Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

sometimes you just want to be in a low-fi band with your sister, but a literal battle between immortality and death gets in the way

The Book of Love by Kelly Link

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Absolutely perfect. No one can harness both the magic and ennui of being a teenager like Kelly Link. People will be handing this down to younger siblings for generations. Susannah and Laura are sisters. They are also band mates. The third member of their band, Daniel is their best friend and next-door neighbor. Oh, and Susannah’s friend-with-benefits. On the night of Daniel’s birthday, at a wild dive bar with a real carousel on stage, something happens: Susannah kisses Laura’s crush. Laura kisses Daniel. Susannah’s best […]

I’d Rather Be an Other Bird

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

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“There are birds, and then there are other birds. Maybe they don’t sing. Maybe they don’t fly. Maybe they don’t fit in. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be an other bird rather than just the same old thing.” On Sweet Mallow Island, off the coast of Charleston, there’s a small condominium called The Dellawisp, named for the ubiquitous turquoise birds that call the courtyard their home. There are only four residents of The Dellawisp – Charlotte, a henna artist running from […]

Cats don’t really feature prominently in this narrative (Bingo)

Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart

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Nowhere Book Bingo: From the decade I was born (1970s) Smart Bitches Book Bingo: Published in 2000 or earlier (first published 1976) CBR16 Bingo: Vintage (published 48 years ago) Briony Ashley is working in Portugal when she recieves word that her father has died, in what appears to be a hit-and-run accident. Her father didn’t die instantly, but had time to ramble some strange and slightly mysterious things, among them a warning that Briony needs to be careful. She goes home to what is now […]

“Three words, large enough to tip the world. I remember you.”

Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victora Schwab

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In five-ish words: Memory, Magical, Love, Connection, Cursed This is a classic example of if the positive reviews are piling up about a book from many people who you trust their book taste, go ahead and read it already! I don’t know why I was hesitant to read it, I think in my mind I conflated it with the movie “Age of Adeline” which seemed drab to me but this book was much more than I bargained for and not at all what I expected. […]

To know the ocean, I have always felt, is to recognize the teeth it keeps half-hidden.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

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Miri said this to me once: Every horror movie ends the way you know it will. ― Julia Armfield, Our Wives Under the Sea Having people be kind to you is so important, but it’s also incredibly irritating. It’s hard to find the balance of what you’re actually able to accept without wanting to hit someone. ― Julia Armfield, Our Wives Under the Sea When Miri’s wife Leah, a scientist and explorer, returns home safely after a submarine accident, Miri has to learn how to […]

Freaky, Funny, and Frustrating (In a Good Way)

Parasol Against the Axe by Helen Oyeyemi

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Every time I think that I may have Helen Oyeyemi figured out she hits me with another blast of wild magic. She often deals in the inner workings of fairy tales, but this time she has taken on a fairy tale of a city: Prague. We’ve all heard of the (super played out trope) of “New York City IS a character!”, but Prague is in charge here. Prague may be driving the theoretical bus, but Thea, Hero, and a cast of bizarre folks including a […]



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