Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Every time you leave someone’s life you risk being the worst thing that’s ever happened to them, or the last thing to ever happen to them.”

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin

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Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. It hasn’t affected the contents of my review. This had so much promise, and it started off so well for me. I was delighted by the bitchy plant narrator (plus some others) that was obsessed with this woman, Neve, who runs a flower shop in an aging mall that is about to be closed and bulldozed to the ground. Our MC Shell was a good way in to the dynamic between Neve and the plant, whose […]

“I did not come this far to only come this far.” CBRBINGO – ‘I’

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

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I didn’t like this as much as I liked House of Hollow, but there is no one writing fantastical horror atmosphere like Krystal Sutherland. Immaculate vibes. Cool and creepy worldbuilding. I am for sure reading any and all future books from her. This is also one of those cases where genre and marketing are getting in the way of people finding her books and liking them. She writes YA only because her protagonists are young. In almost every other respect, this is adult stuff, adult […]

It’s hard to resist a book described as “The Dark Sapphic Romance that Inspired Dracula”

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

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Originally serialized in the magazine The Dark Blue from 1871-72, Carmilla is the first vampire story. Not only did it serve as the inspiration for for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, it was written by a woman. The novel is just over 150 pages long and is presented as a scientific account of events in the life of a young woman named Laura. The novel opens with an unknown intellectual explaining that he is including Laura’s case in volume 1 of a Dr. Hesselius’ collected papers. So […]

Hello Darkness My Old Friend

Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson

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I think I’ve found my favourite genre! It only took me 37 years (as of today)! Dark Tales is a collection of dark short stories by Shirley Jackson. They range from biting yet realistic dissections of suburban life to classic ghost stories and fever-dream-like tales with loose endings frayed as cut ribbons. My favourite stories were ‘Paranoia’, in which an ordinary businessman is hunted through the big city by mysterious figures, and ‘What a Thought’, in which a housewife experiences life- ending changing urges after […]

Nat Cassidy is one of the best horror writers working today.

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy

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Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. It hasn’t affected the contents of my review. In an attempt to catch up on my life—which was laughably behind even before I had surgery to get my gallbladder out two weeks ago—I am now reviewing one of my favorite books of the year so far. Reviewing favorite books is something I hate doing, but I foolishly accepted an ARC so now I have to anyway. I should have known this would happen, because I have […]

Sinners

The White Road by John Connolly

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This is a tough one. I’ve been waiting for four rather long books (by mystery standards) for John Connolly to deliver the goods. I’ve received glimpses into what makes him a good writer and what makes these stories work: some well done mystery scenes and a dash of the supernatural. But I’ve been patiently waiting for him to take the next step. Does he do it here? Yes. But! Sigh… Ok, I’ll go with what works first and what I’m having a hard time with. […]



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