Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Not all Monsters are evil

Fire by Kristin Cashore

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Official book description: It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men. This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she has the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her […]

Take Me Back to Narnia Y’all (Bingo – I Wish)

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

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My 11 year old is just getting into the Chronicles of Narnia and I’m nudging him on the journey by doing a simultaneous reread of what for me was a childhood favorite. I am sure I haven’t read them since I was his age, so it’s an interesting time traveling exercise to be reading them now, as an adult. I remember them feeling formidable, foreign even, rich in both action and description, wherein I have to actively try to slow myself down in order to […]

“For without contrasts, how does one appreciate the different forms that joy can take?”

How Long 'til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin

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  This seemed like a perfect selection for a Black History Month read (yes, I am VERY behind on writing reviews). N.K. Jemisin is probably best known for her fantastic Broken Earth Trilogy which you should absolutely read if you haven’t. This book is a collection of short speculative fiction stories which are set in places ranging from the Jim Crow South, to the net, to a dystopian earth colony. One returns to the world of the Broken Earth Trilogy and one introduces her new […]

An introduction to Tortall

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce

The Woman who Rides like a Man by Tamora Pierce

Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce

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The 4 books that make up the Song of the Lioness series are Tamora Pierce’s first exploration of her world of Tortall. A western medieval society with chivalry and magic of many kinds. I read the first book in this series (Alanna) when I was a child and for many years never even realised it had sequels. But it stuck with me over the years and about 10 years ago I found the books again and read them all with new eyes. I come back […]

Only two books left now in this series!

The Sandman, Vol. 8: World's End by Neil Gaiman

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My quest to complete reviews for books I read back in April is almost complete. Soon I will move on to May! And then perhaps June, and July. (Ughhhhhh.) My memory on this one isn’t the best, but I remember liking it. Not very much Morpheus, except for hints and cameos (and foreshadowing! What the fuck, Gaiman, just give away your sad plot, why don’t you??) A lot of the stories I liked more than others. There’s a ton of stories within stories action here, […]

Much darker than I remembered

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

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Katsa lives in a series of kingdoms where a small percentage of the populations have a unique ability or grace. These people are known as Gracelings, and the abilities can be benign and useful, like being extremely skilled at baking, cooking, sewing, or in one case, being able to smell exactly what the person in question wants to eat or drink. They can also be dangerous, like Katsa’s extreme fighting ability, which was discovered when she accidentally killed someone in self-defense when she was only […]



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