CannonballerSays – Cannonball Read 17

Sometimes Friends Give You Bad Books

Pay the Piper: A Rock n' Roll Fairytale by Jane Yolen & Adam Stemple

September 8, 2020 by Ale Leave a Comment

As a librarian, Crystalclear is always on the hunt for books in her friends’ wheelhouses, and so I got a text from her asking if I’d like to read Pay the Piper. She hadn’t loved it, but thought maybe she was just the wrong audience. Would I give it a try and an honest review? I’m the perfect audience; faerie legends and fractured fairytales are my jam. I was really excited to read this. ::Sigh:: The book is split between chapters in the world of […]

This Book is Just Mad & I Enjoyed Every Moment

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall

October 30, 2019 by LittlePlat 1 Comment

Oh, this was gigglingly good fun, this one! I have to thank Leedock’s review on the blog here for introducing me to this I had been looking for something a little lighthearted, and “It’s a sexy paranormal alternate universe gender-bending Sherlock-y bunch of goodness” really sounded like it could fit the bill! Then when I went to Audible and the Publisher’s Summary mentioned shark punching? I was sold. Completely and utterly sold. In this cheeky Sherlock Holmes homage, the titular detective is one Shaharazad […]

Not Just Problems, But Solutions.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

August 24, 2019 by blauracke Leave a Comment

This has been on my radar since I first read ASKReviews’ great review in the best/worst of CBR10 post. Now that I have finally read it, I can say that I should have done that sooner. I don’t know that any book examines racism and its facets as clearly and concisely as this one does it, while also effortlessly uncovering one’s own biases and prejudices. First of all, the author discusses the definition of racism that should be used, and it is one of institutional […]

“The apocalypse began at Starbucks. Where else did you expect the end of the world to start?”

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson

August 15, 2019 by scootsa1000 1 Comment

#CBR11bingo – #cannonballersays Elena Mendoza is a totally normal high school student. She has a best friend named Fadil, an ex named Javi, a job at the local Starbucks, and a crush on the mysterious and beautiful Freddie. Oh, and also, Elena was born without her mother ever having had sex, leading to the EXTREMELY clever nickname “Mary” at school. And she hears voices from inanimate objects that tell her what to do all the time. One day, while Elena is busy at Starbucks, the […]

Simply Adorable

November 9, 2018 by Ale Leave a Comment

A big thank-you to crystalclear for suggesting this book both on CBR and in person (by means of shoving the audio book case at me in a parking lot). I toted it around in my car for about a week before reading her review, and I’m glad I took the few hours to listen to this on my commute. The book is absolutely adorable. Kenny is a young rabbit living in a little farming village, and like most children’s book characters, he doesn’t fit in. […]

“It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood, where it’s a little bit broken and a little bit forgotten, the first thing they want to do is clean it up.”

October 9, 2018 by scootsa1000 4 Comments

I like that Ibi Zoboi didn’t call this a “retelling” of Pride and Prejudice. She’s going with the term “remix.” That seems to fit a little better, because while the main plot is pretty similar, there are lots of little things that don’t quite fit into a strict retelling. What Zoboi did instead was take a story that most of us already know, flip parts of it around, and make it her own. And it really worked for me. Zuri Benitez was born and raised […]

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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