Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

It lost originality points, but makes up for it with important representation points

Pride by Eric Huang and Amy Phelps

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I have several places where I can review a book. One of them has a list of points the book could hit. One of those is Originality. And here is where Pride by Eric Huang and illustrated by Amy Phelps loses points. No, this book is not original. We have other books out there on the subject of pride, on the subject of celebrations, and expression of family. Therefore, why purchase/read this book? Well, if nothing else, the illustrations are really fun. But the way […]

Picture it: 2002; rural Rigsby, Wisconsin

Foothold: Rigsby WI by S.E. Case

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Foothold: Rigsby WI by S.E. Case is a typical coming of age story that has some mature themes and language, therefore it is not for the too young or sensitive reader. Overall, it feels like a realistic and interesting portrayal of five high school students (four in high school, one who is homeschooled by her aunt). It is a story that is familiar and has a typical feeling of the era it is set (early 2000s, high school). As this seems to be volume one […]

Polyandry in a world where Big Brother demands to know all

An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King

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It’s been a while since I’ve read a novel. Though if I’m honest, it’s been a while since I read, period. So I’m glad my jump back into fiction was with “An Excess Male” by Maggie Shen King, because this was an interesting meditation into what-could-be if China were to maintain its one-child policy (also if the world didn’t end in the next 20 years due to climate disasters). “An Excess Male” is set in the not-so distant future – the blurb says 2030 – […]

Self discovery and gender with a little musical accompaniment

A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill

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I always enjoy K. O’Neill’s writing, however, I found A Song for You and I a smidgen not as strong as usual. I think the issue was I was reading via an online reader copy and there were black and white images and not the full color illustrations of the final product. And since the book relies on the illustrations for most of the story, it was not what I needed. However, the story of being “other” and the fear and confusion that produces is […]

A Queer P&P Retelling

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa

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Is that not a gorgeous cover? This was a sweet, queer, YA retelling of Pride and Prejudice, though as a straight, cis woman, it’s easy for me to call it sweet. I imagine it would be much heavier emotionally for members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially those who are trans or nonbinary. Instead of Elizabeth Bennet, we have Oliver Bennet. Only a handful of people know that he is trans, which means most family members, friends, and acquaintances are constantly deadnaming him and referring to […]

When the clock doesn’t tick

Hourglass by Barbara Mazzi

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Twenty is just a cog in the wheel of the utopian society in Hourglass by Barbara Mazzi. Or at least for  the privileged.  Twenty is trying for one of the coveted positions on the team of engineers. If you make it to the top the reward is everything. But until then, they help keep the Hour Glass running so the privileged few can reap the reward of immortality. But when a real piece of the machine goes missing, more than the Hour Glass will fall […]



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