Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

ghost stories with a history lesson or two

The Vine that Ate the South by J.D. Wilkes

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This book is fast, ferocious, and fun- which is not a surprise, considering it was crafted by J. D. Wilkes of the Legendary Shack Shakers. He wrote a rollicking Kentucky Odyssey-meets-Stand by Me and illustrated it himself to boot. Not only is this a “do you wanna see a dead body” sort of tale, but it’s also a thoughtful look at the overpowering anarchy of kudzu vine (the titular invasive vine that ate the south), and the people of Appalachia herself. All of the characters within The […]

Say Goodbye to the Hot Pants

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I know it’s blasphemous, as a comic book nerd, to ever admit that you like a character’s costume redesign.  But I wholeheartedly endorse Wonder Woman’s new look in Odyssey.  Gone are the unflattering, high-waisted hot pants, the heeled boots, that super-in-your-face-patriotism that makes you think she just might fart out eagles.  (Which I never really understood…  She’s an Amazon.  So, if we have to put a nationality to her, wouldn’t it be Greek?  I don’t know.  I probably just caused at least two people to […]

King Kong meets Homer in a less than successful adventure

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Although this is not their first “Gideon Crew” novel, it is the first I have read and while it was entertaining, it was also a “lightweight.” These authors’ “Pendergast” series has lots of fantastical plots, and yet the protagonist is such a weirdly compelling character with such a mysterious backstory, the villains so devious, the plots so complex, and the locations so atmospheric as to just pull you along for the whole ride. The Lost Island has a fun opening gambit, but a literary plotline […]



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