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:

Mixing Things Up When Set In Their Ways

The Dinner Lady Detectives by Hannah Hendy

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Best for: Those looking for a bit of a cozy mystery. In a nutshell: Margery and Clementine are a couple who work together as dinner ladies at the local school. The kitchen manager is found dead in a walk-in freezer, and while everyone else writes it off as an accident, Margery and Clementine aren’t so sure… Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: I like the idea of a sort of simple, cozy little mystery, and it was available from my library. Review: I had […]

I Mean Sure, But Also No

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

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Best for: No one. Seriously. The concept – the very very basic, simple, concept, is something I think many people could find helpful. But the other 299 pages of this 300 page book don’t make up for it. In a nutshell: Professional self-help writer Mel Robbins claims to have discovered a concept that her daughter is responsible for specifically (and that various philosophical and religious groups have been pitching for centuries) and then spends a lot of time providing some okay and some awful examples […]

Sweet and and a Little Salty

Nice Try: Stories of Best Intentions and Mixed Results by Josh Gondelman

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Best for: Fans of gentle storytelling and humor. In a nutshell: Comedian and writer Gondelman tells stories from his life, usually with a humorous take, and often with a bit more self-awareness than one gets from such books. Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: I’m most familiar with Gondelman as a panelist on the NPR show Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me, and I follow him on BlueSky, but didn’t realize he had a book, so figured I would check it out. Review: This is […]

What is the Actual Impact of Borders?

Against Borders: The Case for Abolition by Gracie Mae Bradley and Luke De Noronha

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Best for: Those who have a feeling that there’s something wrong with current systems of immigration and borders but wants to put some facts behind that. In a nutshell: Authors Bradley and de Noronha look at all the ways that borders — and the enforcement of immigration associated with them — are a negative for society, and offer some ideas for ways to abolish them. Worth quoting: “Borders do not materialize only at the edges of national territory, in airports, or at border walls. In […]

Interesting Even if You’re Familiar with the Topic

All That Remains by Sue Black

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Best for: Those interested in forensic anthropology. Not for those who find the discussion of death (and specifics surrounding the investigation of it) to be traumatizing. In a nutshell: Forensic Anthropologist Black shares her experience with the dead and the living. Worth quoting: “If we cannot influence it, perhaps we shouldn’t waste precious time worrying about it.” Why I chose it: I’ve been interested in the field of forensic anthropology for awhile. Review: If you’ve read my reviews a bunch of the years (or if […]

Great Nature Story; Odd Personal Story

Island of Dreams by Dan Boothby

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Best for: Fans of nature writing that also has a background story. In a nutshell: Author Boothby became fascinated by author Gavin Maxwell and the life he lived in Scotland, and spent time living where he did. Worth quoting: “…a genius doesn’t necessarily make for an easy person to live with or to know.” “For once in my life I knew what it was to have purpose. Up until then, my life had been goal-orientated, which is all very well, but once you achieve a […]



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