Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A decidedly average Pratchett

Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

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Another year, another book down on my meandering tour through Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. This time it was Pyramids, which I had high hopes for because it was published around the same time as Mort, which was great, and Guards! Guards!, the perfection of which is only muted by the fact that Men at Arms and Feet of Clay are even better. Pyramids was… eh. It was fine. There were some funny moments. I listened to it on audiobook, and as usual enjoyed Nigel Planer’s narration. The story is about Pteppic, the […]

A Literary Dystopia with a Humorous Twist

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

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In the alternate universe of The Eyre Affair, classic art and literature are Serious Business. Gangs of Raphaelites brawl in the street with their Surrealist arch-nemeses, Shakespeare performances are met with the same level of audience participation and enthusiasm as a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the Literary Detectives exist as a special branch of law enforcement to handle all crimes relating to books. Our heroine Thursday Next is one such detective. However, this alternate universe is hardly a book-lover’s paradise. […]

Humour with a deep understanding of Hollywood

Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett

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I have been trying to complete as much of Discworld as I can, I find Sir Terry Pratchett’s humour incomparable, his keen understanding of us poor souls trapped in human form (I’d love to be an umbrella myself, if given the option to choose my next form) and his ability to write droll descriptions of commonplace objects fascinating and very absorbing; for instance – banged out grains (popcorn) and a silver screen (literally described as a hovering dense film). This book is about the rise […]

He’s cunning. He’s brilliant… He is a Cat

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat Volume 1 by Johnny Marciano

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Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat Volume 1 had two things going for it when I picked it up: First, it was a short novel and second, it was something I normally did not read fitting the criteria of this year (read novels and things not normally read). Klawde is a new series (volume two and volume three are also out; volume four due in May 2020) by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth. It is humorous, a little raunchy at times and is a slightly different […]

Coming Summer 2020 to a Halloween near you

Frankenstein Doesn't Wear Earmuffs by John Loren

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Frankenstein Doesn’t Wear Earmuffs is an overly silly story about over concerned parents possibly ruining the Halloween of one boy with an overly active imagination. Our narrator cannot wait to go out spookin’ and a’ scaring, as after all, he is Frankenstein. And Frankenstein does not need to wear earmuffs, a coat, have a fanny pack and take with them everything but the kitchen sink! Of course, narrator and reader realize quickly enough that there is always middle ground to make all parties involved happy. […]

Due mid-April 2020 a new celebrity offering

Escape Goat by Ann Patchett

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Escape Goat has the pun/metaphor of being a goat that is blamed for all the bad things that happen (they are the Escape Goat) and they are an actual goat that is always escaping their pen. Ann Prachett’s latest picture book is one that deals with the story of telling the truth. It is not overly subtle but also does not come out and say, “You are lying. Tell the truth!” as the characters are being beaten over the head. Yet, it is said that […]



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