Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Like Sylvia Plath and the fig tree, basically.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

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My initial thoughts upon finishing this were mostly that it was a perfectly fine book but that it wouldn’t stick with me, and that has indeed turned out to be the case. It’s been a month since I’ve finished it, and it’s already almost fallen out of my head completely. But it was a short, entertaining read, so if that’s something you’re looking for, and you can stand some blatant emotional manipulation, this might be the book for you! What the blurb doesn’t tell you […]

And here my basement only had a skunk

Things in the Basement by Ben Katke

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The rating of a four for Things in the Basement is because of the illustrations. While on the surface, Ben Hatke’s story and art are not huge  “wows” (the illustrations are not overly colorful, or detailed; the story is slow to build up), there is something about them that makes you want more. The focus you need for the illustrations means you need to read the images as the book itself is mostly wordless. There are some interesting twists and turns and the “creepy factor” […]

Classic Sci-Fi: Should you read it? Starship Troopers and The Forever War

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

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Classic Sci-Fi: Should You Read It? is a self-imposed project in which I read pre-1990 science fiction novels and categorize them as “classis sci-fi you should read,” “classic sci-fi you should read if you’re all hardcore about it,” or “classic sci-fi you don’t have to read.” For background on my project, please see the introduction to my review of 1984. One appealing thing about sci-fi is that some novels really must be discussed within the context of others. Today (and many other days, I suspect) […]

Classic Sci-Fi: Should you read it? 1984

1984 by George Orwell

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CSF:SYRI? Background For the past couple years I’ve been working on my own little reading project. I love the sci-fi genre with my entire heart. I also went to a weird religious middle and high school and I missed reading a bunch of classics. A couple years ago I finally read Slaughterhouse 5 and y’all, it is great! What other classic sci-fi have I been missing out on, I wondered, and tried to research the best I could. Of course the internet has all kinds of […]

The Nazi Handmaid’s Tale

Widowland by C.J. Carey

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In a 1953 England under the control of German forces, life is good for Rose Ransom, a member of the privileged Geli class – or at least as good as life can be for a woman in the oppressive regime. But when she is given the task of infiltrating Widowland in search of possible subversives, she comes to learn she might have more power than she always thought. The premise of this book caught my eye immediately. I haven’t really read alternate history books before, […]

Dystopian romance and humanity

Heart Attack by Shawn Kittelsen

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Includes triggers. Not for under aged 14 (and even then, know your reader). I’m rating Heart Attack by Shawn Kittelsen, Eric Zawadzki and Mike Spicer a 4 for several reasons: It is a strong take on what is happening today. It is an interesting story about family (biological and found) and how friendships and love shapes us. It talks about how power and greed corrupts both good and not so good people. And we see how things are not perfect, but humanity does try to […]



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