Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alex Feeney

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alex Feeney

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One of my favorite kinds of novels – toxic couple tries to fix their marriage with an ill-advised trip. Adam and Amelia are on an anniversary vacation that Amelia won in a raffle. It’s in an old chapel that was previously turned into a home. It’s on the shores of a Scottish loch. The nearby town is deserted.It’s snowing. And they are trapped. Also, Adam has face-blindness, which just complicates things. Things are already tense with the couple, and the mysterious experiences at the chapel […]

“Steve, I’ve been duped!” or, my experience reading Comfort Me With Apples *SPOILERS*

Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

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This is the second of five reviews I’m writing at least 3 weeks after finishing the book, so my recollections may be hazy… However, one thing that is crystal clear in my mind is the feeling I had about 2/3 of the way through Comfort Me With Apples. To be fair to the author and the story, I should have seen it coming. I have a degree in literature, and all the signs were there. But nevertheless, I found myself duped. Before I get into what […]

The Shadows by Alex North

The Shadows by Alex North

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I read this book a month and a half ago, and it seems like a lot has happened since then… I cannot remember all the things I thought while reading this book, but I gave it 4 stars, so I must have liked it. This books follows a man named Paul who has returned to his hometown to care for his ailing mother. Being back home brings back memories of his friendship with some local boys – James, Charlie, and Billy. The latter two are […]

Before Harry Potter, There was Diana Wynne Jones

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci: Vol. I Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci: Vol I The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones

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I was reminded of Diana Wynne Jones when reading Gaiman’s The View from the Cheap Seats. I had a vague recollection of knowing her name, and decided to go check out her work. It turns out, I was a huge Jones fan as a child and just didn’t know it. I read several of her books in elementary and middle school, and aside from my father reading Lord of the Rings to me, Jones’ work was one of my first real introductions to fantasy. My library had The […]

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year INDEED, Rebecca Gulka!

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Hooray for amazing book exchanges, and incredibly wonderful virtual friends sending incredible books.  I cannot WAIT to dig into these two books!  Rebecca Gulka, you lovely tropical fish, I cannot thank you enough!  And, as always, many thanks to the remarkable FaintingViolet for her generosity of spirit setting this all up (and dealing with my annoying questions).  Hugs to you all! 

Run with the Wolves, or Wait for the Bears?

The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan

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I picked this book out from an Audible 2-for-1 sale, and went into it a bit colder than perhaps I should have been.  The basic premise is thus: Catherine the Great brought over a large community of Germans to farm Russia, now known as Ukraine.  The communities were hard working and generationally insular, and though they spoke Russian, they considered themselves to be essentially German.  More importantly, both the Russians and the Nazis considered them to be Germans.  As WWII heated up, many of these […]



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