Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“In her spare time, she looked to books or the stars for company”

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Caseopea Tun is basically treated as a servant by her grandfather, cousin, and extended family because her mother ran away and made an ill-advised marriage. Caseopea suffers the indignities mainly because her tyrannical grandfather has promised to leave her some money once he dies. However, during another turbulent row with her spoiled cousin Martín, he reveals that their grandfather has no intention of leaving anything to Caseopea. She feels furious and rebellious, which leads to her opening the forbidden chest at the bottom of her […]

All the world’s a stage

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

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The Whalebone Theatre is a coming of age novel set in the decades before and during WWII. The main focus is on the three Seagrave half siblings, especially the eldest Cristabel Seagrave. More than a “growing up and learning” kind of story though, The Whalebone Theatre is about misfits and about the saving grace of art. Cristabel Seagrave was born to lead but finds herself often frustrated. The Seagraves are a propertied family with a seaside estate called Chilcombe, but of course, women don’t take […]

A dark and brooding novel

His Bloody Project - Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae: A Historical Thriller by Graeme Macrae Burnet

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Cbr15bingo Getaway (for You Are Here), bingo His Bloody Project, a Man Booker Prize finalist from 2016, is a novel that imagines a case of murder in which the question is: was the murderer insane? The action is set in a remote village of coastal Scotland in 1869, and author Graeme Macrae Burnet immerses his readers in a rough, rural environment where opportunities for success are few and being able to get on with the neighbors is vital. The structure of this novel is ingenious: […]

“Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself.”

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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#CBR15 Passport Challenge: Books recommended by friends Elizabeth Zott is a chemist struggling to be taken seriously by her male colleagues at a lab in the 1960s. She never completed her degree because her academic advisor raped her, but her lack of degree in no way means she’s not intelligent. Despite her brilliant mind, her male co-workers either treat her as nothing more than a lab assistant or steal her research and present it as their own. The one exception to this is Calvin Evans, […]

A Fun Adventure From Childhood

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

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When Sylvia comes to live with her cousin Bonnie at Willoughby Chase, she’s quickly swept up in her cousin’s shenanigans and adventures.  When Bonnie’s parents leave on a sea voyage almost immediately after Sylvia’s arrival, the girls’ governess quickly takes over the manor, firing the servants and dropping the two girls off at a “school” that is more workhouse than school.  It’s up to the two girls to some how escape and make it to London in order to try and contact Bonnie’s parents and […]

“So this is merely romance,” she frowned disapprovingly. “I was hoping for an epic adventure, or a gothic mystery at the very least.” Ned laughed. “Darling, don’t worry, the story has just begun.”

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

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Official book description, because I finished this book two months ago, and the plot is rather convoluted: Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She’s also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it’s a pleasant existence. Until the men show up. Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is […]



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