Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A dark and brooding novel

His Bloody Project - Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae: A Historical Thriller by Graeme Macrae Burnet

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Cbr15bingo Getaway (for You Are Here), bingo His Bloody Project, a Man Booker Prize finalist from 2016, is a novel that imagines a case of murder in which the question is: was the murderer insane? The action is set in a remote village of coastal Scotland in 1869, and author Graeme Macrae Burnet immerses his readers in a rough, rural environment where opportunities for success are few and being able to get on with the neighbors is vital. The structure of this novel is ingenious: […]

Happy Birthday, Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

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Cbr15bingo Hold Steady (old favorite), bingo Did you know that today, October 15, is the birthday of Charlotte’s Web? It’s also my birthday but Charlotte is older than I am, having been introduced to the world on this day in 1952. This is such a beautiful story of friendship. Reading it again, probably about 50 years after I first read it, is like a warm hug. The story of the friendships of Wilbur, Fern, and Charlotte is timeless and welcome in a world that often […]

A truly international and diverse magical school

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

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CBR15 Bingo: Edibles – Dhonielle Clayton ramped up the concept of magical food to an almost absurd level, many sound down right hard to eat. Things like Jamaican patties that sing reggae when you cut them open and hummingbird cakes that fly around are two that stick out in my memory. A few years ago I discovered Clayton through her YA Belles duology, The Belles and The Everlasting Rose, which I thought were both 4 star reads. The Marvellers came to my attention due to the […]

An adult story with some triggers

Yerba Buena: A Novel by Nina LaCour

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Cbr15bingo Queer Lives, bingo Yerba Buena is a beautifully written and conceived novel about love and loss. Its two main characters, Sara and Emilie, have experienced trauma and tragedy at a young age. As adults, they are each trying to find their place in the world and perhaps find love with each other, but they still struggle with the ghosts of their pasts.  Sara and Emilie grew up in very different environments but share similar problems. Emilie’s family’s Creole roots are in New Orleans, but […]

Revisiting the Shades of Magic world with a captivating new story that also brought back fan favorites

The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab

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CBR15 Bingo: Sex – V.E. Schwab does not include sex scenes in any of her books.  They tend to be more ‘fade to black’ moments.  However, I wish this book had more than just suggested sexy times! Several years ago when Schwab finished the original “Shades of Magic” trilogy, she left a door open to potentially revisit the series in the future.  Apparently inspiration struck and we now have The Fragile Threads of Power to build upon the first trilogy.  First off let me say that […]

Excellent short story collection

Walking on Cowrie Shells: Stories by Nana Nkweti

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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 […]



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