Cannonball Read 15

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Classic Swedish Noir

Martin Beck Book Series by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

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In 1965 writing partners (and partners in real life) Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö embarked on a quest – to write and publish ten novels in ten years featuring Stockholm’s Martin Beck. The novels, police procedurals, were structured as not only mysteries, but reflections and commentary on modern Swedish society. The duo wore alternating chapters – but since I haven’t read any of their individual works I couldn’t;t guess who wrote which chapter in any given novel. The books are cohesive and follow policeman Martin […]

*record scratch* you’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation

False Value by Ben Aaronovitch

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well, not me per say- but DC Peter Grant. There was a good deal of magic AND non-magic kerfuffle at the end of Lies Sleeping. Peter, Lesley, Chorley, and the Nightingale himself were all thrown into the process of red tape and blue lines. I read Lies Sleeping back in September of last year, and then stopped dead in the ROL-iverse except for a short story here or there. False Value was available, but no way in hell was I about to mess up my matching set […]

‘There’s weird shit,’ I said. ‘And we deal with the weird shit, but normally it turns out that there’s a perfectly rational explanation.’ Which is often that a wizard did it.

Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch

Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch

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In all the hype for the Dresden Filer two-fer, I haven’t forgotten my new other favourite urban fantasy series! Since writing up my thoughts on the first three books in the Peter Grant series, I’ve positivly raced through the next three. I think Ben Aaronovitch really struck gold when he decided to blend a British police procedural with magical shenanigans; I’m racing through the series like a hot knife through butter. While all the books so far have had self-contained stories, there have been threads […]

cbr12bingo – Red!

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch

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Every entry into Rivers of London starts with a splash; we are always diving head-first, sometimes literally, into rivers of blood. Every delightful cover, all done by Patrick Knowles, is a map with a big, red, bloody “X” marking the spot. Every cover is a map, every map is filled with teensy tiny detail, and every seemingly unrelated sketch or nursery rhyme lyric builds together into the marvelous mess that is London. I love his minute details; I feel like I’m looking at a Where’s Waldo illustration for […]

Ever get the feeling that you’re being watched?

The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch

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Well, my library is being watched at least. I keep reading myself in circles; themes from one book bleed into another; people, places, statements, snippets of songs- this year is becoming one giant, roiling, swirling brew of a book. Peter Grant and the Falcon Family (tm tm tm!) are back in London, up to their necks in the Thames and sinking fast. Luckily, the river is full of gods who are just as willing to save them as they are to let them drown. Last […]

cbr12bingo – I Wish

Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

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I can’t read “I Wish” and not be immediately thrown into Into the Woods. I was tempted to start with “unrelated, but”…but it is related! It’s summertime, and PC Peter Grant has taken to the countryside, where all sorts of fairy-tale creatures are up to no good. “Anything can happen in the woods”, after all. Out of London and into the country! The National Trust is attempting to manage the wood, families are hiding secrets, a retired wizard lives in a tower full of bees, […]



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