Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Some people steal to stay alive, and some steal to feel alive. Simple as that.”

A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1) by V.E. Schwab

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In one word: Even-keeled This book was a gift from Cannonball Gift Exchange this year (thanks Deborah!) so I thought it a fitting first read and review of the year. It was on my to-read list, though I had no recollection of it which makes it a perfect gift! I’ve been getting more into fantasy and magical tales lately so was excited to dive into a new series. Schwab has written a magical tale with interesting world-building but in the end, I think that the […]

Family Drama

The Pinhoe Egg by Diana Wynne Jones

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In my 2022 quest to read Diana Wynne Jones’ full body of work, I’m running down the Chrestomanci books first. After completing The Lives of Christopher Chant and Charmed Life last year, I’ve moved on to The Pinhoe Egg. Picking up about a year after Charmed Life ends, The Pinhoe Egg focuses on a huge family of Dwimmers, or nature-magical mages, who are trying their best to keep their magical abilities away from what they believe is the oppressive oversight of Chrestomanci. Things have gone fine for years, with them […]

Are Giants Scarier than Climate Change?

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

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If I made a short list of the books that mattered to me as a teenager in the late 90’s, the Weetzie Bat series by Francesca Lia Block would be at the top. I have vivid memories of finding their brightly colored covers in the teen section of the library and checking them out over and over to read her dreamy, magical stories of life in a fantasy LA. Love in the Time of Global Warming is a much later novel of hers, coming out […]

“I liked maps that didn’t lead to destinations. I was all about the journey, refusing to give intense thought as to where it would trap me.”

Bad Luck Bridesmaid by Alison Rose Greenberg

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First off, I’ve seen several places billing this as a second-chance romance. It’s most decidedly not; while Zoey’s romantic arc is a major feature of the book, it’s secondary to her own growth as a person. Zoey is a self-proclaimed free spirit, perfectly content to be by herself. Her version of happiness is not having plans, not being tied down to anything, and the worst thing she can imagine is being permanently stuck with someone forever. But while she loves rom-coms, she’s never been in […]

All Aboard the Murderbot Bandwagon!

All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Artificial Condition: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

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Another shoutout to Emmalita for the gift of these two books, the first in Martha Wells’ Murderbot series. The Murderbot Diaries have been reviewed often and glowingly here on CBR and my reviews will not be much different! I am loving this series and will absolutely be reading the rest.  Murderbot is the name that the main character has given itself. It is a SecUnit, i.e., a security unit, that is a hybrid of robotic and human parts. SecUnits are equipment rented out to research […]

Who’s That Knocking On My Door?

The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

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When Bobbi Anderson stumbles over a metallic object in the woods behind her house, she inadvertently starts a disastrous chain of events. As she begins digging up the object with the help of her friend, the drunken poet Jim Gardener, it begins to take a curious hold over the two of them and everyone else in the small town of Haven, Maine. Soon the residents find themselves in possession of strange new abilities, such as the capacity to read each other’s minds. After a period […]



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