Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Featured Review Archive

These reviews, which were promoted in CBR social media, on our homepage, and in Pajiba Love, appear below by review publication date, not by date featured.

 

“Demi-human, seek knowledge and grow wise.”

The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms by Nagabe

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First book of the year! This is a volume of short stories set in the same wizarding school for anthropomorphic animals (The Wizdom’s School of Wizarding). A long time ago, a wizard gave animals “the shape and intellect of a human,” creating demi-humans who now go to this wizarding school. The stories are all BL themed, although some of them just have a heavily flirty atmosphere or touch upon homoerotic themes instead of all of the characters ending up in romantic relationships. I enjoyed the […]

The Message

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

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My first book of 2025 (I actually began reading it on 12/30/24) and it Is a doozy. Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Message is primarily interested in the ways that language shapes power and resistance. The introductory section, “Journalism Is Not a Luxury,” addresses just that: the essential role in language and journalism, recording history, in fighting injustice. Coates addresses an unnamed “you” in this section, but this part seems to serve as a thesis statement about writing: “You cannot act upon what you cannot see. And […]

Damnit, Janet

Now or Never: 31 on the Run by Janet Evanovich

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Every year I start out strong and think, maybe this will be my year. I also am that girl who buys a new calendar every January, uses it until the 11th, and then gives up cause Google calendar is easier. But this year I’m NOT buying a calendar, so…. maybe that’s a good sign? (I mean, it’s only January 1st. I haven’t been to Target yet.) Anyway. Spoilers ahead. Lots. This is the 31st installment of these books, and yes, I have read every single one […]

“if not for these pictures, these sturdy images pulled out of the blur of her memory, her life would have no solidity”

Hum by Helen Phillips

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I think your appreciation of this book will depend greatly on how you interact with technology, especially the latest generation of AI-focused innovation. That aside, you’ll also either empathize with May as a mother and find her kids Lu and Sy utterly infuriating or find yourself doing that thing where you insist that those who are struggling financially should be perfect to be seen as “deserving.” All that aside, though, I think the book is slightly less clever than it thinks it is but was […]

The Best/Worst Books of CBR16

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Do you still have holiday shopping to do? If you’ve got book lovers on your list, or if you’re looking for a reward for yourself for making it through 2024, Cannonball Read has got you covered with Best and Worst selections from 24 of its participants, including links to their reviews. (These are books published in any year but were read in 2024.) Find out which books to add to your cart and which ones to stay away from. Check out the best and worst […]

Chaotic Orbits? Yes, Please!

Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis

How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis

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After seeing Beth Revis talk about mocking a particular billionaire in her new sci-fi heist series, I saw that the Audible sale made it very very affordable. So I bought it, listened to it, and then bought the second book on sale, too. Sadly, the third book, Last Chance to Save the World, isn’t out until April. The story is great. The primary narrator, Dara Rosenberg, is a delight. The secondary narrator, David Bendena perfectly expresses his character’s frustration in each book’s epilogue. I highly […]



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