Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

On the Precipice

Hope to Die by Lawrence Block

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Ah yes, the year 2000. Right before The Troubles. Before 9/11, Katrina, Iraq, Recession 1, the Tea Party, melting coastlines,  Trump, and the coronavirus hailing Recession II. Matthew Scudder has emerged from the social decay of 70s and 80s Manhattan to make a decent life for itself in a city that’s enjoying its final moments of pre-9/11 glory. But who knows what trouble lurks in the hearts of men? The Scudder does! This time with (sigh) yet another serial killer. These have always been the […]

They Sure Do

Everybody Dies by Lawrence Block

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I usually don’t get excited about the specific plots of Lawrence Block’s Scudder novels. Just the opportunity to read a Scudder book is cause for excitement in and of itself. But I was pretty pumped for this one. I’ve always been fascinated with his Mick Ballou character, the last of the great Irish gangsters in Hell’s Kitchen according to Matt’s universe. Since this one centered around Ballou hiring Matt, I desperately wanted to get to it. I read through it’s predecessor novel Even the Wicked in anticipation […]

No They Sure Can’t

Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block

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I’ve been on a bit of a Lawrence Block kick recently. I’ve come to love the Matthew Scudder series and I like Block’s style of writing, as well as his frequent New York City setting. In reading an interview of Block, he mentioned how many people either liked his burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr series and didn’t like the Scudder ones because the latter is too dark, or didn’t like the former because it’s too light or because it glorifies a criminal. I figured it was time […]

Using Lovecraft Against Himself

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin

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I have to admit: I tried to read N. K. Jemisin’s Fifth Season but had to put it down. The world and premise was good, but something about the style bothered me. I then picked up The City We Became which has an equally interesting premise. I still had some issues with the style, but I did manage to finish it. The City We Became is set in a world where major cities eventually develop avatars, people who represent the spirit of that place incarnate. […]

Free Will

Even The Wicked by Lawrence Block

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When I first saw what the plot of this one was, I groaned. I’ve really grown to love the Matthew Scudder series in the few months that I’ve been pouring through it. They’re great as far as being gritty New York crime tales but Lawrence Block also does a wonderful job of building a world around his recovering alcoholic ex-cop PI. It takes the conventions of PI tales and breaks them just enough to feel lived in. Every story in the series feels unique. Unfortunately, […]

It’s Up To You, New York…

Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton

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Some reviews are easy. I can churn out 400, even 500 words no problem, either because of the book itself or the context invoked by the book. Rarely can I tell what I’ll have to say before I sit down to write it. I just have to do it. Others, like Social Creature, are tough. It’s difficult to spit out 250 words about a book that has some substance but not much, some memorable scenes but not many, leaves a fingerprint more than an imprint on […]



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