Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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I feel like this should be a YA novel, but it’s not

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Gods of Jade and Shadow is a book where fairy tales and myths collide.  The book begins in a 1920’s version of “Cinderella,” but in Mexico.  Casiopea is a poor cousin of the richest family in their town, and she is given the role of maidservant while her mother is the cook.  Casiopea does as she’s told, but not necessarily as subserviently as her cousin Martín would wish.  One day while the family is away, she gets a chance to open up the forbidden chest […]

If You go into The Hazel Woods Today… (Bingo: Travel square)

The Hazel Wood: A Novel by Melissa Albert

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When Alice was born, her eyes were black from end to end, and the midwife didn’t stay long enough to wash her. (Kindle loc. 221) My mother was raised on fairy tales, but I was raised on highways. (loc. 37) Holy cats, you guys. This book and my reaction to it are probably going to fall down around my ears like a pack of playing cards or a straw house, but for the moment I am in love.

Not that bad until the end

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Cinderella meets zombies.  There’s your synopsis in three words.  But for the most part, it’s a lot more than that. Exley doesn’t just stick zombies in your stereotypical Cinderella story.  She explains what the characters know about how the zombies (or vermin, or turned) came to be.  The story takes place in England during the aftermath of World War I.  While the shell shocked men are coming home from war, a devastating bout of ‘influenza’ sweeps the country, killing millions.  Only they don’t stay dead. […]

Adorkable!

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My second Cinderella retelling in a month and another very different take on the classic fairy tale.  As the subtitle suggests, this fairytale reboot takes place in the world of science fiction fandom.  Danielle (Elle) Wittimer has been a longtime fan of Starfield, a TV series that seems a mix of Star Trek, Firefly, with a bit of Star Wars thrown in.  Though the show only runs in syndication, it means even more to Elle now because her deceased father was also a huge fan. […]

Glass Slippers or Grass Slippers?

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This was an interesting take on the world of Grimm’s fairytales with emphasis on the idea of grim.  A young woman wakes up in a castle with no knowledge of her past or even her own name.  The only thing that seems familiar is a silver thimble in the pocket of her dress.  She is given the name “seamstress” and made to work with a group of other women, most of them old and frail, stitching intricate beading and lace onto beautiful dresses. From the […]



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