Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

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This is the second novella in the Wayward Children series, and I was slightly surprised with the topic. The first novella was about a boarding school for children who return from magical worlds reached by cupboards and secret passages, and are having trouble adjusting to life back home because they want to go back.  I expected that the second novella would be more adventures at the boarding school, or possibly explore the idea of other schools.  After all, this is for children that want to […]

Holmes is an Avocado

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis HIll

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Bingo 19 (Cannonballer Says) On 8/7/19, Cannonballer Leedock posted a review for The Affair of the Mysterious Letter. It sounded interesting and got a 5-star review, so I tracked it down. It is most definitely a Sherlock Holmes inspired book, but also very much its own thing. Everything is told by an older John, looking back on his past. The basic gist of the beginning of the mystery is similar to Holmes, with a medical type (alchemist) who has had to leave the Army (Company […]

There Was Once A Girl Named Isabelle

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

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Wow this book was perfection. I laughed, held my breath, cried a bit, and cheered. Donnelly did such a wonderful job with this book I can’t wait to read more from her. “Stepsister” follows what happens after Cinderella (Ella) is locked away and her two stepsisters remove parts of their feet (Tavi cutting away her heel and Isabelle her toes) and are found out by a bird singing in a tree. What follows is the two girls and their mother are shunned by their village […]

Unfortunately, This Was Too Much of a Middle of the Trilogy Filler Novel

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

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I might be remembering incorrectly, but I feel like the first novel in this new series, Renegades, had somewhat mixed reviews.  I actually enjoyed it because I enjoy super hero stories (just because Brandon Sanderson’s Steelheart trilogy exists and is amazing, doesn’t mean there isn’t space to explore other stories like this). Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about Archenemies. Renegades included a lot of set up mixed with plot development and action as well as an amazing reveal at the end.  With that, I […]

Time is a River

The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway

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This was a weird one for me.  It has an interesting premise, and it sets up the beginning so well, but then I am not entirely sure where the author was going with it.  On the one hand, she sets up quite a few things that are never resolved so I assume she may have wanted to use this novel as starting off point for a series but it is almost to boring to be a series.  You can’t hint at a lot of interesting […]

Some non-Sandman Slim from Richard Kadrey

The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey

Dead Set by Richard Kadrey

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I am a big fan of the Sandman Slim series, especially the narration by MacLeod Andrews who just NAILS the character.  Thus, I tried some of the author’s other books, The Grand Dark and Dead Set.  I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect and yet I feel that my expectations were met.  Both books deal with grim worlds and the occult.  I think I could identify them as Kadrey books even without knowing, but that might be some really strong hindsight bias. I read The […]



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