Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Three short novels that lack for nothing

Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Short Novels by Katherine Anne Porter

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Cbr16bingo Horses  This collection of three novellas- “Old Mortality, “Noon Wine” and “Pale Horse, Pale Rider”- was originally published in 1939. Each story involves characters whose illusions — about themselves and/or their families — are eventually stripped away, forcing them to face hard realities. Some are not up to it while others find the strength to move onward.  “Old Mortality” is divided into three parts and focuses on the point of view of a girl named Miranda. She and her older sister Maria are part […]

To Read This Book, if Fortunate

To Be Taught, if Fortunate by Becky Chambers

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Becky Chambers can do so much in such little space. This novella is only about 135 pages (according to my Kindle), and I was interested and invested from the jump. The book is basically an earth-bound log written by astronaut Ariadne, an engineer on an exploration vessel with three other astronauts. They’re on a mission that will last decades in earth years, and they will be exploring a moon and 3 planets in a solar system light years away from earth’s solar system. Their goal […]

“As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”

All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

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In five(ish) words: Free will, space-faring, android, science fiction, charming. I see how “charming” might seem out of place for something called “The Murderbot Diaries” that revolves around our understanding of a security droid’s awakening to and wrestling with purpose, but here we are. This novella packs a lot of meaning and thought-provoking content (and even a little humor) into its pages. This book reads like a space episode of Doctor Who, the type where the Doctor and their companion is stuck on a space […]

Great subject, great writing, but the story did nothing for me

A Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux

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I do not wish to explain my passion—that would imply that it was a mistake or some disorder I need to justify—I just want to describe it. ― Annie Ernaux, Simple Passion Yet it is that surreal, almost non-existent last visit that gives my passion its true meaning, which is precisely to be meaningless, and to have been for two years the most violent and unaccountable reality ever. ― Annie Ernaux, Simple Passion At best, I’m ambivalent about this story. The writing is gorgeous. And […]

Enter the IKEA-verse

FINNA by Nino Cipri

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“Of course Jules was alive, they had never faced a challenge whose ass they couldn’t kick, and they had the stores of righteous rage that all retail employees collected.” ― Nino Cipri, Finna “It’s okay,” Jules said. They looked….not calm, exactly, but not scared. They looked, as they had for most of their trip, thrilled that they weren’t getting misgendered while answering customers’ stupid questions about how much weight a towel rod could really hold. ― Nino Cipri, Finna Ava works at LitenVärld and she […]

I am once again begging you not to go into the forest

Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

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I don’t really like the wild woods. Give me a nice trail I can run on, bike on, or walk my dog on and I’m good. But take me off the path into the woods – nah. In the woods, there is a potential for monsters, or so the many scary books I have read have taught me, haha. (Disclaimer: I have only respect for people who can safely hike and adventure in the woods. You are a different breed than I am, and good […]



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