Cannonball Read 16

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Search This Site

> FAQ Home
> Tag: illustrated

“I had rather face wild beasts and diseases than the perils of civilization.”

Voyage of the Basilisk (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, #3) by Marie Brennan

by Leave a Comment

This series is a nerdy good time. And this book in particular really leaned into the scholarly nature of Lady Trent’s calling. The last book, a lot of page-time was taken up by Lady Trent and her companions navigating local and global politics while trying to learn about dragons, and while that is a factor here, too, Voyage of the Basilisk feels more balanced, with a focus more clearly on her science and what she got up to while doing it, and also on her personal relationships […]

Second Chances Sometimes Are Worth It

The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

by 4 Comments

I had flipped through The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England in a bookstore and decided it didn’t look great. I’m not a big fan of first-person narrating, and I saw a now mildly spoilery part about 2/3 of the way in that seemed dumb, so I put is back. Fast-forward about 6 months and I see the same nook at the library. On a whim, I decided to give it another chance. I’m actually kind of glad that I did. Our narrator wakes […]

“‘And whatever you do, don’t close your eyes.’ ‘What happens if I close my eyes?’ ‘You miss the fun.'”

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend

by 4 Comments

30 Books in 30 Days, Vol. 3 Book 17/30 I don’t read a lot of middle grade anymore, but when I do, this is exactly what I want. What a magical good time. The combo of whimsical worldbuilding, magical trials, friendship and found family, secrets, and darker elements that many people would say don’t belong in children’s books makes for something rather intoxicating (I’ve never yet read a favorite children’s book without those darker elements btw). I’ve seen a lot of people talking about the […]

Nice illustrations and wisdom to help calm the mind

Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury

by Leave a Comment

CBR 15 BINGO: Guide, because this is a guide for calm. (The dedication reads, “This book is dedicated to everyone who gets lost.”) I was given a copy of Big Panda and Tiny Dragon for Christmas last year, and I opened it with some trepidation. My last foray into self-help territory didn’t go well, if you recall. However, I was pretty sure I could at least finish this one, given that it includes cute pictures of a panda and a tiny dragon. Self-help isn’t really […]

“Even small actions have consequences. And while we can often choose our actions, we rarely get to choose our consequences.”

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

by 2 Comments

Backing Brandon Sanderson’s Secret Project Kickstarter is one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. Tress of the Emerald Sea is the first of those four secret novels Sanderson wrote during the pandemic when he wasn’t touring and had some “free time” on his hands. Of course what Brando Sando does on his free time is write more books, because he famously takes a break from writing to recharge by writing something else. The guy is a straight up nerd and I’m so glad […]

Little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Well, not this one.

The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips and Isabelle Folath

by Leave a Comment

Ebenezer Tweezer is 511 years old, but you’d never know it to look at him. He lives in a great big house, surrounded by exciting treasures and artifacts and all of this is possible because of the hideous beast he keep in his attic. In return for Ebenezer feading it interesting things, the Beast gives him potions once a year that keep Ebenezer young and beautiful. It’s also given him all the special things in his house. However, the Beast is greedy and grows more […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo