Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Running straight into the mouth of danger….screaming all the way

Skull Cat (Book One): Skull Cat and the Curious Castle by Norman Shurtliff

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It is Scully the Cat’s first day as the new garden-keeper at a spooky castle. And by his second day, everyone has gone missing. Is it ghosts? Vampires? Goblins? Dark Sorcerers? Something worse?  You now know the tone of Skull Cat (Book One): Skull Cat and the Curious Castle by Norman Shurtliff. It is just off-the-walls bonkers. Scully is a clumsy, loving son, who is not cut out for adventure. But of course, he lands face first into it. And so much more. With his […]

Yummy yummy yum, in my tummy tummy tum…with a side order of history

Yummy: A History of Desserts by Victoria Grace Elliott

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Yummy: A History of Desserts by Victoria Grace Elliott (author and illustrator) is an amazingly fun book. However, it can be a little dense at times and therefore, is not a quick read. It is a treat for the budding chef/pastry lover and an amazing addition for the classroom to help teach history so it is relatable. From cookies, cakes, pies, gummies and more, you get all the treats!  Tasty: A History of Yummy Experiments is book two (or the companion) graphic novel (where things […]

A Journey of Survival and Self-Discovery With A Complex Character

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

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This is not a hero’s story. Author Sara Hashem says in a video that Sylvia is going to be a divisive character because she makes terrible choices, but I’m not sure I agree with that. She makes human choices. She makes selfish choices informed by her trauma. Her choices aren’t that of a hero but that of someone trying to survive. No, I didn’t always like her choices and how at times they convey a lack of empathy or connection to others, but I also […]

There’s a Girl in a Tower, But This Isn’t Her Story

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

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If you know me, you know that a good fairytale retelling or interpretation is totally my jam. Robin McKinley had me by the throat for years thanks to Beauty, Deerskin, Spindle’s End, etc. So when I learned that T. Kingfisher, an author whose books I’ve previously enjoyed (and who is a delightful follow on used-to-be-Twitter), had a re-telling of Sleeping Beauty, I was more than down. Thornhedge is the story of Toadling, who was stolen by the faeries as a newborn babe, adopted by a […]

Sometimes you just need to read a gay fish isekai comedy novel

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish (Volume 1) by Xue Shan Fei Hu

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This was such a fun treat! I saw this on TikTok and then looked at it a couple of times at the bookstore until I couldn’t resist anymore and gave in. I’m glad I did because I really did enjoy this and am looking forward to the next three volumes. I like a complete series and this one is done and just needs to be translated and published over here. This was the first danmei novel I’ve read, but I knew about some of the […]

Intriguing Beginning, Lukewarm Follow-Through

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

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I don’t have much to say about this book. It was fine. I liked it enough to finish reading it but probably not enough to bother with the sequels, especially since it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger. The pacing is too slow and there isn’t enough character development to justify that pace. Spoilers ahead. We follow Ceony, a new graduate of a magic school. Magicians bond to specific man-made elements and she wanted metal, but due to a lack of paper magicians, that’s what she […]



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