ElCicco – Page 22 – Cannonball Read 17

Excellent short story collection

Walking on Cowrie Shells: Stories by Nana Nkweti

October 5, 2023 by ElCicco Leave a Comment

CBR15bingo Africa This book was a finalist for the Caine Prize for African writing This 2021 collection of 10 short stories, Nana Nkweti’s debut work, is a riveting read. Each story is thought provoking, some are shocking, all are brilliantly written. This is the kind of book you could read quickly but it deserves to be savored. Nana Nkweti is a Cameroonian American writer, and her stories focus on the experience of being a “hyphenated American.” For some who have come to the US from […]

For the birds

Angel Catbird Vol. 1 by Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas, Tamra Bonvillain

October 3, 2023 by ElCicco Leave a Comment

Cbr15bingo strange worlds Yes, in this final month of CBR bingo I am in a rush to get as many squares checked off as possible. As a result, I am scouring our home bookshelves for anything that can help me fill in my remaining squares. Angel Catbird Volume 1 is a graphic novel that has been sitting on the shelf for years. I remember when it came out, I was kind of excited to see that Margaret Atwood had written it. I am a fan […]

“All it takes is one voice, singing in the darkness.”

Rainbow in the Dark: The Complete Saga by Comfort Love and Adam Withers

October 3, 2023 by ElCicco Leave a Comment

Cbr15bingo nostalgia, bingo This 2013 graphic novel would fit a number of categories for bingo, but given its overall message, I am using it for “nostalgia.” Rainbow in the Dark takes place in a world that looks like ours but that has been taken over by a dark force called the Gloom. The people are unaware that they are in its grip until a band of warriors frees them. Their response to that freedom is what drives the narrative forward and makes the story relevant […]

Chocolate used to be considered a health food. Where did we go wrong?

Great Moments in Chocolate History by Howard-Yana Shapiro

October 2, 2023 by ElCicco Leave a Comment

Cbr15bingo edibles (bingo) Back at the beginning of May, my younger son asked me what I would like for Mothers Day. I told him that anything related to books, coffee or chocolate would be nice. He hit two out of three with this book, Great Moments in Chocolate History, published by National Geographic (2015). Howard-Yana Shapiro is a plant scientist and chief agricultural officer for Mars, Inc. This is a guy who knows chocolate science and provides a lot of interesting facts in relating the […]

Who died and made you king?

Unruly: A History of England’s Kings and Queens by David Mitchell

October 2, 2023 by ElCicco 1 Comment

Cbr15bingo Europe I’m not sure how my husband got his hands on the official UK version of this book; the US version is out tomorrow (Oct. 3) with the subtitle as shown in the photo, not the subtitle on the UK version which I have put in the title bar. But he knew I would love it because we are both fans of David Mitchell from the various British panel shows he has been on. Mitchell describes himself as a comedian, and he is, but […]

“…sometimes, best friends feel like killing each other.”

The Girl With The Golden Bouffant: An Original Jane Bond Parody by Mabel Maney

September 26, 2023 by ElCicco Leave a Comment

Cbr15bingo On the road This is the second, and as far as I can tell, final Jane Bond/James Bond parody novel. This time, the action takes place in swinging 1966 Las Vegas at a convention for the accident prone that is actually a gathering of top spies, and at a “bake-off” competition that involves more intrigue and inventiveness than the spy gathering. James Bond is still out of commission and so Her Majesty’s Secret Service once again turns to his lesbian twin sister Jane to […]

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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