Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A lovely book with a beautiful cover

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

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4.5 stars Because tradition dicatates it, each year on a certain day, the council of elders in the Protectorate take an infant and leave it in the woods as a sacrifice to the witch. Bad things will happen to the settlement if they don’t (although no one is really clear what dire consequences there will be, because there has never been a time when they didn’t place a child in the woods). Normally, the grieving family whose child has been selected meekly go along with […]

My Weakness for Pretty Books

Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince by V.E Schwab, Andrea Olimpieri, Enrica Eren Angiolini

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I didn’t intend to buy this. I wasn’t a big fan of the main character in the main series whence this springs. He was just there, without much detail, mostly a stereotype. Until the end in which he does something that’s supposed to be self-less and brave, but ends up seeming pointless and meaningless. But there was a display of V.E. Schwab’s stuff, since she had a re-release out and the first volume of the Shades of Magic prequel/comic: The Steel Prince. It was pretty, […]

A wholly satisfying ending to a great fantasy trilogy

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

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Spoiler warning! This is the third and final volume in the trilogy, and the action starts immediately after the second book. This is not the place to start. If you are not caught up, drop everything and start from the beginning with The Bear and the Nightingale.  Vasilisa “Vasya” Petrovna managed to defeat one enemy, but at a great cost. Releasing the legendary firebird has caused much of Moscow to catch fire and the citizens, spurred on by the vengeful and jealous Father Konstantin are looking for […]

You think you know a guy…

Second Hand Curses by Drew Hayes

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Once again, Drew Hayes has come up with something completely different from his previous work.  This has more of a detective story, well, detective vignettes that come together. So kind of like his Fred, The Vampire Accountant set up.  But we’re in the realms of fairy tales this time.  And it feels a lot darker than his other stuff. The writing brings to mind the old noir detective stories, you know, the ones where you see the silhouette of the guy smoking a cigarette and […]

Semi-bird poop life is more like it

Semi-Charmed Life: A Novel by Nora Zelevansky

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The protagonist, Beatrice, is feeling stifled by her well-known artist parents and literary genius sister. While sick with a cold at home, she makes a wish and magic bird poop splats on her empty notebook. Yes, magic bird poop. Because she was sick, she missed the move in day at her local college. Therefore, it’s too late to complain about her cockroach infested dungeon of a dorm room. Which seems ridiculous since it’s definitely a lawsuit that Beatrice could win and therefore end this book […]

When in doubt, be polite

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Book of Enchantments by Patricia C. Wrede

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I highly recommend this series to adults and children alike.  It feels clean, somehow.  There is good and wickedness, but everything eventually works out.  I would not hesitate to give the main series to my nieces and nephews.  There is a focus on manners and politeness and practicality.  Everyone can learn lessons from this, and even if they are lessons you’ve learned before, it’s good to be reminded! Dealing with Dragons I read this right before I read Ogre Enchanted, which probably was not good […]



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