Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Cute illustrations make me happy, Part 2

The Atlas of Amazing Birds by Matt Sewell

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CBR15 BINGO: Picture This, because the illustrations are the best part Last year, when I reviewed Penguins and Other Seabirds, I discovered that Matt Sewell has published other collections of his delightful bird illustrations, and I longed to get my hands on some of them. To my delight, I received The Atlas of Amazing Birds for Christmas last year. As with Penguins and Other Seabirds, Sewell’s Atlas of Amazing Birds features small snippets–a paragraph or two at most–about each species along with a beautiful watercolor illustration, […]

Exhibit A of the Self-Fulfilling Title

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

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I could only praise this book is the way I would a bowl of Kraft dinner (or boxed mac and cheese for anyone that didn’t grow up with Canadians). If I really want cheesy noodles and Kraft is available, I’ll eat it. If the other options for a meal were meatloaf or fruitcake I would choose Kraft dinner, just like how I would definitely re-read The Okay Witch over other particular books. But here’s the deal: Do I actively crave or recommend Kraft dinner? NOPE. […]

There’s no breadcrumb trail to lead you back

Idiotizadas: Un cuento de empoderhadas by Raquel Córcoles (Moderna de Pueblo)

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This was a fun, light read that nevertheless deals with important issues related to what being a woman means today and what is expected of us, by our families, society and also what we expect from ourselves and our friends. The author, Raquel Córcoles, is better known as Moderna de pueblo, the character she created based on herself. This particular book, whose title roughly translates as Stupefied: A Fairy Tale of Empowerment, is the story of how Moderna has tried to unlearn all the toxic […]

Watch out boy she’ll chew you up!

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Junko Mizuno is a Japanese artist whose style is usually described as “Gothic kawaii”. Her illustrations are cute and childish but also erotic and grotesque. After Cinderalla and Hansel and Gretel, Princess Mermaid is her third and darkest retelling of a classic fairytale, and the one that differs the most from the original version (I’m referring to the Hans Christian Andersen story, not the sanitized Disney version). Princess Mermaid tells the story of three mermaid sisters who have sworn to avenge the death of their […]

Where’d You Go, Maria Semple

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The more I think about this book the less I like it. Today Will Be Different is the story of a single day in the life of Eleanor Flood. Eleanor is trying to be the best version of herself. She has plans to make this day perfect. She is going to be present. She is going to be a better mom, a better wife, a better friend. Eleanor is not a bad person, she’s just a bit of a mess. But her plan begins to […]

Something Different

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This is probably the first book I’ve read that falls under the category “experimental literature.” Rich Ives has written what seems to be a series of connected vignettes, each introduced with a diagram by Nils Davey and concluded with an illustration from Jack Callil. Each chapter is named for its diagrams, each of which illustrates a common tool. Even the final chapter, “Ghost Twins” shows a tool, though a more complex one: “the twins may not reveal their purpose easily.” It’s a strange read if, like me, you’re […]



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