Cannonball Read 11

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They hammer, they slash. They do not study.

Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A.S. Byatt

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CBR11 BINGO: Remix (Retelling of Norse Myths) A.S. Byatt is an author that I find difficult and I can only tackle one of her novels every so often when I feel I am up to the task. It’s always worth the effort, but it takes a lot of concentration to deal with the richness of her language and the scope of her thoughts. It’s a little like reading philosophy, mythology, psychology, poetry and historical fiction all at once. This little book of only 171 pages packs it all in. While Ragnarok is a re-telling of Norse mythology, it’s not done in a […]

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9/4/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No: 29 |

Between Ragnarok and a Hard Place

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

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When I was a kid, I was fascinated with ancient mythology. My favorite myths were those from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, but I tried to read everything I could get my grubby little hands on. I thought that myths provide a deeper understanding of a particular culture, specifically their understanding of self, their environment, and their place in the universe. For example, isn’t it interesting that the “great flood” is a recurrent theme in myths cross-culturally? And what about the common theme of resurrection, wherein a male figure undergoes a great sacrifice, is dead for a specific number of […]

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6/16/2018 | Post by

I think I have been bamboozled by this series

The Unyielding (Call of Crows #3) by Shelly Laurenston

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I had an unexpectedly bad reaction to this book, considering that I had relatively enjoyed the previous two books in the Call of Crows series. My impression of The Unyielding was so bad, in fact, that I don’t just think this was a bad installment in the series, but it has me questioning my taste over my higher ratings of the first two books. I’d re-read them to be sure I’m not crazy, but I don’t want to be proven right. I re-read my old review, and the thing is, most of what I said there is still true. What […]

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3/4/2018 | Post by

Missing the Beatles and Norse Insults

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan

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First, I’ve gotta say that I’m glad I got the Barnes and Noble exclusive on this one; the Norse insult generator in the back is fun if a little limited. So overall, the third book in the Magnus Chase series is pretty standard Rick Riordan fun. There’s plenty of action, and some touching moments mixed in. Seriously, if you don’t at least internally have an ‘awww’ moment when Hearthstone gets his othala rune back, there is something wrong with you. That part of the story might be about as close as I’ve ever come to tearing up while reading, and […]

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1/26/2018 | Post by

This is the last book! I thought there were two more!

The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3) by Rick Riordan

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Well, if this is the last new Riordan book I ever read, it’s a great one to go out on. Despite my fatigue with Riordan’s shenanigans, I’ve actually really enjoyed this series. It was *just* fresh enough, with the Norse mythology and some all-time great characters of types he hadn’t written before to make it worth my time (Hearthstone and Alex Fierro are my children). I also appreciated that it was a trilogy, and not a stretched out quadrology (I was super surprised several weeks ago when I learned this was the last book in this series). This book picks up […]

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12/28/2017 | Post by

Late to the party with this review of a fun book involving mythological bestiality, among other delights.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

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Norse mythology is so weird, guys. I mean, all mythology is weird, it’s just, I can’t get over Loki seducing that horse. This was a really fun audiobook. Gaiman reads it himself, which I always enjoy. I know some people don’t like his cadence, but it works for me. Especially when he gets all cheeky with his words and his tone of voice matches it. And it’s such a fast listen, only clocking in at six and a half hours. I’d imagine the hard copy would be just as much fun, though. Gaiman has a way with words in whatever […]

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6/9/2017 | Post by

I read this book, too

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

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I’m not even going to pretend that I was well-versed with Norse mythology before reading this. Sure, I have heard of Odin, Thor, and Loki. I’ve also read series that pay major homage, and I’ve listened to this song, I mean, a lot: But I probably could not recite the basic story of 99% of what was in this book, before reading this book. The hierarchy of “Mythology People Have Heard of” has got to be the Greeks and Romans at the top, right? That’s already more than enough for my pea brain, as a casual consumer of such things. […]

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3/22/2017 | Post by

“When something goes wrong, the first thing I always think is, it is Loki’s fault. It saves a lot of time.”

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

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I’m already pretty familiar with the Norse gods thanks to an early obsession with different mythologies, but you don’t pass up an opportunity to read Neil Gaiman’s take on them. Especially if you happen to be in a book shop and see a copy and remember that your boyfriend never bought you a copy despite the number of colossal hints you’ve already dropped. Anyway… Norse Mythology is a short trip through the stories of the gods – I read it all in one lazy morning in bed – that nonetheless feels pretty complete, with the tales chosen serving almost as […]

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3/17/2017 | Post by


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