Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Good evening, everyone. I'm Leslie Monster, and this is Nightline. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: narfna's Quick Questions interview.)

narfna's Reviews:

“The nameless slave shall wear a silver crown.”

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

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The first time I read this way back in 2008 I gave it five stars out of reflex, and then later I downgraded to four (I even deleted my Goodreads review because it just seemed excessive and ridiculous). My instinct upon finishing the second time was also to just smack five of ’em on there. It’s just so well-written, and so comprehensive, and so epic-feeling. It’s practically got it’s own gravity. And then I stepped away from it for a while, again (in this case […]

“I like the way he says ‘furthermore’,” Merrick observed quietly. “Cos you can tell he means ‘wankers’.”

Flight of Magpies (A Charm of Magpies, #3) by K.J. Charles

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All in all, this series has not been my personal favorite from K.J. Charles, but I’d still call it very good. In Flight of Magpies, plotlines and arcs that have been building since book one finally are resolved. Crane wants to leave the country with Stephen more and more every day. He’s chafing at England’s restrictive society, and he’d rather be away from reminders of his family legacy and obligations, as all they do is remind him of how terrible his life used to be. […]

“There are worse games you could play.”

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins

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I think I’m going to bullet point this one since I am now emotionally exhausted. The rest of the review will be all spoilers. *This is still not a five star book for me, though I am going to bump it up to 4.5 stars. Mainly, I’m still mad about Finnick dying, although the longer time passes, the more I see why she did it. Also, the ending does still seem a little rushed and confused, but then again, it does sort of reflect Katniss’s […]

“You would think that at this moment I would be in utter despair. Here’s what’s strange. The main thing I feel is a sense of relief. That I can give up this game. That the question of whether I can succeed in this venture has been answered, even if that answer is a resounding no. That if desperate times call for desperate measures, I am free to act as desperately as I wish.”

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins

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Firstly I just want to point out something weird, which is that this is my 75th book of the year, and this book follows the 75th annual Hunger Games, and I did not plan that, it’s just a very strange coincidence. (Not sure how this ended up being my 76th CBR review though??) Secondly, I want to talk some more about Katniss and her psychological state, there will be spoilers in the rest of the review so mosey along now if you somehow haven’t read […]

“Here’s some advice. Stay alive.”

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins

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I think what I want to talk about on this my third reading of The Hunger Games is why I think it was a breakout bestseller, and why all the books that tried to copy it and profit off of YA “dystopia” as a genre in its wake got it wrong. Hint: they went for the surface level and completely ignored what actually makes this book great. Another hint: It’s not actually the fact that it’s a dystopia. Anyone can do that and it doesn’t […]

Ironically titling this review ‘A Good Book’.

A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

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This is one of those books that the more it sits with you, the worse you think of it. And I liked the book at first! It’s written in an engaging style, and the characters seem likable at first. It’s also not a long book, so it doesn’t feel like a burden to pick up. I got it as my April pick for Book of the Month, a particularly slim month for interesting choices, so I thought I would branch out a little from my […]



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