Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A Dark Olympus Double Feature

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

Electric Idol by Katee Robert

by 2 Comments

Neon Gods – 3.5 stars Persephone lives in deadly, glittering Olympus, where her mother is one of the leaders as Demeter. When her engagement to wife-killing Zeus is announced, she flees the upper city right into the arms of a man who wasn’t supposed to exist. I came to Goodreads, I saw that this was a sexy Hades and Persephone retelling, I devoured the book. I liked the characters of Persephone and Hades, who both must wear masks of different kinds and buy into the […]

Be the Hero

The Mythics #4: Global Chaos by Patrick Sobral and Patricia Lyfoung

by Leave a Comment

The Mythics #4: Global Chaos is obviously the fourth graphic novel in the series by Patrick Sobral and Patricia Lyfoung. One should read them in order, but thankfully there is a recap at the start that not only introduces you to the characters, but it also gives a recap of what has previously occurred. The aged (strong) 8 to 13-or-14-year-old might not be able to jump into the middle like this, but I was able to piece together enough to get the idea of things. […]

Welcome to the House of Whispers

House of Whispers Vol 1: Power Divided by Nalo Hopkinson, Neil Gaiman, Dominke Stanton

by Leave a Comment

I have a blossoming habit of buying graphic novels, but rarely find the time to read them. I picked up House of Whispers Volume 1: Power Divided from the independent Black-owned bookstore, Sistah Sci-Fi. I wanted to support them on Indie Bookstore Day. I’ve been meaning to start the Sandman novels by Neil Gaiman, but it always felt so daunting! When I came across this volume, it was an instabuy since I’ve been meaning to read something by Nalo Hopkinson. House of Whispers kicked off […]

Hades and Persephone: The New Power Couple

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

by 1 Comment

Neon Gods by Katee Robert was one of the few 2021 released books that I read. I succumbed to the hype around the premise of a modern retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth. In this sexy version of the Greek myth, Olympus is a modern city. The gods live in high-rise towers while the poor live closer to the ground. Zeus still rules but is more of a ruthless CEO with gangster tendencies. There are thirteen rich houses scheming for power. Most of them […]

And Through the Woods

The Changeling by Victor Lavalle

by Leave a Comment

Read as part of CBR13bingo: myth I made it a point to know as little about this book going in. I knew that it was a fantasy set in a mythical New York City that involved a family. That was it. And I think that’s the best way to read this book. There is something horrifying that happens in the first third (or does it?) that made it difficult to read but Victor LaValle’s writing style is easy enough to fall in and out of. […]

a mermaid’s tail made of donkey skin (a dual cbr13bingo and #cannonbookclub adventure!)

Deerskin by Robin McKinley

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

by 2 Comments

well, not exactly. What we have here are two retellings of classic fairy tales: Charles Perrault’s deeply upsetting Donkeyskin (recently reviewed by our very own BlackRaven) and Hans Christian Andersen’s  also unsettling The Little Mermaid. Both of these entries are picks for our upcoming #cannonbookclub event- and I’ll be discussing Deerskin further during our Zoom- but in the meantime, let these two help you choose your pick(s)! Also- both of these tales of girls on the cusp of womanhood have been reclaimed and retold by women. […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo