I have been thinking about how mystery and romance novels have so much in common. They may seem worlds apart, but once you look deeper you see otherwise. Here are some things that make them so much alike: sometimes published by a dedicated imprint like Harlequin or Crooked Lane Books both are fast, easy reads, “reader’s candy” they often have their own book store like The Ripped Bodice or The Mysterious Bookshop they have the same subgenres: historical, cozy, paranormal, fantasy, etc. in romance the […]

I love to read a good mystery. To be honest, I even like reading a not so good mystery. I read more mysteries than any other genre, including those for the mystery book group at my local library. There are a wide variety of mystery subgenres. Let’s look at a few: The Cozy Mystery – a small town (bonus points if there is a vicar), an amateur detective, a clever murderer on the loose, and an even cleverer “punny” book title – The Quiche of […]

You’ve joined (or rejoined) Cannonball Read this year and are all set to write a review. But wait, what are the rules, where do I start? This diversion helps answer your review writing questions. First, the two most important rules: Book reviews should be a minimum of 250 words. You do not have to review everything you read. (View the complete rules.) My personal tip is to pick and choose which books you write reviews for. I read 100 books a year. When I joined […]

Welcome to Cannonball 17. A new year and a new Cannonball bring new opportunities. A chance to read lots of books, review lots of books, and connect with other Cannonballers. I hope to read 100 books in 2025. I am looking forward to new titles from some of my favorite authors:  Fredrik Backman, Fiona Davis, and  V. E. Schwab. And of course, connecting with other Cannonballers (because you guys have the best book recs!) Want to meet fellow Cannonballers and talk books, then join us […]

November is a time for harvest, gratitude, and let’s be honest, eating. What happens when I combine two of my favorite hobbies: eating and reading? I change book titles into edible book titles. You guys had so much fun creating beach reads, so this month you have a chance to make edible books.  Change one word in a book title to a food to make the book title edible. Here are mine: A Separate Peach (Peace) The Music of Beets (Bees) French Bread (Braid) All […]

How has your summer been so far? I don’t care about places you’ve been, people you’ve seen, or stuff you have done, I want to know what have you read! I have been having a good summer reading wise. I am once again participating in my local library’s summer reading program. For which I got to write my annual summer reading poem: There once was a reader from Mass, Summer reading she wanted to pass, A limerick she penned, And so to that end, More […]