Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”

All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

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I am ever so pleased with my first Aardvark book! Only my third 5-star rating of the year (although a couple have been close).  I chose this one on vibes – I was partway through Band Sinister and enjoying myself, loved the cover, and was in the mood to say yes to some gothic mystery goodness. All of Us Murderers is KJ Charles playing with all the gothic novel tropes and putting her own spin on making the queer textual in a genre where it was subtext for most of its history.  The book starts with […]

A little faerie magic and a lot about real world sustainable gardening practices

Shroom for Improvement (Mythical Mishaps #1) by Jemma Croft

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“So, you’ve seen me naked before?” I said. “Oh, yes, many times. You have a beautiful body, by the way.” My cheeks heated. Damn. It had been so long since anybody had complimented me, I was blushing at the disembodied words of a magical house. ​​ ― Jemma Croft, Shroom for Improvement CBR17 Bingo: School Sonny is a professor and his knowledge of mycology is a key part of the story. Sonny Daye has a problem. To complete his research on mushroom glamours, he must […]

“Because that’s how life tends to work in all its aspects. We try things out, and make mistakes, and recover, and learn from our experiences.”

Band Sinister by KJ Charles

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Band Sinister is what happens when an author writes their own version of Georgette Heyer book by throwing absolutely every socially progressive character type into a friend group and then letting them loose on the very suspecting neighbors. I’ve read exactly one Heyer book, Venetia, back in 2016. Initially this read didn’t jump out to me as especially heavy on the Heyer, but more in line with other queer Regency historical romances I’ve read over the years from Cat Sebastian or Olivia Waite, but the parallels are there.   The story here plays with the classic tropes that Heyer […]

When someone is that calm in a crisis, either they don’t know what’s happening, or you don’t.

The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley

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Suffering doesn’t make people good or noble. A little bit gives them perspective. A lot turns them cruel, and too much – you get a murder or a marvel, and neither of those are really people any more. ― Natasha Pulley, The Hymn to Dionysus His duty was hurting him, and this is the medicine, and the only reason you think that’s unreasonable is that your duty has hurt you much more, there never was medicine for you, and you don’t see why other people […]

You’re not really famous if anyone still likes you.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Isn’t that the very definition of power? Watching people kill themselves over something that means nothing to you? ― Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo …do yourself a favor and learn to grab life by the balls, dear. Don’t be so tied up in trying to do the right thing when the smart thing is so painfully clear. ― Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo CBR17 Bingo: Favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors. This book […]

Boys only want love if it’s torture.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

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Reciprocity was a thing you had to learn. Someone had to tell you, first, that you deserved to be treated well, before you knew it for yourself. ― Alexandra Rowland, A Taste of Gold and Iron CBR17 Bingo: Family Family because the sultan loves her brother, Kadou, but she must remain emotionally distant from him and his drama so she can deal with raising her infant daughter, who is the heir to the throne. I don’t remember when I read this book. Maybe it was […]



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