Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A good book for the right reader

Travel Light by Naomi Mitchinson

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When my daughter asked “Are there any girls in this story?” during our reading of The Hobbit, I set out to find a book with girls and dragons where the girl isn’t just along for the ride. I came across Naomi Mitchison. I wouldn’t be surprised if other Cannonballers are familiar with Mitchison, but I had never heard of her! She was an extremely prolific (over 90 books!) contemporary of Tolkein, who, among other things: …was able to write anywhere, which helped because – as […]

“It is a writer’s greatest pleasure to hear that someone was kept up until the unholy hours of the morning reading one of his books. It goes back to authors being terrible people who delight in the suffering of others. Plus, we get a kickback from the caffeine industry…”

Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians Book Six by Brandon Sanderson & Janci Patterson, illustrations by Hayley Lazo

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This was a better book than the last two at least; I’d hate to have the series end at the level it was going, or even worse. It was an interesting concept to have the last book be from Bastille’s point of view so that you got someone else’s thoughts on the events at large, and seeing as Alcatraz spent most of this book moping, brooding, and pretty much catatonic, it wouldn’t have made a very enjoyable read anyway. I will say that with Janci […]

In a distant country, war is affecting Theo in his safe home

Planting Sunshine by Andrée Poulin

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From the moment I saw the cover of Planting Sunshine (due Feb 2026, read via an online reader) it had really gotten under my skin. At first, I loved it; then I didn’t; then I felt it and hoped I would like the story beyond it. For sure this image gives one an emotional response. And to say that Andrée Poulin’s text also gives an emotional response, is an understatement. They combine poetry, graphic novel formats and novels, with contemporary events. The “Why” of a […]

A cozy fantasy

The Baker and the Bard: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure by Fern Haught

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I have wanted to read The Baker and the Bard: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure by Fern Haught since I first saw it coming out, which was probably around 2023 for reader copies, and then 2024 for finished editions. Now it is 2025 and I am glad that I read it via an online reader copy as it was terribly short and it had a few open spots that I felt needed to be filled in and while I enjoyed it, I do not want a […]

“Good Morning with roses and jasmine,”

A Good Morning for Giddo by Dahlia Constantine and Irene Latham

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Picture books are a great way to read a book without reading a few hundred pages. They still can entertain, give factual information and make you laugh. Of course, you can cry and be mad, too, as everything is there, as well. I have said this before and will say it again: Picture books are legitimate books. And A Good Morning for Giddo is a very legitimate book. It does not have a big action scene and the message is a little slow in the […]

Choosing your life partner based on her footwear might not be a good idea

Revolting Rhymes: Cinderella by Roald Dahl

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(A  few spoilers are included) Do you like Roald Dahl? Well if you do, you might want to try Revolting Rhymes: Cinderella (illustrated by Adam Larkum). Now, I think this book is a reissue, but I am not really sure, but I do know that it will be an edition out in mid-April 2026. I am just going to say two things: One, I am not always a fan of Dahl, but two, I appreciate the work. And with Cinderella, I like the ending as […]



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