Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


All in the Family

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

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There are books that try way too hard to charm me and often miss the mark. A Gentleman in Moscow comes to mind. I like to laugh and I like to be charmed but at a certain point, I need to feel like I’m interacting with real characters and not charm avatars. The Spellman Files walks a very fine line. It has no discernible plot and that usually leaves me frustrated. I read to read stories; stories hook me and keep me engaged. If the quality of writing can […]

When my brain is about to melt, I pick up YA

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus

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CBR11Bingo Travel- both books involve moving across the country   **Alex, Approximately This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I see a lot of authors that I follow on Twitter shouting her out, so I thought I would try her new book, The Lady Rogue. No luck- the bookstore was sold out. Instead, I picked up an alternate title and ended up with Alex, Approximately. It is a cute book and had some great aspects, but also some things that I found […]

On The Avenue

Losers Live Longer by Russell Atwood

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Starting in September, I’ve resolved to read at least one Hard Case Crime novel per month. I collect Hard Case Crime books as a hobby, though there are getting harder and harder to find in used book stores. I always enjoy reading them but I sort of take it for granted that I can do so at anytime; knowing they’ll always be there. I had to force myself to read Casino Moon last month in order to check off a library bingo square. It wound up being […]

Bullet with Butterfly Wings

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn

A Trecherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn

A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn

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I’m putting all four cover images on here right from the get go because I would be lying if I tried to say that I didn’t start this series because of the cover art. I totally did start this series because of the cover art. It is fabulous and, even better, it is a perfect match for the stories contained inside. In A Curious Beginning we meet Veronica Speedwell. Veronica is a woman of science. She is a lepidopterist of skill and renown and she […]

Bingo is really making me branch out!

Agatha Christie: the Lost Plays by Agatha Christie

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cbr11bingo – Classics Hope this counts! I have a hard time keeping my attention on most of the classics, so I looked for a full-cast audio of something fairly light, and this one was quickly available on Overdrive. In 2015, the BBC rereleased these three plays of Christie’s that were thought to be lost. The audio also includes an interview with the author, the cast of the Mouse Trap, and with the lone radio actor who was still alive when the collection was published. The […]

A killer debut

Killed It by Lulu Smith

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Ally Brown is a mess. Having once harboured dreams of being a stand-up comedian, lately she’s been finding herself avoiding performing and then lying to her boyfriend about it. Meanwhile, at the day job given to her by his wealthy parents, her boss has disappeared and left her at the mercy of an absolute ogre of a replacement. Frustrated and angry, Ally lashes out and accidentally kills a rude jogger in Central Park, and from then on one bad decision leads to another. Killed It […]



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