Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Read Me, Now!…. Please

A Star Explodes: The Story of Supernova 1054 by James Gladstone

We're Not Weird: Structure and Function in the Animal Kingdom by Michael Garland

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I just want to write a list of books labeled with the title: Read Me, Now! The two books below are those kinds of books. You should read them not because I say so, but because they are good (of course, my saying so alone should really be enough!) All titles were read via online reader copies.  A Star Explodes: The Story of Supernova 1054 is a story about a supernova. The poetic telling James Gladstone creates shows us the life and times from when […]

“Should I be taking you dancing?” “Not in those clothes. I’ve standards.”

Slippery Creatures by K.J. Charles

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And here he was now in his own bookshop, well fed, usefully busy, and enjoyably partnered. It made the violent assault and threat of torture seem quite worthwhile.” ― K.J. Charles, Slippery Creatures Will Darling has returned from serving in World War 1 and is starting to get back on his feet. After being unable to find employment upon returning to London, he is taken in by his estranged uncle, who runs a massive bookshop. When his uncle passes away from a stroke, Will takes […]

Is anything ever only one thing?

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

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Few authors are as adept at articulating characters through their relationship with a place as James McBride. His latest novel centers on a community known as Chicken Hill in Pennsylvania, the home of the titular Heaven and Earth grocery store. We are transported to various points in this community’s history, but most of the story takes place in the late 1930s. One of my biggest issues with the novel was the number of digressions – they serve a purpose! They allow us to fall deeply […]

Three Mysteries for a Cozy Spooky Season

Still Life by Louise Penny

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

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October seems to be flying by – suddenly, the weather is cool enough for sweaters most days, the electricity bill is FINALLY declining, and we are seeing ghosts and pumpkins everywhere. The October Vibe is always welcome – I love the early part of the end of the year, which is both more macabre and somehow less melancholy than the upcoming holiday season. I often try to read something vaguely spooky for October – but rarely do I get it just right. Two years ago, […]

Hell House

Hell House by Richard Matheson

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I have a weird relationship with Richard Matheson. I’m a big fan of his work, sort of. He certainly was influential, with his work on the Twilight Zone and I Am Legend having a large impact in my life. But also the book I Am Legend is significantly weirder than any of the movie adaptations. The closest film is Omega Man with Charlton Heston, with the weird sexuality of the vampires being one of their biggest threats. Matheson often disliked adaptations of his work that […]

Easy Money

Easy Money by Ben McKenzie

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Easy Money is investigative non-fiction looking into the scams endemic to the crypto space. I am not a crypto-fan, but I am a tech worker and both curious about the space and annoyed by crypto-bros, so books like this are educational catnip for me. Ben McKenzie was apparently an actor on the OC. Don’t know, never watched it. It turns out he also has a degree in econ, which he uses to great effect in this book. The subject matter is primarily an exploration of […]



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