Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Terrible True Crime Book That Focuses on Everything but the Subject of the Book

The Wilderness of Ruin: A Tale of Madness, Fire, and the Hunt for America's Youngest Serial Killer by Roseanne Montillo

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Not too much to say except I echo the other readers who complained about this book being about everything except Jesse Pomeroy. Montillo seems to want to show her research into everything but him and we focus on the history of Boston, the Boston Great Fire, Herman freaking Melville, and honestly I think left a big question mark about whether Pomeroy was the person who murdered Katie Curran. “The Wilderness of Ruin” is a true crime book focusing on the United States youngest serial killer, […]

Four-Girl sees the other side of The Boxer Rebellion

Boxer & Saints V02 Saints by Gene Luen Yang

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A couple of spoilers are below. Saints is the second book in the two book graphic series, Boxer & Saints, by Gene Luen Yang. While it is shorter than Boxers, it still packs a lot of story. However, I would have liked to have seen more of back story of Four-Girl (or Vibiana as she will become known). We see how she is the unwanted fourth-girl of her family and how she defies the odds by living and having to deal with a strict, old-school […]

Little Bao’s Big Adventure takes some messy turns

Boxers & Saints #01 by Gene Luen Yang

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A few weeks ago, I was returning books to the library and was told a book I wanted was in stock. I went to the section but when there, realized I had remembered incorrectly where the book I wanted had been shelved. I had found myself in the graphic novel section instead. As I was getting ready to look for it in another section, I happened to see Boxers #01 of the Boxers & Saints two-book series. Without thinking, I grabbed it and checked it […]

In a dark, dark time

The Last Hours by Minette Walters

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Walters’ historical novel is a stunning look at how people reacted when the Black Death came to town. Or came to country and tried to come to town, but you burned down the bridge and kept away anyone who looked sick. There is historic precedent for a similar story – see the village of Eyam in Derbyshire. In terms of the fear of people living at the time, Walters does a very good job. The change in society – the rebellion of the serfs – […]

Love this series

The Poisoned Crown by Maurice Druon

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While I enjoyed Martin’s Game of Thrones books, I can’t say that I am huge fan.  Honesty, I don’t even watch the HBO series.  It’s too rapey for me. Yet, I like Martin.  In part because he champions other authors and makes sure that they, not him, get the credit.  But also because it is because of him that this series was re-released in America.  Martin says it partly inspired him. It is the epic soap opera of France.  It is the fall of a […]

Second visit to Old Quebec – Spoiler alert

Duty to the Crown by Aimie K. Runyan

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This is not a good sequel. It’s not bad, but it is very, very predictable. If you read the first book, you can call every single plot “twist” in this one. There really isn’t a surprise, and sometimes the characters feel very, very, very modern. Like really modern – even the characters supposedly religious and conservative feel far too modern, like they got in the Tardis or something.  There are several scenes where women are either too forgiving. of a transgression or too quickly transgression. […]



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