If you are reading this, then you have a Cannonball story!  For this diversion, we would like to hear your Cannonball story. How did you discover Cannonball Read? How long did you lurk or follow Cannonball Read? When did you finally join? What was the impetus to finally make that plunge and join? For me, I learned about Cannonball Read from faintingviolet, who I know in the real world. I don’t remember spending much time lurking. I immediately recognized that this was a place for […]

I have been thinking about how mystery and romance novels have so much in common. They may seem worlds apart, but once you look deeper you see otherwise. Here are some things that make them so much alike: sometimes published by a dedicated imprint like Harlequin or Crooked Lane Books both are fast, easy reads, “reader’s candy” they often have their own book store like The Ripped Bodice or The Mysterious Bookshop they have the same subgenres: historical, cozy, paranormal, fantasy, etc. in romance the […]

I love to read a good mystery. To be honest, I even like reading a not so good mystery. I read more mysteries than any other genre, including those for the mystery book group at my local library. There are a wide variety of mystery subgenres. Let’s look at a few: The Cozy Mystery – a small town (bonus points if there is a vicar), an amateur detective, a clever murderer on the loose, and an even cleverer “punny” book title – The Quiche of […]

You’ve joined (or rejoined) Cannonball Read this year and are all set to write a review. But wait, what are the rules, where do I start? This diversion helps answer your review writing questions. First, the two most important rules: Book reviews should be a minimum of 250 words. You do not have to review everything you read. (View the complete rules.) My personal tip is to pick and choose which books you write reviews for. I read 100 books a year. When I joined […]