Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Sadly, a rather disappointing follow-up to two very good books

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

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#CBR12 Bingo: UnCannon (YA fantasy, written by a woman, about dark-skinned heroine, with several queer characters as supporting cast) Official book description: Eight years have passed since the young Princess Bitterblue, and her country were saved from the vicious King Leck. Now Bitterblue is the queen of Monsea, and her land is at peace.   But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisers, who have run the country on her behalf since Leck’s death, believe in a forward-thinking […]

Finding Safe Harbor

Harbor by Rebekah Weatherspoon

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Yesterday a magazine posted an article about how we should read romances during this pandemic because they are dumb and will give our brains a break. I had just finished reading Rebekah Weatherspoon’s Harbor (Beards and Bondage) and wanted to cry in frustration. There is nothing dumb about this book, and even if it were pure porny fluff, if it accomplishes the goal of helping the reader cope – it is not dumb. There are so many amazing, smart writers in romance today. Rebekah Weatherspoon […]

Beautifully Written Romance with A+ Mental Health Representation

Just Like That (Albin Academy 1) by Cole McCade

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I have a level of discomfort with m/m romance written by cis women for cis women readers, even if it’s a book I liked and an author I liked. That discomfort is always there. Cole McCade describes himself as, “Tall, bi/queer, introverted author of a brown-ish persuasion made up of various flavors of Black, Asian, and Native American.” I didn’t feel uncomfortable reading and enjoying Just Like That. I would also like to point out that Carina Adores is a new Harlequin line that features […]

You gonna let the words define you, or are you going to define yourself?

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

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I won an advance copy of Real Men Knit in a Goodreads giveaway. I love the cover and had started reading it when it disappeared. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Finally, while moving furniture, I found it wedged between the wall and my box spring thus explaining why I didn’t see it when I looked under the bed. At long last returned to me, I devoured it. It’s a first book in a planned series and a slow burn to boot, so Jackson takes her […]

Thank you, Emmalita, for the excellent book recommendation

Xeni: A Marriage of Inconvenience by Rebekah Weatherspoon

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Official book description: She just wanted to claim her inheritance. What she got was a husband… Xeni Everly-Wilkins has ten days to clean out her recently departed aunt’s massive colonial in Upstate New York. With the feud between her mom and her sisters still raging even in death, she knows this will be no easy task, but when the will is read Xeni quickly discovers the decades-old drama between the former R&B singers is just the tip of the iceberg. The Secrets, lies, and a […]

“There’s a particular feeling in your body when something goes right after a long time of things going wrong. It feels warm and sweet and loose.”

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

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Lily King is a magician. She takes an unassuming title like Writers and Lovers and crafts something beautiful, messy, and utterly captivating. Her last novel, 2014’s Euphoria, was my favorite read of the last decade- I have to admit that I was initially disappointed when Writers and Lovers was announced after the evocative fever of Euphoria.  A 30-something woman navigates creative struggle, debt, grief, and relationships? All I have to do is shout out of my front door and a line of people that fit the description […]



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