Never in a million years as a kid would I have thought I’d be thanking my lucky stars for Dolly Parton. I mean, who wouldn’t be impressed by her gun-toting, wisecracking character in 9 to 5. But not being into country music led me to dismiss her from my own pop culture lens over the years. In looking back at another dumpster fire of a year, Dolly continues to be a delight and one of very few bright spots. Last year alone, she released an album, published her own book about her fashion over the years, and her Imagination Library reached the milestone of 218 million free books donated. You can’t beat numbers like that, and despite being focused on reading and writing, Cannonball Read loves numbers too. In 2023, CBR had 97 people write 3,798 reviews; and we donated $1,450 to the American Cancer Society. Those are the kinds of numbers I like. Read the full wrap-up at Pajiba.com »