Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Back the beginning in the underworld

Yuyu Hakusho vol 1 by Yoshihiro Togashi

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Bingo 10 Old Series Before getting to the review a little context: late 2006 or early 2007 I picked up a copy of Shonen Jump magazine (back when it still existed as a print thing one could buy in the grocery store), and eventually I bought it, and then subscribed. One of the series currently running around that time was Yuyu Hakusho; it was about ¾ of the way complete, and I read through the end of the serial publication of this series. I don’t […]

A Japanese Girl in a Celtic World

The Ancient Magus Bride vol. 14 by Kore Yamazaki

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Bingo 9: Mythic The Ancient Magus Bride is a manga and anime series based primarily in Celtic mythology, although it contains references to other folklore as well. One of the key characters (the magus of the title) is Elias who is some kind of Fae creature, given that he’s claimed as such by Titania and Oberon (this happens early in the series), the dragons who show up are European in appearance, Silky is a brownie who used to be a banshee, there are some sídhe, […]

I have never loved garlic so much in my life!!!!!

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

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cbr13bingo The Wilds  This is one of the DARNDEST CUTEST BOOKS I HAVE READ THIS YEAR. I picked Garlic and the Vampire up July 13, 2021 and would have read the entire thing right then and there if I had not been at work.  I had read a bit about it and thought it sounded cute but was hoping it would live up to the hype of the pre-publication reviews, the promotions, and the fact it just sounded so darn good (after all, hype something […]

A thoughtful mix of poetry and fairy tales

The Seventh Raven by David Elliott

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The Seven Ravens is a cool fairy tale. It’s very similar to The Six Swans – both are categorized as “brothers who turn into birds” folktales. But I prefer The Seven Ravens. It focuses on a peasant family instead of a princess.  The parents are lovely people – no evil stepmothers or greedy fathers here.  A brave girl saves the day. And ravens are cooler than swans. Sorry, swans. If you don’t know the folktale, it is the story of a peasant couple who have […]

“The space between two shores is the ocean and being caught in between feels like drowning.”

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

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A new forever favorite! If you like your fairy tales dark, and reading other cultural versions of them, read this book! If you like your graphic novels lush, detailed, and darling, read this book! If you like compelling family stories, immigrant stories, and queer characters, read this book! In the forefront of Trung Le Nguyen’s graphic novel is the story of a middle schooler named Tiên who is quietly dealing with coming out and his crush on a friend.  Alongside that is his mother’s story, […]

In the 17th century, birds were appreciated for their beauty, and also their tastiness

Pasta for Nightingales: A 17th-Century Handbook of Bird-Care and Folklore by Giovanni Pietro Olina

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The common hoopoe gets drunk on fermented grapes; goldfinches suffer from epilepsy; to properly keep francolins, you must keep a small crate or case within the aviary for the birds to nestle down in. These are just a few of the handy tips that Giovani Pietro Olina offers in his 17th-century handbook on bird care, Pasta for Nightingales. This charming little tome is an English translation of a book written in 1622, called Uccelliera, which is Italian for The Aviary. The title of the English […]



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