Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About Sophia

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I love to read, and I love to learn. I wish I were retired so I could spend more time on my random hobbies!

Sophia's Reviews:

Love & Football

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

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I may have had the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce romance in my head when I decided to read a football romance. Also, my friend recommended The Wall of Winnipeg and Me (2023) by Mariana Zapata, and she usually has pretty good recommendations. This was a fun romance. It generally kept my interest, and I enjoyed reading it. Vanessa Mazur had a pretty terrible childhood, but she’s managed to make a pretty good life for herself. She wants to start a graphic design company, but has worked for the […]

“Inconsequential Good”

Absolution by Alice McDermott

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Absolution (2023) by Alice McDermott was one of the books I picked out from NPR’s Favorite Books last year. I saw that it was about American women in Vietnam at the beginning of the Vietnam War, and figured it might be interesting. My father fought in Vietnam, but I know very little about it. The war in Vietnam felt like one of those subjects we practically skipped over at the end of U.S. History in high school, and my father rarely talked about it. The beginning of this […]

And now a hit Netflix show

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

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My book club chose to read The Duke and I (2000) by Julia Quinn. I wasn’t super excited about this pick because I was pretty familiar with the storyline. I’d already watched the first season of Bridgerton, which was based on The Duke and I. I was also pretty sure I’d previously read the book, but I couldn’t remember when. If I have read it, it was before Cannonball Read started because I couldn’t find a review of it. Anyway, because of the familiar territory, I decided to listen to this […]

When Obama likes a book, I read it

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

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I picked up The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (2023) by James McBride because it was on a bunch of year-end best-of lists, including Barack Obama’s favorite books. This one took a little while to get into as I figured out who all the characters were, but it was an interesting, well-written book. I can see why Obama included it on his list. This book is difficult to describe, and it’s probably best if you just read it, but I’ll do my best. The story is centered […]

Just don’t do what I do

Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy

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I am sitting on my couch, and I have over twenty reviews to catch up on. So, it’s not surprising why I chose to read Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (2017) by Brian Tracy. I have a problem with procrastination, and I was looking for some inspiration. I listened to the audiobook. I thought the author did a good job reading the book. It was quick, to the point, and had some good ideas. Although […]

“…but the losses were as solid and dependable as the Earth itself.”

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

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My book club chose Commonwealth (2016) by Ann Patchett ages ago, but it was a meeting I couldn’t make. So when I ran out of time, I skipped the book entirely. However, because I’ve enjoyed other books by Patchett, I decided to pick this one up as an Audiobook. I’ve enjoyed every book by Patchett that I’ve read, and Commonwealth is no exception. Although, this one is not quite at the top of my Patchett list, it is memorable. I appreciate Patchett’s realistically drawn characters and nuanced family drama. […]



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