Amanda Howard, known as Bothari43 in Cannonball Read, died from ALS on June 3, 2025. She was 46 years old. Amanda participated in Cannonball Read since we began this website in 2014. Her reviews were hilarious and thoughtful and filled with photos of her beloved cats. She most often reviewed science fiction.
Amanda also began our Quick Questions with a Cannonballer series of interviews, which katie71483 is now continuing. They’re hilarious and well worth the read. In 2022 she became the Secretary of the Cannonball Read Board of Directors when we officially became a recognized 501(c)(3). We could not have done it without her.
After Amanda received her ALS diagnosis, she began writing about the experience on her own blog, Forward Momentum, which was featured by the ALS Society last year. It’s a very “Amanda” blog, with the subtitle “Documenting the Fuckery.” Of particular note is a retrospective post she wrote in August 2024 where she said:
…on the whole I can’t say I’m too disappointed with my life. My drifting canoe took me interesting places and to wonderful people. If you are judged by the company you keep, then I’m fucking magnificent.
Last summer we held our first online auction and in Amanda’s honor raised $1,388 for the ALS Society. If you would like to to make a monetary tribute to Amanda, she mentioned that in the obituary she wrote herself:
I think it’s weird that people give money for dead people, but if you feel you must, please skip the flowers and send a couple bucks to your local library, humane society, Planned Parenthood, or ALS Association Chapter.
Our Bothari43 will be greatly missed.