Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Bourgeois fistula! Bourgeois fistula!” the rest of the dolphins chimed in unison.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

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John Scalzi can usually be relied on to deliver some delightfully silly good fun, and Starter Villain is no exception.  Much in the same vein as one of his other more recent books, The Kaiju Preservation Society, Starter Villain starts with some down in the dumps protagonist whose life is suddenly shaken upside down and they are suddenly swept away to a secret, parallel part of society that we regular schlubs never get to see. A hidden section of society that’s a little fun, a little […]

I like uni uni unicorns! And cats! This book! And Venus (okay not her)

Unico V01: Awakening by Samuel Sattin

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The updated version of Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) beloved tale Unico V01: Awakening has been created by Samuel Sattin and Gurihiru.  It is a sweet, but has a little edge, tale about a unicorn who has angered the goddess Venus, for no other reason than her jealousy of his beauty and how he is worshiped by her earthly followers. However, in a rare act of defiance, one of her servants defies Venus by hiding Unico from her. Living through time and space, Unico will have many […]

Highly intelligent cats and smack-talking dolphins. What’s not to love?

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

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Many people fantasize about an estranged relative dying and leaving them a fortune or a thriving business. Few people would indulge in this fantasy if the estranged relative’s business were villainy, and if, in addition to the job, they inherited a long list of enemies. This is the situation Charlie Fitzer finds himself in when his Uncle Jake dies and he’s visited by his uncle’s second-in-command, Mathilda Morrison. Even before Morrison shows up, Charlie has problems. Once a successful journalist, he’s now an underemployed substitute […]

Feeling lost after loss

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

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When you’ve been a children’s librarian for years, it is easy to get burnt out on the material. For me, that also meant I got cocky. Can any kids book really hook me anymore as a bitter adult who has READ IT ALL? Are there any GOOD STORIES LEFT? Yes, of course, to both of those things. THE LOST LIBRARY by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass proved just that. The last day of fifth grade is approaching, and Evan is pretty nervous about moving up […]

Running straight into the mouth of danger….screaming all the way

Skull Cat (Book One): Skull Cat and the Curious Castle by Norman Shurtliff

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It is Scully the Cat’s first day as the new garden-keeper at a spooky castle. And by his second day, everyone has gone missing. Is it ghosts? Vampires? Goblins? Dark Sorcerers? Something worse?  You now know the tone of Skull Cat (Book One): Skull Cat and the Curious Castle by Norman Shurtliff. It is just off-the-walls bonkers. Scully is a clumsy, loving son, who is not cut out for adventure. But of course, he lands face first into it. And so much more. With his […]

Catillacs, Poochini, and Other Bad Cat Puns (with Pics)

Cats Gone Bad by Kat Scratching

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My birthday happened recently and naturally there were books. One gift I got was something called Cats Gone Bad; based on the title and cover, I was thinking it would be a series of cat shaming photos and anecdotes like a pic-a-day calendar I had a few years ago called the “Bad Cat Calendar”. That is not what Cats Gone Bad is. There are pictures but they’re mostly photoshopped cats in costumes, or actual pictures that are on the basic side, like a young Siamese […]



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