Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Discussing a beloved favourite in book club can be disheartening

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

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4.5 stars Official book description: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway – a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. […]

“From a purely physical standpoint she didn’t have a chance, but her attitude was that death was better than capitulation.”

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Millennium, #2) by Stieg Larsson

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This whole re-read  review is chock full of spoilers. I want to talk more about Dragan Armansky’s idea that Lisbeth is the perfect victim. I touched on it in my 2012 review, but it has stayed with me. Everything in this book points to him being right. Lisbeth’s past, and current events involving the triple murders that Lisbeth is blamed and hunted for, they perfectly prime her to be someone who is easily blamed or taken advantage of. The first thing being she doesn’t trust […]

“We are all of us only human.”

Ancillary Sword (Imperial Radch, #2) by Ann Leckie

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The first time I read this book, my main complaint was that it didn’t have as obvious of a structure as Ancillary Justice, but on this second time through, I think I’m going to change my mind about it being less structured, and instead say that it’s differently structured. This book is structured around Breq’s journey from vengeful former A.I. enslaved to a tyrant, to having nearly as much power as that tyrant herself. What she does with that power is entirely shaped by her […]

“If you’re going to make a desperate, hopeless act of defiance you should make it a good one.”

Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1) by Ann Leckie

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Upping this to five stars upon re-read. Breq makes me feel feelings. I remember where I was when I read this first time, and I distinctly remember reading the first third or so of this book and just being profoundly confused about what was going on, but also thinking to myself, when I re-read this, it’s going to make so much more sense, and that turned out to be true. But what did surprise me on re-read is that not everything is completely clear, and […]

In which I non-review a favorite book.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson

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Not quite sure what I want to say this go-round. I hate reviewing favorite books. There’s something about the headspace you get in when you’re reading one. It’s just so passive and full of unthinking pleasure. I just let books happen to me when I’m like that. And I don’t want to talk about it okay! It’s private. I loved this book back when I first read it, and then again when I re-read it a couple years later, and now I love it again […]

“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6) by J.K. Rowling

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This is my second to last of these reviews. I have actually enjoyed engaging with these books on a different level. Normally when I read them, I just zoom through and enjoy. I don’t usually stop to analyze. Speaking of not stopping to notice things, look to your left. I have looked at that image for several months now and I am only now noticing that it can be either a book (like the Prince’s Potions book) OR Dumbledore shooting sparks with his wand (the […]



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