cheerbrarian – Page 50 – Cannonball Read 17

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Hardship and heartache, in the name of science.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

June 24, 2019 by cheerbrarian 2 Comments

I’m not sure when I turned a corner, but in previous non-fiction reviews I would always say, “I don’t read a lot of non-fiction buuuut…” somehow, as I’m look at maybe my 10th non-fiction review in the past two years, I think I’ve turned into a non-fiction reader. It’s still a bit of a struggle at times, I get bogged down when there are a multitude of characters, but I have really grown to enjoy learning about real life accounts, particularly memoirs and historical accounts […]

Educated – The ultimate in “fish out of water” life experience

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

June 20, 2019 by cheerbrarian Leave a Comment

If you liked The Glass Castle or Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis or Sarah Smarsh’s Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth Growing Up Poor then you just might like Educated. And “like” is not the appropriate word for any of these books really. Appreciated is a better sentiment. Because each of these is a tough read, hearing about someone’s struggles to fit in when everything about them sticks out, and is […]

Daisy Jones & The Six – Best. Audiobook Everrrrr.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

June 8, 2019 by cheerbrarian Leave a Comment

A number of folks at my work suggested this book, and specifically said it was great on audio and since my commute is grossss (hour or hour 15 one way) I’m always on the look for not just any audiobook, but one that makes my time on the road worth it. In addition, it’s a Reese Witherspoon book club pick and I’ve been delighted by her choices that I’ve read so far: see also The Library Book, Eleanor Oliphant is perfectly fine. This was a […]

The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place – A Fine Mystery in a fine series

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley

June 6, 2019 by cheerbrarian Leave a Comment

Whenever someone posts a generic “what should I read” status on social media, and if mystery is a genre they enjoy, I often to go this Alan Bradley series. Flavia de Luce, the youthful Angela Fletcher of 1950s England, is fun to follow on her exploits. It is just refreshing to have a fun female character to follow! Bradley has done a good job of keeping it fresh – though the murder mystery portion is formulaic, we have watched Flavia grow as she has faced […]

The Dreamers – Wait, What?

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

May 18, 2019 by cheerbrarian Leave a Comment

A mysterious sleeping sickness hits a small town in California. This is the first act of an apocalyptic novel that doesn’t quite get off the ground, or at least, doesn’t get off the ground in the way I have come to expect from an apocalyptic novel. I couldn’t put this down and read the whole thing in two days because I was excited to see what happened. I picked it up to begin with because the front cover has praise from Emily St. John Mandel, […]

A Visit from the Goon Squad – A study in character development

A Visit form the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

May 17, 2019 by cheerbrarian Leave a Comment

I’m a bit late to this 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner but those prize giver outters definitely know their stuff. Egan’s work is true mastery of character development and a triumph of the non-linear form. It seems there is little method to her madness, as she jumps to different characters, and different points in history. At times you are puzzled as to how someone relates to the story, and you learn that they used to work for a main character, or a former flame, etc. It’s […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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