Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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And . . . you were brave enough to let me go.

Ship Happens by Mason Deaver

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One of the reasons I love romance novels is that there are infinite ways to tell a story. Ship Happens is a second chance romance, and as such, it looks at whether the initial breakup was a good choice, what has happened to the characters since they broke up, and whether, if they get back together, can they make it work? The way Deaver explores those questions feels fresh, and not because Owen and Jacob are trans men. Owen fell in love with his best […]

Marjane Satrapi passes at age 56

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I learned today (June 4 2026) that Marjane Satrapi passed away at 56 years old. It sounds as though she died of a broken heart as it was a little more than a year after her husband’s death. I cannot say how this saddens me. I really have no words. I mean, I can say how she was an amazing author who opened my eyes to a world I would never have known otherwise. How it made me both amazed, horrified and that it was […]

A made-for-social-media mystery

Strange Houses by Uketsu

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Strange Houses was the first book I read this year, back in January, and it has taken me entirely too long to just sit down and jot down my thoughts about it. Part of it is because I was very disappointed with how promising the premise was and how it fully deflated by the time I got to the end, so much so that now six months later, I’m honestly struggling to remember how it ended. The other reason why it took so long is […]

Needs More Claude Rains

The Unsuspected by Charlotte Armstrong

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All I knew about this book before picking it up was that it had been adapted into a movie starring Claude Rains. I caught part of that movie on TCM one time and it looked intriguing so I thought I would check out the book. However, the novel is unfortunately really a very silly little thriller, reliant on extreme contrivances and characters behaving stupidly. The setup is this: Francis and Jane are a nephew and aunt of about the same age who are mourning the […]

Hello Perry ! It’s Been a Minute.

The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom by rle Stanley Gardner

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Back to the curious mid-century rules of divorce, especially in a community property state like California.  No-fault divorce did not yet exist, so if either party wanted to get out of the deal fast, they had to file in the state of Nevada, and even then there were certain rules regarding residency.  Which explains the dude ranches that proliferated in the vicinity of Reno and Las Vegas, where they usually hung out for the necessary month or so.  The other alternative was the quickie Mexican […]

For Pride Month and any month

Guinea Pigs Don't Wear Pants by Chris Paul Rainbows Farias

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The email came that said: PW’s Grab a Galley – Guinea Pigs Don’t Wear Pants. It continued Dear You Thank you for requesting Guinea Pigs Don’t Wear Pants through Publishers Weekly’s Summer 2026 Grab-a-Galley event. I’m excited to share that your name was selected as one of the winners for the title. See attached for your digital advance review copy.   So, since I won, I should read it, right?  I had a few minutes before I needed to send some reports and a few […]



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