Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Real villains

The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill

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As of this writing/posting of the review for The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill I am only halfway through. I published before finishing as I had some ideas I wanted to put down as I was/am not completely sure why this book has critics excited. It is terribly slow, and the real action does not start to take place until the middle of the book. And then, when things are about to finally happen, the orphan that meets the Ogress is asleep with […]

A weekend and a lunch read

Origin of a Hero (She-Ra Chapter Book #1) by Tracey West

What Will I Discover by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

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Two books that found their way to my reading pile were a middle reader chapter book and a short, but ultimately fascinating picture book. While they are both radically different and not exactly completely available (She-Ra looks like it is out of print and the picture book is due May 2023) they are ones that made a weekend a little less unproductive, and a lunch less solo. Origin of a Hero (She-Ra Chapter Book #1) by Tracey West (illustrations by Amanda Schank) is a short […]

A Science Fiction-ish Fantasy with Dragons to Start Your New Year

The Keeper's Six by Kate Elliott

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I enjoyed The Keeper’s Six so much. I’ve been wanting to dive into Kate Elliott, and The Keeper’s Six, a stand-alone short novel seemed perfect. First of all, the protagonist in this book is a woman older than I am. It is very rare to see a 60-year old woman as a kick ass protagonist when she isn’t also immortal. Esther is a grandmother. Secondly, this book has dragons. A dragon is the antagonist. Thirdly, this book is quite Jewish, which is refreshing. I’m hoping […]

Quick Reviews

Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews

Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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Sweep of the Heart (5 stars)- This was freaking fantastic. Dina and Sean definitely show us what two innkeepers can do when everything they have is on the line. I can’t wait for the next book! “Sweep of the Heart” follows the awesome events in the last book and novella. Dina and Sean have hit a nice rhythm until things take a turn and one of Sean’s werewolves friends gets kidnapped. The kidnappers have dropped him on a planet with a portal that will be […]

Beauty and the Beast with no Stockholm syndrome and more magic

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

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In 2020 I read Naomi Novik’s, Spinning Silver, which I found to be an excellent reimaging of Rumpelstiltskin.  I finished the review with,  “Uprooted is going on my “wish list”.  Between then and now I got Uprooted in a Cannonball fundraiser but it has sat on the shelf.  I had this slated for the “Bird” square in Cannonball Bingo because of the bird on the cover.  However, I ran out of time and used Transmetropolitan volume 2: Lust for Life instead. I’ve long been a fan of […]

Mid-trilogy shift from Snarky Magical Adventure to a Demon Endless Philosophy

Quicksilver Court by Melissa Caruso

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Quicksilver Court is an interesting middle installment; there’s a lot of set up for future things and not much is resolved. What’s interesting is that a key question from the first book is answered about halfway through; usually you have to wait until book 3 for that. What happens here though is that that reveal sets up both a good bit of probably character development (or at least soul searching) as well as the final major plot conflict. Ryx, Severin, and the rest of the […]



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