Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A fairytale picaresque

Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick deWitt

by 1 Comment

Patrick deWitt doesn’t know it, but I have high expectations for his novels. His 2011 book The Sisters Brothers is one of my favorite reads, a comedic adventure that I absolutely could not put down. I was less of a fan of his 2018 novel French Exit, but decided to give Undermajordomo Minor a try anyway, with the hope that he would be able to recapture the magic that made The Sisters Brothers so enjoyable. It didn’t quite do the trick for me, but there is still a lot […]

Stars and Stones

Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

Battle Ground by Jim Butcher

by 1 Comment

Let’s be honest, if you are reading this review then you are probably a big fan of the Dresden Files already. These are books 16 and 17 in the series after all.  It had been a while since we last saw Harry and the gang and I was really happy with his return. I first started the Dresden Files back in 2012 or 13 and read books 1-10 in an obscenely short amount of time, like a month. I was deployed and very bored at […]

The one percent control magic, too!

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

by Leave a Comment

I received this book as part of last year’s holiday book exchange (thank you coffeeshopreader for yet ANOTHER outstanding choice!). Having never read any of Leigh Bardugo’s books but having seen them glowingly reviewed here, I thought it was time to see what the fuss is about. Ninth House is definitely worthy of fuss, and I am already looking forward to the next volume. This fantasy novel is set in New Haven, Connecticut, at Yale University, and at heart it is a detective novel with […]

The ones without names

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

by 1 Comment

When I was a kid, I was deep into Greek and Roman mythology. That interest stayed with me during Greek and Latin classes in high school, but once I was lured into the traps of modern literary fiction, I never really looked back. Recently, a slew of retellings of famous mythological stories started coming out, including some that tell these stories from new points of view. (I will read you eventually, Circe.) I’m not sure why I decided to pick up The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, […]

Cannonballing to the end of the world with Sandman Slim

King Bullet by Richard Kadrey

by 8 Comments

King Bullet, the last book in the Sandman Slim series, is a pandemic baby, and you know it. It is steeped in isolation, anxiety, and the futile desire for simple answers in the face of complex problems. And it’s James Stark, so there’s violence, mayhem, hidden Hollywood, and heavenly hosts. James Stark was sent to hell alive by his magician friends who were jealous of his powers. While there, he became Sandman Slim, the monster who kills monsters. Stark escaped from Hell to wreak vengeance […]

Young Adult Fantasy now explicitly (eyebrow wiggle) for adults

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout

by Leave a Comment

If you loved Twilight but wished it had sex scenes, this book is for you. If you like clear consent, Tolkien-sized world-building, and an original story, move on. Plot: In a world where a mist full of bloodthirsty Craven roam the wastelands, people live behind huge walls. Their leaders are the Ascended, immortal(ish) creatures who look like people and don’t go out in the daytime (ahem). All second children also Ascend when they become of age. Penellaphe is The Maiden. This means… Well it’s hard to […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo