Sarah – Cannonball Read 17

Nobody Should Ever Let Me Live-Text Them About Anything, Ever Again

Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

December 5, 2023 by Sarah 10 Comments

Listen: I loved this book so much that I am completely unable to be a reasonable person about it. I don’t know how to write a proper, coherent review when all I’ve got is excited hand-flapping and maybe also shrieks of excitement. So, instead, please enjoy this series of increasingly unhinged text messages that I sent to my friend Danielle over the course of about 48 hours. Okay, so, I’m reading this on my lunch break (started it when you first lent it to […]

Ah, the Art of Clumsily Remaking a Classic

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: High School is Hell (Vol. 1) by Jordie Bellaire

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once Bitten (Vol. 2) by Jordie Bellaire

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Hellmouth (Vol. 3) by Jordie Bellaire

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ring of Fire (Vol. 4) by Jordie Bellaire

November 15, 2023 by Sarah 1 Comment

Okay, so let me explain what’s going on here real quick, because the comic doesn’t actually do a particularly good job of it: it’s adapting Buffy into the current modern day, rather than the modern day at the time that it aired. So: pushing the story forward by about 20 years. And seeing what still works, what changes, and what snaps under the pressure. It’s an interesting idea. It’s not so far of a time-displacement that it makes everything different (which […]

It’s Important to Have the Occasional Existential Crisis About Trust. Probably.

A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova

November 13, 2023 by Sarah 2 Comments

On it’s face, Trial of Sorcerers is basically just about what happens when you send the various elemental benders from Avatar: The Last Airbender through the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Which is fun! But actually a vehicle for a VERY different story. Because inside of the framing plot device, Trial of Sorcerers is fundamentally a story about trust. Our core is this: Years ago, a disastrous Carrie-style incident caused our heroine to lose control of her magic and kill someone. It was an accident. It was still manslaughter. […]

Obscure Sex Fantasies Don’t Have to Make Sense

Reckless Heir by Jenika Snow

September 17, 2023 by Sarah 6 Comments

Listen, is this book good? No. Not really. It’s got a weird obsession with a particularly Victorian idea of virginity, and only the loosest possible concept of the physical logistics of real human sex. It’s distracting. These people need, like, so much sex ed. And also probably to see several doctors. And then to hire somebody to come and clean ALL of their furniture. But is this book compelling? Yeah, actually. Like, I get it. Until somewhat recently, I really didn’t see the appeal of […]

Love, Destiny, and People You Can’t Fucking Trust

Stormwind of Shadows by Jasmine Jenkins, Sophia Suliman

September 14, 2023 by Sarah Leave a Comment

Listen, these books are damn good. I don’t know what to tell you! If Lost Stars was about the Greywick siblings discovering the chaos and pitfalls of fated purpose, this installment is about that same approach to fated love. Because it turns out: 1) The problem with magical Love at First Sight is that it doesn’t care if you live wildly incompatible lives, and also he’d readily murder you if he knew your biggest secret. 2) The problem with enemies-to-lovers is that you can’t fucking […]

Love, Destiny, and the Military Industrial Complex

Wicked Academia: Lost Stars by Jasmine Jenkins, Sophie Suliman

August 24, 2023 by Sarah 1 Comment

Okay, help, I’ve just read a damn good book on Kindle Unlimited and I think that might be a sign of the apocalypse? Hear me out! Essentially, Lost Stars takes place in a universe where a trio of gods fell apart after one went evil, another killed him for it, and the mother goddess prophesied three more children who were supposed to redeem and replace what they all broke. …but then that never happened. Until three total disaster teenagers ruin a national festival and save […]

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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