Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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CoffeeShopReader's Reviews:

Watch enough tv crime shows and cook for everyone and you’ll find the killer

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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I needed a cozy mystery and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is indeed just that. Vera’s the stereotypical Chinese mom/grandma who runs a tea shop virtually no one goes to anymore. Then she finds a dead guy in there when she goes to open her shop, and people just start turning up (not just the police but them too, a little). Various folks who have some connection to the victim or crime including his wife Julia, “reporter” Riki, “podcaster” Sana, and the victim’s brother […]

Real Witchy Teas and More

Wiccan Teas & Brews by Cerridwen Greenleaf

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It would seem that my post-holiday, pre-before-school-starts self-care gift to myself this year so far has been in the form of teas. And then, I go into the library to browse for a minute before yoga (I should know better; every time I do that, I’m nearly late for class), and I find Wiccan Teas & Brews: Recipes for magical drinks, essences, and tinctures. Obviously, I had to check that out. There really are lot of interesting recipes in here, and I do not deny […]

Book related murder in the presence of book club in book themed place and bookish knowledge

The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian

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I like the characters and premise, but the pacing seemed to drag in places in The Raven Thief. There’s a lot of contemplation and conversation in between occasional bits of action. The main murder is of the “it had to be someone in this room” variety but everyone had an alibi (or do they?) and there’s four impossibilities that Tempest and her sidekick Sanjay (Kumiko calls him this at one point, and he’s slightly offended) need to figure out. Both of them are/were magic performer […]

Cursed and not princesses learning to slay for themselves

The Cursed Princess Club volume 2 by Lamb Cat

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Cursed Princess Club 2 is a good continuation of the series. I was wanting something cozy and wholesome and this mostly is just that. The MLP:FiM emphasis on learning both self-acceptance and how to develop social relationships with ones peers is definitely still a major force, but the fairy tale as well as general gender commentary is also a nice addition. The bit with the Princels seems a little forced in terms of story but it still mostly works as a quick observation on mindset […]

True to the Literary Source but not the Cover Vibe

Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

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When I saw the cover of Murder on the Christmas Express, I had two thoughts: ooh, cozy, and Agatha Christie homage. One of those two impressions was correct. This is so very not a cozy mystery; rape and partner abuse, past and present, features prominently. The trauma is given some respectful attention, but it’s all over most of the book, making it distinctly not cozy. Similarly, the main investigator is also awaiting the imminent birth of her first grandchild, and that’s not going well medically […]

Nowhere Nothing and I Don’t Care All At Once

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

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Potentially unpopular opinion forthcoming: I didn’t think The Atlas Six was all that great. There is little plot; not much happens in detail except time passing and people wondering what is going on with {insert current person and/or situation of concern here}. Not much happens with characters either; what is {person} hiding from the group and/or themselves? What is being hidden from them that might possibly matter? There is also not a lot of world building; this is a world in which there is magic […]



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