Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“The life where nothing was ever unexpected. Or inconvenient. Or unusual. The life without colour, pain or past.”

The Giver by Lois Lowry

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Cannonball Read Bingo Square: Minds I have owned a copy of The Giver for quite a while and it has sat collecting dust on our bookshelf reserved for the classics. My kiddo, on a whim, picked it up and when my 13-year-old picks up something that is a classic, I generally take that as an opportunity to revisit it. (See also, failed attempt to get him to read “A Wrinkle in Time.”) When I picked it up to reread, I soon began to wonder if […]

An intense and timely YA thriller.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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I’ve decided to keep this rounded down to four stars for now, because while the rest of the book was absolutely great, the climax was a little underwhelming for me, and that’s the moment you’re waiting for in a thriller. The epilogue ended the book on a great note, but this wasn’t a perfect read. It was very, very good, though, and I will definitely be checking out everything from this author going forward. If this is the book she can write at 21 years […]

Do I like YA fantasy again???

This Vicious Grace (The Last Finestra, #1) by Emily Thiede

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Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Readers, and NetGalley for the ARC. It hasn’t affected the content of my review. Well, this was an impulse request on NetGalley, and despite some complaints (mostly centered around this being a debut, I think), overall I did like this and I will be reading the sequel. The premise here is that our main character Alessa is a Chosen One, but she’s kinda sucky at it, and she’s lonely and miserable. She is the Finestra (Italian for “Window,” which […]

Still, thou art blest, compar’d wi’ me; the present only toucheth thee

O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker

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On a windy night, at the foot of a set of stairs in a run-down mansion buried deep in the Scottish highlands, the body of a young woman is found. Her name is Janet; she’s dressed in her mother’s black lace ballgown. Outside, in the stormy skies, a jackdaw flies in search of her. He seems to be the only one who misses her.  I had never heard of this 1991 novel, but I’m so glad I did. It’s a small gem; that rare combination […]

I love everything this book chooses to be. #CBRBINGO – Font

Iron Widow (Iron Widow, #1) by Xiran Jay Zhao

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“How do you take the fight out of half the population and render them willing slaves? You tell them they’re meant to do nothing but serve from the minute they’re born. You tell them they’re weak. You tell them they’re prey. You tell them over and over, until it’s the only truth they’re capable of living.” This book is a scream of rage into the night, and I’m so glad it got published. Even if you don’t normally read YA, I would urge you to […]

My thoughts, two months later.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

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. . . which are not many. I’ve honestly been wanting to read one of Malinda Lo’s books for years now, but never got around to it. After having finally done so, now I’m not sure if I’ll be reading more . . . maybe the queer Cinderella retelling (Ash, I think?). This was well-written and I liked it, and the premise is well-thought out and a bunch of other complimentary things . . . but this was just a good read for me, not […]



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