Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Put your SPF 5000 on and hit the beach

Vampire Vacation by Laura Lavoie

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Okay, I admit, Vampire Vacation is a little cheesy. But it is a fun and adorable cheesy! The idea of “trying something new” has been done before, but the twist is that this time Fang (a young, sassy vampire boy) wants his parents to try something new. Which is, not to take the same old family trip to Transylvania (even though the brochure promises it never gets old, Fang disagrees). Even with the several false starts in the attempts by Fang in Laura Lavoie’s picture […]

I feel like there’s a Tracy Chapman song in there somewhere

Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas

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I feel like Tracy Chapman could read Wildseed Magic by Marti Dumas and find a song or five to write about. This is an absolutely lovely novel aimed at tweens ages 10-14. It is literally about Black Girl Magic. For a novel that could very easily be compared in many ways with Harry Potter, I would recommend this one any day of the week over that series. It has a multitude of themes and all of them are handled with a deft touch. It centers […]

Believe the hype: a masterclass in tension

Jade City by Fonda Lee

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Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga books have garnered numerous SFF award nominations and have been talked about quite a lot on social media. And with good reason: this was the most stressful reading experience I think I’ve ever had. There are just so many setups for things to go horribly wrong that I almost felt relieved when they did go wrong. Kekon is an island that has thrown off the yoke of its imperial masters but still faces threats from all sides–and from within. What was a freedom […]

When reality plays whack-a-mole

At the End of Your Tether by Adam Smith

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All I want to say about At the End of Your Tether is that it is the result when what seems like reality takes a walk in the other side. I mean, there is no logic to this illogical ride of madness, time travel, alternative realities overlapping and coming of age. Adam Smith, you might be a nice person, but you have one heck of a warped mind. What starts out as a graphic novel of a teen name Ludo moving to the Air Force […]

No amount of sugar could sweeten the deal

Lemonade Code by Jarod Pratt

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I really have no idea what I read in Lemonade Code by Jarod Pratt. At first, it seemed like it might be a funny story about a boy and girl (he a mad scientist; she his new perky neighbor with a big ol’ cat) and how they have lemonade stands that rival each other. There was the diverse cast which was a plus. I did not expect it to turn out to be a full on “kill or be killed” with nanobots, bullies and a […]

Old School Hollywood with Demon Deals

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

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Holy crap, I want more! Siren Queen is the story of Luli Wei, a star who stole her sister’s name to become famous and became the monster in many films, but also managed to find love and friendship outside the monstrous side of Hollywood. There are elements of this that remind me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, mainly the narration style and the old Hollywood setting. But do not go into Siren Queen expecting the same story or same kinds of characters. Luli […]



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