Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

As the worlds turn

Mad Ship: The Liveship Traders Trilogy book 2 by Robin Hobb

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Book 2 of this trilogy was an absolute stunner, as my conceptions of certain characters and situations were challenged and changed. Hobb continues to weave multiple complex story lines together and fleshes out her characters in such a way that I am conflicted about whom to root for or even what I am rooting for now. The Liveship Traders Trilogy is about a colonial empire facing rebellion, about a rebellion amongst Old Trader families who do not necessarily agree with each other, about enslaved and […]

French Noir

Skeletons in the Closet by Jean-Patrick Manchette

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May I quote a reviewer – “Writing so dark it gives a new meaning to the word noir.”  Welp, this is definitely murky to the extreme, but a lot of that was on myself as the reader. Written by French crime writer Manchette in 1976, Skeletons in the Closet is a fast paced tale of private eye Eugene Tarpon, hired to theoretically search for the daughter of a little old lady.  There are no leads, and those who hire him are connected with the police, […]

When your Christmas is Halloween

Halloween Tree by Susan Montanari

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When I first saw the title Halloween Tree I thought the cover was not matching what I was thinking. What I was thinking about was Ray Bradbury’s novel of the same name. But then I wondered if it was possible to adapt it to a picture book format? Especially with such a cute cover? Yes, it is possible, but the real question is should it be adapted. Well, thankfully (I guess) it was not that Halloween Tree but its own unique story. Susan Montanari’s Halloween […]

Two pretty good read-alouds for a 7 year old

The Homesick Kitten by Holly Webb

Dragon Girls #1: Azmina the Gold Glitter Dragon by Maddy Mara

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My 7 year old chose these two books from among her birthday stash (thanks, Grandma!). While she could read them to herself, she requested that these be our next read-alouds. I admit that I prefer more difficult books for reading aloud to the kids; I like seeing them think through the complex plots or phrases, and introducing them to books I loved or concepts they haven’t grappled with yet. I also prefer that they be books that I would be happy to read by myself, as […]

Thief of Time

Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein

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I’m sure most of you, even if you haven’t read Dickens, recognize the name Fagin as that of the notorious pickpocket from Oliver Twist. The character has long been controversial because of the depiction of his Jewishness. Allison Epstein’s Fagin the Thief seeks to humanize the man behind the stereotype by providing a backstory, motivation, and context beyond what is offered in the original novel. It’s a bold move to try to improve on a classic work of literature, especially one written by a master […]

You’ll be spooked so much it’s a good thing this is set in a bathroom

The Harrowing Game by Antonie Revoy

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Little geek brag. Author Antonie Revoy liked my review on a certain site I count my books on for The Harrowing Game (or at least the person/people who take care of their social media). Still, that’s a pretty cool brag. Me and graphic novels had an unusual relationship. It was not until I read three different ones that I really understood how a book that is in the graphic novel format can be as powerful as the novel without images could be. And when I read […]



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