Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Join the CBR18 Book Bingo Reading Challenge—Now Underway!   

Charming the pants off a fabulous pair of thighs

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by K.J. Charles

by 1 Comment

This book is light hearted and frothy as a Regency can be in K.J. Charles’ hands.  She has stated that she wrote this to take a break from writing a different one and threw in a lot of the usual tropes.  And it was a lot of fun! Robin and Marianne Loxleigh of Nottinghamshire (hmmm…Locksley?) have arrived in London to find suitable marriage partners.  Short on cash, they aren’t much different than the women seeking to marry a lord, they are just more honest about […]

A masterclass in the novella; body horror and racism collide.

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark

by 4 Comments

We know that the people who join the Ku Klux Klan are monsters. Average people who act in monstrous, horrible ways. But what if some of the Klan members were actual monsters? Giant, hulking, dog-like beasts that want to consume and destroy Black people? Such is the premise of Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark. Maryse, a Black woman, hunts these monsters in Prohibition America with the help of her magical sword infused with the anger, pain, and despair of Black men and women of […]

A stylish start to a trilogy filled with welcomed diversity

The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis

by 2 Comments

A war rages between a coalition of Earth and Mars versus one of Mercury and Venus. Geans vs Icarii. Naturalism versus augmentation. Old versus New. First Sister is the highest ranking member of the Sisterhood, a religious/military organization, on a spaceship called the Juno; her role is part silent counsel listening to all of the soldiers confess and share and part concubine providing escape and pleasure for all of the soldiers on board. That is the role all Sisters play. Lito is an elite Icarii […]

Books don’t usually make me cry; this book was clearly an exception.

The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb

by 4 Comments

Brynn Wilder has had a terrible, terrible year. She has recently had to handle the end of a decades long romantic relationship, the loss of a close family member, and the dissolution of her passion for her job. In an attempt to reset and recharge, she escapes to the tiny town of Wharton on the shores of Lake Superior where she is staying in a local inn for the summer. Though Brynn is trying to escape from what has caused her so much grief and […]

The journey we take to get where we are going

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

by Leave a Comment

My journey to Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel was, to say was odd, but normal for me. I knew of Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out for series. I have the collection on my TBR list. And I knew that they had this book when it came out. The store I work at hosted an event. (July 2018 to be exact) I was interested in but forgot (long story why) to attend. Flash forward to about two months ago when I was speaking […]

Play Time

Playing Wicked by Alex R. Kahler

by Leave a Comment

Playing Wicked is a lovely book that is creating a safe place for queer culture. However, it is also just a book about play and imagination. The theme of a non-traditional gender role is naturally presented. It is not preachy and there are layers. Alex R. Kahler’s main character, Dante, likes playing at being all types of characters. But sometimes he wants to be the wicked one. And not just any wicked character, but the wicked Queen. Dante is a typical kid who knows that […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo