Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About Bothari43

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When writing a genre-based lim'rick / Avoid lengthy 'post-apoc'lyptic' / Though CB reviews / Have broadened my views / My fave is still chick-written sci-fic (Learn more about this Cannonballer: Bothari43's Quick Questions interview.)

Bothari43's Reviews:

Not the most Pratchetty of Pratchetts, but solid

Eric by Terry Pratchett

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A friend recommended the podcast Myths & Legends, and I chose to start with the two-part episode on Faust and Mephistopheles, because I have a sculpture of those two that I absolutely love (pictured). The episode was great, and inspired me to reread Pratchett’s Eric, which has barely anything to do with the Faust story, but is still a damn fun ride. Eric is a horny teen gothling, trying to summon a demon to grant him all his wishes. Rincewind is a terrible wizard (in that […]

Quick Questions with a Cannonballer: MarkAbaddon

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Your bio says you sought out CBR to use writing as a release from the stress of the political atmosphere, which is a great reason! Have you found it helpful? As the ant said when pissing into the ocean, “Every bit helps.” Honestly, the political environment is so toxic and upsetting right now, I believe we all need multiple mechanisms to cope. Writing does help. So does alcohol. In one of your reviews, you said that “There are some books one reads as a teenager […]

Quick Questions with a Cannonballer: Cosbrarian

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Congratulations on achieving a Cannonball your first time out! How does it feel? It feels great! I didn’t worry too much about completing it, as I have to read a LOT for work as a librarian. But I still completed it much sooner than planned, so that worked out nicely. How did you hear about CBR? What made you decide to sign up? I am a member of the Pajiba group on Facebook and I believe MsWas commented on a book related post I left there […]

Revisiting old faves/comfort food

The Spirit Ring by Lois McMaster Bujold

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I like to re-read and review at least one Lois book per year, even though it’s always hard for me to think of much to say besides “I love this!” It’s been a while since I revisited Fiametta, so I chose one of Lois’s rare (only?) standalone books, the fantasy Spirit Ring. Also rarely, this book takes place in the real(ish) world, in Renaissance-y Italy. Except that there’s magic. Fiametta Beneforte is a bright, headstrong daughter of a wealthy sorcerer and metalworker. Her father creates […]

Don’t be fooled by the title: there are no dragons in this book

Dragonmeade by Rona Randall

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I don’t think I was in the right mood for this, but I’m trying to get through some of my used-bookstore purchases before I allow myself to buy more. I think now might not be a great time for gothic romances – mostly I wanted to set fire to all the male characters. Even a spunky female heroine is still basically her husband’s property in a gothic/regency/whatever, and just UGH. Our spunky heroine Eustacia grows up with a single mom who runs a gambling parlor […]

Going to Amazon to get your CBR link and finding out there’s a sequel: what a gloooorious feeeeeeeling, I’m haaaappy again!

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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I don’t want to tell you guys anything about this book, because every time I thought I had figured out where it was going, it surprised me. It was SO GOOD. But I was ferociously hooked within the first two chapters, so I’m only going to recap the very beginning. It feels very spoilery, because a LOT happens, but seriously – there’s so much more! It’s a bazillion years in the future, and the Earth is dying. Humans have borked things up beyond repair, and […]



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