Cannonball Read 17

Refusing to conform to stereotypical gender norms on two different continents

My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

September 30, 2025 by Malin Leave a Comment

3.5 stars Thanks to Netgalley and RandomHouse for this ARC. My opinions are my own. Emilia del Valle Claro grows up in San Francisco in the latter half of the 19th Century. Her mother, Molly, is of Irish descent and was a nun before she was seduced by an unscrupulous young Chilean aristocrat, … [Read more]

Malin's CBR17 Review No:29 · Genres: Featured, Fiction, History · Tags: 19th Century America, adventure, ARC, cbr17, Chilean Civil War, historical fiction, Isabel Allende, journalism, Malin, My Name is Emilia del Valle, NetGalley ·

A new spin on an old idea

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia

September 29, 2025 by genericwhitegirl Leave a Comment

Moreno Garcia does an amazing job setting the right mood in this newer gothic tale. Set in Mexico in the 1950's, you forget that the world is more modern than what Noemi Taboada experiences. Having grown up in Mexico City to an affluent family, Noemi's life is more about finding a worthy suitor and … [Read more]

genericwhitegirl's CBR17 Review No:2 · Genres: Audiobooks, Featured, Fiction · Tags: canadian author, Fiction, generichwitegirl, mexican gothic, silvia moreno-garcia, The Blist, Women's History ·

I wrote a long review about two books and it’s longer than the books probably…

Sun, Moon, and Star: A Folktale from Korea. by Nancy So Miller

Beatrix and Her Friends by Anne Lambelet

September 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Folktales have always been a go-to read for me. I enjoy learning about other cultures and seeing how they have been interpreted. Plus, I enjoy comparing them with other cultures' stories. One true folktale (it even says so in the title) is Sun, Moon, and Star: A Folktale from Korea. The other, … [Read more]

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:421 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: adaptations, animals, Anne Lambelet, Asian, author, Beatrix Potter, Fables, Fairy Tales, folk lore, Korean, legends, myths, Nancy So Miller, rabbits ·

“God is a Troubadour!”

The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz

September 29, 2025 by cosbrarian Leave a Comment

Well, here it is, the book that made me cry, the book I'll be throwing at anyone who seems vaguely interested in historical fantasy books that introduce children to big ideas and big research in an accessible way. Watch your head! *throws* Yes, I'm here to tell you a Newbery-honor book is … [Read more]

cosbrarian's CBR17 Review No:53 · Genres: Children's Books, Fantasy, History · Tags: adam gidwitz, historical fantasy, medieval, Middle Ages, middle grade, Newbery Award, religious history, Spirituality ·

Unremarkable? Not anymore, Brian Reyes!

Unicorn Boy Volume One by Dave Roman

September 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

One weekend I had no energy to do anything but move my eyes across a page, as I sat and turned pages of a book. Therefore, I sat on my porch, propped a book onto the table that lives there and read Unicorn Boy Volume One by Dave Roman. Which if the cutesy cover didn’t clue you in to the fact that it … [Read more]

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:419 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Mystery, Suspense · Tags: best friends, boys, Dave Roman, friendship, LGBTQ, paranormal ·

“When they ban a book, they’re really just trying to cover up something they don’t want you to know.”

September 29, 2025 by BlackRaven 2 Comments

Recently a coworker asked us to send some of our favorite Banned and Challenged book titles and a little snippet about it and/or why we love it. I emailed her back and said did she want them alphabetically, order of importance or just my favorite? How did I approach it? I thought, send a few … [Read more]

Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Young Adult · Tags: art spiegelman, banned book, banned book week, E.M. Carroll, Henry Cole, Justin Richardson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Peter Parenll, Raina Telgemeier ·

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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