Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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I would probably have liked this better if the protagonist was the sister

The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

December 7, 2019 by Malin Leave a Comment

Official book description: Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone in a house that is slowly crumbling toward the Long Island Sound. His parents are long dead. His mother, a circus mermaid who made her living by holding her breath, drowned in the very water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, ran off six years ago and now reads tarot cards for a traveling carnival. One June day, an old book arrives on Simon’s doorstep, sent by an antiquarian bookseller who purchased it on […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance Tagged With: cbr11, Circus, contemporary fiction, curses, erika swyler, fortune telling, historical fiction, magical realism, Malin, the book of speculation

Malin's CBR11 Review No:84 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance · Tags: cbr11, Circus, contemporary fiction, curses, erika swyler, fortune telling, historical fiction, magical realism, Malin, the book of speculation ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
A woman wearing a blue dress holds a stack of old books. Title and author are lettered in white.

Underwater

January 18, 2017 by Alix Leave a Comment

Simon’s house is caving in and falling down all at the same time. He’s lost his job, and there’s no money for repairs. His carny sister and her copiously tattooed carny boyfriend show up for a visit. He is dating the one girl he’s not supposed to date. Oh, and his mom committed suicide when Simon was a child, and his dad is gone, too. Luckily a really weird book shows up just in time to distract him from the everything going wrong in his […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: Circus, erika swyler, magic

Alix's CBR9 Review No:2 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: Circus, erika swyler, magic ·
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Didn’t live up to its potential

October 22, 2015 by yesknopemaybe Leave a Comment

When a very, very old manuscript filled with the specifics of circus life in the 1700’s finds its way into the hands of a research librarian named Simon, he doesn’t quite know what to make of it. His grandmother’s name is written in the book, but he’s not sure how the book connects to their family. While researching the book and his family history, he realizes that all the women in his family have died from drowning on the very same day. What makes it […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction Tagged With: Books about books, erika swyler, fantasy, Fiction, historical fiction, magical realism, the book of speculation

yesknopemaybe's CBR7 Review No:56 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction · Tags: Books about books, erika swyler, fantasy, Fiction, historical fiction, magical realism, the book of speculation ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments


Recent Comments

  • 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.
See More Recent Comments »

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