Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Join the CBR18 Book Bingo Reading Challenge—Now Underway!   

About Malin

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She/her. Constantly overworked teacher of Norwegian and English. Geek and reading enthusiast. Married. Mother of a growing boy, born February 2018. Two cats. The Cannonball-veteran (the only participant - as far as I know - who has participated every year since CBRII). Loves fantasy, kissing books and YA. Strongly opinionated about many things. Perpetually behind on reviews. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: Malin's Quick Questions interview.)

Malin's Reviews:

Very much NOT a romantasy

Monster, Monarch, Maiden by Rae Carson

September 19, 2026 by Malin Leave a Comment

This was an ARC; thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio and Greenwillow Books. My opinions are my own. This book is on sale now. Bria Angarsold is an innkeeper’s daughter (she mentions this at seven different points in the story, in case you were likely to forget) who was kidnapped by raiders, along with her sister and several other people who were at her family’s inn at the time. Bria is one of the last surviving captives when the raiders’ caravan is attacked by a […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: adventure, ARC, audiobook, cbr18, historical fantasy, LGBTQIA, magic, Malin, Monster Monarch Maiden, NetGalley, quest, rae carson, romantic, shapeshifters, Young Adult

Malin's CBR18 Review No:53 · Genres: Audiobooks, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult · Tags: adventure, ARC, audiobook, cbr18, historical fantasy, LGBTQIA, magic, Malin, Monster Monarch Maiden, NetGalley, quest, rae carson, romantic, shapeshifters, Young Adult ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

My most surprising 5-star read of the year (also Cannonball, finally)

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

September 10, 2026 by Malin 13 Comments

Monthly Keyword 26: Bright Reading the Rainbow: Yellow CBR18 Bingo: Versus (The brave, tenacious and determined women vs the spineless and depraved serial killer Official plot synopsis: Tallahassee, 1978. Sorority president Pamela Schumacher wakes to a shocking scene of implausible violence and death, and is drawn into a mystifying crime that grips the nation for decades . . . In Seattle, Tina Cannon connects her best friend’s disappearance to the Tallahassee tragedy, and is convinced that a single man is responsible. Determined to find justice, […]

Filed Under: Featured, Fiction Tagged With: 1970s, Bright Young Women, cbr18, cbr18bingo, feminism, friendship, historical fiction, jessica knoll, LGBTQIA, Malin, mystery, serial killer, Sexual Assault, Suspense, true crime

Malin's CBR18 Review No:52 · Genres: Featured, Fiction · Tags: 1970s, Bright Young Women, cbr18, cbr18bingo, feminism, friendship, historical fiction, jessica knoll, LGBTQIA, Malin, mystery, serial killer, Sexual Assault, Suspense, true crime ·
Rating:
· 13 Comments

Are all fictional detectives neurodivergent?

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

September 10, 2026 by Malin Leave a Comment

4.5 stars Dark Corner selection: April 2026 Nowhere Book Bingo 26: Award Winner (Hugo and World Fantasy Award 2025) CBR18 Bingo: Map (there’s a map at the start, showing the various walls to keep out the Levianthans) Official plot synopsis (since I’m reviewing a book I finished in APRIL): <i>In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery Tagged With: #fantasy, Ana and Din Mysteries, cbr18, cbr18bingo, epic, Kaiju, Malin, mystery, neurodivergence, Nowhere Bingo 26, poison, Robert Jackson Bennett, the Dark Corner, The Tainted Cup

Malin's CBR18 Review No:51 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery · Tags: #fantasy, Ana and Din Mysteries, cbr18, cbr18bingo, epic, Kaiju, Malin, mystery, neurodivergence, Nowhere Bingo 26, poison, Robert Jackson Bennett, the Dark Corner, The Tainted Cup ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

“She’d played so many parts she hardly knew which one was her. She was an onion made of only skins with nothing at the centre.”

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

August 24, 2026 by Malin 1 Comment

Nowhere Book Bingo 26: Book rec from a friend (Ashley/Narfna loved this) Defeat the Goblin TBR: The Rogue Book – a book with politics/intrigue/sneakery involved (this book has all three and lots of it) CBR18 Bingo: Left (All of my fiction books are alphabetised by author, so Abercrombie comes to the very top left of the bookshelf it’s placed on) A cowardly monk. A mercenary. A vampire. A werewolf (who used to be a viking warrior). An elf. A necromancer. A knight who cannot die. […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Fantasy, History, Horror, Mystery, Religion Tagged With: alternate history, audiobook, cbr18, cbr18bingo, elves, funny, gory, Grimdark, historical fantasy, joe abercrombie, LGBTQIA, Malin, murder, quest, shapeshifters, Steven Pacey, The Devils, vampires, werewolves

Malin's CBR18 Review No:50 · Genres: Audiobooks, Fantasy, History, Horror, Mystery, Religion · Tags: alternate history, audiobook, cbr18, cbr18bingo, elves, funny, gory, Grimdark, historical fantasy, joe abercrombie, LGBTQIA, Malin, murder, quest, shapeshifters, Steven Pacey, The Devils, vampires, werewolves ·
Rating:
· 1 Comment

Better than the first one

Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay by Lex Croucher

August 24, 2026 by Malin Leave a Comment

CBR18 Bingo: And (literally in the title) Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. My opinions are my own. This book is on sale now. I don’t know if Croucher intends this to be an ongoing series, but readers should know that this is book two, and this review is probably going to contain some spoilers for book one, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love (which I read earlier this summer, but will not be reviewing because I’m already WAY too […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: alternate history, Anxiety, ARC, Arthurian, Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay, cbr18, cbr18bingo, friendship, grief, historical fantasy, Lex Croucher, LGBTQIA, Malin, NetGalley, panic attacks, ptsd, road trip, The Camelot Disasters

Malin's CBR18 Review No:49 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: alternate history, Anxiety, ARC, Arthurian, Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay, cbr18, cbr18bingo, friendship, grief, historical fantasy, Lex Croucher, LGBTQIA, Malin, NetGalley, panic attacks, ptsd, road trip, The Camelot Disasters ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Loved the heroine, the hero was a bit inconsistently written

Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath

August 14, 2026 by Malin Leave a Comment

3.5 stars Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own. This book is on sale now. Leopold “Leo” Sloane, the Duke of Debden, has dragged his two younger sisters to Bath in an attempt to keep them out of trouble. The youngest is crazy for any man in uniform, and the eldest snuck out of the house and got injured during a protest march. After saying some less-than-complimentary things to his mother about her ability to keep them […]

Filed Under: Fiction, History, Romance Tagged With: ARC, cbr18, historical romance, Malin, marriage of convenience, Miss Prentice's Protegees, NetGalley, Pride Comes Before a Fall, Regency, Virginia Heath, Writers

Malin's CBR18 Review No:48 · Genres: Fiction, History, Romance · Tags: ARC, cbr18, historical romance, Malin, marriage of convenience, Miss Prentice's Protegees, NetGalley, Pride Comes Before a Fall, Regency, Virginia Heath, Writers ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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