Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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“And to that end, welcome comfort, for without it, you cannot stay strong.”

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

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This time, I read the duology back-to-back (how I wish this series had continued, but I understand Chambers stopping here). Where Psalm for the Wild-Built was really just about Sibling Dex and Mosscap, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is much more the story of community. Having made it to the monastery and back the pair now embark on the promised road trip for Mosscap to ask its question of humanity. To do that, they travel from town to town on their way to the city. Dex is convinced that if there is an answer to what humanity needs it […]

“…for you are my child, courageous and free.”

From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Kai Cheng Thom, Wai-Yant Li and Kai Yun Ching (illustrators)

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My January reading stalled out a bit, so I decided to pivot to some Read Harder Challenge tasks with shorter works. Task 16 this year is to read a queer picture book. The goal of the challenge is to broaden reading habits, and this task certainly did since I had no picture books on my very long TBR. I did some research, checked my library catalogue, and decided on From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea.   This is an extraordinarily beautiful book, both in its message and its visuals. Illustrators Wai-Yant Li and Kai Yun Ching deliver a […]

“That’s all any of us can do, in the end. Say bismillah, and try.”

Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marisa Stapley

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Last year I read Uzma Jalaluddin’s Ayesha at Last and enjoyed it enough to have her on my radar for a book to add to this year’s list. With a happy coincidence of needing a non-Christmas holiday romance for the Read Harder challenge, Three Holidays and a Wedding by Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley. The story is set in December 2000 when Ramadan, Hannukah, and Christmas all overlapped and tells the story of several people who are snowbound in a small Canadian town when their plane is diverted on its approach to Toronto.   […]

“It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”

All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

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I am ever so pleased with my first Aardvark book! Only my third 5-star rating of the year (although a couple have been close).  I chose this one on vibes – I was partway through Band Sinister and enjoying myself, loved the cover, and was in the mood to say yes to some gothic mystery goodness. All of Us Murderers is KJ Charles playing with all the gothic novel tropes and putting her own spin on making the queer textual in a genre where it was subtext for most of its history.  The book starts with […]

“Lies are as dangerous as a sword. They can cut to the bone.”

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

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I am so torn about the rating of The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. Part of me was won over by the interesting world Clayton created where people are born alike, with red eyes and grey skin, and hair the texture of straw. What is considered “beauty” – a variety of skin tones, hair colors and types, and body shapes – does not come naturally unless they are a Belle. The Belles have the ability through their arcana (think natural magic ability) to change people’s appearances, but not their own. All varieties are considered various degrees of beautiful, but of course like […]

“Now you understand not every story shares the whole truth.”

The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez

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By about 10% into the book, I was reminded viscerally of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. When reviewing that book I focused on the idea of there being a special power in taking a known story and envisioning it in a new way. I’m firmly of the opinion that approaching storytelling that way – taking what has existed previously and viewing it another way – can lead to some inventive storytelling. There are any number of ways to approach it, and The Maiden […]



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