Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

My Murder: spoilers at the end of review

My Murder by Katie Williams

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mood music: invasion – Eisley My Murder is a fast-paced, science fiction mystery that immediatley drew me in. I was not familiar with the author, Katie Williams, before picking this up but I will continue to read her work as I enjoyed this novel with the exception of the ending. And the ending wasn’t necessarily bad, I just think it could have been better. I will be including spoilers at the end of this review, but the majority of this will be a brief synopsis and […]

“If you have thought seriously about mirrors, you will know about their mystery.”

Elizabeth by Ken Greenhall

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Elizabeth is a fairly short novel with spare prose that makes it a quick read, but Greenhall’s ability to evoke mood and tension makes it a strong novel. This was another Christmas gift Valancourt novel, and it’s been interesting to see that while I am not a fan of sci-fi around this time, I do tend to like horror novels from this era much better than modern ones. The mix of literary and genre here heightens the book as a whole. Elizabeth is a take […]

Teeny Weeny

Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge

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Crime fiction, at its best, can be nail bitingly tense. It can reveal profound truths about human nature. It can bring shock and horror and comfort at the same time. That all, of course, assumes the novel you’re reading is actually any good. Eeny Meeny, as you might suspect, is not one of these books.  In hindsight, the title probably should’ve clued me in on that.  The plot in a nutshell: a crazed psychopath kidnaps two people at a time and leaves them to die […]

It was a relief and a horror to be known so perfectly.

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever

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I’m not sure if I can categorize this book as dark academia, but the characters and the story remind me so much of what I enjoyed about “If We Were Villains” and “The Secret History,” it is impossible for me not to draw parallels between them. All three stories are linked by a sudden and violent death, and how those left behind cope with their secrets. Paul is a seventeen-year-old who has recently graduated from high school. He lives with his mother and his two […]

A ghost story from the olden days

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

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This period thriller is from 1898 and is about a governess who is hired by a man to care for his niece and nephew. The governess begins the job with excitement, but soon experiences disturbing events and believes ghosts of deceased employees are coming for the kids. This novella was adapted from serial installments in the magazine Collier’s Weekly. It was interesting to read a ghost story from over 100 years ago and see how similar it is to modern-day ghost stories, but in a […]

There was a warmth in his chest when he looked at Laurent. He didn’t look often for that reason.

Kings Rising: Book Three of the Captive Prince Trilogy by C.S. Pacat

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“You can’t trust him.” “I know that.” He finished the wine. Outside, there were hours of daylight left, and work to be done. “You’ve spent a morning with him and you’re warning me off. Just wait,” said Damen, “until you’ve spent a full day with him.” “You mean he improves with time?” “Not exactly,” said Damen. ― C.S. Pacat, Kings Rising He let his lips form a half-smile. “You aren’t going to offer me one of your gaudy Veretian handkerchiefs?” “You could use the clothing […]



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