wicherwill – Page 63 – Cannonball Read 17

Happy Pride from Malaysia!

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

June 8, 2021 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

Happy Pride! Started off the month with this book, which features a trope that we well know–the disaffected millennial (…zillenial? ugh I’m getting OLD) who doesn’t know what they want to do. Except this time…it’s a gay Malaysian woman who’s recently graduated from Hahvard and moving back to Malaysia with her parents?? Already I am 100% more on board. I was going to say that Cho writes with a surety that’s impressive for a debut novel, but then I checked myself (and her profile) and […]

Behind in reviews, we are doing a weird omnibus

The ABC Murders by Hercule Poirot

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

Falling for a Rake by Eve Pendle

May 31, 2021 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

The ABC Murders – *** Picked up on a whim after a recommendation! As I’m also v behind in reviews and somewhat struggling to remember specifics of all the books I’ve read, it’s a perfect opportunity to put into practice my rating scale. Hercule Poirot mysteries are a mainstay in a very specific type of comfort reading, and honestly Christie is a genius for being able to write so many varying tropes in a way that feels connected but fresh. I definitely thought we were […]

Just a quick check and yes, The Hating Game holds up

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

May 19, 2021 by wicherwill 2 Comments

Re-read: After reading Thorne’s latest (Second First Impressions) I wanted to see if maybe my memories of her first novel were being seen through some rose colored glasses. I am happy to report that no, not in the slightest. The Hating Game perfectly nails the first person inner monologue neurosis protagonist and the ETL, two tropes that are very, very frequently given short shift in Romancelandia. Thorne definitely has a very distinct sort of voice that she uses to write her (exclusively female, exclusively white) (I will […]

I think I’m swearing off Greek retellings from now on

Ariadna by Jennifer Saint

May 18, 2021 by wicherwill 2 Comments

I think maybe Greek mythology retellings just aren’t for me. I don’t think it’ll surprise anyone that the main point of all [insert culture here] retellings is to rebalance the agency, and give some / a lot of it to the characters that have traditionally been second tier, aka the women. Spinning Silver is one of my favorite books of all time! And it probably benefits from being only tangentially related to an existing story, such that there’s a wide expanse of story space for Novik […]

Short, sweet memoir about having to learn an alien world

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha

May 17, 2021 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

I’m not sure where this popped up–I think this was a recommendation after I checked out something else? This story isn’t very long, but definitely packs a punch. While the main character is Robin, and her journey towards becoming Korean American, an almost equal amount of time is spent with her mother, and her journey through Korean and Korean-American society as a single mother. For the most part, the story is claustrophobic and limiting. Robin doesn’t speak fluent English, and she’s been dropped into Alabama […]

I want to go to fancy two year creative boarding school that buys you all the books you want

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

May 17, 2021 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

My biggest issue with this book is this: for a school that’s all about providing the best and the brightest with whatever resources they need to pursue their intellectual gifts, what exactly is Stevie’s gift? She’s obsessed with true crime? I mean, so is my super smart admin but I don’t know if that would qualify you in the same breath as Janelle? I clearly have a large STEM bias here. But it’s also somewhat grumpy to me that Stevie’s thing is “I like crime” and Janelle’s […]

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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