Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Wish You Were Here

The Balloon Hunter by Hugh Howey and Elinor Taylor

October 17, 2025 by Tracy Leave a Comment

cbr17bingo – review (from TikTok) I think this might be the most unique book I’ve ever read. It’s a short novel told exclusively through postcards (that seem to be actually hand-written). The two characters are Rita, who writes the postcards and sends them out attached to balloons, and Clayton, who finds them and writes on the backs as a sort of journal. We learn from these postcards that there was an apocalypse of some sort, and Rita’s postcards bring Clayton hope. He sets off to find […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: cbr17bingo, Elinor Taylor, Hugh Howey, Hugh Howey and Elinor Taylor, post-apocolyptic

Tracy's CBR17 Review No:73 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: cbr17bingo, Elinor Taylor, Hugh Howey, Hugh Howey and Elinor Taylor, post-apocolyptic ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

We Should Have Seen It Coming

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

February 7, 2023 by Owlizabeth Leave a Comment

I am a mood reader prone to slumps and I also rely on my public library (and four additional in-state systems who have reciprocal relationships with my county – libraries are a miracle and you should support yours more) so I don’t always get to read the hot new book when it is hot and new. I know this was the big book around here last year, I read the stats post. So I doubt I’m adding anything new to the conversation here when I […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Science Fiction Tagged With: Emily St. John Mandel, Fiction, Literature, post-apocolyptic, SciFi

Owlizabeth's CBR15 Review No:8 · Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction · Tags: Emily St. John Mandel, Fiction, Literature, post-apocolyptic, SciFi ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

What if the only survivors of the apocalypse were…boring?

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

December 19, 2022 by Bothari43 1 Comment

Ish is the personification of that quote about “god grant me the confidence of a mediocre white guy,” except that he is even more assured of his specialness than usual, because he survived the plague that wiped out most of the rest of humanity. When he finally ventures out of his mountain cabin, civilization is dead and survivors are sparse. He adopts a dog and takes a road trip, looking for other people who are worthy of his company. Finding no one (California to New […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Speculative Fiction Tagged With: George R. Stewart, pompous protagonist, post-apocolyptic, the Earth is doomed

Bothari43's CBR14 Review No:26 · Genres: Fiction, Speculative Fiction · Tags: George R. Stewart, pompous protagonist, post-apocolyptic, the Earth is doomed ·
· 1 Comment

A believable and scary postapocalyptic future

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

March 29, 2021 by caragwapa Leave a Comment

In this post-apocalyptic novel, there is not single earth shattering apocalyptic event.  Instead, there is just a gradual breakdown of society brought about by climate change, corporate greed and social inequality (all interrelated anyway).    Lauren Olamina is a relatively privileged teenager living in a small walled enclave.  She’s privileged in that she has a home, her father still has a job with a salary, and she knows how to read and write.  This is not much, but compared to the thousands, or maybe millions […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Speculative Fiction Tagged With: Dystopian, Earthseed, Fiction, octavia butler, post-apocolyptic

caragwapa's CBR13 Review No:5 · Genres: Fiction, Speculative Fiction · Tags: Dystopian, Earthseed, Fiction, octavia butler, post-apocolyptic ·
· 0 Comments

Have you ever wondered what post-apocalyptic Ohio would be like? Yeah, me neither.

Queen City Jazz by Kathleen Ann Goonan

February 11, 2021 by Bothari43 6 Comments

Once I’ve hit my CBR goal, I often skip reviewing the “meh” books, because there’s just not that much to say. But since this is only #4 for the year, here I go! I made my family watch Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves on a questionably regular basis when I was a teen (Christian Slater, swoon! We also watched Kuffs and Heathers a LOT.). My dad used to scoff whenever Kevin Costner tried to do a big speech. “They’re supposed to follow that man into […]

Filed Under: Science Fiction Tagged With: bonus Christian Slater, boring protagonists, Cincinnati, Kathleen Ann Goonan, nanobots, post-apocolyptic

Bothari43's CBR13 Review No:4 · Genres: Science Fiction · Tags: bonus Christian Slater, boring protagonists, Cincinnati, Kathleen Ann Goonan, nanobots, post-apocolyptic ·
Rating:
· 6 Comments

A sword called Pooky Bear. And an absurdly ancient creature falling in love with a teenager. Shrug.

World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2) by Susan Ee

May 10, 2019 by narfna Leave a Comment

This book has singlehandedly put me behind on my reviews by about two months. Thanks, book! Also, I’m blaming the book but it’s totally me. Obviously. I’m not sure I will actually be continuing this series. If not for my OCD (legit), and my “I might die if I don’t finish a book series” compulsion, or whatever the hell, I know I would have written it off already. It is too dark and scary for my poor brain right now, and the angel thing isn’t […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: narfna, penryn and the end of days, post-apocolyptic, Susan Ee, world after, Young Adult

narfna's CBR11 Review No:47 · Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult · Tags: narfna, penryn and the end of days, post-apocolyptic, Susan Ee, world after, Young Adult ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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