Bothari43 – Page 27 – Cannonball Read 17

“Better nonexistence than pain” – whatever, dude

Office of Mercy by Ariel Djanikian

June 13, 2019 by Bothari43 5 Comments

Do you guys find it harder to write a spoiler-free review when it’s for a book you didn’t like? My last two reviews have been for books that were just kind of meh, but then had aggravating endings. It’s tough not to talk about it! Three hundred years after an apocalypse only referred to as “The Storm,” the surviving civilizations are gathered in bunkers and domes. Everyone is issued food, clothing, jobs, apartments, etc.: everything a person needs. The entire occupation of the settlements is […]

I needed more of a reason to care what happened to these people

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

May 29, 2019 by Bothari43 Leave a Comment

I finished this book on a plane four days ago, and I’m already forgetting it. It was fine – perfect plane fare, and it fit in my purse. But it was tremendously forgettable. Four girls become fast friends at boarding school, something terrible happens, they grow up with a horrible secret, and events come back to haunt them after they’re all grown and living miles away from each other. Not very original, sure, but there’s definitely potential there. Fifteen years after they left school under […]

Quick Questions with a Cannonballer: Alexis Dubief

May 14, 2019 by Bothari43 8 Comments

How many times have you participated in CBR? Has it changed the way you read? I was a CBR lurker for ages but officially joined up for CBR6 in 2014. Cannonballers introduced me to romance reading (Malin and Mrs. Julien are largely to blame) and even today, 5-star reviews on CBR account for ~70% of my book purchases. Murderbot Diaries, The Hating Game, Saga, Fangirl, etc.: many of my all time favorites came directly from the rave reviews of other Cannonballers. You wrote a book! […]

How do you make an enormous, cult-creating, planet-destroying Cthulhu babydoll NOT exciting??

Deadstock by Jeffrey Thomas

April 28, 2019 by Bothari43 Leave a Comment

This book was low-key aggravating. The plot was interesting enough that I wanted to keep going, but the characters were unlikeable enough that I almost gave up on it several times. Spoilers ahead, because nobody else should bother with this weirdness. I picked this one up at a used bookstore because it had a complimentary quote from China Mieville on the cover. You let me down, China! I read very few male authors anymore, and this book reminded me why. A former soldier turned private […]

Don’t investigate creepy things if you’re not prepared to deal with what you find

The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

April 7, 2019 by Bothari43 1 Comment

I added this to my list after reading Shmecky87’s review earlier this year. It was SO GOOD. I read during breakfast, I read through my lunch break, I read through breaks and way past bedtimes. It starts off light, a quick and easy read, and then it just grips you and doesn’t let go. It starts off a little eye-rolly. I wasn’t going to read first-person dude stories anymore, but Nolan grew on me pretty quickly. He and his small band of YouTubers have a web […]

Goth aliens call them ‘stop-stop dancers’ instead of go-go dancers

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente

March 31, 2019 by Bothari43 1 Comment

It’s nearly impossible to read this book and not compare it to Hitchhiker’s Guide, and I don’t know how to give it a fair review without those thoughts tumbling around in my head. This was an interesting, fun read…but NOTHING is going to come out on top when you compare it to Hitchhiker. Humans are just getting close enough to attempting space travel to make the rest of the universe nervous, so they have to compete in the universal sentience test or risk total destruction. […]

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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