Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Think if fantasy world Romeo and Juliet had better or absent parents

City of Lies by Sam Hawke

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I made myself a promise: no more starting a new read until I finish the four partially read books on my coffee table. Not counting the occasional graphic novel. At least one of those books has been on that coffee table unfinished for I think a year, maybe a little more. I here review not that book, but one that I knew I could finish and review before 2018 runs out. I started City of Lies over the summer (July, I think?), got 2/3 way […]

“LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?”

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett

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Its been quite awhile since I read my last Discworld novel, but I wanted to read Hogfather this year (a goal I will be missing by a few days, but I’ve got it out from the library) and my need to read the various subseries in their orders meant I decided to go back and pick up where I left off with Death. I found myself with Reaper Man (and Soul Music) in my to read queue. Death (in all caps) is a loveable character […]

“When I was born, the word for what I was did not exist.”

Circe by Madeline Miller

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Circe has been topping a lot of people’s Best Of books this year and for good reason. It is a well written, interesting take on several well known Greek myths but doesn’t require an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology to enjoy (although Madeline Miller is obviously a Greek mythology fan girl). Nymph-turned-witch Circe is the daughter of Helios; she is never meant to rule kingdoms because while she is immortal she is not a God. She finds happiness being a nanny to her siblings but […]

“It’s a brave new world, Mr. Portman, And we’ll be right behind you.”

A Map of Days (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #4) by Ransom Riggs

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No exaggeration- it took me an entire month to finish Ransom Rigg’s Map of Days. I could say that the lure of television, the Internet and an endless calendar of holiday activities that impeded my ability to complete the fourth installment of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children but that wouldn’t be the truth. The truth is this was an awful book but the completionist in me felt determined to ride it out. I had actually planned this to be my ‘This is the End’ bingo square […]

In the nick of time, my first ever CANNONBALL!

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

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My first ever Cannonball! I’m super proud of this, as I’ve been doing CBR for a few years (off and on) and have never managed more than a half-Cannonball before. I’m going to try to achieve this goal again next year. Now on to my final proper review of the year. Natasha Pulley’s The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is a lovely, lovely book. It sits at the crossover between historical fiction and fantasy, but just barely steps over the line into the fantastical. It is […]

Turning Silver Into Gold

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

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I was so excited to get Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik as part of the book exchange because I loved Uprooted and had read and enjoyed the first book in Novik’s Temeraire series this summer. This is a loose (very loose) retelling of Rumpelstiltskin set in a past both realistic and imaginary and involving three young women.  Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, and she takes over her father’s business when his inability to demand payment leaves her family almost destitute and her […]



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