Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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“Fern wondered if all dramatic showdowns had such an awkward aftermath. It was more painful than a book group pretending they’d read the story.”

Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Bradlee

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Fern, the profanity-heavy Rattikin and bookseller first appearing in Bookshops and Bonedust, has run her quiet little shop in her quiet seaside village for years. Now, offered a change of scenery and a potential end to the ennui she’s fallen into in recent years, she transplants herself to the city of Thune to start anew beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? (She hates the taste of coffee.) Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her! (Not in […]

Dusty town It’s a busy village Every day Like the one before Little town Full of little people Wanting to say, WHERE THE F IS SUNDAY?

The Lost Sunday by Iléana Surducan

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I won’t say a lot about the themes or story of The Lost Sunday by Iléana Surducan as it is pretty traditional. There are fairy tale tropes, the ideas are what you would expect for an Odyssey like journey of a young girl to the witches lair. The illustrations are amusing, cute, clever, simple and detailed simultaneously. There are good colors to them, without being too bold or too muted. They are supportive of the story. There are not a lot of surprises for big […]

“I met a king with seven sons”

The Snowcat Prince by Dina Norlund

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  I met a king with seven sons Each son wanted kingdom won But it was number seven Who would answer the question Who was the worthy one (an original by yours truly)   The Snowcat Prince by Dina Norlund was a story that while I enjoyed it, I do not feel I was the perfect audience for it. I had questions where some were answered only in the afterwards/extras of the story and some never at all. It almost felt like something was missing […]

A nostalgic, charming romp

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

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This was loaned to me by a friend who said he and his teen daughter loved the whole series, and it is delightful. As someone who grew up with the Oz books, it felt familiar, like a love letter to all our favorite childhood books.  September is 12, living in Nebraska and feeling bored. When the Green Wind calls her ‘somewhat irascible’ and offers a trip to Fairyland, she jumps at the chance. She feels a little bad about not waving goodbye to her mother […]

Get your D&D on without D&D

Legends & Lattes V01: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes by Travis Baldree

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins: Volume III by Jody Houser

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If you are looking for a couple of books that allow you to get your D&D love on, but are not D&D, there are two books (well one book and one series) that can work. The first, is a novel that has been getting much attention. And I understand why Legends & Lattes V01 is a hit. Travis Baldree made a story that captures the elements of fantasy, humor and romance in a package that allows it to be accessible to non-readers and readers of […]

Natalie Naudus saved me on this one.

Heart of the Sun Warrior (The Celestial Kingdom Duology, #2) by Sue Lynn Tan

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Last year I got into a really bad habit of not only buying pretty much every first book in a series that looked good to me, but oftentimes buying the sequel as well. That is what I did for this series. I was so convinced I would love it, I overcommitted. When I finally got around to reading the first book, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, in January, I had a tough time getting through it. Something about the pacing and the writing style did […]



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