Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“I am given no voice in decisions or plans!” but she wants one

Elusive by Genevieve Cogman

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Bingo 14: Citizen Elusive is part 2 of a trilogy that re-imagines some things about the French Revolution. It’s definitely fiction, but given the historical context of citizens trying to take back power from the elite which is a theme in the novel in more ways than one, I argue this counts. A major part of the fiction is the addition of the (former?) maid Eleanor to the Scarlet Pimpernel and his crew, and the addition of vampires (Marie Antoinette might still be around in […]

I think he liked to dance

Willi Ninja: Vogue Legend by Joy Michael Ellison

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When I need a quick read I head to my piles of reader copies. Sometimes I need to go to my online links and sometimes I have physical copies. This time it was an online reader copy for Willi Ninja: Vogue Legend by Joy Michael Ellison and illustrator Nabi H. Ali.   Due mid-May 2026 you’ll be just in time to learn about Willi Ninja and become inspired to dance like him in the hot summer nights. Yes, Mr. Ninja (not his real name) was […]

Native artists give insight

Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

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I will start with a slightly controversial statement with my review of  Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale: The stories, poetry, essays, photographs and more, are familiar events and journeys that have relatable elements for almost anyone who has ever been an outsider. Regardless of if you are a  minority, I think most people can relate to the prejudices, the destruction of history and faith, and taking the lands of people. And some of the themes […]

Sapphic golem fantasy debut

The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez

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The Maiden and Her Monster fulfills the “diaspora” square for CBR17 Bingo. As soon as I learned of The Maiden and Her Monster, I knew I needed to read it. I love explorations of Jewish experiences and especially love different ways the golem story can be reimagined. Set in a Medieval Prague inspired setting, The Maiden and Her Monster follows Malka as she ventures into a cursed forest that has been killing the girls of her village so she can free her imma from the Church’s idea […]

The other Amazonian princess

Nubia: Too Real by L. L. McKinney

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What do you do when the reader copy you are reading is missing the last 20 pages or so? You holler loudly and say, “Darn you whomever made this reader copy! I need to know what happens in Nubia: Too Real by L. L. McKinney and illustrated by Robyn Smith.” You then say, “Well I guess late September/early October won’t come soon enough!” And then you tell yourself you’ll be first in line to get the finished copy and find out what happens to our […]

Not Exactly Mexican Gothic, But Close Enough

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

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cbr17bingo Border Now this was an interesting one.  Mexican Gothic is my jam, and I thought that this would be along that vein, but it turned out to be definitely its own thing – an intriguing cross between fictionalized family lore and magical realism.  And when I looked up the translation of Part Two – El Tragabalas, I discover that it is the book’s title in Spanish, but it is also the title of a fairly well known Mexican movie from the mid-60s, and the […]



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