Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Two sisters, one folklore and a sea monster

The Daughters of Ys by M.T. Anderson

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I love M.T. Anderson and First Second books. However, there was something “off” about this graphic novel by Anderson, The Daughters of Ys. I am not sure if it was because I had such high hopes, or if the story was not organized, or that it was a folktale that I was unfamiliar with, but there were holes in it for me. I do like the idea of this folktale. The start of the tale is a flashback. There is a king who almost did […]

“She wondered, for the thousandth time, who got to decide one tradition was right and another was wrong.”

The Butchers' Blessing by Ruth Gilligan

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What makes a tradition a tradition? How and when do we pass from routine to ritual, and ritual to sacred rite? How do we decide what it kept, what is left behind, and what must be destroyed for the good of the future? Ruth Gilligan knows, but she will not give us any easy answers. Instead, she gives us snapshots; a literal photograph  sets us in motion, but glimpses into the life of “modern Ireland” connect the pieces by stringing one red knot to another. […]

An Inexplicable Hatred of Raisins

Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne

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Score again for shelf-browsing time burning selection from the local library! I had a few minutes to spare, had to stop by the local library to pick something else up, went shelf-browsing and found this: Ink & Sigil. This was fantasy fun at its best, not only because of the characters, mechanics of the magic, and intrigue of the plot, but also because of the reasonably integrated exploration of a real world serious problem, in this case human trafficking. Let’s back up a sec to […]

cbr12bingo – Red!

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch

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Every entry into Rivers of London starts with a splash; we are always diving head-first, sometimes literally, into rivers of blood. Every delightful cover, all done by Patrick Knowles, is a map with a big, red, bloody “X” marking the spot. Every cover is a map, every map is filled with teensy tiny detail, and every seemingly unrelated sketch or nursery rhyme lyric builds together into the marvelous mess that is London. I love his minute details; I feel like I’m looking at a Where’s Waldo illustration for […]

Ever get the feeling that you’re being watched?

The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch

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Well, my library is being watched at least. I keep reading myself in circles; themes from one book bleed into another; people, places, statements, snippets of songs- this year is becoming one giant, roiling, swirling brew of a book. Peter Grant and the Falcon Family (tm tm tm!) are back in London, up to their necks in the Thames and sinking fast. Luckily, the river is full of gods who are just as willing to save them as they are to let them drown. Last […]

cbr12bingo – Money!

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

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Another square down, and another trip down (also up, under, and through) the Thames (looking at you, Rivers of London). The Thames is the titular river of Once Upon a River another story about telling stories from Diane Setterfield (The Thirteenth Tale). A mysterious man and a young girl come crashing through the doors of The Swan, an inn on the river that is well known for it’s story and for it’s story tellers. The man is grievously injured; the girl is stone dead. The […]



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