Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Book 3 of Venin, Love, and Dragons

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

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I’ve already spent a lot of time reading the Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros, so I quickly picked up Book 3 of the series when it became available to me. Onyx Storm (2025) continues to follow Violet Sorrengail and her loves and adventures in the Kingdom of Navarre. Violet is still technically a student. She is in her third year in the dragon school that kills at least twice as many people as it graduates. She has been chosen by two very special dragons and […]

I don’t do torture

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

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I’ve read Cop Town by Karin Slaughter, which I appreciated for a number of reasons. So when I found Pretty Girls (2016) by the same author under “popular audiobooks” at the library’s website, I downloaded it almost immediately. Slaughter seems to write gritty, violent books, but I was unprepared for this one. Knowing what I know now, I would not have chosen to read it. Although I did finish it, the violence and darkness was too much for me. I did think it was well-written, but I would not […]

Strong start, weird finish

Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton

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Guard Your Daughters was Diana Tutton’s first published novel (1953) and became a bestseller. In some ways it reminded me of I Capture the Castle, Pride and Prejudice, and Little Women (the latter two are referenced by the characters). The five beautiful Harvey sisters live in post-war England with their parents in a country house, supporting each other’s creative endeavors and hoping to meet lovely young men to marry. Mr. Harvey is a prolific and successful novelist who spends all day writing; the little attention […]

Poaching in Yellowstone National Park

The Last Ranger by Peter Heller

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Peter Heller is a local writer who is only one degree of separation away from me: He apparently knows a guy I kind of dated a long time ago. But this slim brush with celebrity is not why I continue to read his books. I enjoy his writing and like his focus on nature. In The Last Ranger (2023), Ren is an enforcement ranger in Yellowstone National Park. He deals with car accidents, campers’ disputes, law enforcement, and poaching. He is a haunted man who hasn’t really […]

“In my experience, those who have the greatest respect for the rules also take the most enjoyment in breaking them.”

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

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How appropros, to go from an Agatha Christie book to one that was so clearly inspired by her. The Guest List is a locked room mystery (or specifically, everyone is trapped on an island) and as I said in my last review, I had been on a big Agatha Christie kick, so this one seemed appropriate, as I had heard good things about Foley. And, exciting/suspicious/skeptical/fun news, in March 2025, Foley was tapped by Harper Collins to write the first NEW Miss Marple novel (!!!!??!!!!). […]

“It is completely unimportant. That is why it is so interesting.”

The Murder of Roger Akroyd by Agatha Christie

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Buckle up, buttercups. Ya girl has got 15 reviews a’coming. I am mildly annoyed I got this bogged down, but I’m remembering the words of my husband from a few years back when I would get anxious and frustrated about this scenario. “Ah. So you’re behind on your pretend homework?” Touche, sir. It’s important to me, and that’s fine, but I used to not read until I had written a review. Unnecessarily punative much?? Glad that I have been able to relax about it and […]



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