Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“I’m a man who will always choose to know.”

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

by 2 Comments

CBR16 Bingo: Horses – The horses are all but extinct in this world, and they are so dearly missed that the possession of one means possession of power. Kinch, a thief drowning in debt, is promised that he’ll be square with the Takers Guild if he accompanies the knight Galva on her mysterious mission to a giant-infested kingdom. I’m a rather utilitarian reader, happy with solid plotting and characterization, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate when a particularly enjoyable turn of phrase crosses […]

Team-building in the woods wouldn’t be my jam either

(Trust) Falling for You by Charish Reid

by Leave a Comment

Nowhere Book Bingo: A novella Smart Bitches Summer Bingo: The Great Outdoors Yolanda Watson tries her best to be an engaging and motivating English professor, she is well-liked by both her colleagues and her students. However, writing grant applications are not her strongest suit and she is upset that she lost out on a generous grant that could have helped a lot of her disadvantaged students. Samuel Morris knows he’s not popular, and doesn’t particularly try to be either. He believes in working hard, following […]

“I’d spent my entire life overdosing on uncut escapism, willingly allowing fantasy to become my reality.”

Armada by Ernest Cline

by Leave a Comment

I recently finished Armada by Ernest Cline – my second read by that particular author, after Ready Player One. And while it did not live up to the first book for me personally, there was still a lot to enjoy about Armada. Gamers saving the world through mad gaming skills is always an enteraining theme. This was a light and fun read, particularly the first half with the setup of our hero (Zack Lightman) and learning how his upbringing and experiences have defined who he […]

“I feel like this isn’t about me”

Yellowface (2023) by R. F. Kuang

by 1 Comment

I don’t really know what I can say about this book, which I think means it’s worked? I can say that it’s blistering, and brilliant; I can say that it fits the ‘Fiasco‘ square because it’s about someone who “reached for the stars and utterly failed…a disaster created by human actions” and in this case the disaster is a person who finds herself in a nightmare of her own making, but the disaster is also the publishing industry and the surrounding discourse, and also the […]

Say my name and everything just stops

Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban

by Leave a Comment

Nowhere Book Bingo: 2024 Debut Release Smart Bitches Summer Bingo: New to Me author CBR16 Bingo: Scandal (Gwen and Beth’s friendship lead to a scandal in the latter half of the book) Beth is the daughter of the Viscount Demeroven, but has no brothers, and as a result, the title will pass to her cousin. If Beth doesn’t find a wealthy and suitable husband during her first season, she and her mother will be left with barely anything (because her father was a very unpleasant […]

“That’s life. Short and stupid.”

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark

by 3 Comments

Cbr16bingo Rage This short novel could fit several different bingo squares: tech, because P. Djeli Clark creates steampunk worlds with amazing machines and inventions; bananas, because all kinds of wild stuff happens in this story. But I have decided to go with Rage because much of what drives the action is rooted in the rage of an anonymous entity intent on murder and the rage of a goddess named Aeril, Matron of Assassins and big-time foodie. This is a bloody, action-packed and immensely entertaining story […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo