Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Mythology in a Modern World

The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie

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I first tried to read The Wicked + The Divine in September 2017, and got through the first five volumes, but felt the series was weird and confusing. Earlier this month, I scrolled through my library’s entire adult graphic novel collection, and saw that the series was now completed, so figured this was as good a time as any to give the series another chance. And I’m so glad I did! The core premise of WicDiv and the phrase that gets repeated as a central […]

Shadow Histories of the United States

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey

The United States of Cryptids by J.W. Ocker

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Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey – 3.25 stars For a country with a comparatively short written history, the United States has a great many ghosts, and the most compelling of those have their stories rooted deep in the places from which they’ve sprung up. This was a nice seasonal read which reminded me to look about me with a greater awareness of the many small histories that must cling to every bus station or convenience store I pass, even as […]

A Highly Engaging Duology

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

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One Dark Window I have seen and heard multiple people express that the sequel to One Dark Window is even better than One Dark Window, in which case the sequel is just going to blow me away because I thought this book was so good in itself. The book is set in the kingdom of Blunder, which is beset by a magical mist that is expanding year by year. Main character Elspeth was infected by the mist as a child and has to hide the […]

Where this series shines, and where it falls apart

Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

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After going back and rereading my favorite Wayward Children book (In an Absent Dream), I decided to pick up the last two that I hadn’t read yet. I loved one, didn’t care for the other, and I think I pinpointed what works for me with these books and what doesn’t. Lost in the Moment and Found is the story of Antsy (Antoinette), whose father has died and mother has remarried. Her mother’s new husband is Bad News, and Antsy runs away from home to escape him. She […]

Told in English and Chinese

Grandpa’s Magic Mask: A Story of Growth and Bravery in English and Chinese by Siping Wu

A House Just for Mommy: A Bedtime Story Told in English and Chinese by Dayong Gan

The Boy, the Deer, and the King: A Legend Retold in English and Chinese by Xiaochun Tang

Little Malan’s Debut: A Story of Courage Told in English and Chinese by Lumin Qian

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I do not speak a second language. As an adult, I regret not working harder on that, but I take solace in the fact that there are bilingual books out there and I can read the English part and admire the second language. Usually this is French or Spanish, but I have noticed that Chinese is taking its place. I’m not sure if the Chinese in these four books is Mandarin or Cantonese, so please let me know if you know! All will be available […]

Bats and dragons and mysteries

Silverwing: The Graphic Novel by Kenneth Oppel and Christopher Steininger

Winter Turning: A Graphic Novel (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel) by Tui T Sutherland and Mike Holmes

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If you haven’t guessed, I like graphic novels. It wasn’t always that way, but they opened up to me unique experiences. I used to recommend them to my customers and had to overcome the “they are just comic books….” (sneering the whole time). No, they are much more (and besides, what’s wrong with a comic book? Your child is reading, right?) Anyway, I found a new graphic novel series and have almost finished an old one. Both of them are fantasy, but dig deep into […]



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