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:

Just in time for the movie

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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It was only when the trailer for the new movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, popped up on my Youtube page that I realized there was another Hunger Games story that I’d somehow missed. I’d read the original Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins–really getting caught up in the action in the first book, but losing interest and gaining frustration by the last book. I never made it through all the movies, but it was an intriguing story that stuck with me. Thus, after watching the trailer, I immediately […]

“My biggest concern is the misuse of science to support policies.”

The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis

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I wanted to find a good political book for Cannonball Bingo, and my husband quickly recommended The Fifth Risk (2018) by Michael Lewis. I listened to the first couple of minutes on Audiobook, and thought it sounded interesting. So, I decided to give it a shot. The reason I found the beginning of the book so interesting was that it described in detail what was happening in government offices when Trump took over after the election. Civil service workers were waiting with their binders full of information […]

“She remembers that today is Sunday, which six days out of seven is not true.”

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

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I found The Swimmers (2022) by Julie Otsuka on NPR’s Best Books List. To be honest, I think I was specifically looking for a short, but good, book and The Swimmers fit the bill. I try to swim once in awhile, so I figured this book might even be relatable and/or motivating on that level as well. It turned out to be very different from what I expected as well as different from most novels that I’ve read. The Swimmers begins with the description of a swimming pool and the many people […]

“You try again. You fail better.”

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (2022) by Gabrielle Zevin is not a book I would have picked out on my own. I’m not particularly interested in video games, and the cover doesn’t really call to me. Even the description doesn’t suck me in. What drove me to pick up the book, however, were the many people who had Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow on their Cannonball best books list last year. I simply could not ignore such overwhelming praise. I like to say that if a teacher is […]

Mommy Dearest

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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I saw a short interview with Jennette McCurdy about her new memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died (2022), and it sounded interesting. But then my friend mentioned she had read the book, and argued that we should outlaw child actors altogether. I didn’t completely disagree with her, but it seemed like an extreme statement. I wondered what in the book had made her feel so strongly. So, I picked it up on audiobook from the library. I thought it was fascinating. I never got bored, and I […]

“The risks may be formidable, but the high is sublime.”

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

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We recently read Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver for my book club. I was very impressed with it, and we inevitably began talking about the devastation of the opioid epidemic. I’m pretty sure I’d seen Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (2021) by Patrick Radden Keefe on book lists and recommendations. But after reading Demon Copperhead, I had a renewed interest in learning more about the specifics. It also helped that we’d already read Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe, and it came highly recommended by a fellow […]



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