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:

You can always count on the American justice system to protect wealth

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

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Britney Spears is only two years younger than me, so we grew up in the same era. I never followed her too closely, but I remember her famous music videos, dancing with the snake in the VMA’s, and her dating Justin Timberlake. I also remember the paparazzi hounding her when she had her baby, when she shaved her head, and when she was taken out of her home on a gurney. The public, on the whole, seemed to delight in the “downfall” of Britney Spears. […]

“Language, even more than color, defines who you are to people.”

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

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I read Born a Crime (2016) by Trevor Noah back in 2017, and it was one of my favorite books of the year. I was already impressed by Noah from watching him on The Daily Show, but I had no idea what his early life was like. I am also impressed by Noah’s ability to see both sides of an issue and understand other points of view. I rarely reread books, but I’d heard that Trevor Noah did a very good job reading his audiobook, and I […]

Still on my auto-read list

Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane

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Mhairi McFarlane has become a must-read author for me. I’ve enjoyed all of her books, although Don’t You Forget About Me is probably my favorite. So, when I heard that she had a new book out, I immediately put a hold on it at my library. Between Us (2023) was another interesting read, although it wasn’t my favorite of McFarlane’s novels. Although I liked the characters and the story kept me reading, the romance was underwhelming. The main characters in this book have all been friends for the last […]

Memorable but depressing

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

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I got married last year in August, but when it came to our first wedding anniversary, my husband and I weren’t exactly sure how to celebrate. When I saw that the first anniversary was paper, it occurred to me that we could read a book together! After all, some of our first discussions were about books. We went on a big trip to Florida this year, so we decided to get a book about Florida. I really like this new tradition of ours, and we’re […]

Soylent Green is people!

Ultra-Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken

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I like the idea of eating and living in a healthy way, so I’ve read a number of nutrition/food books. However, this topic is so complicated, and there are so many opinions that it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. It seems that everyone has an agenda and can cherry pick data to support their cause. Perhaps that’s why I thought Michael Pollen’s advice from In Defense of Food was the most helpful: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” You could say that Chris Van Tulleken […]

You had me at octopus

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

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After watching My Octopus Teacher on Netflix and reading Montgomery Sy’s The Soul of an Octopus, (which was interesting, even though I had some problems with it), I’ve grown very fond of octopuses. They are smart, curious, have brains in their legs, can change colors, and can squeeze through almost any tiny hole. They recognize and remember people and will treat the ones they like differently. So, when I saw that Remarkably Bright Creatures (2022) by Shelby Van Pelt had an octopus as a narrator, I was immediately intrigued. However, […]



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