advance reader copy – Page 34 – Cannonball Read 17

The Crow God Reborn remakes us all

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

April 9, 2022 by Emmalita 9 Comments

The tl:dr version of this review is: I could not put it down. It was so, so good. Very much a middle book, but a very entertaining middle book. Fevered Star starts with a murder. Far from the chaos in Tova, Lord Balam murders a thief so that he can walk through dreams. Serapio wakes up with a wound he cannot heal and uncertain of who he is now, having expected to die at the Convergence. Naranpa wakes up in a tomb, back from the […]

I dream of standing under an enormous tree with deep, gnarled roots

Tanked by Mia Hopkins

April 7, 2022 by Emmalita 1 Comment

Tanked is gorgeous. I had high expectations after I devoured the first two books in the series in 2 days, and I was still unprepared for Tanked. It is full of longing. The sex is plentiful, hot, and evolves as Angel and Deanna’s relationship evolves. The attention to detail is excellent. There are little hummingbird silhouettes in the breaks, and yes, they are meaningful. The third book in Mia Hopkins’ Eastside Brewery series, is set smack in the pandemic. The loneliness, isolation, and economic hardship are […]

If it was possible to make resentful coffee, that’s what I did.

Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper

April 6, 2022 by Emmalita Leave a Comment

Kris Ripper takes on the grand gesture and the grovel in Book Boyfriend. Preston has been in love with his friend and former college roommate, Art, for years. They shared a drunken kiss in college and then Art indicated they never wanted to speak of it again. When Art shows up sobbing in the lobby of Preston’s apartment building, having just broken up with their awful boyfriend, Preston invites Art to take his spare room. He sees an opportunity to show Art that he would […]

It occurred to her that, besides baking, Ray had become her favorite topic.

Chef's Kiss by T.J. Alexander

April 4, 2022 by Emmalita 4 Comments

In 2020 cooking videos became very popular. The popularity of the test kitchen chefs at one large food magazine in particular exploded. But by the summer of 2020 the wholesome façade was shattered by revelations of decades of racial discrimination and pay disparities. Even a podcast miniseries about the scandal ended in scandal when it was revealed the podcasters were themselves perpetrators of a toxic and racist work place. It’s not hard to imagine the difficulties that would arise when a company suddenly decides to […]

I’m excited to discover what the afterlife holds

Savage City by L Penelope

March 28, 2022 by Emmalita Leave a Comment

At the beginning of Savage City, Talia dies. As she dies, she finds herself being pulled somewhere, where she almost dies again. Talia has been brought from one parallel universe to another. Very quickly we learn that the world Talia finds herself in is brutal. It kind of looks like San Francisco, Talia’s home, but not really. There’s a brutal war between the shape-shifting Nimali and the Fai, who have abilities, but don’t shift. Talia looks like the missing daughter of the Nimali King, Princess […]

You’ll find that when I really put my mind to something, I can get the work done.

Don’t Go Baking My Heart by N.G. Peltier

March 28, 2022 by Emmalita Leave a Comment

Don’t Go Baking My Heart took me on an ride, but I ended up loving it. At one point in this grumpy sunshine romance, I was stressed out and considering abandoning the book because it was hitting on some of my particular anxieties. I decided to trust the author, kept going, and was rewarded with a sweet and kind romance. Reba has pink hair and loves wigs, glitter, rainbows and fun. Devon is focused on work, his schedule, his plans and his lists. He does […]

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.

Help Our Mission