stegolily – Cannonball Read 17

“The possibility of pain is where love stems from.”

The Humans by Matt Haig

November 9, 2025 by stegolily Leave a Comment

Bingo: I think I’m too late for this to count, but just in case I’m not, I’m counting this for the rec’d square, because my sister recommended it to me. And that makes this my 3rd bingo! “The Humans” is about a body-snatching alien who has to pretend to be human, and in the process, falls in love with humanity and life itself. This extraterrestrial visitor is impersonating Andrew Martin, a Cambridge professor who has just proved the Riemann hypothesis. After killing Martin, the bodysnatcher’s mission […]

“The best way to go through life is to be a major donor of kindness”

Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas

October 26, 2025 by stegolily Leave a Comment

Bingo: I am counting this book for the “Diaspora” space on my bingo, since it centers on the author’s experience as a member of the Iranian diaspora. This was a memoir covering Firoozeh Dumas’ life, from her family’s move from Iran to California when she was 7, up through her teenage years and young adulthood. She writes about her experiences with American food (hot dogs are pretty gross, if you think about it), her family vacations to American tourist sites, her disastrous stint at summer […]

“In life, if you were careful, there were simply not that many times where you absolutely, positively had to turn into a bear.”

Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher

October 24, 2025 by stegolily 1 Comment

Bingo: I am using this for the “Red” Bingo square. because the cover is red. Istvhan is a former berserker, a paladin left without a god. Clara is a were-nun from an order of shapeshifting sisters. He is on the trail of a mysterious killer; she is on a mission to rescue her kidnapped sisters. As their quests bring them together, they will face bandits, creepy rabbits, living crockery, gladiator pits, and maybe (just maybe) emotional vulnerability. This was a fun addition to T. Kingfisher’s […]

“It’s more important to be a good listener than a good musician.”

How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy

October 23, 2025 by stegolily Leave a Comment

Bingo: I am using my free space for this one, in the “TBR” space (I don’t really maintain a TBR list, so this one would have been difficult to complete). That also makes this my second Bingo! Woo! I am not a Wilco superfan. I’ve listened to and enjoyed their music, but I don’t think I could name a single Wilco song off the top of my head. When I heard about this book though, written by Wilco’s lead singer, the title piqued my interest. […]

“Gods are among us and they care nothing and are nothing like us.”

Kraken by China Mieville

October 16, 2025 by stegolily Leave a Comment

Cannonball Read Bingo: Black This. book. has. everything. Sentient tattoos, supernatural picket lines, spearguns, squid cults, invisible truffle pigs, and human origami. What’s human origami, you ask? It’s that thing of when you use magic to fit an adult man into a envelope and then send him in the mail to one of your enemies. Kraken is a police procedural, and a horror novel, and a fantasy satire. But mostly it’s about the end of the world. It follows the misadventures of Billy Harrow, a […]

“Kids do well when they can.”

The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene

October 10, 2025 by stegolily Leave a Comment

Cannonball Read Bingo: Family “Behaviorally challenging kids are challenging because they’re lacking the skills to not be challenging.” This book is geared toward parents of “explosive” children: the kids whose emotional outbursts and out-of-control behaviors are becoming exhausting and overwhelming to everyone in the house. Greene suggests that these problems are caused by “lagging skills” and “unsolved problems,” not by the kid’s desire to be difficult. He then lays out a model that helps parents guide their children in developing these lagging skills and understand […]

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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