Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black

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This one was fine! I liked the ending much better than I liked the first third or so. It was just, it was a lot of dramadrama, lots of characters, court politics, feelings, like a fairyland prime-time soap opera, and there’s a reason I don’t watch those anymore. But I did get pulled in as soon as Jude and Cardan started to interact more in a real way, because I am nothing if not a sucker for well-done enemies to lovers, and that part of […]

“Shakespeare knew too much.”

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

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I really had a good time with this one. I didn’t realize it was YA going in, but while it did lean into YA sensibilities at points, mostly it just felt like a kooky magical adventure story. It was very hard to put down, and I found myself constantly wondering what would happen next, which doesn’t really happen all that often to me anymore because I read so much (usually for me these days I vacillate between “I pretty much know what’s coming” because I’m […]

“I could never afford to look past survival, especially not for anything as insanely expensive as happiness, and I don’t believe in it anyway.”

The Last Graduate (The Scholomance, #2) by Naomi Novik

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Yet another great book I’ve read this year that I really just do not want to write a review for, because it means having to find the words and think thoughts and all that stuff. I always have the most trouble with books I love and give five stars to. It’s always like, HOW DO I CONVEY THIS FEELING which morphs into I DON’T EVEN WANT TO TRY with some whining in there for good measure. I really liked the first book in this series […]

A sneaky, dark YA fantasy hiding inside the skin of a cliched, predictable YA fantasy.

Dark Rise (Dark Rise, #1) by C.S. Pacat

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This did NOT go where I thought it was going. What the flippin’ heck. This book lulled me into complacency, then ripped the rug out from under my feet and pushed me down the stairs, where I landed in a pool of razor sharp knives. I am bleeding out currently. And the thing is! I should have known better! I have read Captive Prince! I know she is tricksy. I should have known she wouldn’t write a cookie cutter YA fantasy book, even though during […]

“What’s magic, eh? Just wavin’ a stick an’ sayin’ a few wee magical words. An’ what’s so clever aboot that, eh? But lookin’ at things, really lookin’ at ’em, and then workin’ ’em oout, now, that’s a real skill.”

The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30) by Terry Pratchett

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“Yes! I’m me! I am careful and logical and I look up things I don’t understand! When I hear people use the wrong words, I get edgy! I am good with cheese. I read books fast! I think! And I always have a piece of string! That’s the kind of person I am!” My second witchy read of the season, although I didn’t consciously choose to read it now with all my other upcoming witchy reads; I just wanted to read my next Discworld book. […]

“Power taken and not returned incurs a debt. And the universe, and the debt, will always come to collect, one way or another.” #CBRBINGO – Mythic

Legendborn (Legendborn, #1) by Tracy Deonn

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This takes tired YA fantasy tropes and makes them feel so fresh. Just a super solid book and I can’t wait to see where she takes the rest of the series. So I finished this book back in July and I was riding high off of it, but I procrastinated the review, so my middle-aged brain is having to strain a little on this one. Bottom line before you read any further, if you normally stay away from YA fantasy like I do, because of […]



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