Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A Heartwarming Story of Mutual Administrative Assistance

Network Effect: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

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Network Effect is the fifth entry in the Murderbot Diaries and unlike the previous four, which were each about 150 pages, this one goes for 300+. As usual, it’s packed with intrigue and cool fights. This might be my favorite Murderbot (so far) because it involves much of the crew from book 1 as well as Asshole Research Transport (ART) from book 2. The plot involves corporate planetary piracy and an old school malware attack, but it also focuses on Murderbot’s complicated and evolving relationships […]

“My heart is a hand reaching”

Devotion by Hannah Kent

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Devotion is a gloriously beautiful, heartbreaking story of impossible, indestructible love. Hanne is a girl becoming a woman in a community of Lutheran extremists in 19th century Prussia.  She has never doubted her family’s faith, but feels a deep spiritual and synaesthetic connection to the natural world, hearing an underlying hum of music. “Baptise me in rainfall and crown me in sunrise.” “I could hear the sunshine ringing like a blow to the ear.” Hanne’s oddness is a barrier to friendship with the other girls of […]

Enjoyable read, in spite of being the weakest in the series

A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz

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Ever since I discovered Anthony Horowitz in 2019, I’ve been catching up on his previously released novels and eagerly awaiting new ones. I was, therefore, delighted to see A Line to Kill, book #3 in Horowitz’s Hawthorne series, gracing bookstore shelves while I was out Christmas shopping last month. I marched up to my husband and announced, “I’m buying this for my dad, but I would also like to add it to my Christmas list.” Because I have a husband who picks up on these types […]

The Loftcraftian Horror Genre, a little bit of *magic* and a strong female lead

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Mexican Gothic is a horror genre novel by author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Set in 1950s Mexico, it follows the protagonist Noemi, a socialite who is tasked by her father to find her estranged cousin who hasn’t been since by the family since her wedding to her English husband. Noemi travels to the mountainside Doyle Family home in the fictional El Triunfo (Spanish for The Triumph). Once arriving, Noemi immediately senses that something is off in this house. A dilapidated and isolated mansion covered in grime and […]

Sweet story about the joys and challenges of friendship, identity, and privilege

Stargazing by Jen Wang

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Stargazing is the most recent graphic novel from Jen Wang of The Prince and the Dressmaker fame.  My 10 year old spotted Stargazing at San Diego Comic Con and we had to bring it home.  She read it in one sitting and then began insisting that I needed to read it.  The Prince and the Dressmaker blew me away so I had high expectations for Stargazing, and Wang did not disappoint.  Once again she explores themes of friendship, identity, and privilege. Christine Hong is Chinese American in a […]

Starting the year with a sure-fire hit

A Very Beery New Year by Jackie Lau

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Encouraged by his mother to socialise more, introverted software developer Gerald Nakamura goes to his local craft beer bar to sit by the bar, reading a book, not really interacting with anyone except the serving staff. He especially likes exchanging a few words with the pretty and vivacious bartender Kelsey.   Kelsey lives with her rather exasperating grandmother (who just discovered Tik Tok and is determined to become a viral sensation) and works at the bar until she can find something more suitable to her […]



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