Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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“Nobody grabs SecUnits. I hadn’t realized this was a perk until now.”

Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries #3) by Martha Wells

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When I read this book in January of 2019 it was my least favorite of the original four (spoiler, it still is), mostly because I didn’t connect with the non-Murderbot characters. To a degree that is still true, I feel less connected to them than I did to Mensah’s team in the first or the programmers in the second. But, on a second visit I think that’s probably by design, as Wells is clearly juxtaposing Don Amene and Miki against those other relationships. There is […]

“I liked protecting people and things. I liked figuring out smart ways to protect people and things. I liked being right.”

Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells

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My Murderbot re-read continues with the introduction of my favorite character, ART (which, side note, it has taken me over five years to notice that ART is in the title Artificial Condition). Book two picks up quickly after the events of All Systems Red, with Murderbot having left Mensah and her team to figure out what it wants with its freedom, now that it is off inventory from the company, but not wanting to be a “pet robot”. Quickly, Murderbot realizes it wants to get […]

“Directness often disguised as much as it revealed, and was a marvelous defense.”

What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long

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Towards the end of June Nart reviewed What I Did for a Duke by Julie Ann Long and I had an immediate urge to drop what I was doing and go find my nook so I could start a re-read. I don’t do a ton of re-reading but there was something about this story that has kept an urge to visit it again simmering in my brain. I had visceral memories of the way the characters spoke to each other being delicious, and the house […]

“Isn’t it nice,” the older lady said, leaning in so that only Penelope could hear her words, “to discover that we’re not exactly what we thought we were?”

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

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This is a re-read for me, put to the front of the line by a weeklong battle with a sinus infection and certain sectors of my social media intake being flooded with Bridgerton season three promos featuring Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton as Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. As I am not made of stone, I’ve read all 8 main Bridgerton books, watched the first two seasons of the show (a lack of Netflix subscription prevented my viewing of the Queen Charlotte season), and have […]

“You’ll never understand the way the worlds really work until you surround yourself with people from all sorts of weird backgrounds.”

Saga: Volume Four by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist)

Saga: Volume Five by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist)

Saga: Volume Six by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist)

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The Saga re-read continues. I’m still in love with this series. It’s rare to have humor, sorrow, wit, action, adventure, and beautiful drawings married in one text, but this is that text. Volume Four would be my sole four star rated volume, but I am refusing to grade these against themselves, they are collectively some of the best storytelling I have read and will all be given five stars, regardless of swings in execution from volume to volume. That said, while I’m sure that the plot […]

“This is how an idea becomes real.”

Saga: Volume One by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist)

Saga: Volume Two by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist)

Saga: Volume Three by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist)

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I’m working on a re-read of the Saga before I indulge myself in the latest, Volume 10, now that Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples are back from their sabbatical. It’s been four years since I last cracked these books, but I was immediately pulled back into the world that Vaughan’s writing and Staples’ beautiful art bring so vividly to life. Its easy to remember why this series possesses so many awards (seriously, its got Harvey Awards, a Hugo Award, British Fantasy Award, Goodreads Choice […]



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