Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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About Jen K

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I’ve been around off and on since the first year of CBR, and it and books have been a constant in my life through multiple moves and a major career change. I live with 3 cats, Dany, Jace and Jorah. Fantasy, specific types of sci-fi, historical fiction (especially mysteries) and romance tend to be my go to genres now a days. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: Jen K's Quick Questions interview.)

Jen K's Reviews:

Sunrise on the reaping

The Haymitch behind the Capitol’s narrative

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

March 30, 2025 by Jen K Leave a Comment

Well fuck. That was so much more devastating than I expected. It’s been forever since I read the original trilogy but I rewatched the movies recently – which means I likely missed some details that didn’t quite make it into the movies (especially around Maysilee’s family and Merrilee). At least, I could truly appreciate appearances of the younger versions of some of the characters from Catching Fire who appeared as mentors (and the amount of tragic backstory we learned about some of them was wrecking). […]

Filed Under: Featured, Fiction Tagged With: prequel, sunrise on the reaping, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, YA dystopian

Jen K's CBR17 Review No:35 · Genres: Featured, Fiction · Tags: prequel, sunrise on the reaping, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, YA dystopian ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
Lost among the living

“Their wives … their mothers … sitting in silence and screaming into darkness”

Lost Among the Living by Simone St James

March 29, 2025 by Jen K Leave a Comment

While they write in different genres, authors like Fiona Davis, Simone St James and Sarah Beth Durst all hit a similar mark for me – novels that I know will be at minimum solid and dependable, sometimes even more, and all authors still have a bit of a back catalogue left for me. Sometimes you discover an author and immediately devour all their work. With these authors, I’m slowly working my way through but they are my fall back plans when I am not sure […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: ghost story, post wwi, Simone St. James

Jen K's CBR17 Review No:34 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: ghost story, post wwi, Simone St. James ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

I read Snow’s story to get to Haymitch

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

March 28, 2025 by Jen K Leave a Comment

This is one of those books I have had almost since it was released and yet just kept skipping over. Because of course I want more of The Hunger Games but also, fuck Snow. However, with the new novel focused on Haymitch, that I definitely want to read, I ended up finally deciding to read it – even if I considered skipping it all together.

Filed Under: Fiction, Young Adult Tagged With: Dystopian, prequel, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

Jen K's CBR17 Review No:33 · Genres: Fiction, Young Adult · Tags: Dystopian, prequel, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Egyptology, a Met Gala and an Art Heist

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

March 23, 2025 by Jen K Leave a Comment

I’m not sure if it’s me or the author, but while I have enjoyed the last few Fiona Davis novels I have read, I also don’t think they have been as good as some of her earlier books. I think part of it might be that the two I enjoyed the most had more time between the two view points of the dual narratives so there was a bit more of the modern person discovering the story of the past while these last ones I […]

Filed Under: Fiction, History Tagged With: dual timeline, egypt, Fiona Davis, the met

Jen K's CBR17 Review No:32 · Genres: Fiction, History · Tags: dual timeline, egypt, Fiona Davis, the met ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Family legacy and family secrets

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

March 23, 2025 by Jen K Leave a Comment

I think I picked this when I first saw previews for the Hulu show but never got around to reading it (or watching the show). However, since her other book is the March selection for my book club, I thought I might as well check this out first. After Eleanor Bennett dies, her two adult children meet with her lawyer and find out that she has left them one last black cake in the freezer and a recording that they must listen to together. Benny, […]

Filed Under: Fiction, History Tagged With: Charmaine Wilkerson, family secrets, generational story, immigrant experience

Jen K's CBR17 Review No:31 · Genres: Fiction, History · Tags: Charmaine Wilkerson, family secrets, generational story, immigrant experience ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

I see the potential but …

Steelflower by Lilith Saintcrow

March 17, 2025 by Jen K Leave a Comment

Seanan McGuire did an AMA a few months back and one of the questions involved recommendations for under-read authors. Her response was that Lilith Saintcrow was always worth the time. And I seem to have, naturally, picked up the exact Lilith Saintcrow book that wasn’t going to be a good match for me. I feel kind of bad not rating this higher but I just had a much better time with the other books I rated as a 3 so far this year so it […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction Tagged With: lilith saintcrow, Steelflower chronicles

Jen K's CBR17 Review No:30 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction · Tags: lilith saintcrow, Steelflower chronicles ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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Recent Comments

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