Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About KimMiE"

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I love reading nonfiction books, especially ones about nature, zoology, brain chemistry, and psychology. I also love the classics, especially Victorian lit. Mysteries are my go-to relaxing reads, and I read fantasy and sci fi when they come recommended. I'm definitely open to new genres! (Learn more about this Cannonballer: KimMiE”'s Quick Questions interview.)

KimMiE"'s Reviews:

For the discerning reader who prefers books that are neither too literary nor too commercial

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson

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Recounting one very full and unusual day in the life of a 40-year old governess, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a charming tale that drops the reader straight into the 1930s, where martinis are flowing and beautiful young ladies have scads of evening gowns and even more beaus. When a mix-up at the employment agency sends Guinevere Pettigrew to the home of the enchanting Delysia LaFosse, the puritanically-raised Miss Pettigrew gets a glimpse into a way of life that she thought only existed […]

The best surprise I’ve had so far this year

Fastest Things on Wings by Terry Masear

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In spite of being a fervent animal lover, I rarely read animal-centric memoirs, and I’m especially avoidant of ones with “rescue” on the front cover. I find these books are generally either too depressing, too saccharine, or they are written by dedicated, well-meaning individuals with questionable writing talent. So when my husband brought Fastest Things on Wings home from one of his Little Free Library jaunts, I eyed it with suspicion. He read it first and assured me there were just a couple of heartbreaking […]

“I have everything I ever wanted–and it tastes just as delicious as I always imagined.”

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

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I love an unreliable narrator. Whether they are divorced from reality à la Montresor of “The Cask of Amontillado,” deceiving themselves as a defense against trauma, like Pi in Life of Pi, or intentionally deceiving the reader, as in many mysteries I won’t name to avoid spoilers. . .I just can’t get enough of them. What intrigues me about June Hayward (aka Juniper Song) in Yellowface is I’m never certain how much of her own press she buys into. She definitely believes she’s been screwed […]

MI-5 with monsters!

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

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Just last week I confessed that espionage is not my jam. This week I’m saying that espionage can be my jam if it contains vampires, flesh-absorbing monsters, and a kick-ass female protagonist. Shout out to MsWas for the recommendation. This book saved me when I was in a mini-slump! A woman becomes conscious (I’m specifically avoiding the term “waking up”) in a London park with no memory of who she is or how she got there, surrounded by dead bodies, all of whom are wearing […]

When the source material lets you down

Hopscotch by Brian Garfield

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A few weeks ago I wrote about how delighted I am when I read the source material for a beloved movie and it turns out that the movie was a fantastic adaptation of a fantastic novel. I had a less rewarding experience with Hopscotch, which is rather a dull but light spy thriller written in 1975 and adapted into a charming (if dated) comedy action film starring Walter Matthau in 1980. The novel is about CIA field agent Miles Kendig, who is being forced into […]

H.G. Wells is the villain for boring me to death

The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

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Sometimes the idea of a story is a thousand times better than the actual story, as is the case with H.G. Wells’s The Invisible Man. I look at that cover and think, “This is going to be one badass book–a fun, light read that will nevertheless leave me pondering the nature of loneliness and isolation.” (Okay, I didn’t get all of that from the cover.) With fewer than 200 pages, this book turned out to be an unexpected slog and I’m still not sure what […]



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