Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Jackie Lau gets meta

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

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Jackie Lau has made her main character, Emily Hung, a LitFic author, which results in some meta commentary about the current state of publishing, especially for an Asian-Canadian author who is doing ok, but not charging up the charts. She’s got a three book contract, but she’s working two other jobs, and sharing an apartment. She’s feeling disrespected by her family, especially her mother, who keeps throwing Mark F’ing Chan at her head. After the two don’t hit it off at Emily’s youngest sister’s wedding, […]

January 2024 Leftovers

The Battle of Hastings: The Fall of the Anglo-Saxons and the Rise of the Normans by Jim Bradbury

Time to Murder and Create by Lawrence Block

Charlesgate Confidential by Scott von Doviak

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell

The Trouble With Peace by Joe Abercrombie

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

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A lot of folks said this month was slow but I thought it flew by… The Battle of Hastings: The Fall of the Anglo-Saxons and the Rise of the Normans *** Bit too stuffy and academic but gave me a great outline as to the importance of the Battle and its outcomes. Time to Murder and Create **** This is the second time I’ve come out of a Matthew Scudder re-read with a better impression than the first time I read it. How it bodes for the […]

Fluffy Silly Spicy Sexy

A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau

A Second Chance Roadtrip for Christmas by Jackie Lau

A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year by Jackie Lau

A Big Surprise for Valentine’s Day by Jackie Lau

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You think he makes french toast for every booty call? And a strawberry garnish… He garnished your fucking breakfast? I found this series per CBR 14 reviews. I got the first three from the library then ended up buying the full set of four in digital format. These novellas follow the love lives of each of the Wong children over a period of time between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day the following year. Each story takes place in Toronto, in the Wong siblings’ hometown of Mosquito […]

Welcome to the Jackie Lau Experience

The Professor Next Door by Jackie Lau

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At 2:15 this afternoon I posted in a discord chat: “I was surprised to get an arc of Jackie Lau’s newest, The Professor Next Door, this morning and now 3 1/2 hours later I have finished it, have a sore neck from reading without moving, and I wish I could gorge on cheese. I really liked the book.” The response was: “Welcome to the Jackie Lau experience.” Accurate. The Jackie Lau experience is a reliably enjoyable read, with excellent food and good sex. Anyway, I’m […]

He was careful not to touch her fingers, afraid he would get infected with sunshine.

Her Big City Neighbor (Cider Bar Sisters #1) by Jackie Lau

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Jackie Lau has started a new series set in Toronto, the Cider Bar Sisters. The Cider Bar Sisters are a group of friends. Most of them met at the engineering program in college. I’m very excited about this series. I received an arc of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Her Big City Neighbor introduces Amy to the Sisters. Amy inherits a house in Toronto and takes it as an opportunity to put some distance between herself and her small […]

I wouldn’t be sad if she stayed lost

Lost by Joy Fielding

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Lost follows Cindy Carver, a 40-something divorced mom of two who lives in Toronto in the early 2000s.  When Cindy’s eldest daughter, aspiring actress Julia, doesn’t show up for her bridesmaid’s fitting, Cindy starts to worry.  Most of the rest of the book is Cindy’s amateur attempts to find Julia as she grows increasingly paranoid and sleep deprived.  There are occasional interludes where Cindy is spending time with her friends, her family (mother, sister, younger daughter), and her new romantic interest, but during all of […]



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