Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The stench is right, this book STINKS!

The Stench of Honolulu by Jack Handey

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“The jungle grew darker and more mysterious. Bugs seemed buggier, and the trees almost seemed alive. The sun was like a blazing ball of fire in the sky. Strange little birds hovered over the flowers, stabbing them with their long, pointed beaks. Sinister rock formations appeared on shore and even reached up out of the water. I guess that’s where Hawaii got its famous nickname, “Land of a Thousand Nightmares.”  The narrator is cajoled by his friend Don into taking a trip to Hawaii. While […]

Pacific Dreams

Five Decembers by James Kestrel

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I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Those who know me know that I’m a big fan of the Hard Case Crime label. I collect the novels and make a commitment to read at least one a month. Publisher Charles Ardai has made a point to reach out extensively to the HCC fan community; passing out ARCs and bonus copies before they go on sale. A few months ago, some of us got an […]

Stolen History

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell

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Going into Unfamiliar Fishes, my knowledge of Hawaii was sparse, to say the least. I can’t say that we covered any Hawaiian history in school- not even that it is our “newest” state. Information came in fits and starts; a friend of mine teaches Hula through VSA, I was familiar with Captain Cooks adventures (and one serious misadventure) in the archipelago, and I caught an old episode of No Reservations. Embarrassing, I know. I had nothing to write home about. Enter Sarah Vowell and her “almost oral […]

Hawaii is for lovers

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

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The Unhoneymooners was my first foray into the Christina Lauren catalog. I’m trying to become more versed in contemporary romance. In March, I visited Hawaii and this book allowed me to daydream again about island life. This book seemed like a perfect match. Olive Torres thinks she is cursed with bad luck. She is recently laid off and has moved into a small apartment. Her love life is nonexistent. Meanwhile, her sister, Amy, seems to have all the good luck. She has a knack for winning […]

Hawaii Five Whoa

Repo Shark by Cody Goodfellow

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I thought I had given up on that kind of testosterone-driven crime thriller featuring a drug-addled antihero and a thin plot. This was my go-to in the 90s until my tastes evolved. But Repo Shark, which I culled from a list of unusual crime novels from the indisposable crimereads.com, proved me wrong. And it’s yet another reminder that good writing can paper over a multitude of sins. The plot is straightforward: guy goes to Hawaii to repossess a motorcycle, things aren’t what they seem, hijinks ensue. […]

If You Could Go Anywhere, Any When …

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Bingo Square: Listicles I had actually seen this novel on at least one Book Riot list, and downloaded it a while back since it was part of Kindle Unlimited but it wasn’t going to be my original selection for Listicles.  I played with making it “And So It Begins” but read another book that fit that category first. Still, I wanted to include this novel somehow (especially since I liked the idea of having three pirate related novels on my Bingo card), and when I […]



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