Cannonball Read 14

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Search This Site

> FAQ Home
> Tag: andtheIToldYouSos

a manor on the edge of ruin, a mute little girl, a butler with a dangerous past, and a potentially magical drunken dandy…

The Maker of Swans by Paraic O'Donnell

by 5 Comments

What looks like a recipe for potential nonsense is actually a truly surprising and unique thriller! Paraic O’Donnell follows up the Victorian spiritualism of The House on Vesper Sands with another historical mystery, but where I was expecting (and hoping for, honestly) a continuation of the former, The Maker of Swans jumps head-first into the 20th Century and dares the reader to catch up. A butler tries his damndest to keep his employer safe, sane, and sober- but the draws of the Jazz Age have the […]

Each story is a glittering jewel set in a heavy crown.

Delicate Edible Birds and Other Stories by Lauren Groff

by Leave a Comment

Often, short story collections can be a bit of a mixed bag – especially when all written by the same author. I frequently find myself speed-reading through “filler” in hopes of finding some “killer”. As always, Lauren Groff turns your expectations to crystal and smashes them into a million brittle and beautiful pieces. Each one of the eight stories collected in this book could be their own novels- I could spend days drifting through Groff’s worlds. The first tale, “Lucky Chow Fun”, takes place in […]

“That we have some history together that hasn’t happened yet.”

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

by Leave a Comment

Why do I keep waiting so long to dig into word-of-mouth and critically acclaimed smashes? Twelve years later (and not a moment too soon), I finally get The Fuss around A Visit From the Goon Squad. I remember reading The Keep near the official release date, but Goon Squad eluded me for over a decade…or perhaps I eluded it? On the upside of being a latecomer, I am more likely to find these books in my neighborhood’s Little Free Libraries. Hooray! I love how “a novel” is emphasized on […]

Literary Hub Made Me Do It

Hôtel Splendid by Marie Redonnet

Rose Mellie Rose by Marie Redonnet

Forever Valley by Marie Redonnet

by 4 Comments

It is VERY hard for me to turn away from a listicle. I love a list; from making them myself to seeking them out, lists give me order AND fun- the best of both worlds! The fine folks over at Literary Hub are keen on list-making, and having enjoyed things they have recommended before (hello, The Lover!) I was pleased as punch to track down this loose “trilogy” from Marie Redonnet after spotting it in a list of short reads. I, and Redonnet (and translator […]

not exaaaaactly what it says on the tin, but a good time none the less!

Fuzz by Mary Roach

by 1 Comment

Honestly, Mary Roach could write a book about the paperwork filing systems for an auto dealership (my truest nightmare) and I would still roll up my sleeves and give it a go. Luckily, the topic  of animal criminals is NOT my nightmare, so I was eagerly anticipating another romp with my gal, Mary! As usual, I listened to this one, and if you are interested in picking it up I recommend doing the same as well! I almost always prefer a read-by-the-author piece of non-fic […]

If you ever wanted to hear LeVar Burton say the phrase “sweet and salty love”, then this is the collection for YOU!

The Visit by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor

2043...A Merman I Should Turn to Be by Nisi Shawl

These Alien Skies by C.T. Rwizi

Clap Back by Nalo Hopkinson

We Travel the Spaceways by Victor LaValle

by Leave a Comment

You can hear LeVar say lots of other things, if you like! You can also hear Nyambi Nyambi, Naomi Ackie, Indya Moore, Adenrele Ojo, and Brian Tyree Henry! The six-entry Black Stars collection is another new(ish) group of short stories available from Amazon Originals. They are available on both kindle and through audible, and if you are interested in diving into this collection then I highly recommend taking the audio route! Every story is enhanced by the audio performances, and I am sure that I rated […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo