Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Be sure you include a gift card for Tim Hortons,” he said. “That’s how we say ‘sorry for killing your firstborn son’ in Canada.”

A Red-Rose Chain (October Daye #9) by Seanan McGuire

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I appreciate any book that starts out with teleporting Manx hounds, which is how this one starts out. Toby, Tybalt, Quentin, and Danny (the troll cab driver that has been assisting and ferrying Toby around since Rosemary and Rue) are sent to subdue a pack of Mauthe Doog that have been attacking mortals in Muir Woods, close to Arden’s knowe. (Seeing as my first cat was a Manx, I have a soft spot for anything from the Isle of Man, including their teleporting answer to […]

Talk to an adult, Harry!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Stephen Fry

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My family and I have continued listening to the Stephen Fry–narrated Harry Potter audiobooks during long car rides to visit relatives. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third book in the series, is one of my personal favourites. I especially love how it ties together the story so far while reaching back to James Potter’s own time at Hogwarts and the friendships he formed there. Listening to this instalment was particularly engaging for my eight-year-old, who asked plenty of questions and was always […]

Solid, but I Wanted More

A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson

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cbr17bingo – culture (of dragons) This was a solid but not fantastic read. I enjoyed the story, it kept me engaged and wanting to know what would happen, but it has some clear weaknesses. It’s set in an alternate 1923 in England, where humans and dragons co-exist. There are some clearly dystopian elements, like a codified class system, and parts of the book hit very close to home considering current events in the United States. Main character Vivien’s (Viv’s) parents are arrested as rebels, and […]

The title was the coolest thing about this book

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

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CBR Bingo: Border (characters have to sneak over several country borders, and there is also a threat of invasion due to the weakening of a magical barrier) I really enjoyed James Islington’s The Will of the Many when I read it a few years ago, and I have been eagerly awaiting the follow-up The Strength of the Few. I’ve had the author’s first series The Licanius Trilogy, which starts with The Shadow of What Was Lost, on my TBR for some time now (it’s been on my […]

“All hail wossname, who shall be king here, after”

Sourcery by Terry Pratchett

Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

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CBR Bingo: School (Sourcery is set at the Unseen University, a college for wizards (although not much actual learning goes on)) CBR Bingo: Arts (I’m counting theatre as being artsy, a key component to Wyrd Sisters are actors and plays, and how they can impact public perception of events) I’d recently read the first three books in the Discworld series, and have decided to keep going in publication order, rather than breaking it up by sub-series. Sort of. I’ve read the Death novels too recently to want to re-read […]

Network Effect by Martha Wells

Network Effect by Martha Wells

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“Network Effect” follows Murderbot who goes along for a survey with Dr. Mensah’s oldest child Amena and several people from the Preservation Station. This includes Dr. Mensah’s brother-in-law Thiago, Ratthi and two others, Arada and Overse. When something attacks their ship, it ends up leaving Amena and Murderbot separated from everyone else. And Murderbot does what it does best. It identifies targets and kills them. Look I love this series and that’s all I can say. I was kicking up my feet with glee while […]



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