Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About esmemoria

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Eager to get back on the horse this year! In my walking around life, I miss my old, blind pug (the Ancient Mariner), help amazing college students become teachers, and tie an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: esmemoria's Quick Questions interview.)

esmemoria's Reviews:

A Wild and Beautiful Work of Art

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

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Kaveh Akbar’s novel Martyr! will stay with me for a long time, I think. It is as flinty as it is lush; austere and cold and wildly warm. Akbar’s main character, Cyrus, is an orphaned man, recovering alcoholic, poet, and perpetual seeker of meaning. He veers wildly between belief and emptiness, the terror of living and his insatiable need to feel its purpose. Although Cyrus is the protagonist, the book’s chapters are a whirlwind of other perspectives and time frames: Cyrus’s Iranian mother–killed when her […]

A Detailed Account of the Palestinian Struggle

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi

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Almost 20 years ago, I worked for a company that developed history curriculum for K-12 students. I came onboard at the time they were finishing up a unit entitled The Modern Middle East. The bulk of the curriculum had been developed and finalized, but I was given the task of working with the lead teacher on a lesson concerning different groups’ perspectives on the Arab-Israel conflict. More specifically, what each group advocated for in terms of a territorial “solution” to the conflict. Looking back on […]

Skimpy Mystery

Murder by Plum Pudding by Lee Strauss

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Murder by Plum Pudding is a novel that is the length of a robust short story. It is set in 1925 England and features amateur sleuth Ginger Gold, who is married to a police inspector. The story revolves around a Christmas Eve dinner and the death of one of the guests. I wanted a festive Christmas mystery, and I suppose this fit the bill. The story isn’t terribly interesting and features way too many characters for such a short mystery. I could barely keep everyone […]

Quick, Decent Thriller

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

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CW: Self harm I was always a little regretful that I saw Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl in the theater instead of reading the book. The movie was excellent, but I suspect the twists would have been even more surprising in book form. The movie did leave me wanting to read at least one Gillian Flynn book, though, and that’s where Sharp Objects comes in. Sharp Objects is a quick, well paced read that features the main character Camille, a reporter from Chicago. Two young girls […]

Sensible, Humane Advice

Mini Habits for Weight Loss by Stephen Guise

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Normally I avoid books like Mini Habits for Weight Loss like the plague. I had an eating disorder many years ago and dieting is an anathema to me. However, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney disease recently and have to change my lifestyle in an attempt to stop further deterioration. It’s a tricky spot. Luckily I like all kinds of food and I can cook, so that will help. But there’s no getting around that it would help to lose some weight and increase […]

Murderous Delight

Murder Your Employer: McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes

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I loved, loved, loved Murder Your Employer McMasters Guide to Homicide. It’s the best book I’ve read all year and so much fun. The premise is genius: the McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts is a well-hidden, secret school that recruits students who have plans to murder a well-deserving target–or delete them, as the school calls it. The book follows three students, particularly focusing on Clive Iverson, whose diary entries are incorporated in the “guidebook” to the school. Two other students are also featured. The […]



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