Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

When Reality and Fiction Overlap in NYC

The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin

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Bingo 17: North America This might be a little obvious but since The World We Make could actually fit several categories, I’m using for North America because it takes place largely in New York City, and most of the main characters are living avatars of the boroughs of NYC, as well as an avatar for the city overall. The gist of the novel remains similar from the prequel (this is part 2 of a duology): the avatars of Manhattan (Manny), Queens (Padmini), Brooklyn (Brooklyn), Bronx […]

In which we see the other side of the love story

Cassiel's Servant by Jacqueline Carey

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CBR15 Bingo: Relation ‘ship’ – Cassiel’s Servant tells Joscelin’s side of the relationship between him and Phedre as originally depicted in Kushiel’s Dart.  Additionally there are some pivotal moments that happen on a ship. Firstly, I unequivocally love Kushiel’s Dart.  My oldest daughter was named after a character (Ysandre de la Courcel).  I recommend it to people (that I think can handle the bdsm elements) all the time.  There is intrigue, adventure, romance, Gods acting through their mortal chosen, and gorgeous writing.  It’s a book that […]

I liked this upon finishing it five months ago . . .

The Luminaries (The Luminaries, #1) by Susan Dennard

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. . . but I have since had almost everything about it fall out of my head. Had I written this review right after finishing like a good little reviewer, it would have been four stars, but I think the fact that it hasn’t stuck with me and I had to look up so much in order to even write this paltry review is definitely working against the book, and I’ve bumped it down to 3.5 stars, rounded down, as a result. Also I remembered […]

“Don’t swim with the dolphins during a labor dispute. No matter how much they try to convince you otherwise.”

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

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I really enjoyed Starter Villain, and then I put it aside for a couple of weeks (*cough*months*cough*) because I had other reviews that need to be written sooner, and when I came back to write this review, I had a warm fuzzy feeling, but nothing of substance to say. That’s not the worst thing I can say about a book – that all I remember is a good feeling. So I reread Starter Villain, and that was not a chore. I enjoyed it again, though I […]

Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.

The Alchemist by Paul Coehlho

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CBR15 BINGO (On The Road square: Road trip of self-discovery from Spain to Egypt.) BINGO! | Politics to Bodies, Bodies Bodies This was a book we had around the house because my son read it in high school. I think maybe it was a summer reading assignment. He recommended that I read it and it fit the bill for the square, so here we go. A young shepherd in Spain sells his sheep and travels across land and sea in search of a treasure he has only seen in […]

Adding vampires to history and historical fiction, metaphor or plot device?

Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman

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Bingo 16: History Scarlet is basically fan-fic of historical fiction; totally counts for history since the historical part is real (revolutionary-era France). The historical fiction base is The Scarlet Pimpernel, set in the aftermath of the execution of the rulers of France; if you don’t know the story basically the mysterious masked hero from England saves the lives of French nobility by sneaking them out of France while the French authorities try to put a stop to that. So, basically, Batman who is British and […]



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