Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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About crystalclear

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Crystalclear can usually think of something clever to say, except when she can't. She has a giant stack of unread books at home but will always find an excuse to buy/acquire/borrow another one. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: crystalclear's Quick Questions interview.)

crystalclear's Reviews:

I just didn’t care

July 17, 2017 by crystalclear 1 Comment

I’m wondering if I was just not in the right mindset to read this book the day I tried to read it.  Maybe I’m going to be unfair.  Then again, maybe I’m not.  I’m a big P&P fan, to the point that I read fanfiction fairly consistently.  (If you would like some recommendations, I can point you in the direction of some extremely good ones!)  I tend to avoid the modern stuff, though, but I thought I’d give this a try.  Obviously, I made a […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance Tagged With: Fiction, kim izzo, The Jane Austen Marriage Manual: A Novel

crystalclear's CBR9 Review No:19 · Genres: Fiction, Romance · Tags: Fiction, kim izzo, The Jane Austen Marriage Manual: A Novel ·
Rating:
· 1 Comment

Meeting new friends and reuniting with old

May 29, 2017 by crystalclear Leave a Comment

This is a collection of short stories, most of which take place in Tamora Pierce’s Tortallan Universe.  Well, six do, and four take place in other fantasy settings, and there’s one nonfantasy story that was inspired by one of Pierce’s early jobs.  I liked all of them, although one of them was a bit spoilery for me, as I haven’t read the books that it follows.  (They’re sitting in my TBR pile right now, actually.)   “Student of Ostriches” This story follows Kylaia, a young […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Young Adult Tagged With: Anthology, fantasy, short stories, tamora pierce, Tortall, YA

crystalclear's CBR9 Review No:18 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Young Adult · Tags: Anthology, fantasy, short stories, tamora pierce, Tortall, YA ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

“Historic people are usually revered for not for the innocence of their souls, but for the lack of incriminating evidence.”

May 15, 2017 by crystalclear 1 Comment

Once upon a time, David McLain wrote a book.  It was good, you should read it.  Then he wrote another one, this one much longer.  And this one was also good!  This means that instead of his first book being a lucky stab in the dark, David McLain is a Good Author.  They aren’t easy to find, nowadays.  (Disclaimer: David McLain wrote another book before these two.  I have not read it, and therefore have no opinion of it.) Alice Anderson has many titles.  World’s […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Tagged With: David McLain, fantasy, Felix Eddy, Fiction, steampunk, The Time Traveller's Resort and Museum, time travel

crystalclear's CBR9 Review No:17 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction · Tags: David McLain, fantasy, Felix Eddy, Fiction, steampunk, The Time Traveller's Resort and Museum, time travel ·
Rating:
· 1 Comment

“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

April 18, 2017 by crystalclear Leave a Comment

The Screwtape Letters consists of 31 letters ‘found’ by C. S. Lewis that are from the demon Screwtape to his rookie nephew Wormwood.  Wormwood has been tasked with the corruption of a human soul, referred to only as “The Patient.”  God is referred to as “The Enemy” while the Devil is “Our Father Below.”  The whole thing is a satirical and ironic.   I first experienced The Screwtape Letters about 7 years ago as an off-Broadway play, and I loved it.  It was funny, and […]

Filed Under: Religion Tagged With: C.S. Lewis, Religion, Satire, The Screwtape Letters

crystalclear's CBR9 Review No:16 · Genres: Religion · Tags: C.S. Lewis, Religion, Satire, The Screwtape Letters ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

The way audiobooks should be

April 8, 2017 by crystalclear 1 Comment

This is an awesome audiobook production!  Tamora Pierce, the author, reads the narration, but all of the characters have different actors who voice them.  And they do an awesome job!  (Honestly, Tamora Pierce sounds a little stodgy, like she’s reading to a child, and you can tell she’s very deliberate with her words and annunciation.  But hey, she’s not a voice actor, and it creates a noticeable difference between the narration and the actors. And you get used to it!) (In listening to the interview at […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult Tagged With: Children's, fantasy, magic, Series, tamora pierce, Tortall

crystalclear's CBR9 Review No:15 · Genres: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult · Tags: Children's, fantasy, magic, Series, tamora pierce, Tortall ·
Rating:
· 1 Comment

“I fear I may be forced to declare ‘shenanigans’!”

April 8, 2017 by crystalclear 2 Comments

This is funny, guys!  And well-written!  (At least to me it is.)  We have R. F. Jackaby, an American Sherlock type who can see things that others can’t.  Not just notice things others don’t, but things others physically cannot comprehend.  There’s magic here, and Jackaby has a gift.  And just like Sherlock, a lot of people thing Jackaby is crazy.  Or on drugs.  “All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with view behind […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult Tagged With: fantasy, Fiction, Jackaby, mystery, William Ritter, YA

crystalclear's CBR9 Review No:11 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult · Tags: fantasy, Fiction, Jackaby, mystery, William Ritter, YA ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments
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