Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About Aquillia

CBR 5
CBR 6
CBR 9
CBR10 participant
CBR11 participant
CBR12 participant
CBR13 participant
CBR14 Participant

PhD in Ancient History. Wannabe fantasy writer. Likes ancient coins, imaginary kingdoms, and failed emperors. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: Aquillia's Quick Questions interview.)

Aquillia's Reviews:

History and travel: bingo two for two in a series (#History/Schmistory & Travel)

His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire #1) by Naomi Novik

Throne of Jade (Temeraire #2) by Naomi Novik

by Leave a Comment

I’m pretty behind on Bingo, so trying to catch up before it ends! Some quick reviews of two entries in a series I’ve been reading this year, both on audiobook: Temeraire (AKA His Majesty’s Dragon) and Throne of Jade, by Naomi Novik. Temeraire fits the History/Schmistory square, since it’s set in an alternate history, and Throne of Jade satisfies the requirements for Travel. This was the series Novik was known for before she delved into folklore fantasy with Uprooted and Spinning Silver. They’re difficult to compare, as […]

Returning once more to one of Hercule Poirot’s greatest cases #I Love This

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

by Leave a Comment

Sometimes I feel like my CBR reviews are either fantasy or Agatha Christie. I’ve been a fan of both for years, and I return sometimes to Christie when I need a quick read. This time, it was actually because I found that my library has the audiobook version of Death on the Nile–read by DAVID SUCHET. Who uses his Poirot voice when appropriate. Needless to say, I LOVED this version of something I’ve already loved for ages. Death on the Nile is one of Christie’s […]

Not something I might have chosen myself, but really enjoyed! #FarAndAway

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

by Leave a Comment

I picked this one up for a book club a few months ago. I really do not often read literary fiction, but I wanted to give this one a try. And lo and behold–I loved it! I ended up only finishing half before the book club meeting and got all sorts of spoilers, but to be honest, this book isn’t read for the plot. Knowing what’s going to happen does not ruin it at all (and I usually hate spoilers). This is a book that […]

A quiet fantasy that speaks to the heart (#AwardWinner)

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

by Leave a Comment

One of the truly loveliest fantasies I read this year was The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. This one came highly recommended to me on a facebook group where I asked for non-grimdark, political intrigue fantasy. The recommender really hit the mark, and I recommend it to any lover of fantasy! It’s steampunk but not in-your-face about it, bittersweet but not everything-is-s*** like grimdark, and it’s also an award winner! It won the 2015 Locus Award (and was also nominated for the 2014 Nebula and the […]

Better late than never for CBR? (Bingo Square: Classics)

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

by 1 Comment

I read A Study in Scarlet a few weeks ago to prepare for Cannonball Read and… forgot to review. So here’s my quick review before I dive into the discussion posts because I don’t want to be influenced. I’d read this before as a kid, when I went through a big Sherlock Holmes binge and read as many of the stories as I could get my hands on before I eventually got rather bored. Reading this now as an adult, I remember why I got bored–this one […]

A gorgeous, perfect fantasy for a history lover (#Reading the TBR)

The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

by 10 Comments

I have wanted to read one of Guy Gavriel Kay’s books for a long time–so I’m tagging this review as #Reading the TBR for Cannonball Bingo. It’s been ages since I did a review, but what with Bingo starting I’m a little more inspired. And also because I feel like writing this review might diminish the extreme book hangover I have right now. I’m a big fan of both fantasy and history, and people have recommended Kay’s books to me multiple times. Yet somehow, I […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo