Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Join the CBR18 Book Bingo Reading Challenge—Now Underway!   

About Malin

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She/her. Constantly overworked teacher of Norwegian and English. Geek and reading enthusiast. Married. Mother of a growing boy, born February 2018. Two cats. The Cannonball-veteran (the only participant - as far as I know - who has participated every year since CBRII). Loves fantasy, kissing books and YA. Strongly opinionated about many things. Perpetually behind on reviews. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: Malin's Quick Questions interview.)

Malin's Reviews:

A twist on Beauty and the Beast in this start to a romantic fantasy duology (I refuse to accept romantasy as a genre, you can’t make me)

Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik

January 23, 2026 by Malin 2 Comments

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC. It has not affected my opinions or my review. About a year ago, the small village where Riela lives alone after the death of her father was threatened by a flood. Riela unlocked magical powers and managed to divert the water and save the village. Now one of the villagers has been savaged by a monster in the woods, and the mostly hostile villagers insist that she go into the forest and dispatch the monster for […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance Tagged With: #fantasy, ARC, beauty and the beast, cbr18, curse, duology, fairy tale, Jessie Mihalik, magic, Malin, mystery, NetGalley, Romance, Silver & Blood

Malin's CBR18 Review No:3 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance · Tags: #fantasy, ARC, beauty and the beast, cbr18, curse, duology, fairy tale, Jessie Mihalik, magic, Malin, mystery, NetGalley, Romance, Silver & Blood ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

Once upon a time, there was a seemingly ugly cygnet (of sorts) and a probably utterly doomed prince

The Swan's Daughter by Roshani Chokshi

January 20, 2026 by Malin Leave a Comment

4.5 stars Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own. Demelza is the seventh and youngest daughter of Araminta, a legendary veritas swan (extremely beautiful women who have the power to turn into swans, and whose voices compel anyone who hears it to tell the truth) and Prava, a centuries-old, very ambitious, and some would say, evil wizard. However, when veritas swans fall in love, the person they love gains control over them through a magical necklace […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: ARC, cbr18, Competition, fairy tale, family, friendship, historical fantasy, magic, NetGalley, Romance, roshani chokshi, swans, The Swan's Daughter, Young Adult

Malin's CBR18 Review No:2 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Romance, Young Adult · Tags: ARC, cbr18, Competition, fairy tale, family, friendship, historical fantasy, magic, NetGalley, Romance, roshani chokshi, swans, The Swan's Daughter, Young Adult ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Yet another fake engagement story with old friends who have secretly loved each other for ever

Only on Gameday by Kristen Callihan

January 12, 2026 by Malin 2 Comments

3.5 stars Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC. My opinions are my own. Introverted and shy Penelope Morrow grew up an only child, but was more or less enveloped by the five children of the Luck family (all named, rather implausibly, for months – the boys, January, March and August, with the twin girls being called May and June), since their mothers were best friends. Outgoing, charming and overachieving, all three Luck boys are handsome and very talented American football players, like […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance, Sports Tagged With: American Football, ARC, cbr18, Contemporary Romance, fake engagement, friends to lovers, Game On, Kristen Callihan, Malin, NetGalley, Only on Gameday, sports

Malin's CBR18 Review No:1 · Genres: Fiction, Romance, Sports · Tags: American Football, ARC, cbr18, Contemporary Romance, fake engagement, friends to lovers, Game On, Kristen Callihan, Malin, NetGalley, Only on Gameday, sports ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments
In a Second by Kate Canterbary

Fake engagements, angst and lots of secrets and lies

In a Second by Kate Canterbary

December 17, 2025 by Malin 2 Comments

3.5 stars This was an ARC from the author. I am very grateful, but my opinions are my own. Audrey Saunders has not seen her former boyfriend, Jude Bellessi, since he showed up at the church, only moments before she was due to get married, to ask her to run away with him instead. Because of a whole host of reasons, Audrey couldn’t tell Jude why she was getting married, and why she broke up with him in the first place and moved across the […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance Tagged With: angst, ARC, cbr17, Contemporary Romance, emotional abuse, fake engagement, friendship, friendship Rhode Island, In a Second, Kate Canterbary, Malin, physical abuse, teachers

Malin's CBR17 Review No:70 · Genres: Fiction, Romance · Tags: angst, ARC, cbr17, Contemporary Romance, emotional abuse, fake engagement, friendship, friendship Rhode Island, In a Second, Kate Canterbary, Malin, physical abuse, teachers ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

No homo for Brad Pitt

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

December 12, 2025 by Malin 3 Comments

Nowhere Book Bingo 25: Reimagining or retelling of a classic CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge: History   Patroclus is exiled from his father’s kingdom after he accidentally kills a boy and is sent into fosterage with King Peleus. Here is where he meets Achilles, whose mother is the sea nymph Thetis. Achilles is supposed to become the greatest warrior who ever lived, and trains diligently to achieve this goal. While they are vastly different, Patroclus and Achilles become sworn companions, and Patroclus accompanies Achilles to train […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, History, Romance Tagged With: #BannedBooks, audio book, cbr17, CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge, Frazer Douglas, gods, greek mythology, heroes, historical fantasy, LGBTQIA, madeline miller, Malin, the song of achilles, war

Malin's CBR17 Review No:69 · Genres: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, History, Romance · Tags: #BannedBooks, audio book, cbr17, CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge, Frazer Douglas, gods, greek mythology, heroes, historical fantasy, LGBTQIA, madeline miller, Malin, the song of achilles, war ·
Rating:
· 3 Comments

“If a book is well-written, I always find it too short”

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

December 7, 2025 by Malin Leave a Comment

4.5 stars CBR17 Bingo: Black (a book with a black cover) I had completely forgotten that I read and reviewed this book back in 2016. My original review can be found here. My plot summary of the more than 200-year-old novel can be found in my previous review. Nevertheless, my reading experience this time around was different enough from earlier times that I wanted to write about some of my thoughts and observations, not to mention some of the points of discussion that came up during my […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Featured, Fiction, History Tagged With: adapted into TV and film, audiobook, cbr17, cbr17bingo, coming-of-age, family drama, historical fiction, Jane Austen, literary classic, Malin, re-read, Regency, romantic, Rosamund Pike, sense and sensibility, Sisters, social satire, the Dark Corner

Malin's CBR17 Review No:66 · Genres: Audiobooks, Featured, Fiction, History · Tags: adapted into TV and film, audiobook, cbr17, cbr17bingo, coming-of-age, family drama, historical fiction, Jane Austen, literary classic, Malin, re-read, Regency, romantic, Rosamund Pike, sense and sensibility, Sisters, social satire, the Dark Corner ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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