Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The Girl on the (Subway) Train

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

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A.k.a. the time that a weaponised use of Freddie Mercury had me sobbing at 1am with the book pressed against my forehead, begging for a happy ending. Yeah. In my defence, the reason I was doing that was that the book would not let me put it down until I have finished, after I had brazenly decided to start a reading session at 11:30pm in bed, knowing that I was heading into the climax. One Last Stop is Casey McQuiston’s follow up to Red, White and […]

Stunning debut novel inspired by Chinese mythology

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

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BINGO – SNAKE Secrets and hidden identities abound in this debut novel from Sue Lynn Tan. Xingyin is the titular daughter of the moon goddess, Chang’e, but she shouldn’t be alive. Her mother has hidden her existence from the Emperor and Empress of the Immortal Realm in order to keep her safe from danger and harm. For many years, Chang’e and Xingyin lived peacefully with their attendant on the moon in exile. But when Xingyin accidentally alerts the rulers of the Immortal Realm to her […]

This is the slasher send-up I wanted

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

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TW: abuse, alcoholism, self-harm, suicide BINGO: COLD [a portion of the story takes place in the frozen Idaho winter; also there are some cold-blooded murders] Jade is obsessed with horror movies. Specifically she loves slashers. She knows everything there is to know about the movies, the plots, the directors, the film-making process, everything. It is her entire life and personality, to a fault. She doesn’t have much else to do in a small town in Proofrock, Idaho. She even weaves in her slasher obsession into her […]

My first Bingo review!

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

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BINGO: ADAPT/CAMEL I originally “read” this book when I was in high school for my World History AP class. I use quotes there because I read the literal text of this book, but I didn’t actually try to immerse myself in the writing, characters or story. I thought that it was time to fix that especially since this one of the books that I was required to read that wasn’t written by a white guy. Okwonko is a famed man in his Igbo village. He […]

“Here it is possible to be instantly and completely happy.”

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

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CBR14Bingo: Bird — in the sense that the main character is in flight first from the Russian Revolution and then is in a more metaphorical flight through her feelings  This was such a wonderful book, I absolutely loved it! I had read Eva Ibbotson’s children’s books when I was younger, in particular The Secret of Platform 13, but I missed that she also did young adult historical romances, which was a huge oversight on my part. Based off how much I loved this book, I […]

“He wants to punch something, but he knows that would do nothing but bust his knuckles. Having that much sense makes him feel old.”

The Searcher by Tara French

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So this is the first time I am participating in Bingo and I am so excited! I love the card and I have finished a few books, so I am ready to go…. I was out of the ‘mystery’ frame of mind for some time. I think, for a while, I was concerned that many mystery series that I enjoyed portrayed police officers in a way that didn’t sit well with me given so much police inaction and violent action around the US, where I […]



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