Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Should have stayed on the farm

Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith

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Babe, the movie, may or may not have been in my movie viewing. However, I am going to assume that it is only like Babe the Gallant Pig, the book, in the fact there is a pig, farmer and sheep. I can only imagine there is more emotion to the movie. The book has “Babe did this” and “The sheep said this” action. Everything is clinical. Even the action is actionless. (Spoiler) The big scene where Babe saves the sheep from the other dogs, I […]

Percy Jackson and the Thief of Lightning

The Lighning Thief by Rick Riordan

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I put off reading these books all this time because I always assumed they were just another one of those series of books capitalizing on the astounding success of Harry Potter. Having read it, I think that may be unfair, but not wholly unfounded. I didn’t think this book was particularly good, but numerous sequels, a failed movie franchise, and viable name recognition for it’s author are all a result of a driving need for something to fill the void of a Harry Potter franchise […]

An Urban Fantasy Noir with an Intriguing World, but with a Slow Burn Pace that Doesn’t Sizzle Quite Enough

The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold

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Unintentionally, this is the second novel I have ended up reading so far this year that takes place in a setting where magic used to exist freely, but has since disappeared, causing major changes to society in its wake. But despite this seeming similarity, both novels are very different from one another. While the first used the concept of returning magic in a YA quest, using the injustices of the class structure to create a direct allegory to the violence committed against black communities in […]

Using Lovecraft Against Himself

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin

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I have to admit: I tried to read N. K. Jemisin’s Fifth Season but had to put it down. The world and premise was good, but something about the style bothered me. I then picked up The City We Became which has an equally interesting premise. I still had some issues with the style, but I did manage to finish it. The City We Became is set in a world where major cities eventually develop avatars, people who represent the spirit of that place incarnate. […]

So close to five stars.

The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables & Reflections by Neil Gaiman

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I kind of almost want to give this one five stars. And it was all short stories! I’ve been slowly making my way through Sandman since last year, but this is really the first time I feel like I’ve really gotten what this series was about. It was just great from beginning to end. Each of the nine stories were great in their own way, and they tied together thematically as well, but in that subtle way that sneaks up on you slowly. Normally, there’s […]

An adventure in name, but almost not in reality

The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman

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The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman had a lot of potential. But it never really got off the ground. Sure, it had a James Bond meets every Ghost Ship story you know. And sure, the graphic novel illustrations were nice. Fred Fordham did To Kill A Mockingbird that I enjoyed. And I would like to see his adaptation of The Great Gatsby this summer. But something about the overall package never “did it” for me. The story has elements of […]



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