Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About Tracy

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40-something psychologist living with a husband, toddler, and 2 cats.

Tracy's Reviews:

Historical Fiction With Fantastical Flair

Babel by R. F. Kuang

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This is definitely more historical fiction than it is historical fantasy, though the fantasy elements are integral to the story. In this way, Babel is similar to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell, to which it’s hard not to make comparisons as both are set in England in the 1800s and involve magic. It was a good book but not the 5-star read I was expecting after having heard so much about it. Babel tells the story of Robin Swift, who was born in China and […]

An Unsettlingly Realistic Satire

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

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Just a few pages into Yellowface, and I was like, wow, June needs therapy. She’s thinking about how Athena must like her company because June isn’t a literary threat to her, and June goes on to write, “Don’t we all want a friend who won’t ever challenge our superiority, because they already know it’s a lost cause? Don’t we all need someone we can treat as a punching bag?” Um, no, June, we don’t, and that’s not a healthy thing to think. The novel is […]

Faerie Lore, Dangerous Quests, and Romance

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

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Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries I am impressed by the breadth of research and creativity that went into this adventurous fantasy. There is so much information about faeries from all over, and some of it is provided almost as an aside, like a mention that Maltese fae are “more troublesome than average, having an unfortunate habit of creeping into houses at night to feast upon slumberers’ vital organs.” This kind of knowledge being tossed off in such an offhand way fits with the main character […]

I’m Starting To Realize I Love Sentient Houses and Fictional Footnotes

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

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Alix E. Harrow has done it again. She is such a skillful writer, and I raced through this book to see discover the answers behind Starling House and see how everything would end. The book is told from dual perspectives. Most of it is first person narration by Opal, a woman in her 20s living in Eden, Kentucky, and trying to keep her and her brother Jasper afloat. Her one and only goal is to get him out of Eden. The second perspective is 3rd […]

A Whimsical Cozy Fantasy

Pippi's Inn for Wandering Spirits by Erin Ritch

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Pippi has been able to see ghosts her entire life, and upon her Aunt Hazel’s death, she is bequeathed her aunt’s inn. It’s an inn that caters to spirits who are between life and the afterlife, making it reminiscent at times of Under the Whispering Door, though this book never starts to feel like a copy cat, and it stands on its own merits. The inn itself is sentient and takes care of most of Pippi’s and the guests’ needs. Pippi’s main job is to take care […]

A Journey of Survival and Self-Discovery With A Complex Character

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

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This is not a hero’s story. Author Sara Hashem says in a video that Sylvia is going to be a divisive character because she makes terrible choices, but I’m not sure I agree with that. She makes human choices. She makes selfish choices informed by her trauma. Her choices aren’t that of a hero but that of someone trying to survive. No, I didn’t always like her choices and how at times they convey a lack of empathy or connection to others, but I also […]



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