Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

the many forms of love that shape life and fate

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

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Alright, so Iron Widow was not my jam (to my disappointment). I was really hoping that the next of my library audiobook holds would turn things around, and Axie Oh’s The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea came to me next. And oh, this one is my jam. Or at any rate, it hits a lot of sweet spots for me and I enjoyed it tremendously. (Not burying the lede this time, either, obviously.) The novel is not exactly a retelling of the Korean folktale “Shim Cheong” (apparently […]

Overall good but appreciated the stories by characters that aren’t Harry Dresden in particular.

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

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Last year I listened to the first Dresden Files short story collection, Side Jobs, to be able to listen to the excellent narration by James Marsters (on the recommendation of ardaigle!).  Marsters is a great narrator but he fell short when it came time for Karrin Murphy’s story at the end of the book.  For the next collection of short stories, Brief Cases, they brought on two female narrators, Cassandra Campbell and Julia Whelan for stories from Anastasia Luccio and Molly Carpenter’s POV.  No disrespect to […]

“It was odd. As a girl, Sophie would have shriveled with embarrassment at the way she was behaving. As an old woman, she did not mind what she did or said. She found that a great relief.”

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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Years and years ago, I watched the Studio Ghibli production of Howl’s Moving Castle, and enjoyed it, as I enjoy most of their films. But I never read the book, and it wasn’t really on my radar, until I was scrolling endlessly through Libby looking for a new audio book. As luck would have it, I was in the mood for something light, and Howl’s Moving Castle definitely fit that bill. Though the book is named for the enigmatic Wizard Howl and his castle that […]

“A society that does not respect women’s anger is one that does not respect women; not as human beings, thinkers, knowers, active participants, or citizens.”

Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger by Soraya Chemaly

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“Is it possible to read a book about anger and not get mad? I haven’t found it possible in writing one. What are we doing? Why does anyone think that men who cannot say the word ‘period’ and do not know that the vagina and stomach are not connected are competent and trustworthy leaders?” I want to get my thoughts out before my book club meeting tomorrow (during which I have been told we will be smashing things! with protective eyewear*). I almost feel like […]

An action movie of a book

Mercy by David Baldacci

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My soon-to-be father-in-law recommended that I read Mercy (2021) by David Baldacci. I’d never heard of the book or author, but it sounded interesting enough. I was also curious what kind of book my fiancé’s father would think I would like. To be fair, I was told that this was the fourth book in the Atlee Pine series, and I should read the other three books first. I did not, but I was also told that the fourth book is the best one. I decided that reading […]

Hands-Down My Favorite TITLE of 2022

Please Miss: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Penis by Grace E. Lavery

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Please Miss: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Penis Let that title sink in. It’s so great! Also great: hearing Grace Lavery say it aloud herself. If you have any interest in diving into this piece (and holy moly, you should!) I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audio performance- and I do mean performance! Grace, Danny Lavery, and Marc Vietor do not skimp on the drama and pomp. Grace, in particular, has a lovely elastic and elegant lilt- cliché of clichés, but I do think I […]



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