Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

I’m really disappointed by how this one turned out :(

Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love

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A mediocre execution of a really fun and sweet concept. Not mad I read it but I wish it had been better. Ugh, that cover is so cute! Look at the little grandpa in his pink shirt and bowtie and he’s bonding with his grandson over coming out as gay! UGH UGH. So here’s the premise that made me fall in love with this and order it from the UK because it’s not published in the US: Arthur has been happily married to his best […]

Three Horror Short Story Collections

The Shores of Space by Richard Matheson

Everything's Eventual by Stephen King

Night Shift by Stephen King

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CBR15Bingo: Violence (plenty of violence here!) It’s interesting going back and doing these reviews a while after I read the books because I get to see what sticks around in my mind and what doesn’t. Say what you will about Stephen King, but his stories stay with you. There’s something about his ability to get across a strong visual image and have it embed itself in your brain forever. He really taps into something very primal with his writing, especially his earlier work. I am […]

A Strong Second Book in a Delightful Series

Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher

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CBR15Bingo: On the Road (a lot of this book takes place on the road) I continue my slow progress through this trilogy, having read the first one about a year ago and loved it. I then got the next two for either Christmas or my birthday last year and then they sat on my shelf waiting for the opportune moment to strike and whisk me away to a delightful fantasy-romance-mystery realm. Well, last week was the time and I zipped right through this one. Honestly, […]

Good mystery, aggravating characters

The Saints of the Lost and Found by T.M. Causey

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If you were a former watcher of Lost, or are a current watcher of From, or any of the dozens of mystery type shows where the show would be over if two or three characters just TALKED to each other and answered a damn question every once in a while, this book might drive you up the wall. The mystery part of the story was good, and the concept is cool, but holy hell I wanted to shake at least three or four of the […]

Two novels with VERY different takes on grief

Western Lane by Chetna Maroo

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

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“What exists, exists so that it can be lost and become precious.” – Leisel Mueller I found both Chetna Maroo’s debut novel, Western Lane, and Tan Twan Eng’s novel The Gift of Rain via the Longlist for the Booker Prize. While Eng’s was nominated in 2007 (when it was his debut), Maroo’s novel is from 2023 – and the differences between the two do not end at their year of publication. Maroo’s slim novel is spare where Eng’s novel is more epic in nature. In […]

Nancy wins!

Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

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CBR15 BINGO: Hold Steady, because Nancy holds steady until she finds that missing will and saves the day! Note: I read the 1959 edition. A few weeks ago I posted a review of the first Hardy Boys mystery and started a friendly debate about who was better: the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. It had been a long time since I’d read any of these mysteries, but I remember, as a youngster, having a slight preference for the novels featuring the more feminine detective (I’m […]



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