mystery thrillers. They’re not really for me usually. I usually find myself not really surprised by the twists. I find myself being let down. This one didn’t really do that. I rated this one 3 stars (which some would consider low, but for me it’s actually quite high. I rated this one 3 stars because the ending felt… abrupt.

Photo source x
mild spoiler in this paragraph. Skip ahead to next paragraph if you would like to keep yourself unspoiled

Don’t get me wrong, the mystery, or better, ONE, of the mysteries was solved. The one that I was more interested in was not. It was just… let go. I realize that this is a series that might be answered at some other point in the series, but I felt like I would have preferred it to be wrapped up in this book in the series.

Photo source x

That being said, the mystery of who killed Katy Devlin kept me invested. I wanted to know who killed her, and why. The ending was satisfying and the reveal of who killed her was also satisfying.

I did call it though. I remember writing in my notes that “I think it’s [redacted] and being proved right later on in the story, so I was in equal parts disappointed that I had solved it, but also happy that I was able to solve the mystery myself.

Adam, or Robert Ryan is the detective that is on this case, along with his partner Cassie Maddox. Twenty years before the case of Katy Devlin, Robert Ryan and two of his friends disappeared into the woods and were lost for a time. The search party only found Robert Ryan, clinging to a tree, with blood in his sneakers and no memory of what had occured. The other two children, Jamie and Peter, were never seen again.

Photo Source x

Robert Ryan was the worst protagonist I’ve read from in a long while. He was very frustrating and he was not a really good detective. He missed very obvious signs of who the killer was and proceeded to continue past them without following up. He inserted himself in an investigation that could have been linked to his previous disappearing and did not say anything to his superiors. He was just a frustrating perspective to read from. He was also a bit of an asshole.

I will say that there were moments where this book was incredibly sexist. Particularly to Cassie Maddox, the only female detective on the Dublin Murder Squad. I realize that this book was written in 2008-2009 and that it is a product of it’s time, but I feel like this is something that should be mentioned.

Like I mentioned above, I rated this 3 stars, which is still an “I liked it” on Goodreads. I plan on continuing the series at a later date.

Have you read this book? What did you think? What is your favorite mystery/thriller/suspense novel?

Stay happy, healthy and safe out there,

~Cam

How to Be a Better Ally: Books on How to Be an Anti-Racist

I haven’t read enough of these books. I will acknowledge that first and foremost, but I certainly plan to change that.

I plan to read all of these by the end of this year, as I think that it is important that I educate myself on exactly how the system props me up and leaves people of color disenfranchised. The system that lets white people profit off the backs of Black people has gone on for FAR too long. I highly recommend that my followers educate themselves in this regard. We can’t let this continue.

I have included a list of books that are written by Black authors (with the exception of two, which I will make a note of.) These also come recommended by Black content creators. At the end of this post I am also going to put a list of petitions to sign and places to donate.

All of this being said, nothing will replace listening to the experiences of Black people. Reading these books will certainly help, but this only serves as a way to educate yourself so you do not put the emotional burden of “How do I not be racist?” on Black people who already have enough to stress over. I will be including a list of Black Booktubers that you should be watching. I recommend watching them and getting further information by listening to their experiences.

Reading books isn’t going to change anything, acting will though. Educate yourself and then ACT. Don’t be silent. Silence is violence and makes your complicit.

Black Lives Matter. They have always mattered, they matter today, they will matter tomorrow and they will matter everyday after that. If you have a social media account, share information, share links to petitions and places to donate. Use your voice!

—Books I have Read—

Between the world and me- Ta-nehisi Coates

This book is a memoir of sorts that is written by the author, Ta-Nehisi Coates in the form of a letter to his son about what it means to grow up Black in America. This was a very emotional and enlightening read. Coates writes what it means to be a Black man, and how Black lives are taken for plunder in America. I highly recommend this book and think it should be required reading.

White Fragility- Robin diangelo

*The author of this book is white.*
The author Robin Diangelo writes about White Fragility which refers to the defensive moves that white make when challenged racially and exactly how we (as white people) can change that to confront our own internalized racism. It is an in-depth exploration written by an anti-racist scholar who uses her own experiences and gives herself no passes. She talks about how white fragility protects racial inequality and what we can do to engage constructively and learn how to truly be anti-racist.

—Books I PLAN to read—

How to be an antiracist- Ibram X. Kendi

This is a book where Ibram X. Kendi, a historian and professor at American University talks about how we can liberate new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. It imagines what an antiracist society would look like and how we can play an active role in building it. It combines ethics, history, law and science to bring a personal and engaging narrative. It brings an awareness for us to bring ourselves to the next step, which is contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society.

hood feminism- Mikki kendall

This is a book that talks about the problems that plague modern day feminism and how it ignores Black women and their needs. This is a collection of essays where Mikki Kendall draws on her own experiences to discuss how the modern day feminist movement has failed to address the needs of Black women, such as hunger, violence and hypersexualization. It comes with commentary on politics, pop culture and the stigma of mental health. I realize that the modern day feminist movement really focuses on the needs of white women and leaves women of color behind. I want to know how I can be intersectional with my feminism and think that this will be an important read.

stamped from the beginning- Ibram x. Kendi

This book argues that racist ideas are alive and well and has a long and lingering history. It goes through the history of anti-Black history in the United States. It follow the history from the beginning to today. Racist ideas and thinking did not arise from ignorance or hatred. They were created and popularized dude to an effort and discriminatory policies that rationalize the inequities in everything form wealth to health. I think this one is going to be especially enlightening. It also offers tools to expose racist ideas and what we can do to combat them.

White Rage- Carol Anderson, Ph.D.

This talks about the phenomenon that the white public has when African Americans make advances towards full participation in our democracy. It looks at the history of the US from the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, the Brown v Board of education, the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 respectively and how each was met with a reaction that was met with outrage and other ways to suppress Black people. Some examples would be Black Codes, Jim Crow, shutting down of schools and the war on Drugs. Anderson pulls back the veil on covered actions that have been hidden under the guise or protecting democracy.

The color of Law- Richard Rothstein

*The author of this book is white*
Richard Rothestein writes about the myth that American cities were racially divided by defacto segregation and instead shows that dejure segregation- laws and policy passed by governments, local, state and federal- are responsible for the discriminatory patterns that continue to today. It talks about the residential patterns that became deeply embedded in the 1920s with explicit racial zoning and how they continue to this day. It also shows how police and prosecutors have upheld these standards by supporting violent resistance to Black families in white neighborhoods.

Why i’m no longer talking to white people about race- Reni Eddo-Lodge

This is a book written by journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge and a discussion about the cacism and Britain and the Black history being erased. It explores issue about the political purpose of white dominance, whitewashed feminism and the inextricable link between class and race. This doesn’t focus on the history of the US, but shows that just because you don’t live in the US, it doesn’t mean that racism does not exist in your country.

the new jim crow- Michelle alexander

Michelle Alexander is a former litigator turned legal scholar who argues that we have not ended racial caste in the US, we have simply redesigned it. (In the US, Black people make up 13% of the population, yet they make up over 40% of the prison population. [source] [another source] This book show that by targeting Black men and decimating communities of color, the criminal justice system functions as a system of racial control, while formally adhering to the principle of color blindness. This challenges the civil rights community — and all of us– to place mass incarceration as a new movement for justice in the US.

As stated above, I’m going to include some places to donate and some petitions that you can sign if you have not already. (Take a look at the “More Petitions/ Ways to Help, as new petitions and places to donate are added periodically)

PETITIONS
Petition for George Floyd
Petition for Breonna Taylor
Petition for Tony McDade
Petition for Ahmuad Arbery
Petition to Stop the use of rubber bullets (Graphic Content Warning for the image associated with this petition.)
Defund the Police Petition
Life Sentence for Police Brutality
Hands Up Act
More Petitions

PLACES TO DONATE
GoFundMe for George’s Family || GoFundMe for Breonna (and Legal Representation) || GoFundMe for Ahmaud || Minnesota Freedom Fund (Helps pay for bail for those who cannot afford it) || ACLU || The Bail Project || To The Protestors || Black Owned Businesses || Organizations || To the Victims || Other Ways to Help

I’m also going to include some of the Black Booktubers that I have been watching, I highly recommend that you subscribe (and ENGAGE) with their content.

Myonna @ Myonna Reads
Bee @ Bee But Bookish
Noria @ Noria Reads
Naya @ NayaReadsandSmiles
Jesse @ Bowties & Books
Jasmine @ L’amour De Books
Cecilia @ That Disney Chik
Mina @ Mina Reads
Mika @ Mika Auguste
Shae @ Books with Shae
Shane @ Luxurious Blu

There are SOOOO many more books and content creators out there. If you have some others, please let me know! I’m always in the mood to follow new wonderful content creators and read more diversely.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, if you are white, please educate yourself. Listen and amplify the voices of Black people. And use YOUR voice to stand up for them.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.
Keep reading,

~Cam
#BlackLivesMatter