Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


So much goodness stuffed into one little novella.

The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark

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This was very entertaining, and very refreshing. I just wish it was longer! (That seems to be a common complaint.) This is an alternate history and steampunk fantasy novella set in New Orleans post-Civil War. In this version of history, the Civil War ended with two separate Americas, and New Orleans also seceded into a neutral city-state that is heavily diverse, and populated by many people from the free Caribbean region. Our main character is Creeper (given name Jacquelin, but don’t call her that, she […]

“into every life a little poop must fall”

If It Bleeds by Stephen King

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There’s something about reading Stephen King that really fuels my creativity. And this was a good collection. The real star of these four novellas is the titular If It Bleeds, a direct sequel to The Outsider, but I think I might have actually liked it better than that book. We get some classic themes from Uncle Stevie here but he adds a modern spin to most of them that was interesting, even if some worked better than others for me. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone — 3.5 […]

Feels like the first time 🎶

The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky (Montague Siblings, #1.5) by Mackenzi Lee

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I did not expect this to be so uncomfortable! I do not do well with awkward. But it ended sweetly, so I feel better now. This whole novella (which was a two hour listen on audio) centers on Monty worrying about his first time having sex with Percy. Monty is self-conscious about his past sexual exploits, worried about their future, and still harboring some self-hatred that makes it hard for him to understand why Percy would want to be with him. Also, Percy is a […]

This only made me want book nine more. But still no release date.

Auberon (The Expanse, #8.5) by James S.A. Corey

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As with all of these Expanse novellas, I had a bit of a hard time getting into it (new characters, new setting, very discombobulating), but it had me by the end. Auberon was published after the eighth book, but it takes place right after book seven, when Duarte’s empire is just getting started. The Laconians have installed a brand new Governor on Auberon, one of the many colonized worlds of the gate system that will be instrumental in feeding the empire, and he’s our main POV […]

The Forward Collection, ed. by Blake Crouch, was a fun success, except for that one story I didn’t like at all.

Ark by Veronica Roth

Summer Frost by Blake Crouch

Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin

The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay

You Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles

Randomize by Andy Weir

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I’m putting all my reviews of this collection in one post. Blake Crouch commissioned a bunch of his writer friends to bring him stories about some aspect of near-future technology, and how that might affect life on earth. These are what they gave him (along with Crouch’s own story). “Ark,” by Veronica Roth – 3.5 STARS This is miles above the last book I read from Roth in quality. It seems she’s learned how to be subtle, which is good! This first story in the […]

“Here was life, gently reminding her that she could care again. That her grief was allowed, but so was her joy.”

Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan

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This was a little on the nose in parts (mostly dialogue), but it was also full of spit and vinegar. I could feel Courtney Milan’s rage (tempered with good humor) on every page, and it wasn’t an incoherent rage, more like a well-harnessed one. The rest of her body of work shows compassion for men caught up in the same patriarchal system that puts women at an inherent disadvantage, but I guess she just needed let this one rip, just let out a pure expression […]



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