Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The house of cards continued standing.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

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As she did in her second novel “The Dreamers,” Karen Thompson Walker places her characters in the midst of a strange yet believable crisis. Here, for no discernible reason, the rotation of the Earth slows down. The gravitational pull is altered and tides change. Long periods of daylight are followed by long periods of night. Some wildlife begins to die while other types flourish. Plants are no longer able to grow without the aid of artificial light. The plot line reminded me a lot of […]

She’s different. She’s the great exception

Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

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CBR11 Bingo: Birthday! (P.L. Travers born August 9th, 1899) (BINGO! Cannonballer Says square to Summer Read square/Far and Away square to Birthday square) The film version of Mary Poppins has been a favorite of mine since childhood. Even though I was a voracious reader as a kid, I never got around to reading the book. Several years ago, I watched “Saving Mr. Banks,” the mostly fictionalized account of the struggle of Walt Disney to persuade P. L. Travers to allow him to make the film version of her book. While I’m certain that the artistic […]

There isn’t really peace when you are done

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

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4.5 stars Spoiler warning! This is the second book in a series, and this review will contain spoilers for the first book, Carry On. If you haven’t already read it, you should do yourself a favour and do so. Simon Snow was the Chosen One, destined to bring an end to the threat to all magic. Of course, it turned out that he himself was in fact the thing that was threatening the magic in the first place, and his mentor/father figure (and actual biological father, although none […]

A violent, sad, but very satisfying ending (Triple Bingo)

Locke & Key, vol 6: Alpha & Omega by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

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#CBR11 Bingo: Not My Wheelhouse (horror) (Would also work for Illustrated) Spoiler warning! This is the sixth and final volume in the Locke and Key series. It is absolutely NOT the place to start. This review will probably contain spoilers both for earlier and this collection, so don’t read it unless you’re completely caught up. The first volume is Welcome to Lovecraft.  In this final volume, the Locke kids have to confront the evil that has been haunting their family for over a generation. If there was any doubt that […]

The real book will be even better!

If the Shoe Fits by Deborah Guarino and Seth Hippen

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I requested this book on NetGalley based on the review of Cannonballer Chris, and then promptly forgot everything about it.  I knew it was a Cinderella variation based on the title, but that was about it.  I think I assumed it was a young adult novel at some point.  I went to open the file recently, and I found to my delight that I was wrong!  It’s a picture book, and a very clever one at that!   It is still a variation on Cinderella.  […]

I was not as entertained as many were

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

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Don Tillman is a genetics professor at a university in Australia who has decided that it is time to find a wife.  He has tried dating before to disastrous results, and stumbles upon the idea that a questionnaire will help mitigate the disasters.  He asks a fellow professor and friend, Gene, to help him. Gene is a notorious playboy, trying to sleep with women from as many countries as possible.  He is also an ass for not seeing that the “open marriage” he has with […]



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