fishing – Cannonball Read 17

Don’t be a bass read this book

Fly Rod Was First: Cornelia Crosby's Adventures in Angling by Cathy Ballou Mealey

October 21, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Women’s biographies are becoming more popular in the picture book format. As well as stories written about women who were in non traditional female roles. Add in the fact she was into a sport that I’ve never heard that too many females were involved in, and you have one of the most unique biographies I’ve read. Fly Rod Was First: Cornelia Crosby’s Adventures in Angling is a great introduction to a kick-butt woman who knew how to cast her influence on the fishing world! The […]

CBR15 Bingo: Relation”ship”

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

September 10, 2023 by Malin 15 Comments

CBR15 Bingo: Relation”ship” (A book about sisterly love, romantic love and featuring large fishing boats) Apparently, our heroine, Piper Bellinger, is strongly inspired by Alexis Rose in Schitt’s Creek, Tessa Bailey wanted her to have her own happy ending. First of all, I’m not really sure I think Alexis was too badly off at the end of the show, just because she wasn’t shacked up with a man. Her ending seemed perfectly happy to me – not all HEAs need to involve a romantic partner. […]

Braveheart

Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton

February's Son by Alan Parks

July 22, 2021 by Jake Leave a Comment

By coincidence, I just finished two different mysteries set in Scotland. Both were okay, both should have been better, both merit three stars, and I have more to say about one than the other… Death of a Gossip It’s fine for what it is: a Scottish cozy mystery Agatha Christie rip off. But it spends way too much time on the boring, awful side characters and not nearly enough time on the wonderfully cantankerous Hamish MacBeth. February’s Son Cn. Abuse, horrible depictions of […]

When you write over 300 words for a book that does not have one

The Fisherman & the Whale by Jessica Lanan

January 7, 2021 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

How do you write a review for a wordless picture book? Especially a 250 word one? You could start by saying that the title is The Fisherman & the Whale and is by Jessica Lanan. They are also the illustrator. Or should say this book is by Lanan period. It was published in May of 2019. And it was a pretty wild ride. The wordlessness is usually the first thing that turns me off on a book. Yet, there are a handful of books that […]

Two different books creating feelings

I'll Be the Water: A Story of a Grandparent's Love by Alec Aspinwall

Crying is Like the Rain: A Story of Mindfulness and Feelings by Heather Feinberg

November 4, 2020 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Two interesting books, but not enough for me to find the word limit for each solo, therefor I am going to do “two books one review” for these little numbers. The connection I find with both titles is that they both have a somber theme and/or feeling to them. I’ll Be the Water: A Story of Loss, Greif, and a Grandparent’s Love is obviously about the loss of a beloved grandparent. However, it is also a hopeful story. We see all the wonderful things that […]

“Every Time Something Doesn’t Happen, It Means Something Else Can”

What If A Fish by Anika Fajardo

August 19, 2020 by Ale 1 Comment

While I’m not usually a reader of middle-grade fiction, this debut novel came across my Facebook feed, as one of my cohorts from my MFA program was its editor! I bought it immediately and was so charmed by this adorable story. What if A Fish follows Little Eddie Aguado, an eleven-year-old Colombian American who feels neither Colombian or American. As he struggles to find his place in the world, he comes across a fishing medal owned by his late-father that sets him on an adventure […]

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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