Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

When Lovecraft Has His Pigeons Come Home to Roost.

The Regicide Report by Charles Stross

by Leave a Comment

I did it, I finally got to the last mainstream Laundry Files Book! Spoilers for previous books abound. It the interim between The Labyrinth Index and The Regicide Report, Stross wrote a few books in a branch off series about the New Management—which is the nickname given to The Mandate’s government in the UK. I only mention this here, because I read these books before The Regicide Report came out, and because they are set rather later on than The Regicide Report, I knew there […]

Bingo catchup post

The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

by Leave a Comment

Fetter was raised to be a weapon. From a young age, his mother has groomed him to one day assassinate his father, the messianic cult leader known as The Perfect and Kind. She even severed Fetter’s shadow, rendering him practically weightless. As a teenager, Fetter decides he doesn’t want to be a weapon and heads to the city of Luriat to live an unassuming life. However, he isn’t able to avoid upheaval for long. He attends a support group for failed Chosen Ones (they’re fairly […]

I feel like I read two different novels

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

by 1 Comment

CBR18 BINGO: 26, because it was published in 2026 Just shy of the halfway point in This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, I was struggling to understand why it came so highly recommended. At the start of the novel, the heroine, Maggie, finds herself alone and naked in a ditch, in a world that she knows from her favorite fantasy series. While not a completely new premise, it’s a provocative setup. Maggie’s initial challenge is to find food, clothes, and shelter, and for that she […]

Cats are Magic!

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat by Syou Ishida, E. Madison Shimoda (Translator)

by 2 Comments

I read the first book (this title minus “Another”) last summer. I’m a crazy cat lady, so it touched my heart and soul. Gratuitous cat shots (Osiris on left, Horus on right): There’s a pretty magical mental health clinic in Japan called The Kokoro Clinic for the Soul that appears for people when they need it. I totally loved the first book. It made me laugh and cry. This one did too. I was sobbing near the end. The first book was definitely better, but […]

Don’t debate, celebrate reading!

The Secret Society of the Willbrook Witches by Camille Perron-Cormier

Chickenpox by Remy Lai

by Leave a Comment

Lately, I’ve been debating a lot about whether I should write a review about some books I read. I like writing reviews for books. I love sharing my finds with others. Especially my children, middle readers and young adult reading, as it has been my experience that sometimes they are “shoved to the side” as afterthoughts, or dismissed as “just kids books,” or “not as good as adult reads.” I could go on. But back to debating on if I should review The Secret Society […]

Edwardian Snow White Mixed With Hindu Mythology

The Serpent's Shadow by Mercedes Lackey

by Leave a Comment

Maya Whitherspoon fled to England after her father’s death, hoping that her parents’ enemies won’t follow her.  With her untrained magic and skills as a doctor, she starts to make a home for herself in England.  Peter Scott has been tasked by the organization of Elemental Masters he belongs to to find the source of magic that has appeared in London.  When he finds Maya, it doesn’t take him long to realize that she needs training in her magical abilities.  But as death starts stalking […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo