Cannonball Read 14

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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She sees clearly now that causing mass murder and mayhem was a mistake.

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

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The Genesis of Misery is not a queer retelling of Joan of Arc in space, but it also kind of is (…innn sppaaaaace). Let’s review a few things about the Patron Saint of France: during the 100 Years War (1337 – 1453), Joan was a peasant teen-aged girl who had visions and heard voices which she believed were divine. She led the French to victories against the English. But after some losses, she was captured by the English, tried for heresy, and executed by being […]

She’d been eyeballs-deep in chronic violence since birth.

A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet.

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Amanda Bouchet returns to the world of her Kingmaker Chronicles with a new book that focuses on Griffin’s younger sister, Jocasta, and his best friend, Flynn. Now that Cat and Griffin are installed as the Queen and King of a newly united Thalyria, they can no longer go adventuring. So when Cat is given the Elixir of Eternal Life (it’s a bad thing), they must remain at court, pretending everything is fine. Jocasta, an herbalist and healer, thinks she can find Circe’s island prison and […]

He looked at her with wonder, as if he’d seen an undiscovered ocean meant only for him to explore.

Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin

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A couple of years ago I read a charming witchy Yuletide short story in the first Love All Year anthology. The author was Celestine Martin and I kept an eye for her name. When Witchful Thinking popped up on NetGalley, I snatched it up. This is Martin’s debut novel and it is charming. It’s imperfect, it dragged a bit in the middle, and it took Alex an annoyingly long time to get himself together. That said, it was a lovely read with pluses that outweigh […]

An invitation to the party

Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka by Cynthia Shanmugalingam

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Two things, if you like coconut milk and have access to fresh curry leaves (likely at a local Indian grocer), you need this cookbook; secondly, even if you do not like coconut milk and can’t get curry leaves to save your life, you probably still need this cookbook. Go ahead and get it because even if you only read it it’s still worth the money. Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s Rambutan is gorgeous. The photography is luscious. The writing is warm, funny, heartbreaking, and evocative. I can smell […]

We can listen for chords and cadences in the air.

How to Write a Song that Matters by Dar Williams

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I love listening to or reading about how artists create. Dar Williams is a phenomenal singer/songwriter. I’ve seen her live in small venues on a couple of occasions and she’s a lovely presence. In May 2020 she released “Something to Get Through” and the video includes signs from therapists. It’s a great song to breath to when panic starts to overwhelm. How to Write a Song That Matters puts on the page Williams songwriting retreat. I’m sure that the retreat is more rewarding in person, […]

When she wants something, she has the knack of making it seem inevitable.

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Naomi Alderman; Leigh Bardugo; Alyssa Cole; Lucy Foley; Elly Griffiths; Natalie Haynes; Jean Kwok; Val McDermid; Karen M. McManus; Dreda Say Mitchell; Kate Mosse; Ruth Ware

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I enjoyed this collection of contemporary writers writing new short stories featuring Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple. Two of the things that make Miss Marple such an interesting character, and so ripe for reinterpretation are her clear eyed, somewhat cynical view of humanity, and the way she is underestimated because of her age. The stories that worked best were the ones that embraced these aspects. Some stories worked better than others with a couple of standouts and a couple of authors whose backlist I’ll be […]



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