Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Thinking about the Roman Empire

Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Robert Harris

by Leave a Comment

“…he thinks politics is a fight for justice. Politics is a profession.” Back in the day, I attended an all-girls Catholic high school where Latin was a very popular class. My 9th and 10th grade Latin classes were packed. Within my own family it was a tradition not just to take Latin (as opposed to Spanish or French), but to take it for the full four years of high school. I probably would have continued that tradition if not for 2 things: the sudden availability […]

A fun read but current events in Crimea affected the reading

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

by 1 Comment

My Mom has been trying to get me to read Jasper Fforde books for easily over a decade.  Not sure why I’ve resisted.  Though perhaps it’s due to our different reading preferences.  She only likes a small percentage of recommendations I make .  Naturally, The Murderbot Diaries was one success but mostly I miss.  With how long she’s been persistent I read “The Eyre Affair”, I have felt pressured to like it.  Which has made me drag my feet.  I borrowed it two years ago […]

Polyandry in a world where Big Brother demands to know all

An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King

by 4 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve read a novel. Though if I’m honest, it’s been a while since I read, period. So I’m glad my jump back into fiction was with “An Excess Male” by Maggie Shen King, because this was an interesting meditation into what-could-be if China were to maintain its one-child policy (also if the world didn’t end in the next 20 years due to climate disasters). “An Excess Male” is set in the not-so distant future – the blurb says 2030 – […]

“Oh Catskins, why aren’t you dead yet?”

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

by 2 Comments

I first became aware of Roshani Chokshi when my kiddo discovered her Aru Shah middle grade series, the Pandava Quintet.  Printed in the “Rick Riordan Presents” line it focuses on Hindu mythology as Aru Shah embarks on adventures with her friends.  We even went to one of the Aru Shah book signings.  Chokshi was witty, charming, and engaging.  I left wanting to read the books but never got around to it.  In the past year I became aware of her fiction for older readers, particularly […]

The Art of the Meal

Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen

by 2 Comments

Babette’s Feast is only 45 pages long (does that make it a novella or a short story?), and while you can easily finish it in one sitting, it is the kind of story that makes one go back and re-read and ponder the message Dinesen is imparting. I remember when this story was made into an award-winning film back in the 1980s, many religious communities identified with its communal/eucharistic imagery. While that is undeniably there, what strikes me reading it today is its message about […]

If you like wildly imaginative and clever sci-fantasy this series is the one for you

The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman

by Leave a Comment

The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook is the third book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Review for book one Dungeon Crawler Carl Review for book two Carl’s Doomsday Scenario Carl and Princess Donut have descended to the fourth level of the dungeon and into the Iron Tangle.  An entire level that exists exclusively in subways but has trains of all types from steam engines to monorails.  There is no map, there are colored lines (yes, zomp actually is a color) and named lines (like the Nightmare Express), trains […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo