Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Supporting Women’s Wrongs

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless

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  The Children of Gods and Fighting Men (the first book in Shauna Lawless’ Gael Song trilogy) has been on my TBR for a while now. I’ve gone on a bit of a historical/fae kick during January (I also recently finished Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel), so I figured this was a good time to read it. The book is a (mostly) true narrative of Irish history at the end of the 10th century, with some fantastical elements sprinkled in. I didn’t know […]

Weres and their mates

Mate by Ali Hazelwood

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Shortly after I finished Bride by Ali Hazelwood, the second book in this world: Mate (2025), became available. So, I quickly read that one as well. In many ways, Mate is very similar to Bride in that it is a love story involving weres, humans, and vampyres. We meet Serena at the end of Bride. She is best friends with Bride‘s protagonist, and she’d been kidnapped because she was half-were and half human–something heretofore unheard of in this world. At the very end of Bride, Koen Alexander, the Alpha wolf of the Northwest pack runs into […]

just like a leaf

 I Am a Leaf by Angelo Mozzillo and Marianna Balducci

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The year 2026 is going to be a good year for new titles. The mid-summer months are also looking to be strong with such titles as August’s  I Am a Leaf by Angelo Mozzillo and illustrated by Marianna Balducci.  Artistic and poetic, the book conjures a great “creating the feelings” story. For adults as much (if not more so) as kids due to the airy qualities of the child seemingly floating along the pages. If you are a solo reading child, you will be able […]

If anyone can, a magical Yeti… might

Penny and the Yeti b by Jimmy Gaspero and Amber Akin

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When April 2026 comes, you readers of this review will have a plethora of choices. And I hope one of those is Penny and the Yeti by Jimmy Gaspero and Amber Akin. Read via an online reader copy, I plan on finding a finished copy as there are some things I think might make more sense if I can physically hold a book in hand and explore this deceptively simple seeming story. This book is not perfect. Which, yes, is an odd thing to start […]

Elastic tension lashed their cars together across space, alone on the road, nothing in his head but grief and freedom.

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

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Andrew held the clutch and eased onto the gas, pushing revs while the digital readout reminded him to hold it, wait for the right moment to explode. Sam’s fingers touched the rim of the moon hanging in the sky. A shudder ripped across the bones of Andrew’s forearms, terror and delight and the promise of risk bringing him to life. ― Lee Mandelo, Summer Sons For fuck’s sake Andrew. Is there anything in this scenario that feels heterosexual or well-adjusted to you? ― Lee Mandelo, […]

When you’re near this hole in the ground, you’re in deep doo-doo

The Deep Well by Laura Creedle

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The Deep Well by Laura Creedle Is it real or imaginary or something else? There were a few plot holes for me, but overall it was a nice read. Well, not nice but cozy … okay not cozy, I mean… Okay, just read it and you’ll know what I mean. Triggers include, but are not limited to: death, violence, cults, bullying, assault, gun violence, stalking, suggested assault of a minor. April, the main character of Creedle’s story, is almost 17. She is waiting for her […]



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