Jake – Page 40 – Cannonball Read 17

Bored in the House, Bored in the House

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

February 11, 2023 by Jake Leave a Comment

A review of another book summed this one up perfectly for me: this is a rebound book. You’re kind of interested but not really. You’re not ready for anything heavy so you pick it in an I-guess-it’s-you kinda way. You have some mildly entertaining dates but you feel like you’re just passing the time. You’re holding its hand while in the relationship waiting room, hoping for something better. This is that book for me. It’s been a rough week professionally and I don’t want to […]

A Civil Rights Icon

My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Coretta Scott King

February 8, 2023 by Jake Leave a Comment

Like many white folk who studied the Civil Rights Movement on a surface level, I always assumed Coretta Scott King fully played the Dutiful Wife. She tended to the children, kept the house, lifted the spirits of her famous husband, mourned with dignity and carried on his legacy as she got older. Well, she did do those things. But she did so much more and she deserves to be remembered as more than The Wife. I’ve always had a curiosity about Coretta Scott King ever […]

January 2023 Leftovers

Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly

Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh

Anxious People by Frederick Backman

The Dead Season by Tessa Wegert

A Diet of Treacle by Lawrence Block

The Club: How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports by Joshua Robinson & Jonathan Clegg

February 3, 2023 by Jake Leave a Comment

Here are brief reviews for the books I read in 2023 that I either didn’t have time to review or that didn’t merit 250 words… Two Kinds of Truth*** First new read of 2023! I continue to plow through the Bosch series. I enjoyed most of what I read recently but this was just blah. Boring, predictable dueling plots, though one is resolved with an interesting twist. Read better, read worse in this series. Looking forward to getting to some of the Renee Ballard books. […]

War Without End

The Border by Don Winslow

January 28, 2023 by Jake Leave a Comment

Someone I follow on Instagram did a “What are you reading this weekend?” post. I responded with this book. The person replied: “I’ve never read Don Winslow but I’ve heard good things.” Hmm. On the one hand, Winslow is one of my favorite, reliable writers. He churns out some incredible crime fiction, including epic historical crime fiction that integrates real events into the narrative. I’m reading what he’s writing. On the other hand, Winslow’s art is hard to separate from the artist, especially when he […]

Blood of Scotland

A Distant Echo by Val McDermid

January 21, 2023 by Jake Leave a Comment

It’s crystal clear that I need to read more Val McDermid. A Place of Execution was one of the best things I read in 2021, but I consistently punt on her books. I finally bought 1979with some Christmas money after returning it three times to the library unfinished. I don’t know why, don’t ask me to explain it. She’s very good. Like the other one I read, this is a character driven crime novel with a mystery that’s resolved in a textured way. There are […]

California Soul-less

Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper

January 20, 2023 by Jake 2 Comments

Much like Deepti Kapoor’s Age of Vice, this is an early 2023 novel that came with a ton of hype. Being a big crime fiction fan, I’ve been hearing about this book for months, not just from publishers who make it their job, but from other mystery writers. It was billed as the modern day Chinatown, the new age Los Angeles noir. I knew I’d probably enjoy it but wasn’t sure if it could live up to its lofty billing. It did. Oh my, it did. What […]

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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