Cannonball Read 15

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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About GentleRain

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Your jack of all trades eccentric. Knows a little about a lot and a lot about a little. Tends to mainly read non-fiction (history, true crime, old gossip, etc), SF/F, horror, graphic novels, "genre" books. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: GentleRain's Quick Questions interview.)

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A Strong End to a Strong Series

Paladin's Hope by T. Kingfisher

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CBR15Bingo: Adulthood (characters are adults and one of the themes is about having an adult romantic relationship when you’re scared about it and have to learn to communicate) This is the last of the Saint of Steel trilogy, which legitimately makes me sad. While I’ve also read Kingfisher/Vernon’s horror work, I really enjoy these fantasy-mystery-romance novels. This final one in the series wraps things up nicely and I did have a lovely time reading it, but I wish there was another follow-up trilogy (what can […]

A Solid Addition to the Baby-Sitters Graphic Novel Series

The Baby-Sitters Club: Stacey's Mistake by Ellen T. Crenshaw

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CBR15Bingo: Nostalgia (a nostalgic series updated for the modern day) I was excited to see this pop up in the bookstore as I’d missed there was a new one in the series coming out. I am a big fan of these graphic novel adaptations of the Baby-Sitters Club series, so it’s always a treat when they release another one. Stacey’s Mistake follows the group going to visit Stacey in New York City, as she moved back to the city for her dad’s job in a […]

“This book’s findings should temper our estimation of the freedom we have to change ourselves.”

Degrees of Separation: Identity Formation While Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism by Schneur Zalman Newfield

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CBR15Bingo: North America (the book focuses mainly on the Satmar and Lubavitch communities in New York and New Jersey.) I really enjoyed Degrees of Separation, which examines the experience of leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism (specifically the Lubavitch and Satmar communities) and how those who leave form their identities during and afterwards, as well as the long-term ramifications. This is an academic text and so there is a lot of sociology terminology to work through, but Newfield did this study based on interviews so there are a […]

Probably My Least Favorite Book of the Year

Three Tigers, One Mountain by Michael Booth

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CBR15Bingo: Guide (purports to be a guide to the relationship between China, Japan, and South Korea, and how to fix it) This is a DNF for me but I did read most of it out loud to my mom in a rage, so I feel qualified to write a review. I hated this book and think it’s completely biased and under-researched, and the fact that he is selling this book as a qualified insider type look into the relationship between these three countries is borderline […]

A Satisfying Sc-Fi Read

Mysterium by Robert Charles Wilson

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CBR15Bingo: You Are Here (The characters have no clue where they are and have to figure it out.) Every year or so I pick up a used Robert Charles Wilson novel and spend an enjoyable time reading it. It’s almost always a satisfying read and I feel contented by the mystery being solved. He tends to do a good job of presenting an interesting sci-fi idea and then wrapping things up in a neat bow or a little twist. This one dealt with inter-dimensional travel […]

Three Horror Short Story Collections

The Shores of Space by Richard Matheson

Everything's Eventual by Stephen King

Night Shift by Stephen King

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CBR15Bingo: Violence (plenty of violence here!) It’s interesting going back and doing these reviews a while after I read the books because I get to see what sticks around in my mind and what doesn’t. Say what you will about Stephen King, but his stories stay with you. There’s something about his ability to get across a strong visual image and have it embed itself in your brain forever. He really taps into something very primal with his writing, especially his earlier work. I am […]



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