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New Releases I’m Excited For in October

Just some books that I am SUPER excited for that release in October (at least most of them do) 🙂

A deadly Education-Naomi Novik

Release Date: September 29th

Now, TECHNICALLY, this didn’t release in October, but I received it in October. It’s a story about a magic school. In this school, if you fail your classes, you die. What more could I want in a spooky read?

The Invisible life of addie Larue- V.e. Schwab

Release Date: October 6th

A girl makes a deal with the devil to live forever. The Devil grants her her wish, but in exchange she will always be forgotten. Not a single soul will remember her name, until a boy does. This is by one of my favorite authors, V.E. Schwab, so I’m ready for this to break me.

Black Sun – Rebecca Roanhorse

Release Date: October 13th

This is a story of epic adventure that explores the decadence of pwoer and the struggle of individuals who are wismming against the confines of society, and their broken pasts. It is a holy day in the city of Tova. This is really hard to explain what exactly it’s about, but I’m currently reading this (Thanks NetGalley!) and all I can say is I can’t wait for you guys to get the chance to read this.

Plain bad heroines- Emily M. Danforth

Release Date: October 20th

A story within a story about sapphic love and a dark School for Girls is just what I need in this spooky season. Also, this cover is GORGEOUS. I just need this in my life already. Murder and intrigue and sapphic love is all you needed to say to rope me in.

Kingdom of the wicked- Kerri Maniscalco

Release Date: October 27th

Two twin witches, living among humans, trying to avoid notice and persecution. One night Vittoria misses dinner. Soon, Emilia, finds Vittoria, her twin sister’s body. Emilia seeks her sisters killer, seeking vengence at any cost. During this, she meets Wrath, one of the wicked-Hell princes. He claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked to find the murderer killing women on the island. This sounds like something that might be incredibly interesting to me.

What are some books that you are excited for that release in October? Im sure there are bunch that I missed in this list. I’d be interested in what you are excited for!

~Cam

April TBR

These are some of the books I’m planning to read in April! What are you planning on reading?

This is How You Lose the Time War- Amal El-Mothar and Max Gladstone

The Throne of the Five Winds- S.C. Emmett

These are just some of the books that I have planned to read in April! This is a little overly ambitious, especially since this is the end of the semester and I’ll have final exams coming up, but hopefully I’ll get them done! What are planning on reading in April?

~Cam

January TBR

Happy New Years! Here are some of the books that I am planning on reading in January of 2020! I think I have a pretty broad selection here, so my hope is that I can find some brand new loves.

There are a few books here that I’ve been meaning to read for a very very long time, so I know that those will be the priority, but I feel like I have a really good spread here for books I want to get through. I’m hopeful to find some new favorites this year. What are you reading first in 2020?

~Cam

December Wrap-up

Read my review here.

Read my review here.

Read my review here.

Read my review here.

Read my review here.

I read this recently, there will be a review upcoming shortly (most likely at the end of December, or start of January.

I only started reading this at the end of the month and did not get the chance to finish it. I will be posting a review for this in January!

A Last note

Wow! I cannot believe that December, and the year of 2019 is over! I got a lot of reading done, including some of my new favorites this month, and this year was a really productive reading year! I read 6 books in their entirety and started a 7th in the month of December, and I read 40 total books! I’m actually quite happy with that number, but I plan to read much more next year. Look out for “bookish and not so bookish” goals post soon! I hope that everyone else had an extremely productive reading month, and year and I hope that next year is even better. What are some of the books that you read in December? Which one was your favorite ? What about your least favorite? What about the books that you read in 2019? The same questions about favorite and least favorite apply. I will also be posting a “Favorites of the Year” that should be posted later today. I’ve had a tough time finding the time to write and post things in a timely manner with the holidays etc.

I’m hoping to change that in 2020, but time will tell. Anyways, that’s it for me! Happy New Year, from me to you! ❤

~Cam

Tropes I Dislike

I’ve posted on my blog previous about tropes I love so I figured it was time to talk about some of the ones I dislike. I should add a disclaimer here and say that just because I dislike these does not mean that you can’t love them. I just want to be clear that these are tropes that *I* don’t like to read. If you have any recommendations for books that might change my mind, please recommend them! ❤

The Love Triangle

I realize that this is a very popular, I just don’t enjoy the drama of it. I want to read a story that has romance as a part of it, not necessarily follow the dramas of a “him/her, but no him/her too?” romance? Does that make any sense?

The “Abusive” Romanticized Boyfriend/Girlfriend

Do I need to explain why I don’t like this one? This is the trope where the romantic partner, usually a boyfriend, is very controlling, rude, yells, and is generally and abusive ass-hat, but it is seen as romantic. He is seen instead as caring and protective, and passionate. I particularly don’t appreciate the fact that there is a large portion of young-adult and new-adult romances that feature this trope.

Soft Magic Systems

This is magic systems that doesn’t have hard rules. The magic is just willy nilly. Someone uses some magic that you never knew they had, that they just used for the first time, right in the nick of time, and they succeed? Soft magic system. Someone has unlimited power, with no checks, and no practice? Soft magic system. I like magic systems that have rules and that sticks by those rules, even if it makes life hard for the characters. I feel like this also makes it so that the character has to really think outside of the box on how to overcome their obstacle.

“I’m Not Like Other Girls”

This trope is one I dislike because it feels like a “pick-me.” It feels like a girl saying “Oh, I don’t like dresses” or “I don’t like pink” or “I don’t wear makeup” or whatever other things the author thinks are, first of all, only something women can enjoy, second of all, are something that makes someone less-than due to that enjoyment. You like pink? Cool, you can still be an interesting character. You like makeup? Cool, you can still be an interesting character. You like fashion? Cool! You can still be an interesting character. Same goes for you as a person by the way.

These are just some of the tropes that I dislike. What are some tropes that you dislike, and why? Do we share any of those?

I want to reiterate: Just because I don’t like these does not mean that you can’t. We can love and dislike different things.

Have a wonderful day and as always keep reading ❤

~Cam

Book Review: The Diviners

Author: Libba Bray
Genre: YA Horror
Page Count: 468
Date Started: October 8th
Date Finished: October 13th

A Brief Description

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

Goodreads || Amazon

Life don’t come to you. You gotta take it.

My Review

Hi there old sport! This review is late. It’s really, really late. But it’s here. I’ve had a rather busy few weeks with school and my mental health taking a nose dive, but I’m finally getting back into the swing of things and plan to be more active come November. Anyways, on to the review!

This book was so incredibly atmospheric. The world was very well built and it shows that the author did research on the era. I felt like I was in 1920s New York City. Everything from the phrases and language used to the speakeasies, flappers and dance clubs added to the atmosphere. The author blended the atmospheric elements with the horror elements in a really new and amazing way. This book didn’t scare me. The villain was well fleshed out and scary, but the book itself did not keep me up at night. I would say that the story was more dark than scary.

One thing I will say is that the main character of the story, Evie was likable, but she annoyed me. She got herself into situations that could have easily been avoided and I found that she was… imperfect, which means that the writing for her character was well done. I find that many times authors write a character that is perfect in every way, and this makes the character unlikable to me. That being said, she still annoyed me, at least at the beginning. She definitely had a character development arc and I’ m intrigued to see what happens in the rest of the series. The rest of the characters were well fleshed out and had back stories that hurt to read about. Each character had a distinguishable voice and personality.

This book also had some romance elements that I found to be realistically portrayed. That being said, I hate love triangles. I find them completely unnecessary and this book was no different. One of the “interests” does not need to be portrayed romantically, yet he was. (Love triangles is up there on my most hated tropes list) I don’t want to spoil who the main character ends up with, but let’s just say it went in the opposite direction than what I was expecting. That being said, I think that where the romance stands now is the most realistic option for the characters. I’m intrigued to see if this changes.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and will probably keep reading this series. While there were a few things about it that bothered me, they weren’t prominent or annoying enough to hamper my reading experience.

Have you read this? What did you think of it? Let’s discuss in the comments below! Have a wonderful day, and as always, keep reading ❤

~Cam

Things I’m Loving: Caravan Clubs

I have been MIA recently. I’m sorry. I’ve been rather busy with work and school, and to be honest, my mental health took a nose dive for a bit. I needed some time to myself and I think I’m ready to come back to posting content. I wanted to start with something positive and talk about something that I have been loving lately. It’s called
“Caravan Clubs”

Have you guys heard of Caravan? Caravan is an online browser app that works in tandem with Discord (which is an online community that allows you to host group chats etc). On Caravan’s website, you can sign up to be a group chat with others who are also reading that book. This lets you have online book clubs with friends or with new people!

There are many different groups going on at a time. It’s something that I highly recommend looking in to if you have every wanted to be a part of a book club.

Website: https://caravanapp.ca/clubs

Use my referral link by clicking -> here.

Let me know if you want to read a book together! I would love to get more involved in the community! Have a wonderful day/night, wherever you are, and as always, keep reading. ❤

~Cam

Book Review: The Final Empire

Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Fantasy
Page Count:
Date Started: September 14th
Date Finished: September 28th

A Brief Description

In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with color once more?
In Brandon Sanderson’s intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage— Allomancy, a magic of the metals.

Goodreads || Amazon(US)

Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. That is the nature of hope.
Brandon Sanderson
pg 495

A Review

The Writing

Long story short? I loved it. I loved every minute of this. I truly love Brandon Sanderson’s writing due to how simple, yet atmospheric it is. You really feel like you are in the city of Luthadel. Almost like you can smell the streets and feel the ash falling on your skin. The action sequences make you feel like you are there watching them happen, like you can hear the crunch and slap of punches on skin. I love how Sanderson’s writing is also simplistic. It’s easy to devour and it’s easy to follow. Most fantasy novels tend to be dense and take me a long time to finish due the density, but Sanderson’s writing is nothing like this. It’s easy to follow, but it still enraptures me.

Characters

The characters in this are all very distinct and have their own motives. Vin, one of the main protagonists and a Mistborn, while naive and unlikeable at times was overall a very well written character. You could feel her pain and how much she had struggled in life. Her motives were clear and she really grew into her and her powers. Kelsier, another of the main protagonists and a Mistborn, was arrogant. He was arrogant and put himself and others at risk for the sake of his plans, but all that being said, I love him. He was well written and had very clear motives for overthrowing The Lord Ruler and destroying the Final Empire.

This book had A LOT of characters. There were many more that I won’t go into here, but I loved them all. They each had very distinct and clear motivations and very clear voices. You could tell when one character was speaking due to the voice and candor that they had. Some stories struggle with the characters all sounding a like and this book was definitely not one of them.

Plot

This book probably had the best fight scenes I have ever read. The plot is easy to follow and was predictable until it wasn’t. Sometimes there was a wrench thrown in there that changed everything. Those are spoilers which I’m not going into in this review. That being said, I loved the plot of this. It was interesting to see the way that the events that occurred in the 600 or so pages of this book changed each of the characters. The twists and turns were unexpected but were not outside the realm of reason. I’m not going to go farther into this because I think it’s best to go into this particular book without knowing much else.

Final Thoughts

Have you read The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson? What did you think of it? Did you enjoy it? Have you read anything by Brandon Sanderson that you would recommend? I hope you have a wonderful day, and as always, keep reading! 🙂

~Cam

September: Wrap-Up

Here are the books that I read in the month of September along with some reviews linked. I read… less than I wanted, but with school, a bout of food poisoning and work I didn’t have much time. Hopefully I’ll be able to read more come October. What did you read this month? Did you enjoy them?

Find my review here.

Find my review here.

Find my review here.

Review to come soon!

The Greatest Show on Earth- Richard Dawkins

Currently Reading

Currently Reading

Currently Reading

Book Review: Serpent and Dove

Author: Shelby Mahurin
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Page Count: 528
Date Started: August 9th
Date Finished: August 14th

A Brief Description

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

Goodreads || Amazon

My Review

Alright. This is late. This is VERY late. Now that the semester has finally started to pick up some steam, I’ve been very busy with school and work, please bear with me.

Okay, so on to the review. I loved this book. This book started with Lou, a feisty, strong willed witch who is living in the city of Cesarine, which is the main hub for Chasseurs, or witch hunters. She is currently in hiding from… someone. Who that is, is a spoiler and you’ll have to read it to find out who that is. I love Lou. She’s a strong, foul-mouthed female character who knows what she wants and will not let others get in her way. In a time when women are not given the same opportunities as men and expected to fit into the small box of being a wife and a mother (and nothing else), Lou is different. She fights to be an independent woman at the risk of being burned at the stake.

Reid, the love interest and the witch hunter, is a cinnamon roll disguised as a prickly man. At first I didn’t like him, but once him and Lou start to warm up to each other I realized that he was a total softie on the inside. At first he is offended by Lou’s cursing and her independence. He has never been exposed to anything else and is shocked to see a woman who isn’t quiet and submissive. Once they are forced into holy matrimony, they hate each other. They fight and are at ends with each other at all times. Soon their romance blossoms and let me tell you, I wasn’t a fan of enemies to lovers before, but I sure am now!

The world was well built, and the witches in this were truly terrifying. There were different kinds of witches, Blanche witches and Red witches. Each had a different kind of magic and utilized it differently. White witches were a kind of elemental witch that felt for connections in the world around them. Using magic required a balance, so there were times that if Lou used magic she would become sick due to this. Red witches used blood magic and many times needed to use their own blood to use magic. I enjoyed the magic system and thought it was well thought out. I extremely appreciated the fact that it was a “hard magic system” that had limits for the user.

The twist at the end was… unexpected and I didn’t really see it coming. There was no foreshadowing and it seemed rather out of nowhere, but I still enjoyed the story nonetheless. Have you read this? Have you enjoyed it?

Let me know in the comments below! Have a wonderful day, and as always, keep reading! 🙂

~Cam