Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Dusty town It’s a busy village Every day Like the one before Little town Full of little people Wanting to say, WHERE THE F IS SUNDAY?

The Lost Sunday by Iléana Surducan

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I won’t say a lot about the themes or story of The Lost Sunday by Iléana Surducan as it is pretty traditional. There are fairy tale tropes, the ideas are what you would expect for an Odyssey like journey of a young girl to the witches lair. The illustrations are amusing, cute, clever, simple and detailed simultaneously. There are good colors to them, without being too bold or too muted. They are supportive of the story. There are not a lot of surprises for big […]

Axolotls are all the rage

Max, a Little Axolotl #1 (An Original Graphic Novel) by Joey Spiotto

Axolotl and Axolittle by Jess Hitchman and Sarah Rebar

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I cannot say that Max, a Little Axolotl #1 (An Original Graphic Novel) is the best book I have ever read. I cannot even say it was a great book. Joey Spiotto made a cute story about coming out of your comfort zone, friendship and even a little bit about axolotls.  The thing is, as an adult, I can like and appreciate the book, but it was slightly too simple for my personal tastes. Therefore, at least five and up would be a good read-to […]

She has a secret

Ellie Has a Secret by Amelia Bothe

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While I enjoyed Amelia Bothe’s Ellie Has a Secret, (due mid-August 2025) for the story, I mostly enjoyed the illustrations. The story itself is not new (which is about a child having a secret that makes the “tummy wobbles” happen), but the illustrations really grabbed my attention. They are not overly colorful, but do not lack in that area either. They are detailed, but not overly so. Sometimes they can be a bit busy, but it does not distract or take away from the experience. […]

Kai didn’t recognize this place at all; it was a memory of somewhere he had never been

Witch King by Martha Wells.

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With the new Murderbot adaption airing right now, I’ve been on the look out for more of Martha Wells books. The only other works of hers I’ve read have been The Books of the Raksura Series, which were mostly quite good—very different from Murderbot—but sort of a mixed bag overall. But one thing you cannot accuse Martha Wells of is lacking in creativity. Witch King is, again, vastly different from any of her previous novels, both in setting and narrative style. But it also shares […]

Diabetes and demon summoning, oh my!

Mixing Magics by Clare Edge

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I was semi-recently diagnosed as T2 diabetic, so as soon as I saw Ber’s story I knew I needed to get my hands on it, even as my experiences are different from hers (and not just because she accidentally summons demons with her finger sticks lol), and I loved Accidental Demons so much. I’m so glad I was able to read Mixing Magics early and now have the opportunity to scream at everyone to pick it up. Mixing Magics picks up about a month after […]

“For even to listen to the story of the Trưng Sisters is, in these troubled times, a dangerous act.”

Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen

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The Trưng sisters, Trắc and Nhi, are as different than each other than sisters can be, but they are united in one thing – their outrage at the treatment of the Viet by the colonizing Han Chinese. When their outrages grow too heavy to bear, they raise an army of women to fight back. It occurred to me while I was reading this book that not only do I know very little about Vietnam past the eponymous war (and even that mostly through the eyes […]



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