Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Sublime horror classic

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

by Leave a Comment

This pandemic is giving me a chance to read some classics that I’ve never read before- silver lining!  Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in 1816, when she was all of 18 years old (Lainey Gossip would call her a First Book Bitch although this was actually her second book…).  Frankenstein was Shelley’s entry into a horror story challenge between herself, her lover and soon to be husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their friend, Lord Byron. Despite what Hollywood might have you believe, Frankenstein is […]

Delightfully dark (though perhaps not for the current situation?)

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

by Leave a Comment

I read The Monster of Elendhaven (listened to it, actually) months ago, but never got around to reviewing it. It’s more of a novella than a novel, and was marketed as horror but I think the fantasy elements come through more strongly at times. It revolves around “Johann”, the titular monster who cannot be killed and loves killing others, and his relationship with the young, handsome, and equally monstrous Florian, the last surviving member of a rich and powerful family in Elendhaven. Together, they plot […]

Don’t read comics on Apple Books: A PSA.

The Sandman, Vol. 7: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman

by Leave a Comment

This one was a little bit of a let down after how much I enjoyed Vol. 6, to be honest. Although, it’s probably a good idea to take this review with a little grain of salt, because I didn’t have the best experience with the actual physical reading of it. After my library’s copy was lost (and then the library closed), and going to a bookstore and mooching off one of their copies stopped being an option, I ended up buying a copy from the […]

Night Owls

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

by 1 Comment

Years ago, I worked a late night shift at a security desk. The human body is simply not built for such work. Try as I might, I never really adjusted. I kept hearing noises and thinking there was a looming presence nearby. I gave my ghosts names. I learned to lean into the creepiness, even though I thought disaster was looming at every turn. It’s the typical paranoia induced by a lack of sleep and company. Night shift fiction often takes me back to those […]

So close to five stars.

The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables & Reflections by Neil Gaiman

by Leave a Comment

I kind of almost want to give this one five stars. And it was all short stories! I’ve been slowly making my way through Sandman since last year, but this is really the first time I feel like I’ve really gotten what this series was about. It was just great from beginning to end. Each of the nine stories were great in their own way, and they tied together thematically as well, but in that subtle way that sneaks up on you slowly. Normally, there’s […]

The Sun Down Motel is a rollercoaster ride of nail-biting terror

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

by Leave a Comment

The Sun Down Motel hooked me from the start. I loved it that first night of reading. But when I picked it up the second night, I was filled with dread. I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue. I chalked it up to being tired and read on. I’m glad I did because it’s an amazing book. But it is a tense book, absolutely gripping and nerve-wracking. I had a headache yesterday evening from clenching my jaw while reading this. I didn’t even realize I […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo