Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

bit too much plot for me, but I enjoyed a number of the threads and will read the next

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles

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The Will Darling books mean that I will read almost anything by KJ Charles for a while. This, however, which was hotly awaited and eagerly devoured didn’t quite do it for me, although I think it would do it for other people! If I had to put a pithy point to it, it reminded me a bit of The Queer Principles of Kit Webb in that there were way too many plots and characters and side quests and backstories all over the place, to the point where […]

Queer as Folk(tales)!

Tales From Beyond the Rainbow by Pete Jordi Wood

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In pursuit of the idea that queer people have always existed (and therefore will persist), Pete Jordi Wood has put together this gorgeous collection of folk and fairy tales that earlier folklorists chose to “clean up” or dismiss. Tales From Beyond the Rainbow: Ten LGBTQ+ Fairy Tales Proudly Reclaimed is a darling little book with big important stories. While earning his folklore degree, Pete found a Danish folktale “The Dog and the Sailor” that felt undeniably queer. He self-published his translation of the tale, and […]

For Vampires, Every Night is that Time of the Month

Vampire Menstrual Syndrome: The First Cycle by S.C. Hunter

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Full disclosure here, I absolutely did choose this book for its cover. And its title. I saw the author posting about it on TikTok and and when she offered up some advance copies, I was immediately in. But of course, I am an epic procrastinator, so I just finished reading it in time for its publication date, which is today, Friday the 13th. Happy birthday, Vampire Menstrual Syndrome! (Or would that be unbirthday?) I need to admit that I made some assumptions about what this […]

To help create a more empathetic society, this should be mandatory reading for middle grade readers (and everyone else, honestly)

Melissa by Alex Gino

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CBR15 Bingo: Bodies, Bodies – When Melissa was born everyone assumed she was a boy because of her body. Melissa is a girl but no one else knows she is, as it was assumed at birth she was a boy.  As a result, she was given the name of George.  Melissa is her secret name, admitted only to herself.  We are introduced to Melissa while her 4th grade classroom is reading Charlotte’s Web.  Melissa is moved to tears when Charlotte dies and the boys in […]

Love, Destiny, and People You Can’t Fucking Trust

Stormwind of Shadows by Jasmine Jenkins, Sophia Suliman

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Listen, these books are damn good. I don’t know what to tell you! If Lost Stars was about the Greywick siblings discovering the chaos and pitfalls of fated purpose, this installment is about that same approach to fated love. Because it turns out: 1) The problem with magical Love at First Sight is that it doesn’t care if you live wildly incompatible lives, and also he’d readily murder you if he knew your biggest secret. 2) The problem with enemies-to-lovers is that you can’t fucking […]

“Life is messy, unpredictable, and seldom tied into neat little boxes”, JVN.

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness

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CBR Bingo: Queer Lives – Jonathan Van Ness identifies as non-binary (using all pronouns interchangeably, I’m choosing to use he/him since that is predominantly what is used on the Netflix show Queer Eye) and is happily married to his husband. Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love was the pick of my book club.  Most people know him from the Netflix revival of Queer Eye.  Or perhaps you’ve seen the ads for his haircare line on Facebook (he does have gorgeous hair).  At the […]



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