Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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About LB

CBR14 Participant
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CBR18 Participant

A queer nonbinary reader living in the Midwest, LB practices their Adult Face by working in a lab, though they always have at least one book at hand for when they can steal a few minutes of quiet. LB reads across target age ranges and genres, focusing on enjoyment over how many books they finish. They have a black cat named Bruce Wayne who is very dedicated to sniffspections of books.

LB's Reviews:

The Forgotten Dead

OutFoxing the Paranormal

The Forgotten Dead by Jordan L. Hawk

Rattling Bone by Jordan L. Hawk

Into the Dark by Jordan L. Hawk

March 27, 2026 by LB 2 Comments

I’ve been a fan of Jordan L. Hawk since I was introduced to his Whyborne & Griffin series in 2018, and his stories have only improved in that time. OutFoxing the Paranormal is one of his few contemporary series, and it follows a group of ghost hunters who have a YouTube series and a professor at Duke’s Institute of Parapsychology who uses their adventures as part of his studies for papers. It is one of my favorite JLH series, and I cannot wait to see what Oscar, […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance Tagged With: achillean, gay, Haunted House, jlh, Jordan L. Hawk, nonbinary character, outfoxing the paranormal, queer, series review, subverted horror., trans, trans man, trans readathon

LB's CBR18 Review No:8 · Genres: Audiobooks, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance · Tags: achillean, gay, Haunted House, jlh, Jordan L. Hawk, nonbinary character, outfoxing the paranormal, queer, series review, subverted horror., trans, trans man, trans readathon ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

Fall in love with NOLA swamps

Grandpere's Ghost Swamp by Rachel M. Marsh

March 25, 2026 by LB Leave a Comment

I was immediately drawn to Grandpere’s Ghost Swamp because of its wonderful cover, and the synopsis absolutely sold it. I loved Basil trying to figure out what she wants to do for career day (which absolutely is NOT restaurant even though her parents believe she’ll be third generation!) while also dealing with the grief of losing her g’pere. But at his funeral, she sees his ghost and he sends her on a quest of sorts to learn more about their Cajun roots, and along the […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Children's Books, Fiction Tagged With: cajun, ecology, ghost story, ghosts, grief, Louisiana, middle grade, New Orleans, NOLA, Rachel M. Marsh

LB's CBR18 Review No:5 · Genres: Audiobooks, Children's Books, Fiction · Tags: cajun, ecology, ghost story, ghosts, grief, Louisiana, middle grade, New Orleans, NOLA, Rachel M. Marsh ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Anti-colonial historical fantasy

Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui

March 25, 2026 by LB Leave a Comment

I had such high hopes for Aicha because I love angry women, mythology, and historical fiction, so this sounded like it’d be exactly my jam. Unfortunately all those expectations fell flat. I wouldn’t say this is a bad book, and there were elements I enjoyed, I just don’t know that I’d say I enjoyed the book as a whole. Aicha is about the youngest daughter of a weapons smith, who is also a rebel, and how she also fights for her people’s liberation. But inside […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, History Tagged With: 2026 release, colonialism, debut, djinn, historical fantasy, Morocco, muslim author, muslim character, orbit publishing, Portugal, sisterhood, Soraya Bouazzaoui

LB's CBR18 Review No:4 · Genres: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, History · Tags: 2026 release, colonialism, debut, djinn, historical fantasy, Morocco, muslim author, muslim character, orbit publishing, Portugal, sisterhood, Soraya Bouazzaoui ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic

Please read Jessica Lewis!

Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic by Jessica Lewis

February 8, 2026 by LB Leave a Comment

I’ve loved Jessica Lewis’s books since her debut, Bad Witch Burning, and each new release just further cements how much I love her books and stories. After Nav’s book last year, I knew I needed to and could not wait to get my hands on Hallie’s book, and this was so good!! Hallie feels like she’s a failure and not good enough, especially after a few of her exes have treated her poorly or denigrated her, plus the pressure from her parents to be The […]

Filed Under: Featured, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: academic summer camp, bisexual, Black romance, friendship, Jessica Lewis, lesbian, queer lit, Romance, romcom

LB's CBR18 Review No:3 · Genres: Featured, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult · Tags: academic summer camp, bisexual, Black romance, friendship, Jessica Lewis, lesbian, queer lit, Romance, romcom ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing

Brutally beautiful historical fantasy

A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang

February 4, 2026 by LB Leave a Comment

I was immediately drawn to this book, but struggled with eyeball reading, so I was so glad when I got an advance listening copy as well, especially so I wouldn’t be butchering the Chinese words and intonations. This is really intense and deals with a lot of really difficult topics, and it’s hard to say any of the characters (though especially Ba) were likable, but the ending left me with a feeling of hope and healing. Told through three (four?) perspectives, A Beast Slinks Towards […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, History Tagged With: Alice Evelyn Yang, authoritiaism, China, Chinese folklore, colonialism, Communism, demons, east Asia folklore, fox, fox spirits, generational trauma, generations, jackalope, Japan, magical realism, Manchuria, Oni

LB's CBR18 Review No:2 · Genres: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, History · Tags: Alice Evelyn Yang, authoritiaism, China, Chinese folklore, colonialism, Communism, demons, east Asia folklore, fox, fox spirits, generational trauma, generations, jackalope, Japan, magical realism, Manchuria, Oni ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
The Disaster Gay Detective Agency

Disasters indeed!

The Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev A.C. Rosen

January 11, 2026 by LB 1 Comment

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way influences my review. I’ve loved Lev AC Rosen’s books for a while now, and seeing he had a new contemporary mystery I knew I needed to get my hands on it. And this does not disappoint! It’s such a delightful, chaotic mess of a book, and I love the main characters so much. Brandon is a gay Jewish man living in New York and working for a hotel […]

Filed Under: Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Mystery Tagged With: achillean, friendship, Lev A.C. Rosen, Lev AC Rosen, messy gay friends, murder mystery, mystery, queer, queer lit, sapphic

LB's CBR18 Review No:1 · Genres: Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Mystery · Tags: achillean, friendship, Lev A.C. Rosen, Lev AC Rosen, messy gay friends, murder mystery, mystery, queer, queer lit, sapphic ·
Rating:
· 1 Comment
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Recent Comments

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    on Sex Cult and Wellness Startup
    It left me feeling bored, which is a problem. I'm glad that Pooja also rated it on the lower side,...
  • narfna
    on Sex Cult and Wellness Startup
    I almost added this to my TBR when I saw you were reading it, but I'm glad I waited for...
  • Emmalita
    on “You do not need to be afraid. You do not have to be good…You are the scariest thing in the woods.”
    I think there is more visibility for stories with older and middle aged women. I’m here for it.
  • beereadsbooks
    on “You do not need to be afraid. You do not have to be good…You are the scariest thing in the woods.”
    I'm really enjoying what feels like an increase in good stories about middle aged women. Maybe they just didn't come...
  • Pooja
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    What a coincidence! I just read this book too, though I think it worked a bit better for me -...
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