Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“But perhaps that’s the point: the trials and tribulations of life weigh heavily upon us, but we find people to help lighten the load.”

Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #2) by TJ Klune

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THIS IS IT. I’M DOING IT. MY 52ND BOOK REVIEW OF 2024 BABYYYYYYYYY. And what a delightful tome to end it on!  I have been eager to read the 2nd in this series since it came out, but of course the holds list at the library is five-ever deep. And then, I walk in two weeks ago and TAH DAH it’s on the hot picks shelf, where they put out 1 or 2 copies of new books that you can check out, for one less […]

“When I’m sad, I read. I can go on reading for hours. Reading quiets the turmoil I feel inside and brings me peace. Because when I’m immersed in the world of a book, no one can get hurt.”

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2) by Satoshi Yagisawa

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Here I sit, on the precipice of completing my reading goal of 52 books, read and reviewed. And just like last year, I needed a teeny tiny book I could tear through to get the job done. And that’s okay, dangit! Last year ended with the first book in this slim series, so it’s appropriate that I visit the Jimbocho district of Japan once again. When we begin, Takako and those in her life are doing much better than they were in the first volume. […]

A Spoilery Review of the Bee Sting

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

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This book was nothing like Infinite Jest, but I’ve shelved them together, because I similarly can’t work out whether  I really liked this, or really didn’t.  So, strap in, as I overthink it. It’s going to be a spoiler-filled review – last chance to get off this train if you haven’t read The Bee Sting as yet.  I’m not going to lay out the basics of the plot and characters – the assumption is that you’re already across the who, what, where and when. I […]

A fantasy zoo that is a love letter to the importance of conservation

The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean

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First and very importantly, Thank You CoffeeShopReader!  I thoroughly enjoyed The Phoenix Keeper.  It was a perfect book to close out a year that required lighter reading due to life challenges.  Also there was an added layer of fun as the zoo and location were clearly inspired by San Diego and our world famous zoo. As phoenix keeper at the magical San Tamculo Zoo, Aila is close to achieving a lifelong dream.  Overseeing a breeding pair of critically endangered Silimalo phoenixes and helping to bring them […]

“Everyone has a thousand wishes before a tragedy, but just one afterward.”

Beartown (Beartown #1) by Fredrik Backman

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WOOF. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think about this book. I was a big fan of Backman’s heartbreaking and hopeful A Man Called Ove so when a friend said they had just finished it and was going on a bit of a Backman Bender (alliteration!) I was happy to join in for a two person book club. But alas, I gotta say now that I’m done, I would not have finished this book if I was not reading it with a […]

I Judged This Book By Its Cover

Darkly by Marisha Pessl

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We were shopping for children’s books for The Smallest Niece when Darkly caught my eye across the bookstore.  A riot of magenta (images aren’t doing it justice), it begged to come home for *someone* this Christmas.  A cursory glance at the tag line – “You don’t own the game, it owns you” – revealed it as a perfect top up gift for The Best Nephew in Australia. The Best Nephew In Australia loved The Inheritance Games – hat tip to my sister for raising a […]



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