Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The Hardest Loss of All

Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear

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In this book, the fourth in the Maisie Dobbs series, Maisie is asked to investigate the death of an old school acquaintance’s twin brother.  Nick Basington-Hope was a controversial artist and a veteran of the recent Great War, as is Maisie.  He had been keeping his work from the view of others due to its controversial content, but had just arranged for a grand showing.  Some of the pieces were quite large, and apparently, as he was installing them on his own on a landing, […]

History, women, and books

The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes

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CBR17Bingo: “B” I first thought that The Boxcar Librarian (2025) by Brianna Labuskes might be a good present for my mother, since she was a librarian herself. But I wouldn’t give any book to my mother that I wasn’t willing to read myself, so I put a hold on it at the library. This book takes place around the Depression Era of the 1930’s, and the story follows three different women whose lives are unexpectedly intertwined: Millie, Alice, and Colette. Millie grew up on her aunt and […]

More Christmas and Yule please

The Legend of the Christmas Witch by Dan Murphy and Aubrey Plaza

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With the book, The Legend of the Christmas Witch, I wanted more about Christmas and less, well, witch. I understand that Dan Murphy and Aubrey Plaza wanted to build up to the climax, but it made no real sense to me why things were called Christmas. First, she practices Yule celebrations. Second, we only see her being impatient, spoiled and naive. We do find Christmas with a Santa character, who is the witch’s beloved twin brother who turns out to be a bit of a […]

“I’m afraid I don’t know WTF. I only discovered LOL from Joyce last week” (Double Bingo)

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

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CBR17 Bingo: White (a book with a white cover) In a charming retirement village somewhere in the south of England, four elderly individuals solve cold cases for fun. Retired nurse, Joyce, is the last to be inducted into “The Thursday Murder Club”, as they are in need of some of her medical expertise in trying to solve their most recent case. Led by the formidable Elizabeth, who used to be a spy, aided and abetted by Ibrahim, a retired psychologist and Ron, a former trade union […]

Cozy, With a Touch of Christie

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Various

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I think I’ve read every Agatha Christie there is. I’m always hoping for an undiscovered book. So when I saw a collection of new Miss Marple stories I was quite excited. It turned out to be not a long-lost anthology, but stories written by modern authors as new Miss Marple mysteries. The mysteries featured stolen pearls, an academic murder, death on the high seas, a wedding interrupted by a poisoning, strange happenings on a languid vacation, a wealthy old duffer knocked off, a double murder, […]

“After a certain age, you can pretty much do whatever takes your fancy. No one tells you off, except for your doctors and your children.”

The Thursday Murder Club: a novel by Richard Osman

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I read this book after seeing the movie so I pretty much knew how the plot was going to go, yet I was pleasantly surprised that the book and the movie are not 100% the same. Set at the idyllic retirement home of Coopers Chase (seriously, when I get old enough to retire find me a place like this), the Thursday Murder Club gathers to solve cold cases, mostly for their own enjoyment, and because none of them can really not be a bit busy-body. […]



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