Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Meh, ok, I don’t care anymore. Mostly.

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

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This was the right ending to the story, but I started disliking Vasya in the previous story and she does not redeem herself much. She still refuses to consider how other people might be affected by her actions, but at least she spends most of her time in the folkloric realm and not the real world. Vasya’s “reveals” were a little cliche, as was what happens when she goes to free Morozko. Saw that coming two books ago. For the reveals she discovers about herself […]

A group of women who fuck up men who fuck up women

The Black Coats by Colleen Oakes

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This was such a great read! It combined two things I love: feminism and secret societies. Secret society stories are serious cat nip for me. Any tv show that does a secret society episode is my jam and I WILL watch that episode on repeat. Veronica Mars gifted me with multiple secret society episodes, for which I am forever grateful. Anyway, this book’s themes are super relevant to today’s real life me too movement and concerns. The Black Coats are a group of women who […]

In which I rant about the heroine

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

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I was about the day I finished The Girl in the Tower-years old when I realized two things: one, this series is YA darkish fantasy romance; and two, I don’t especially care for YA darkish fantasy romance. The problem is that there are a few characters I do want to see what happens to and the setting is interesting, with its mix of Russian folklore and history. I also do like the conflict from the first novel, not so much present here, between the old […]

A feminist Ariel meets the DC Universe

Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige, Stephen Byrne

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Mera is princess of the underwater kingdom Xebel, and her nation is in a shaky peace treaty with the Atlantian Kingdom. Essentially their treaty is “Xebel is under Atlantian Rule, so don’t rebel and we’ll keep the peace.” But the citizens of Xebel are fed up and Mera’s father has his own plans for the kingdom. His first plan? Marry off Mera to a Xebel Warrior and childhood betrothed. Second plan? Send out said warrior to bring back the head of the prince of Atlantis.  […]

The movie Wes Anderson should have made

Your Robot Dog Will Die by Arin Greenwood

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Apparently this is the year I read all the dead dog books. So . . . sorry for that! TW: Animal cruelty, animal death. In a near future, scientists showcased exactly how terrible humans are by genetically trying to improve on animals. (As if there is anything to improve on in any animal.) Their experiments went extremely wrong, however, when dogs suddenly stop wagging their tales, and suddenly are no longer man’s best friend. As the effects of this tragedy sweep the nation and dogs […]

“Oh, every person is a book with chapters. Some are glorious and some are dark and ugly. Every person survives something.”

A Heart in a Body in the World by Caletti, Deb

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After an unnerving encounter in a local fast-food chain, Annabelle runs. She runs and decides she can’t stop anytime soon. She isn’t prepared for a cross-country run, but she can’t bear to turn back to her hometown and school where she is haunted by flashbacks of The Taker, and what he took. Her mother is appalled, with graduation coming and concern that Annabelle isn’t thinking rationally. But her little brother, her friends, and her grandfather seem to understand that running to Washington DC is something […]



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