Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“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 […]

A really long review about two books but I think worth the read

Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang

Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi

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The graphic novels below have little in common. Or so I thought at first. While I was reading Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi I kept thinking that it would pair nicely with Ash’s Cabin by Jan Wang. I think that was because they both deal with identity, but nothing else. It was while writing this review I found more similarities.  Saving Sunshine is about twins who are punished for their behavior by being in forced proximity. Ash’s Cabin is about a nonbinary child coming of […]

A tour of the solar system in prose, poetry, and prosody (from Kirkus Reviews (03/01/2024))

A Planet Is a Poem by Amanda West Lewis

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I will start with, unfortunately I did not finish A Planet Is a Poem by Amanda West Lewis and illustrated by Oliver Averill. Not because it is a bad book, but because it is a fantastic book. It is just a difficult read via an online copy for me. Also, the subjects (planets and poetry) are not something everyone would be into. Plus it is really not in a format that one expects when talking about space, planets or poetry. It is not pure science […]

Unicorns and cats and other stuff

Unicorn Crush: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure by Dana Simpson

The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

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I like the series Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson. Now, I don’t like every book or even every “joke” but I like how Phoebe is a loveable (frankly) dork, that is way relatable, even as an adult. When I found an online reader copy for book 19, Unicorn Crush: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure I was intrigued. It had been awhile since I had read one, so figured it was time. Now, there isn’t anything really “new” to talk about, Phoebe is […]

The Moon is out tonight

The Moon Tonight: Our Moon's Journey Around the Earth by Jung Chang-hoon

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A year ago, a book came out. Well a lot came out, but I did not learn of this particular book until a little over a year later. The Moon Tonight: Our Moon’s Journey Around the Earth by Jung Chang-hoon is about the moon. But not just “the facts” or even everything about the moon. The author focuses on the waxing and waning of the moon. We follow the moon’s cycles. The text is older, though it is a picture book, therefore the age it […]

The end of the world is here, but we’re still loving and living

Space Story by Fiona Ostby

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CBR16SweetChallenge #Exciting I have been trying to read Space Story by Fiona Ostby since I first heard about it. But something always stopped me.  I lost my online link, the book was out of stock, or something would get in the way. I finally was able o get a copy via interlibrary loan and learned it might have been worth the wait, or not. I am still not sure as this is an odd book. A good book, but odd. The oddness mostly comes from […]



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