Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Because that’s how life tends to work in all its aspects. We try things out, and make mistakes, and recover, and learn from our experiences.”

Band Sinister by KJ Charles

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Band Sinister is what happens when an author writes their own version of Georgette Heyer book by throwing absolutely every socially progressive character type into a friend group and then letting them loose on the very suspecting neighbors. I’ve read exactly one Heyer book, Venetia, back in 2016. Initially this read didn’t jump out to me as especially heavy on the Heyer, but more in line with other queer Regency historical romances I’ve read over the years from Cat Sebastian or Olivia Waite, but the parallels are there.   The story here plays with the classic tropes that Heyer […]

“Why do I have to be nice when most of the men aren’t?” (double Bingo)

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Nowhere Bingo 25: A book about sport CBR17 Bingo: Play (tennis) Official plot summary (finished the book in August): Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her […]

“If you had better sense you’d have learned by now that nothing thrives so well as wickedness.”

Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor

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CBR17 Bingo: Play – Amber works as an actress in the Theatre Royal for a section of the book. Also, she’s always playing one role or another to ensnare her latest protector as she works her way up society’s rungs. Amber starts life as the adopted daughter of a farmer, but her beauty and her naked ambition has her destined for greater things – if only she can break free of her love of the unfaithful privateer Bruce. I read on this book’s Wikipedia page (because, […]

“I’m afraid I don’t know WTF. I only discovered LOL from Joyce last week” (Double Bingo)

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

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CBR17 Bingo: White (a book with a white cover) In a charming retirement village somewhere in the south of England, four elderly individuals solve cold cases for fun. Retired nurse, Joyce, is the last to be inducted into “The Thursday Murder Club”, as they are in need of some of her medical expertise in trying to solve their most recent case. Led by the formidable Elizabeth, who used to be a spy, aided and abetted by Ibrahim, a retired psychologist and Ron, a former trade union […]

Birds for a BINGO Board Blackout

The Wisdom of Birds, An Illustrated History of Ornithology by Tim Birkhead

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CBR 17 BINGO: Migrant, because many bird species migrate. Quadruple Bingo and Board Blackout! Across: Migrant, Review, Black, School, Rec’d Down: Migrant, Play, “B“, Favorite, Arts Diagonal: Migrant, Purple, “N“, Border, White Four corners and the center: Migrant, Rec’d, White, Arts, “N” The title of Tim Birkhead’s The Wisdom of Birds is misleading if you fail to read the subtitle, An Illustrated History of Ornithology, which sums up the book nicely. One might wonder why the author didn’t just go with a more precise title, […]

Sunshine and grumpy: Christmas edition

Magically Generated by Jackie Lau

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CBR17 Bingo: Arts (Everett makes detailed sketches before making his amazing snow sculptures) This was an ARC from the author. My opinions are my own. Nora Blackburn no longer believes in love and is super wary of anything that might be a fraud or scam. Her previous relationship was with a man who scammed her out of thousands of dollars, and she’s determined not to be fooled again. Her state of constant hyperawareness and scepticism of everyone and everything also means she isolates herself, and she […]



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