Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The woods are lovely dark and deep

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

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In a dark medieval Russian forest, the tomboy daughter of the local chief, Vasya, just wants to continue with her wild and pagan ways- running through the woods, riding horses, communing with the minor domestic and farmyard gods. These ways put Vasya at odds with her stepmother as well as the Church, personified by the local priest.  The stepmother and the priest push Vasya’s father to marry her off, which bodes ill for the village as a whole- the bonds that keep evil forces at […]

I have many thoughts, for which I’m having trouble finding words

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

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I didn’t know Susanna Clarke had a new novel until I spotted it on a trip to my favorite local bookstore. So many of us read and loved Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, with its elaborate plot, beautifully crafted characters, and Dickensian story-telling, I wondered how her new novel, so slim, would compare. Piranesi is as different from Jonathan Strange as it is equally wonderful. Piranesi lives in a house with many rooms, great halls, long corridors, and labyrinths. The lower level provides him with […]

What’s going on under there?

Something’s Wrong!: A Bear, a Hare, and Some Underwear by Jory John

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Perhaps Something’s Wrong!: A Bear, a Hare, and Some Underwear is more of a 2.5 than a solid two, as the ending does have a slight twist one does not necessarily see coming and it was amusing. However, the ending was also flawed for me. Bear leaves home thinking they have forgotten something in Jory John’s picture book. They just cannot put their finger on it. Bear travels the forest, meeting friends, and is nervous about the thing he forgot; the thing that is “wrong” […]

My Little Pony meets Gulliver’s Travels

Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire

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I think that Across the Green Grass Fields, the sixth Wayward Children novella, might be the first fully stand-alone story set in the same world as the previous six. This had so much potential and the world that Regan wanders into is fascinating. Problem is that there is so little plot, not much world or character development, and the whole thing feels kind of rushed. The basic premise is still there; not long after a major personal trauma the protagonist finds a door to a […]

A semi-disappointing read from an author I usually enjoy.

The Sumage Solution (San Andreas Shifters, #1) by G.L. Carriger

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Maybe because this was self-published, but this was one of the most fanficky romance novels I’ve ever read. And that’s not a negative! It was sort of bonkers in the way it just went for it. I liked the first half much better than the second half, though, in that regard. Then it sort of went off the rails at the end. I still enjoyed it, but at least to me, it was obvious this book was self-published. It felt much less polished than other […]

Afflicted by a hero.

Dune Messiah (Dune, #2) by Frank Herbert

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Hoo boy, talk about conflicting thoughts and feelings. This book (at least my edition) starts with an introduction by Frank Herbert’s son, Brian, who has shepherded the world of Dune since his father’s death, co-writing books with Kevin J. Anderson and making sure his father’s stories and legacy are safe. This is nice of him! He clearly admired his father very much. Anyway, in the intro, he posits that Dune Messiah wasn’t nearly as well-received by fans and critics because Herbert does something unique to […]



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