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I'm Reading Every Day in August - But This Time for a Good Cause

 


So, I read a lot. Pretty much every day unless I am seriously under the gun when it comes to work. So when I saw the American Cancer Society hosting a "Read Every Day in August" fundraiser, I thought... damn. Finally a fundraiser I can do.

Short of contributing to charity anthologies (which I love doing and hope to continue doing), there's not much I can do in terms of fundraising. Ever since I broke my ankle a couple summers ago, I can walk around the neighborhood fine, but I'm not walking or running any 'thons. It's the same reason I picked an English major in college: I know for a fact I can read, and read a lot.

So, starting on the 1st and ending on the 31st, I will not only be reading every day, but documenting what I read. You can look up those updates on my Facebook fundraising page, and I'll likely end up reviewing a lot of these for my August book review entry (and September, depending on how far ahead I get).

To address some questions:

Why this charity?
While I have some very specific charity interests — epilepsy, endometriosis, dementia, and literacy specifically — I don't know a single person who hasn't had their life affected by cancer in some way. I've lost family members to it. I'm a high risk for a variety of reasons. And, frankly, it's one I don't think many people can argue with.

What books will you be reading?
My first priority is my August ARC stack. After that, I'll likely move on to my September ARCs. If somehow I manage to plow through those, I have a lot of summer books that didn't make the review list, but I still want to read and review them online.

Don't you have a trip coming up?
Yes, as some of you know, I'll be at Whooverville this summer. (More on that later!) But I'll also be on a lot of planes and trains. So expect some of my reading updates to be on the road!

Can I still donate?
Absolutely. I'd love you to! Follow this link to go to my donation page. That money goes straight to the American Cancer Society. Every little bit helps. Please do drop a note if you donate!

I'd also love to hear more about fundraising events in future — be they readathons, charity anthologies, zines, etc. Please get in touch with me via social media if you're aware of an upcoming, reliably-run event along those lines!

Murder Mystery Night in Hilton Village

 


I've lived near Hilton Village for the better part of my life. But other than it being picturesque and having some fun little shops, it's never been something I think hard about. In the years following lockdown and my grandfather's passing, I thought even less about the world around me. But now I have an eye to what's literally on my doorstep... and it's pretty cool.

Case in point, the neighborhood hosted a murder mystery night in July, complete with a village-wide mystery and a reveal at the local bar. How did it go? What could go better next time (and boy I hope there's a next time)? Let's find out.


The Mystery


The "game" was set up as a sort of Clue-flavored pub crawl or stamp rally. Visitors received a card at the welcome desk featuring a list of characters, venues, and weapons, each related to the shops in the area. While one could technically just browse the shops in any order, there was a series of riddles leading from one shop to the next. A few were a big confusing, but ultimately none of them was unsolvable (except for one, which I'll cover a bit later under the Participation section).

Upon arrival at each shop, players were greeted by a staff member with a scripted bit of text, telling a bit more of the story and revealing an item on the list of potential murder weapons. From these bits of script, we build up a story of the departed Penny: a hatmaker in Hilton Village. The final clue led to Bird Girl Bottle Shop, where the hostess of the evening revealed the killer, the location of the murder, and the weapon used.


Participation

The majority of participating shops really seemed to be getting into the spirit of things, which was fantastic. Indulge offered street corn (amazing) and two murder mystery themed drinks. I tried the Whodunnit, a gin and lavender drink, and it was very lovely. I'm a sucker for themed menus, and frankly it makes me want to find an excuse to do a book collab with shops in the Village at some point.

There were "actors" committed to the bit, including Penny's husband, who regularly stopped and asked amateur sleuths for help. Other characters were active, though I didn't get to see them. (Apparently I got mistaken for a character since I took the flyer at its word and dressed for the evening!) Whether each respective shop owner went all in or not varied, understandably. Everyone has a different threshold for that sort of thing. Kudos to the owner of Me & Josephine and her girls for the matching garden party dresses and the "haunted doll" on display.


Playability

For what it's worth, my main issue with playability was of my own doing. This, like an escape room, is not the sort of thing one does alone. I was able to get from location to location and from riddle to riddle. But without a friend or two along, I often found myself disconnected from the story being played out. That is not a problem with the story, though, as I heard large groups talking loudly and with investment about who they suspected. The bigger the group, I think, the better the experience.

There was one place that was difficult for many to find: a salon. There are three hair salons in Hilton Village. One was on the main stretch, but was closed and not participating. One was on the way to Bird Girl, but was closed and not participating. Even now, with the address and name of the place and the aid of Google, I'm not sure how I would have made my way there on the night. I know as well as any local that Hilton Village is more than that single-block main drag, but in future it might be helpful to bake into the clues the general direction, or to offer a map on the night.


The long and the short of it is that it's a very fun idea, mostly well-executed but with a few bugs to work out. Every large group I heard talking seemed to be having fun, and it was nice to see other people getting into the spirit of the event. The best part is, the "bugs" are very specific things that can be taken into account to improve future events, rather than just things that fall flat.

Most of all, I want more events like this in the Village. I want them to keep getting better and attracting more people. I have a lot of personal ties to this little historic area (my grandmother owned a children's clothing store where Indulge currently is), and I want to see the whole place flourish and grow and be absolutely awesome. And this was a very good steppingstone on that path.

July 2025 Book Reviews

 


July is historically a very busy month for me—this July doubly so. In between my regular work responsibilities going into overtime, I am currently planning a flying trip to the UK at the end of August (in addition to my usual slower-paced end-of-year trip). More on that later.

For now, just know that if you ever want to see more reviews than I post here in my featured blog posts, I do have a GoodReads account. I will always do my best to go back and cover any books that I don't have read and reviewed in time for a certain month's feature. Once I'm back in slow season, you'll almost certainly see a lot of delayed summer reads pop up.

For now, though, peruse what I've got below. And thanks as always to the publishers and authors who send their work my way!

Bookish Candle: Frostbeard's July Candle of the Month is a real winner. Game Master's Guide has fantasy-inspired notes of mead and leather. I really love the honey smell of this one, and I definitely hope they go into more TTRPG-inspired candles in future. Use my link to get 20% off your purchase of this and other book lovers' candles!

Tea Pairing: For something that's good hot or iced, the Pride and Prejudice-inspired Picnic at Pemberley is a favorite. It's a rose and jasmine green tea that's a little lighter than my usual strong black teas, but the floral notes make it an excellent pairing for this month's fantasy and dark academia-tinged selections. Check out Chapters' full catalogue of bookish teas, and use my code KARA15 for 15% off your order!


A MASTERY OF MONSTERS

by Liselle Sambury
Available July 29

August Black's college plans changed after her mother disappears. But her time working at the local Tim Horton's is cut short when her brother Jules disappears, leaving only a cryptic note behind. Soon, August is being approached by strange local organizations, one of which claims to be preparing the world for an oncoming monster apocalypse. It's a claim she's not especially prepared to believe, until she herself is attacked by one of these Monsters.

With her brother's life hanging in the balance, August finally agrees to undergo training and testing to become Master to a Monster of her own: the handsome, bookish Virgil. If the two cannot bond by the end of the trials, Virgil (like many un-Mastered Monsters before him) will be incarcerated. But if August succeeds, the two will become a powerful pair. With the odds stacked against her in an organization that thrives on connections and academia, August fights for her life and the lives of those around her, while uncovering the gory history of two interlocked organizations with their own ideas of how to use these Monsters.

A Mastery of Monsters is a unique approach to issues of prejudice and injustice, demonstrating that insidious ideas can exist just about anywhere provided they have the support and funding to do so. As the first in a trilogy, it raises as many questions as it answers. But it also crafts a unique world, enclosed mainly in two settings, but with plenty of room to expand outward across the remainder of the trilogy. What's most appealing about this book, however, is the greyness. There are so many different experiences in this book, all unique to their respective characters, all complicated. There's no shorthand to quickly decide which characters are "right" or "good"; rather, we must learn with August as she tackles her own trauma and unpacks centuries of history... hopefully quickly enough to save the people who matter to her.


SOULMATCH

by Rebecca Danzenbaker
Available July 29

200 years after World War III, reaching your 18th birthday means its time for your kirling: a process through which people learn the identity of their reincarnated soul. At best, this could mean discovering your life's purpose, gaining an inheritance from your past lives, and perhaps finding a soulmate. At worst, you could be held liable for your past lives' crimes and fined exorbitantly for past suicides. Sivon is terrified of the latter of these—particularly the chance that she could end up being Flavinsky, a notorious bad soul long overdue for rebirth. While that tragic soul is indeed in her group, the results of Sivon's kirling are far more unusual: there is no record of her whatsoever. She is a new soul, the first in 40 years, and the world is clamoring to get to know her... for a variety of reasons.

Under the guard of secret service agent Donovan (whose own kirling revealed himself to be the newest life of the legendarily good soul Shepherd), Sivon assumes the new soulid of Carrefour and attempts to navigate the world's curiosity. Her unique status earns her both allies and detractors, and indeed attempts on her life. But things get even more complicated when she allies with the North American prime minister, whose nephew Janus also happens to be her longtime crush. Between attempts on her life and the discovery of long-buried information, Sivon soon comes to a shocking realization about her new soul status. It may be that kirling is not as flawless as the world believes, and many souls' true pasts are about to come to light.

Soulmatch, while following the typical YA dystopian romance tropes to a tee, does offer a little more to chew on along the way. The early parts of Sivon's journey, from the fashion to the press to the machinations of a white-haired politician, get extremely Girl on Fire at times. Within and around those tropes, though, it carries a compelling message about the changes we all go through as people, the possibility of redemption, and the vicious cycles of incarceration and unaddressed struggles. The final 100 pages are dense with exposition, to the point that you may need a diagram, but all the pieces do fit together very nicely by the end.



THIS BOOK MIGHT BE ABOUT ZINNIA

by Brittney Morris
Available now

In 2024, Zinnia Davis is fighting to gain a Harvard acceptance, supported along the way by her book-loving best friend. But his latest gift to her, a fantasy novel titled Little Heart, throws things into confusion. The story tells of a mother giving away her baby, a princess with a unique heart-shaped birthmark. Zinnia is adopted and has that same birthmark, but it's the little details that make things hit a bit too close to home. Could Zinnia's favorite author actually be her birth mother?

In 2006, a girl named Tuesday Walker is trying to get her life back on track after giving away her baby. She still maintains feelings of a sort for the baby's father, but a new coworker is beginning to seem like a much stronger match. As she sorts out her feelings, she keeps a diary, turning her story into a fantasy epic. But things become fraught when Tuesday learns the truth of her baby's father's family and their connection to her family. And then her diary disappears.

This Book Might Be About Zinnia covers a lot of feelings in a relatively short space: the feeling of having a family but wondering about your "real" one, the grief of giving up a child, the disconnect between a privileged life and the trauma of being a caretaker for a parent. While Zinnia's goals are initially set on crafting an interesting essay for her Harvard application, she soon learns that her desire to excel could be costing her things that really matter—and making her less aware of the world around her. YA novels can often miss the mark when it comes to how teens think and talk, but this turbulent novel (with an ultimately satisfying ending) hits the nail on the head time after time.

Girl by Moonlight: A DMing Check-In


It's been a solid three months since I last weighed in on my Girl by Moonlight experiences. The game continues every other Sunday evening. I haven't quit, I've kept enjoying it, and (apparently) my players continue to enjoy it as well.

That said, I think there was a part of me that believed I'd hit a point at which I'd "understand" GMing and then we'd just roll from there. Which of course is foolish — that's not true of anything anywhere. In retrospect, I think it's because I witness a degree of confidence and creativity from the GMs I admire (in my own life and onscreen) that I just figure they've hit that point.

Then again, I'm sure there are people who are convinced I am a confident and self-assured writer just because I have books in print. And boy do we all know that's not true.

The big thing I've noticed is that I never go to bed (because these games end at 10 or 11pm for me, so I go straight to bed) thinking, Damn, I nailed that one. Well done me. There's always something: I paused too long here to come up with something when a player went in an unexpected direction. I didn't define a point well enough, or make it enticing enough, to send players after it, and instead we went on a long rabbit trail to get to what I thought was a straight-line result. I fumbled here or here during combat. I forgot the rules here; I fudged the rules there.

It's like when I used to act. It's like when I write now and hit "Send" on the draft. There's always, always something I could have done better. Which is kind of a crappy feeling when your brain is running counter to what your players are saying. But it's also a bit reassuring: it's another way that GMing is like the style of writing I'm accustomed to. And the truer that is, the less alien it feels.

In fairness, it's not all double-edged swords. I like to think I am picking up tricks along the way. Friends have been helping me tackle aspects of the game mechanics that are rough for me — things like how to guide combat and know when a combat is "done" in a system bereft of NPC hit points and initiative. But I've also had to tackle things that are more "quality of life" for the player... things they want that are both narrative and mechanical in nature.

For example, this particular playbook of Girl by Moonlight, "On a Sea of Stars," has giant robots. As with fellow player characters, you can have Links with your robot (or Engine). Links let you shake off stress, get an extra die, and other such abilities. I will occasionally have the players do feet-on-the-ground missions, either because it fits the story better or as a bit of a challenge. Technically, this means that they don't have access to Links with their Engine. But they have expressed wanting them.

I didn't like saying a flat-out "no," because everyone in this game is doing amazing things with their characters and it doesn't feel like a desire to optimize solely for the sake of optimization, so the task became figuring out a way to make it both narratively and mechanically feasible. How can I create long-distance links between pilots and their mecha while still making it clear that they're more vulnerable out of their robots? To that end, I'm homebrewing items that require gathering materials and finishing projects. When complete, these items (I'm still deciding what they are) will enable use of at least one link per combat, with an increasing risk of the item "burning out" after each use in a single session. (I took inspiration for this risk from the Arcanist's Lens, an item from the Griffon's Saddlebag.)

It's also worth mentioning that getting to the point of making them required some actual "talking" with the Engines: getting to know the personalities inside these machines. (I can't say much more because I'm pretty sure all my players read my blog.) With these moments under the characters' belts, it felt much more likely that this long-distance bond could exist — and, moreover, that it was something the players would actually play narratively, rather than just using to boost a dice roll.

Just the other night, I had to make my first ruling between two conflicting player decisions. Fortunately, it wasn't a dire matter. One player was about to make an Eclipse roll ("Eclipse" being a mechanic where the character's darker, more vulnerable side is explored), and it was very very clear that this player wanted to go there. However, before making an Eclipse roll, another character can prevent it by taking on stress themselves. Player 1 was pushing for the Eclipse to happen during the Fallout phase, as cumulative stress is wiped at the end of each session and it might be a while before this opportunity would come again. Player 2 is playing a character who not only hinges on communication and understanding due to their playbook of choice, but also has a Promise (an interpersonal mechanic) dedicated to helping this specific character.

Letting Player 2 intervene would have meant not letting Player 1 have a specific moment that, by design, could (and probably would) come again. Not letting Player 2 intervene would have meant artificially closing off an aspect of the game's mechanics and denying Player 2 the ability to act according to their character's nature — which is an even bigger deal in a game where experience is primarily gained by doing exactly that. In the moment, I chose to let Player 2 intervene. Player 1 and I talked about it later to ensure everything was okay, and I revealed Player 2's Promise over the table to explain why I chose the way I did. Even when I knew I was making the best choice as the GM, I didn't enjoy not letting a player do something they were gunning for. (I'm a very narrative-driven player myself, so I get it.) However, the player ultimately agreed with me that it was the best choice, especially after re-reading what Eclipse looks like for this playbook and realizing that they were actually acting opposite to it. While there's still a very real desire to explore the Eclipse mechanic, we both agreed that it should be both narratively and mechanically next time, and not just a build-up of stress points on the sheet.

For what it's worth, I'm fortunate that the first conflict between two player choices was between two long-time friends over something that ultimately had a pretty clear ruling by the book. I've seen, and been part of, much less clear-cut conflicts. I'd like to think I'll handle them well when they arise, but I'll still count myself fortunate that I got to come in on the ground floor with mitigating this sort of thing.

There's now a longer gap between this session and the next one as one player goes on vacation, meaning I get more time to plan. Do I feel confident as a GM now? No. I don't think I ever will. Do I enjoy the process? Absolutely, and a lot of that is down to building a group of players that I know will both work with me and occasionally test me. I still struggle with split-second decisions, and I still hate knowing those long pauses exist while I'm cooking something up to account for an unplanned side road. But even if I do go to bed at night feeling uncertain, the amazing things the players are doing make it worth it.

BOOK TOUR: Minky Woodcock: The Girl Called Cthulhu

 


Cross detective fiction with historical figures, add burlesque sensibilities, and you get Minky Woodcock: a comic book series by Cynthia von Buhler. Now in her third collected volume, the sleuth will take on eldritch cults, international spies, and one of literature's simultaneously most revered and reviled horror authors.

Fresh off cases involving Harry Houdini and Nikola Tesla, Minky is now in correspondence with HP Lovecraft himself, concerning a book that he and the late Houdini were planning to collaborate on. But cracking this case open leads to a run-in with Aleister Crowley himself. The notorious magician wants Minky to help clear him of a murder accusation, but there's much more at stake than she realizes. In a story that spans six years, Minky Woodcock encounters a cult, discovers the early works of Ian Fleming, and becomes embroiled in a a mystery that could decide the course of World War II.

While the surrealist art won't be everyone's cup of tea, many readers will find it very fun to look at. von Buhler also employs a number of models for reference, bringing a unique look to her art. The story itself, though, is what's fascinating, and threads of what came before are worked through this new story to ensure everyone is at least somewhat caught up to Minky's misadventures. In the final pages of the collected volume, von Buhler goes into detail about which bits of the story were based on truth and how certain events actually went. She also addresses readers who might be less than thrilled by the presence of Lovecraft as a major character in the work.

The physical release itself is a gorgeous full-color hardcover, packed with bonus material including pages of cover art from the various issues within. That is, of course, one of the best things about Titan Comics: their physical editions are truly worth owning.

Titan also offers the first two volumes: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini and The Girl Who Electrified Tesla. You don't have to start at the beginning — but after seeing Minky Woodcock fight off mad magicians and international spies, you will almost certainly want more.

GAME REVIEW: Bladesong (Story Mode Playtest)

 


I don't have as much time as I'd like for video games — especially in the summer, when I'm balancing busy multiple busy seasons at multiple jobs. But when something unique comes along, I like to take a break and try it, rather than relying on one of my YouTube faves to play it in the background while I work.

Such is Bladesong, which is not related to my favorite Wizard subclass but is a very cool game where you smith and decorate swords. At the time of this writing, the game is available for playtesting, with a test build showing off both its Story and its Creative modes. As a story-based gamer, I tried out the former (I may give the latter a go later). And while there were elements that were a bit crunchy for someone like me with terrible spatial awareness, the story woven through the gameplay loop was extremely promising.

You play a blacksmith living in an impoverished settlement on the outskirts of a grand city. You've just escaped death and are currently working your way up to a life within the walls of said city; this will involve gaining a reputation and a work permit, and also not having your throat slit in the night by thieves. By day you can explore the camp, make friends (or not), buy wares, and discover more about the world around you. Once that's done, you fill orders for fellow camp residents. And once that's done, you try to make it through the night.

The character selection screen is very basic. You pick a gender, a background, a single possession, and an outlook on life. The second and third of those will affect your stats, with each Background buffing one stat by +3 and unlocking unique dialogue options, and the third optimizing your game depending on how you choose to play. (These bonuses are explained under each choice, giving you plenty of freedom to customize to your liking.) The first choice simply defines how you're addressed, and the fourth... well, I'm not sure yet, other than the fact that it enables an old lady who saved your life to dunk on you one last time before turning you over to the waking world.



Making swords is at the core of this game, and your forge looks pretty rad. At the start of each day, you have a certain amount of action points. Every potential customer requires a certain amount of points to work with, and each will yield experience, coin, and other bonuses. If you're getting tired, there's always at least one quick and dirty repair job you can do for a single action point.

I especially like that there's story embedded in most of these commissions. Sometimes you'll meet a father in need of a simple blade to protect his daughter; often, you'll meet camp dwellers tired of being put upon and desirous of showing everyone else who's boss. You don't have to take every order; and, indeed, I found myself only accepting orders of certain types after a point. Generally anyone who was against the camp's cutthroat thieves was an automatic yes... along with a lady who kept showing up and claiming she could hear beasts skittering in the night. Listen, the city has a magic barrier around it, and it's clearly to keep something out.

The smithing portion is pretty satisfying, and I imagine it's even more fun in Creative mode. I mostly enjoyed filling orders in Story mode, though. This meant making swords to certain specifications: heavy two-handers with leather-wrapped hilts, well-balanced blades, or (on occasion) just something sharp to get the job done. I did run across a work order or two that felt counterintuitive — swords that, based on the game's hints, needed to have both more and less mass at the point. A little more tutorial time spent working on these seemingly conflicting orders would have been helpful... perhaps a "difficult customer" to satisfy before being let out onto the world map. But if you can't seem to get an order filled, you can leave it. You'll sacrifice those action points, but you won't be softlocked.


There was only so much exploring that could be done in the playtest, but what was there was fun. There was an encounter with a thief, which could be solved in a number of ways: arming him, leaving him waiting, or just killing him (if you're strong enough). As I mentioned, I spent a lot of time arming fellow camp members who were also victims of the thief; had the story continued, I wonder if this would have made a difference.

Your choices have at least some effect on your ability to navigate the camp, as you can befriend and help others down on their luck. Also, there is a dog, and yes you can pet it, you can pet the dog, I'm so happy, these devs know what we need in a game.

As for the broader story, there's promise. The playtest ends right after a frankly horrifying reveal, and even the few areas you can explore before entering the city offer enticing details. There's absolutely a world here for those who want to find out more. And I definitely want to find out more.

Bladesong definitely caters to those with better spatial awareness in terms of the actual forging portion of the game, and I can see lots of people getting caught up in the creative aspect. You gain new methods, new tools, and new ornamentations as you go, meaning you can make increasingly elaborate blades. (Which admittedly sounds awesome.) But if you are more story-forward, never fear: this playtest hints at a vast, dark world waiting to be unlocked.

Bladesong is now available to wishlist on Steam.