Aquillia – Page 4 – Cannonball Read 17

New crafts for a pandemic #How-To

Sewing for Dummies by Jan Saunders Maresh

September 13, 2020 by Aquillia 1 Comment

Bingo Square: How-To I decided this pandemic period that I would take up sewing! I love crafts and hate trying on clothes in stores. Also, I’d been gifted a sewing machine by my very sweet mother-in-law a few Christmases ago, and now I finally had some extra money to be able to buy fabric and get to sewing! Spoiler alert: it’s super fun and I have spent way too much money on cute fabric. Not knowing where to start (and not interested in taking classes, […]

A bit of a disappointment from a favourite author #BookClub

A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay

September 13, 2020 by Aquillia Leave a Comment

Bingo square: Book Club I was super excited when my book club (internationals/ex-pats in my city who get together and read fantasy) agreed to read the newest Guy Gavriel Kay book. I’ve been absolutely loving GGK the past year or so (even if I haven’t written reviews of Tigana or A Song for Arbonne yet). Unfortunately, A Brightness Long Ago did not live up to my expectations. Set in Batiara, a world like Renaissance Italy, the story follows Danio Cerra as he saves a young female […]

Didn’t pay for this fantasy about economic warfare and rebellion #No Money

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

September 13, 2020 by Aquillia 2 Comments

Having reviewed Going Postal and Making Money by Terry Pratchett for the #Money Bingo Square, I’m going to continue the theme by reading a book I paid no money for (thanks, Tor Ebook of the Month club!) that was also largely about money: The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson. Baru is young when her home, the island of Taranoke, is conquered by the Imperial Republic of Falcrest, known as the Masquerade because of the masks their government officials wear. She goes to the imperial school […]

#Red: An Austenian take on the societal and legal niceties of consuming your own kin (plus dragons)

Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton

July 26, 2020 by Aquillia Leave a Comment

Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton has been described as “Pride and Prejudice, but dragons”. There is no more apt description than this, though I also see a lot of Dickensian influence. Additionally, the primary romance is not as antagonistic as Elizabeth and Darcy are initially. I’m counting this as my bingo square for Red because the cover is, in fact, very red and because the colour actually plays a role in the book. The plot centers around a family of dragon gentility after the […]

I understand why everyone recommends these Pratchetts; they’re… gold! (#Money!)

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Making Money by Terry Pratchett

July 25, 2020 by Aquillia Leave a Comment

Continuing on my quest to read through Terry Pratchett’s marvelous Discworld series (why did I not start before two years ago?!). They are perfect palate cleansers for heavier books or for when I just need a good laugh. I am almost through all the Watch books now (my favourites), and decided to listen to the audiobooks for some of Pratchett’s later ‘industrial revolution’ novels featuring the brilliantly named Moist von Lipwig: Going Postal and Making Money–the latter of which makes this a perfect match for the […]

Been on my ‘recommended by a Cannonballer’ list for years now… (#Cannonballer Says!)

Confessions by Kanae Minato

July 25, 2020 by Aquillia 2 Comments

Confessions by Kanae Minato could have been my White Whale, but I’ve chosen to count it as my Cannonballer Says square because I never would have heard of it if it hadn’t been for Cannonball Read! I saw a review here a few years ago (I think it must have been ElCicco’s!) and was super intrigued, but hadn’t been able to get it from my library (and I was committed to not buying books until I got a better-paying job–not coincidentally, I read this while commuting […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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