Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Final 2024 Leftovers

1876 by Gore Vidal

Joe Country by Mick Herron

James by Percival Everett

Slough House by Mick Herron

Kiss Her Goodbye by Allan Guthrie

The Contemplative Tarot: A Christian Introduction to the cards by Brittany Muller

December 26, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

Hope everyone had a wonderful 2024. Remember that while we can’t control the horrors of the world, there is joy to be found in the presence of those we love. 1876**** Didn’t hit as hard as Burr; Burr’s presence was the center of the story that made it go, whereas this book wants to highlight every major player in the 1876 election. But Vidal does a good job of evoking the atmosphere of the time: the unapologetic corruption, the paranoia of another war and the […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: 1876, Allan Guthrie, Brittany Muller, christian, crime, Devotional, England, espionage, Gore Vidal, hard case crime, historical fiction, huckleberry Finn, James, Joe Country, Kiss Her Goodbye, mick herron, mystery, mysticism, Narratives of Empire, Percival Everett, politics, presidential election, Samuel Tilden, Satire, scotland, Slough House, Slough House series, Slow Horses, Tarot, The Contemplative Tarot, thriller, Voltaire

Jake's CBR16 Review No:195 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: 1876, Allan Guthrie, Brittany Muller, christian, crime, Devotional, England, espionage, Gore Vidal, hard case crime, historical fiction, huckleberry Finn, James, Joe Country, Kiss Her Goodbye, mick herron, mystery, mysticism, Narratives of Empire, Percival Everett, politics, presidential election, Samuel Tilden, Satire, scotland, Slough House, Slough House series, Slow Horses, Tarot, The Contemplative Tarot, thriller, Voltaire ·
· 0 Comments

Thanksgiving 2024 Leftovers

Remembrance Day by Henry Porter

Dead Lions by Mick Herron

Zero Days by Ruth Ware

Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman

Killing Castro by Lawrence Block

Deadly Beloved by Max Allan Collins

Spy Hook by Len Deighton

London Rules by Mick Herron

Real Tigers by Mick Herron

November 27, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. Remembrance Day**** An interesting take on the English-vs-Irish spy novel and while the author telegraphs too many things, he knows how to keep a story moving. Barely clears the 4-star threshold but if I invest time to read something almost 500 pages long, it has to be at least “good” and this was. Dead Lions, Real Tigers, and London Rules**** I had originally meant to do a big long post on my love/grr relationship with Mick Herron’s Slough House […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: Bernard Samson, Chicago, Clay McLeod Chapman, Dead Lions, Deadly Beloved, domestic surveillance, England, espionage, hard case crime, Henry Porter, historical fiction, horror, Ireland, Killing Castro, lawrence block, Len Deighton, London Rules, Max Allan Collins, MI-5, MI-6, mick herron, Ms Tree, mystery, Real Tigers, Religion, Remembrance Day, Russia, Ruth Ware, Satan Panic, Slough House, Slow Horses, Spy Hook, terrorism, The Troubles, thriller, Virginia, Whisper down the lane, Zero Days

Jake's CBR16 Review No:186 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: Bernard Samson, Chicago, Clay McLeod Chapman, Dead Lions, Deadly Beloved, domestic surveillance, England, espionage, hard case crime, Henry Porter, historical fiction, horror, Ireland, Killing Castro, lawrence block, Len Deighton, London Rules, Max Allan Collins, MI-5, MI-6, mick herron, Ms Tree, mystery, Real Tigers, Religion, Remembrance Day, Russia, Ruth Ware, Satan Panic, Slough House, Slow Horses, Spy Hook, terrorism, The Troubles, thriller, Virginia, Whisper down the lane, Zero Days ·
· 0 Comments

July-August 2024 Leftovers

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney

Confucius for Christians: What and Ancient Chinese Worldview Can Teach Us about Life in Christ by Greg A. Ten Elshof

Lucky At Cards by Lawrence Block

A Dance at the Slaughterhouse by Lawrence Block

Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK by Gerald Posner

Doing the Devil's Work by Bill Loehfelm

The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Leta McCullough Seletzky

The Third Bullet by Stephen Hunter

Burning Angel by James Lee Burke

The Queen City Detective Agency by Snowden Wright

Poetic Justice by Andrea J. Johnson

September 14, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

Because I’ve been posting most of my reviews due to Bingo, I haven’t kept up with the leftover ones until now. Hope everyone had  a good summer. It’s my least favorite time of year but this one wasn’t so bad. Heartsick***: I took this book too seriously when I tried to read it the first time. I relaxed and enjoyed the ride the second. Goofy fun, nothing more. Brief Answers to the Big Questions****: I do enjoy listening to Hawking’s desire to push the boundaries […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Fiction, History, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Suspense Tagged With: A Dance at the Slaughterhouse, Andrea J. Johnson, Archie Sheridan, astrophysics, Bill Loehfelm, Bobby Lee Swagger, Brief Answers to Big Questions, Burning Angel, Case Closed, Chelsea Cain, CIA, Confucianism, Confucius for Christians, conversations with friends, cozy mystery, David Robicheaux, Delaware, Doing the Devil's work, FBI, Gerald Posner, Greg A. Ten Elshof, Gretchen Lowell, hard case crime, Heartsick, historical fiction, Ireland, James Lee Burke, john f kennedy, Julius Caesar, lawrence block, lee harvey oswald, Leta McCullough Seletzky, Lucky At Cards, Martin Luther King Jr., Matthew Scudder, Maureen Coughlin, Memphis, mississippi, mystery, New Orleans, New York City, Oregon, plays, Poetic Justice, Portland, Religion, roman empire, Sally Rooney, science, serial killers, Snowden Wright, stephen hawking, Stephen Hunter, the kennedy assassination, The Kneeling Man, The Queen City Detective Agency, The Third Bullet, the universe, true crime, Victoria Justice, william shakespeare

Jake's CBR16 Review No:149 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Fiction, History, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Suspense · Tags: A Dance at the Slaughterhouse, Andrea J. Johnson, Archie Sheridan, astrophysics, Bill Loehfelm, Bobby Lee Swagger, Brief Answers to Big Questions, Burning Angel, Case Closed, Chelsea Cain, CIA, Confucianism, Confucius for Christians, conversations with friends, cozy mystery, David Robicheaux, Delaware, Doing the Devil's work, FBI, Gerald Posner, Greg A. Ten Elshof, Gretchen Lowell, hard case crime, Heartsick, historical fiction, Ireland, James Lee Burke, john f kennedy, Julius Caesar, lawrence block, lee harvey oswald, Leta McCullough Seletzky, Lucky At Cards, Martin Luther King Jr., Matthew Scudder, Maureen Coughlin, Memphis, mississippi, mystery, New Orleans, New York City, Oregon, plays, Poetic Justice, Portland, Religion, roman empire, Sally Rooney, science, serial killers, Snowden Wright, stephen hawking, Stephen Hunter, the kennedy assassination, The Kneeling Man, The Queen City Detective Agency, The Third Bullet, the universe, true crime, Victoria Justice, william shakespeare ·
· 0 Comments

Brotherly Shove

Blood on the Mink by Robert Silverberg

July 23, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

Read as part of CBR16 Bingo: vintage. This book was originally published as a serialized story in a magazine in 1959. When I learned I had to read a book that was over 40 years old for a reading challenge, I knew it would be a Hard Case Crime one. Hard Case Crime is great at bringing to life authors that are little known or have fallen out of vogue. There was so much in the way of pulp publication in the 50s and 60s […]

Filed Under: Suspense Tagged With: Blood on the Mink, cbr16bingo, crime, hard case crime, Philadelphia, robert silverberg, vintage

Jake's CBR16 Review No:110 · Genres: Suspense · Tags: Blood on the Mink, cbr16bingo, crime, hard case crime, Philadelphia, robert silverberg, vintage ·
Rating:
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May 2024 Leftovers

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Batmanga: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga, Vol. 1 by Jiro Kuwata

Magic: The Life of Earvin "Magic" Johnson by Roland Lazenby

Somebody Owes Me Money by Donald Westlake

When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block

The Curse: The Colorful & Chaotic History of the LA Clippers by Mick Minas

Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon by Roland Lazenby

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses

June 5, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

June already? Sheesh. The Brass Verdict**** Ever since John Grisham lost his fastball in the late-90s, I’ve mostly forsaken legal thrillers. But I like the Bosch series and I wanted to read something LA-based and this delivered. It’s a fun plot with some legit exciting twists. Will probably go back to it at some point or maybe watch the show. Interior Chinatown*** I wish I liked this one more than I did. The satire is razor sharp, the story is deep and the pain is […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Fiction, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Sports, Suspense Tagged With: #writing, AAPI, basketball, Batman, Charles Yu, craft in the real world, Donald Sterling, Donald Westlake, gymnastics, hard case crime, harry bosch, Interior Chinatown, Jerry West, Jiro Kuwata, lawrence block, legal thriller, los angeles, Los Angeles Clippers, Magic Johnson, manga, Matthew Salesses, Matthew Scudder, megan abbott, Michael Connelly, Mick Minas, Mickey Haller, movies, mystery, NBA, New York City, Noir, Roland Lazenby, Somebody Owes Me Money, sports, the Brass Verdict, When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, writing craft, You Will Know Me

Jake's CBR16 Review No:81 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Fiction, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Sports, Suspense · Tags: #writing, AAPI, basketball, Batman, Charles Yu, craft in the real world, Donald Sterling, Donald Westlake, gymnastics, hard case crime, harry bosch, Interior Chinatown, Jerry West, Jiro Kuwata, lawrence block, legal thriller, los angeles, Los Angeles Clippers, Magic Johnson, manga, Matthew Salesses, Matthew Scudder, megan abbott, Michael Connelly, Mick Minas, Mickey Haller, movies, mystery, NBA, New York City, Noir, Roland Lazenby, Somebody Owes Me Money, sports, the Brass Verdict, When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, writing craft, You Will Know Me ·
· 0 Comments

April 2024 Leftovers

X = : Poems by Stephen Berg

Charcoal Joe by Walter Mosley

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh

The Hurricane Blonde by Halley Sutton

Vineland by Thomas Pynchon

L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais

Watch It Burn by Kristen Bird

Sleep With Strangers by Dolores Hitchens

The Fixer: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn by Josh Young

One of Us Is Wrong by Sam Holt

The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker

The Second Murderer by Denise Mina

Blackmailer by George Axelrod

The Darkest Glare: A Story of Murder, Blackmail, and Real Estate Greed in 1979 Los Angeles by Chip Jacobs

Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith

May 6, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

Happy April, y’all! X = : Poems**** This is why library book bingos are necessary. I only checked this one out because I needed to read a book of poems and I wanted to check the nettlesome “X” off the A-Z reading list. A convoluted reason to begin with and this wasn’t even the book I thought I was getting! I thought I’d get a different X by a different author. I’m glad I got this one. Some of these really spoke to me, including […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: a game of Lies, Blackmailer, california, charcoal joe, Chip Jacobs, Clare Mackintosh, crime, cults, denise mina, Dolores Hitchens, Easy Rawlins, ed brubaker, Elvis Cole, europe, Ffion Morgan, France, Freddie Otash, George Axelrod, Graphic Novel, Halley Sutton, hard case crime, historical fiction, Joe Pike, Josh Young, Kristen Bird, L.A. Requiem, LGBTQIA, long beach, los angeles, Marilyn Monroe, movies, mystery, New York City, Noir, One of Us Is Wrong, Patricia Highsmith, Philip Marlowe, poems, postmodern, real estate, reality television, red scare, Ripley's Game, Robert Crais, Sam Holt, Sleep with Strangers, Stephen Berg, Texas, The Darkest Glare, the fade out, The Fixer, The Hurricane Blonde, The Second Murderer, Thomas Pynchon, Tom Ripley, true crime, Vineland, wales, walter mosley, Watch it Burn, X

Jake's CBR16 Review No:66 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: a game of Lies, Blackmailer, california, charcoal joe, Chip Jacobs, Clare Mackintosh, crime, cults, denise mina, Dolores Hitchens, Easy Rawlins, ed brubaker, Elvis Cole, europe, Ffion Morgan, France, Freddie Otash, George Axelrod, Graphic Novel, Halley Sutton, hard case crime, historical fiction, Joe Pike, Josh Young, Kristen Bird, L.A. Requiem, LGBTQIA, long beach, los angeles, Marilyn Monroe, movies, mystery, New York City, Noir, One of Us Is Wrong, Patricia Highsmith, Philip Marlowe, poems, postmodern, real estate, reality television, red scare, Ripley's Game, Robert Crais, Sam Holt, Sleep with Strangers, Stephen Berg, Texas, The Darkest Glare, the fade out, The Fixer, The Hurricane Blonde, The Second Murderer, Thomas Pynchon, Tom Ripley, true crime, Vineland, wales, walter mosley, Watch it Burn, X ·
· 0 Comments
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