Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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About expandingbookshelf

CBR 8
CBR  9

Long time lurker, occasional contributor. I like long walks on the beach, immaturely judging people and wine. Follow my reviews at https://expandingbookshelf.wordpress.com

expandingbookshelf's Reviews:

Bite Me

April 20, 2016 by expandingbookshelf 4 Comments

The Historian is like a cross between The Da Vinci Code and Dracula. It’s partially an update of Stoker’s classic tale, utilizing the scarier-than-fiction stories about Vlad “The Impaler” Tepes-the man upon whom Dracula’s legend is based. It’s also about a Robert Langdon-esque race to find priceless historical relics…before the bad guys get to them first. Throw in some father-daughter bonding, centuries-old secret societies waging quiet but brutal war and an old fashioned-love story, and you’ve got a pretty thick book. If that sounds intriguing, […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction Tagged With: Dracula, Elizabeth Kostova, historical fiction, The Historian, vampires

expandingbookshelf's CBR8 Review No:50 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction · Tags: Dracula, Elizabeth Kostova, historical fiction, The Historian, vampires ·
Rating:
· 4 Comments

We’re not going back to this

April 15, 2016 by expandingbookshelf 2 Comments

The 2016 presidential election is already causing a lot of hurt feelings. Over the last couple of months, I’ve heard some friends draw lines in the sand. If this person doesn’t get the democratic nomination, I’m not voting. Or I’ll vote for the Republican. My vote will only go to the candidate that matches my viewpoint 100%. I respect your right to have an opinion and all, but I have a message for you (and if you are still planning to vote Republican, you are […]

Filed Under: History Tagged With: abortion, Ann Fessler, feminism, history, sociology, The Girls Who Went Away

expandingbookshelf's CBR8 Review No:49 · Genres: History · Tags: abortion, Ann Fessler, feminism, history, sociology, The Girls Who Went Away ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

A protagonist who makes Nick Dunn look like Mr. Rogers

April 14, 2016 by expandingbookshelf 1 Comment

This isn’t a murder mystery. At first glance, it appears like one. On a winter evening, George Clare comes home to find his wife Catherine brutally murdered and their three-year-old daughter crying, “Mama hurt.” Of course as the husband, George jumps to the top of the cop’s suspect list. But it’s not the first tragedy to take place in their house. Just a few years before, a farmer and his wife killed themselves there, leaving three orphaned sons who might know something about Catherine’s murder. […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: All Things Cease to Appear, crime, Elizabeth Brundage, murder

expandingbookshelf's CBR8 Review No:48 · Genres: Uncategorized · Tags: All Things Cease to Appear, crime, Elizabeth Brundage, murder ·
Rating:
· 1 Comment

Sweet, merciful Jesus, what a dumpster fire: A real-time review of Tales of a Female Nomad

April 14, 2016 by expandingbookshelf 10 Comments

-This was a total impulse pick-up. I saw the title on my new audiobook app and downloaded it. I have a soft spot for travel memoirs. Even when they’re not great, I can usually get something out of it. This woman says she’s lived in a lot of places I want to go to. I’m sold. -When Rita Golden Gelman was 48, she found herself on the verge of divorce. Unhappy in her life, unsure of how she got to where she was, and feeling […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir Tagged With: #memoir, biography, Rita Golden Gelman, Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World, terrible, travel

expandingbookshelf's CBR8 Review No:47 · Genres: Biography/Memoir · Tags: #memoir, biography, Rita Golden Gelman, Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World, terrible, travel ·
Rating:
· 10 Comments

Exploring a sprawling, new world

April 12, 2016 by expandingbookshelf 1 Comment

I’ve never read anything quite like Ken Liu’s debut novel The Grace of Kings.I’ve been trying to figure out how to explain it for a week now and the closest I can come to is this: Chinese history meets The Iliad meets Game of Thrones. Sometimes it reads like a history book…and then our heroes wage their wars on the backs of whales or from steampunk-inspired hot air balloons. Sprawling and ambitious, I couldn’t help but cheer for this book, even when I didn’t love […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Science Fiction Tagged With: China, epic, fantasy, ken liu, The Dandelion Dynasty. Science fiction, The Grace of Kings, trilogy

expandingbookshelf's CBR8 Review No:46 · Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction · Tags: China, epic, fantasy, ken liu, The Dandelion Dynasty. Science fiction, The Grace of Kings, trilogy ·
· 1 Comment

A love letter to the lovers of letters

April 5, 2016 by expandingbookshelf 6 Comments

One of the characters in The Thirteenth Tale has a strict rule: start at the beginning. Tell the story in order. Well, all due respect to that awesome character, but I’m going to start at the end. My end, at least. When I had about 60 pages left in the book, I decided to stay in my car after work and finish it there, rather than read the end at home. I knew I would drive myself insane in traffic, knowing this book was just […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery Tagged With: diane setterfield, gothic, mystery, paranormal, the thirteenth tale

expandingbookshelf's CBR8 Review No:45 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery · Tags: diane setterfield, gothic, mystery, paranormal, the thirteenth tale ·
Rating:
· 6 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • 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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