September Wrap-up

September was a wild and crazy month. Between work and school I didn’t have much time to read, but these are all the books I read. I finished Wanderers on the first of October, but I’m including it here since I read the majority of it in September.

Cemetery Boys- Aiden Thomas

Rating: 5 out of 5.
My Riot- Rick Spears

Rating: 3 out of 5.
Red Sister- Mark Lawrence

Rating: 4 out of 5.
A Curse of Ash & Embers- Jo Spurrier

Rating: 3 out of 5.
If We Were Villians- M. L. Rio

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
Firefrost- Camille Longley

Rating: 5 out of 5.
Wanderers – Chuck
Wendig

Rating: 3 out of 5.
Black Sun – Rebecca
Roanhorse

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

That being said, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stay HOME. Stay home and quarantine. When you go out, wear a mask. Don’t leave for things that aren’t necessities. Wash your hands and think of others.

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 what feels like many months ago. That doesn’t change how important it is for them to get justice. Breonna Taylor still have not gotten justice. Her killers, Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove are still free and she has not seen justice. 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

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Book Review: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms


Rating: 5 out of 5.

  • Author: N.K. Jemisin
  • Genre: Fantasy/ Science Fiction
  • Page Count: 398
  • Date Started: June 20th
  • Date Finished: July 2nd

A Brief Description

After her mother’s mysterious death, a young woman is summoned to the floating city of Sky in order to claim a royal inheritance she never knew existed in the first book in this award-winning fantasy trilogy from the NYT bestselling author of The Fifth Season.

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother’s death and her family’s bloody history.

With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate – and gods and mortals – are bound inseparably together.

Goodreads || Amazon


Men who served anyone could be trusted by no one.

N.K. Jemisin

My review

I picked up this book after hearing so many good things about it on Book Twitter. This book was amazing.

It was so different than anything I’ve ever read before. It wasn’t the story that was different really, no. This is one that you’ve probably read before. Orphaned girl is thrust into the political intrigue of a world unknown to her when she is named the heir to her once estranged grandfather’s kingdom. She struggles with court life and tries to carve a place for herself, meanwhile, falling in love with a God. She struggles with finding out who she is and the dark secrets that have been kept from her, and that are just coming to light. Yeah, I’ve read this one before.

The thing that made this book so different was the way it was told. N.K. Jemisin has such a unique and innovative way of telling a story. The narrative was unusual. Not in a bad way. It was a little choppy, and had many transitions in time. This certainly added to it’s novelty. Not only that, but the book challenges what fantasy books were. It shows how power corrupts and challenges the ruling class. It threatens ordered society and threatens to turn it over.

The world of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is different and brings something new to the table. Yeine, the granddaughter of the ruler, a product of a biracial marriage. Her mother, an Amn (the rulers) married a Black man for love, and was disinherited. After being summoned to the palace, you see the struggles that Yeine faces as a half-Black woman in a world where that is not accepted. She is locked in a battle with her two cousins, who have experience in the ways of court life. Yeine gains allies in the form of the Enefadah, enslaved gods who were enslaved by the Amn after they lost the Gods War against the Lord of Light, the patron God of Sky.

Speaking of Sky, the setting was amazing! Sky is a castle in the…. well…. sky. This is where most of our story takes place. This is a treacherous palace of court rules and backstabbing royals looking to claim more power and Gods who become unstable at sunset. A world of a class structure that makes it impossible to lay claim to anything if you are not of the elite. A ruling family that is hated by it’s people. And here we have Yeine, from a far flung territory, navigating it all. I really loved her character. Her internal dialogue and the way she handles conflict was amazing. She was really easy to root for. I loved to uncover all the secrets and family drama. I also loved the romance, this book was downright steamy!

One last thing is that this ending broke me. Once I finished this book, I immediately ordered the second in the series and plan to read it very soon. All of this being said, please read this book. At first, I was a little confused as you are just thrown into the world and expected to know what is going on, but once I got the hang of thing and cultural references, I was in love. PLEASE give this book a chance. I promise you won’t regret it.

~Have a nice day, stay safe and healthy, and as always, keep reading!

~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

May Wrap-Up and Some Overall Thoughts

May has been….busy to say the least. I started a class that has kept me very busy, but in the time that I did have, I read these six books! I started Inkheart at the very end of the month, so I do not have a rating or review for it quite yet, but the others are all found on my blog. You can click the links provided to read them if you want more information!

Uprooted- Naomi Novik
Read my review here!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
The Deep-Alma Katsu
Read my review here!

Rating: 3 out of 5.
Lovely War- Julie Berry
Read my review here!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Vengeful- V.E. Schwab
Read my review here!

Rating: 5 out of 5.
Assassin’s Quest- Robin Hobb
Review to come soon!

Rating: 5 out of 5.
Inkheart- Cornelia Funke
Review to come next month!

Between The World and Me- Ta-Nehisi Coates
Thoughts to come soon!

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 about to get a little political here, but I feel it needs to be said. 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

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

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 your generation. That being said:

Have a wonderful day, stay safe and healthy,

~Cam

April Wrap-Up

What have you been up to? I’ve been doing some reading, and I’ve been really into fantasy books lately. Anything that really distracts me from all the sh*t going on in the world right now. Animal Crossing and books are the only thing that are keeping me sane. I’ve also been buying lots of books lately. I’m also including a book I DNFed, because why not?

The Ruin of Kings- Jenn Lyons

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Gamechanger- L.X. Beckett

DNF

Chain of Gold- Cassandra Clare

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Assassin’s Apprentice- Robin Hobb

Rating: 5 out of 5.
Royal Assassin- Robin Hobb

Rating: 5 out of 5.
Uprooted-Naomi Novik

Not finished, but I love it so far! I’m continuing to read this in May.

From now on, I’m going to start reviewing books again. I’ve had a tough time getting my life together, but now that Summer semester is starting, I should have more time to devote to my blog. I’ve wanted to get back into this for a long time, and I’m going to really put the efforts into it.

What have you read this month? What are you looking forward to reading in May?

~Cam

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

What am I currently reading?

The Grace Year- Kim Liggett

I just started reading this, so I don’t have many thoughts on this one quite yet. Have you read it yet? What did you think?

What have I just finished reading?

The Fountains of Silence- Ruta Sepetys

I enjoyed this one, but it left some things lacking. I’m going to go more into this when I review it. Look out for my review soon!

What am I going to read next?

The Fever King- Victoria Lee

I’ve heard so many good things about this book, and I am beyond excited to start it. I’ve had it on my shelf for a while, and the cover is amazing!

What books did you just finish, start, or are in the middle of currently reading! Did you participate in WWW? If you did, please link yours in the comments!

Much love, have a great day, and as always, keep reading.

~Cam

November TBR

I didn’t get to finish this one last month, so I will be finishing it this month hopefully.

Alright, so… I know I said I was going to get better about posting regularly, but alas. It’s now November, and that means it’s Nanowrimo! I have to write 50, 000 words in 30 days and still want to read that many books. Will I do it? Tune in to find out!

~Cam

October Wrap-Up

Read my review here.
Find my review here.

Alright, so… I know I said I was going to get better about posting regularly, but alas. It’s now November, and that means it’s Nanowrimo! I will be posting a “review” of all of these books at some point this month, but I’ll be doing it all at once. I hope everyone had a good reading month in October and has an even better one in November!

~Cam

WWW Wednesday: October 9th

This tag is hosted on Taking on a World of Words It’s easy to do, just answer the three questions below!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

The Diviners- Libba Bray
Goodreads

I literally just started this yesterday, so I don’t have many thoughts on this one quite yet. Look out for a review soon.

Recently Finished Reading

Into the Drowning Deep- Mira Grant

I just finished and wrote a review for this! Check it out here.

To Be Read

Ninth House- Leigh Bardugo

This is one of my most anticipated releases for October. I would have started it yesterday, but it was delayed in shipping. 😦 I’ll start it as soon as I have finished the book I’m reading. Look out for a review soon!

What about you? What are you currently reading? What did you finish recently? What are you planning on reading soon? Let’s discuss in the comments! Have a wonderful day and as always keep reading.

~Cam