Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


I might be getting too old for this kind of thing

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

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Cassidy Blake is still following her parents around while they film their show “The Inspecters” (that pun will never stop irritating me), and this time they are in Paris visiting some of the most haunted areas of the city. Cassidy and her ghost buddy Jacob naturally attract the attention of a spirit which causes trouble until figure out how to stop it. Hilarity ensues. I like the premise in that it is real historical ghost history being used for this novel, as it was for […]

ghost stories with a history lesson or two

The Vine that Ate the South by J.D. Wilkes

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This book is fast, ferocious, and fun- which is not a surprise, considering it was crafted by J. D. Wilkes of the Legendary Shack Shakers. He wrote a rollicking Kentucky Odyssey-meets-Stand by Me and illustrated it himself to boot. Not only is this a “do you wanna see a dead body” sort of tale, but it’s also a thoughtful look at the overpowering anarchy of kudzu vine (the titular invasive vine that ate the south), and the people of Appalachia herself. All of the characters within The […]

Love triangles, magic, and murder

Grave Visions by Kalayna Price

Grave Ransom by Kalayna Price

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It’s official. I’m totally hooked on Kalayna Price’s Alex Craft series. This was a given after I reviewed books 1-3. The follow-ups, Grave Visions, and Grave Ransom did not disappoint. Alex Craft is a grave witch. Her magic skill allows her to interact with the plane of the dead. She can see talk to ghosts and shades, which are manifestations of a dead person’s memory. Talking to the dead is quite handy if they’ve been murdered. Alex opens a private detective firm with her best friend […]

Bingo #4

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

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In an effort to read some spooky literature for this, the high holy season of Halloween, I went for one of my comfortable standbys, good old Neil Gaiman. Winning both the Hugo and the Nebula awards in 2003 and 2004 for best novella, Coraline deserves all the acclaim it received. Clocking in at only a little over 100 pages, Gaiman works his magic to build a terrifying little universe in a short space. Even though this book was in the children’s section of my library, […]

When your first female friend shows you that change can be good as well as nervous making

Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

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Friends With Boys is more a three and half as something was missing for me. It also feels like a second book should happen but has not. I know the author/illustrator, Faith Erin Hicks, is no stranger to series (I have the Nameless City series on my TBR list) therefore, it might not be unheard of. Yet, at the same time, this is a standalone title. There is an open-ended completion to the story. And because of that, a second read is recommended. I know […]

A little bit romance, history, and ghost story

Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley

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I have a friend who is an Outlander fanatic.  She re-reads the series every couple of years and the book associated with the tv series season before it is aired.  For the past couple of years at Christmas, I have given her Outlander calendars and one year an Outlander cook book (which she used and it has good recipes!).  Last year I wanted to introduce her to a new author.  My favorite local independent bookstore gave me a couple of recommendations but I settled on […]



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