Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Solid, but I Wanted More

A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson

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cbr17bingo – culture (of dragons) This was a solid but not fantastic read. I enjoyed the story, it kept me engaged and wanting to know what would happen, but it has some clear weaknesses. It’s set in an alternate 1923 in England, where humans and dragons co-exist. There are some clearly dystopian elements, like a codified class system, and parts of the book hit very close to home considering current events in the United States. Main character Vivien’s (Viv’s) parents are arrested as rebels, and […]

“There’s beauty in the menial. Life is nothing but a series of quiet tasks with people we love. Isn’t it?”

Tea You At the Altar (Tomes & Tea Book Three) by Rebecca Thorne

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Somewhere in the world, there is someone who will bake you cookies and buy you swords and fight your dragons. Never give up. This continues to be an enjoyable series; I’m sorry it has only one more book to go. It starts out with Kianthe and Reyna deciding to multitask; if they’re getting married, why not add overthrowing Queen Tiliane, Reyna’s former boss, into the mix? Sure, their baby dragons are hatched and causing chaos in Tawney, Kianthe’s uptight parents who she hasn’t spoken to […]

“A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds.”

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien

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It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.   By now, I think practically everyone has either read the book or seen the movies, hopefully both. (Full disclosure: I will judge heavily anyone who has only seen the movies; why would you do that to yourself?) The book, as is frequently the case, is loads better. No unnecessary romantic subplots, no characters who are dead making appearances, no characters showing up far too many years […]

A lovely ending to a very original fantasy trilogy

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen

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Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for this ARC. My opinions, are as always, my own. This is the third book in the series, and as such, not the best place to start reading. This review may contain some spoilers for the previous two books in the series, and the place to begin is with The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. Tanrian Marshall Rosie Fox can’t die. Or at least she doesn’t stay dead, because she’s a demigod, daughter of the Trickster. She is 157 […]

“The right way isn’t the only way.”

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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I am late getting into this series; for some reason I never picked it up before. Then I thought why not see what everyone is talking about; and to be honest I started out not understanding what all the hype was about, especially the first chapter. But by the time I was a quarter of the way through, hot darn, could I see it. Violet and Xaden’s bickering and subsequent whatever-you’d-define-it-as is my trope weakness (hello shades of Jude and Cardan or Toby and Tybalt!)  […]

She has a secret

Ellie Has a Secret by Amelia Bothe

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While I enjoyed Amelia Bothe’s Ellie Has a Secret, (due mid-August 2025) for the story, I mostly enjoyed the illustrations. The story itself is not new (which is about a child having a secret that makes the “tummy wobbles” happen), but the illustrations really grabbed my attention. They are not overly colorful, but do not lack in that area either. They are detailed, but not overly so. Sometimes they can be a bit busy, but it does not distract or take away from the experience. […]



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