Katie71483, here. I don’t usually do this, but I’m inserting a little note from me to start this interview off. Sometimes you just can’t anticipate where an interview is going to go, and this is absolutely one of those times. You could probably be excused for thinking what you are about to read from Debcapsfan is actually an inspirational Disney sports movie. I feel so fortunate to be able to share her family’s miracle with all of you.
Debcapsfan, welcome to Quick Questions with a Cannonballer! Thank you for agreeing to share with us today.
You’re a longtime participant of the Cannonball Read community – in fact, this is your 10th anniversary year! Thank you for your dedication to sticking it to cancer one book at a time. Would you please share how you found your way to our community and how you came up with your screen name?
I didn’t know that, that is very cool! I found my way to the Cannonball from Pajiba. I lurked for years before I finally decided to comment and to do the Cannonball. My screen name comes from my love of hockey and our local hockey team, the Washington Capitals. They were terrible for many many many years until they finally won the Stanley Cup in 2018! My son plays hockey now too and is a goalie. This is all my fault!
Both you and your husband are cancer survivors. Having been through treatment yourself, do you have a piece of advice that you’d like to offer those who are starting or in treatment themselves?
If you are taking care of someone in treatment for cancer, make sure you take time to take care of yourself. And if you are going through treatments it’s okay to just fall apart sometimes. We always try to encourage people by telling them “you are stronger than you know..” but sometimes you’re not, and that’s okay too.
You have managed to create quite possibly the cleverest, most adorable moppet ever to walk the face of the Earth. Does he like to read? What are his favorite books? When can we look forward to him joining as a Junior Cannonballer?
Aww, thank you. This made me tear up a little. Did you know he’s the reason we found out my husband had cancer? We tried to have kids and could not, and then we got my husband’s diagnosis. It’s not every kid that can say they saved their dad’s life. [katie71483: see??? a freaking miracle caused by a miracle baby!!!]
Gabe reads all the time. His favorite books right now are the Wings of Fire graphic novels. He does the Virginia Reader’s Choice for school, where kids read 10 books a year on a list and he writes book reviews! I think he’d be a great Jr. Cannonballer. I’ll have to ask him if he wants to join.
Have you ever thought about writing a joint review with him, one where he shares his thoughts and then you review the same book from an adult/parent perspective?
That would be fun. I will definitely have to try that with him!
Sorry! I got carried away for a minute there – this is supposed to be about you! You have a co-worker who is taking one last trip to the beach for the summer before school starts back. They know you love to read and ask for recommendations for five books from the last five years that are good beach reads. What would you recommend and why?
I like food mysteries because they tend to be light and good for laying in the sand. Just make sure you have snacks nearby.
Rajani LaRocco’s Midsummer Mayhem has baking and is a cute retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Jessica Maxwell’s The Golden Spoon was a riff on The Great British Baking Show where one of the hosts ends up dead. Alyssa Cole’s romances are fun beach reads, I am reading her A Prince on Paper which is a fun take on the Fake Engagement Trope. I also would recommend anything by Courtney Milan. The Duke Who Didn’t was a fun read. And then I’d round it out with something to make your hands sweat a little before you dip back in the ocean. Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series is a favorite. It’s clever and suspenseful and perfect. A Ruse of Shadows is the latest in the series.
There was a big splash on TikTok over the past year or so about hockey romance. Do you read hockey romance, and, if so, do you have a favorite?
Oh boy, was there. I hope some people learned that although NHL hockey players are rich, they are also human beings that are allowed to set boundaries with their fans…
One of my favorite books ever is Check Please by Ngozi Ukazi. It follows Eric “Bitty” Bittle as he joins his college hockey team and falls for the dreamy but aloof team captain, Jack. It has a lot of swoon-worthy moments.
Do you have a review that you are proud of or a book that you want to discuss more with members of the community?
I wish more people had commented on my Hench review. I wish I understood better the villian’s motivations! I guess that’s what they are setting up the sequel for.
Finally, it’s at this point in the interview that we usually play Kiss Marry Kill. Instead I’m going to ask you about your favorite hockey movie and why is it The Cutting Edge which technically isn’t a hockey movie but I’m counting it anyway?
Lol. My favorite hockey movie is Miracle, which has really good hockey scenes in the movie. They cast hockey players and taught them to act, rather than do cut scenes that don’t look realistic. But I do like The Cutting Edge a lot.
Miracle starting Kurt Russell is available to stream on Disney+. The Cutting Edge is available to stream on The Roku Channel.
Now that you’ve learned all about Debcapsfan, head over and see what she’s been reading lately. Or meet other Cannonballers we’ve interviewed recently.