Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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From the US. Living in the UK. Used to review under the name Lollygagger. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: ASKReviews' Quick Questions interview - as Lollygagger.)

ASKReviews's Reviews:

Great Escape

Dear Leader by Jang Jin-Sung

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Best for: Those interested in learning more about the recent history of North Korea from an inside perspective, set against the suspense of someone seeking asylum. In a nutshell: Jang Jin-Sung rose high within the North Korean ruling class as a poet, but eventually fled the country. Worth quoting: A lot, but I listened while running so didn’t have a chance to take note. Why I chose it: I stumbled across Michael Palin’s show about his visit to North Korea (https://www.natgeotv.com/me/michael-palin-in-north-korea/videos/michael-palin-in-north-korea) and realized I know […]

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones

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Best for: Those who like stories told from multiple perspectives; those who relish a good, feasible but not totally telescoped twist. In a nutshell: Leslie’s dad has died, and the only way she can get her inheritance is to show up with her sister at the executor’s office. But Leslie has just visited her sister for the first time in ten years, finding her dead. How can she get the inheritance? Perhaps with the help of Mary, a woman who is willing to play a […]

Lives, Small and Large

The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck

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Best for: People interested in a deep look into just a few lives – their potential, their reality, their what-could-have-beens. People who like novels that aren’t conventional but aren’t totally out there. In a nutshell: Five generations of one family experience the 19th century, stopping and restarting along the way. Worth quoting: “She’d been able to remake her thinking from scratch, but not her family history.” “Before striding off on a new path, must one not have acquired a profound understanding of what was wrong […]

Healthcare Was Different Then

Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s by Jennifer Worth

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Best for: Fans of the TV show Call the Midwife; anyone interested in life in London in the 1950s. In a nutshell: Midwife Jennifer Worth recounts stories of her time working in the East End of London, soon after the creation of the National Health Service (NHS). Worth quoting: N/A (Audio Book) Why I chose it: I very much enjoy the TV show Call the Midwife, and have been eying the book in shops for a couple of years now. Finally decided it might be […]

Actually Laughing Out Loud

Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West

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Best for: Anyone who watched blockbusters from the 80s-early 2000s and enjoys a fair bit of of honest snark. In a nutshell: Lindy West, who started as a film critic, revisits a bunch of films and comments on them. Worth quoting: ARG SO MUCH From the Harry Potter review: “Even in the moment when his whole family is being terrorized by a giant, fatboy Dudley can’t stop himself from plunging his face directly into the cake and omph momph gromph skromph. As a fat woman, […]

My Favorite In The Series So Far

The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indriðason

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Best for: People who enjoy a good mystery. In a nutshell: A skeleton has been found in a drying lake bed. Might be suicide, except there’s Cold War-era Soviet equipment tied around the skeleton’s body. Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: I had bought a bunch of this author’s books all at once, and finally decided to pick up this last one. Review: These books are either growing on me a bit, or the story within this one was just a bit more interesting […]



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