Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Being a samurai isn’t easy

The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

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I’ve wanted to read The Worst Ronin since before it came out as I was seeing online reader copies. I did not actually get a copy until it was over a year old. With that said, it was worth the wait. I don’t think I would have appreciated the humor or elements before now. I recommend for ages at least 12 and up as there are several places where there is violence, injury, blood and other sensitive subjects.   Overall, it is the opposite of what […]

I don’t do torture

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

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I’ve read Cop Town by Karin Slaughter, which I appreciated for a number of reasons. So when I found Pretty Girls (2016) by the same author under “popular audiobooks” at the library’s website, I downloaded it almost immediately. Slaughter seems to write gritty, violent books, but I was unprepared for this one. Knowing what I know now, I would not have chosen to read it. Although I did finish it, the violence and darkness was too much for me. I did think it was well-written, but I would not […]

But where are the crows?

The Puzzle Wood by Rosie Andrews

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(Hello Team, I am posting a review in June!  This is months earlier than I usually do!) I picked this book up on vacation in Edinburgh. The cover has crows on it and it looked good enough. Spoiler – there are no crows in the book at all. Weak sauce. I do not read much mystery at all. The pitch of “governess goes to isolated mansion in woods and things are spoooooooky” seemed like a diverting way to spend much of the flight home.   […]

“In my experience, those who have the greatest respect for the rules also take the most enjoyment in breaking them.”

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

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How appropros, to go from an Agatha Christie book to one that was so clearly inspired by her. The Guest List is a locked room mystery (or specifically, everyone is trapped on an island) and as I said in my last review, I had been on a big Agatha Christie kick, so this one seemed appropriate, as I had heard good things about Foley. And, exciting/suspicious/skeptical/fun news, in March 2025, Foley was tapped by Harper Collins to write the first NEW Miss Marple novel (!!!!??!!!!). […]

“It is completely unimportant. That is why it is so interesting.”

The Murder of Roger Akroyd by Agatha Christie

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Buckle up, buttercups. Ya girl has got 15 reviews a’coming. I am mildly annoyed I got this bogged down, but I’m remembering the words of my husband from a few years back when I would get anxious and frustrated about this scenario. “Ah. So you’re behind on your pretend homework?” Touche, sir. It’s important to me, and that’s fine, but I used to not read until I had written a review. Unnecessarily punative much?? Glad that I have been able to relax about it and […]

Night & Day by John Connolly

Night & Day by John Connolly

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This took me several months to complete and I really wish I had DNFed it. I didn’t because I love John Connolly so much, but honestly this anthology was not great. And when I realized 50 percent of the book is in essence a biography of Christopher Lee and his involvement with a film called “Horror Fest” I should have been fully done. I adore the Charlie Parker series since Connolly has done a great job of blending mystery/horror/magical realism, etc. I was hoping for […]



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