Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About J

CBR 9
CBR10 participant
CBR11 participant
CBR12 participant
CBR13 participant
CBR15 Participant
CBR16 Participant

Just a girl, sitting in front of a book, wanting it to be good.

J's Reviews:

What’s the word for half-smitten? Smooten? Smittle?

Smitten by the Brit by Melonie Johnson

by Leave a Comment

This was not my book. There’s nothing actually wrong with it, but by the end of the first page, I knew this was a bad match. Before I get into why I didn’t care for it, a brief synopsis: Bubbly English professor escapes nurses a broken heart by taking on a summer teaching gig in England. Her best friend’s fiance’s best man happens to set her heart aflutter, something her newly single status allows her to appreciate guilt-free. For his part, the best man happens […]

Just in case the history books don’t cover gay history for your kids

The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets by Gayle E. Pitman

by Leave a Comment

This history of the Stonewall Riots is intended for middle grade readers. Pitman does a lovely job of setting the stage for the world that the riots occurred in, with pictures of locations, people, and items, as well as back stories of the individuals and institutions involved. The prose is clear and easy to follow, if a bit dry, in my opinion. While I liked the book, it was a little different than I expected. Some of the weirdness was the digital galley–it looked strange […]

Bring me all your British royalty fan fic

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

by 4 Comments

This was a really fun read! It reminded me a lot of The Royal We, though it’s definitely not an imitation of that work. Alex Claremont-Diaz is a college senior, the son of the President of the United States and a US senator. For years, the younger prince of Great Britain, Henry Wales, has been his nemesis. The prince is too controlled, too perfect. He’s a stiff where Alex loves getting his hands dirty and treats politics like an intramural sport. Alex causes an international […]

Just in time for Mother’s Day

The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

by Leave a Comment

I missed this book–though not the 500 think pieces about it–when it was initially published in 2011. But the public library included it in a display of motherhood-themed books and I decided to give it a shot. A short summary, if you somehow don’t know what this book is: Amy Chua shares her stories of being a “tiger mother”, a mother less interested in shoring up the self-esteem and emotional well-being of her daughters and more interested in honing them into high-achievers. Chua tows a […]

Life is not for figuring out. It’s for living.

(It's Great To) Suck At Something by Karen Rinaldi

by 2 Comments

When was the last time you tried something new? Something that won’t make you more productive, make you more money, or check anything off your to-do list? Something you’re really, really bad at, but that brought you joy? The title of Karen Rinaldi’s book resonates with me, someone who has made conscious efforts to cultivate being a beginner on a regular basis. I was that kid Carol Dweck warns of when she talks about children who are praised for accomplishment who become fearful of taking […]

How to College

How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You're There) by Andrea Malkin Brenner and Lara Hop Schwartz

by Leave a Comment

From the synopsis: Professors Andrea Malkin Brenner and Lara Schwartz guide first-year students and their families through the transition process, during the summer after high school graduation and throughout the school year, preparing students to succeed and thrive as they transition and adapt to college. This book is exactly what it says on the tin. Brenner and Schwartz provide an easy to read, well-organized resource that would be valuable to incoming college freshmen (and probably upperclassmen as well). They offer advice on what to expect […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo