Sophia – Page 64 – Cannonball Read 17

“I still found literary criticism to be a suspect activity.”

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

February 2, 2019 by Sophia Leave a Comment

I’d heard of Alison Bechdel from the Bechdel test, but I wasn’t at all familiar with her or her work. I picked up Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2006) because it was on my 50 Books Every Woman Should Read Before She Turns 40 List. I think I’ve only read one other graphic novel (maybe), but I appreciate being forced out of my comfort zone every now and then. Although it hasn’t changed my preference for traditional writing and the pictures in my head, Fun Home was worth reading. Fun Home is […]

Triplet sisters running amok in Australia

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty

February 1, 2019 by Sophia Leave a Comment

The first book I read by Liane Moriarty was Big Little Lies. I loved it and went on to read What Alice Forgot, The Husband’s Secret, and Truly Madly Guilty. In the books I’ve read so far, Moriarty has a very clear pattern with her plots. She begins with a vague description of some kind of “event” that has occurred, but only gives the reader enough details to pique their interest. Then she goes back however many months or years are necessary, and we learn about the characters, their […]

A little more time with Lady Julie Beaufort-Stuart

The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

January 26, 2019 by Sophia 4 Comments

Code Name Verity was my favorite book of 2014. I reluctantly picked it up after some favorable Cannonball reviews and was immediately entranced. The story, the writing, and the characters kept me on the edge of my seat until I finished in a wave of tears. When I saw that Elizabeth Wein had written a book that involves Julie Beaufort-Stuart, a main character from Code Name Verity, I was once again a little reluctant to read it. I was afraid that it would not live up to Code […]

An unending tale of sorrow, blood, and love

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

January 24, 2019 by Sophia 4 Comments

I’ve read a number of books by Isabel Allende, and I’m sure I’ll read more. However, I didn’t know about The House of the Spirits (1982) until I saw it on my 50 Books Every Woman Should Read Before She Turns 40 List. As Allende’s first novel, it seems quite personal in nature. Apparently, Allende began writing it as a letter to her 100-year-old grandfather when she heard he was dying. There are some parallels with her real life. The House of the Spirits is pretty dense and comes […]

Who would have thought that something that happened that long ago could have such power?

Lucky by Alice Sebold

January 21, 2019 by Sophia Leave a Comment

I already knew Alice Sebold from The Lovely Bones, but I had not heard of Lucky (1999) by the same author until I saw it on my 50 Books Every Woman Should Read Before She Turns 40 List. Written just before The Lovely Bones, it is the true story of Sebold’s violent rape, on the last day of her first year of college. This book was good. It was well written, tense, often difficult to read, and eye-opening. Sebold is very honest about the rape and how it affected her. […]

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

January 6, 2019 by Sophia Leave a Comment

I vaguely remember reading To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) by Harper Lee in school, but I’m glad I decided to reread it when I saw it on my 50 Books Every Woman Should Read Before She Turns 40 List. I can’t remember how old I was when I first picked it up, but as I reread this book I realized that I’d forgotten many of the details of the story. In addition, my perspective has changed dramatically. When I first read the book, I wholly identified with Scout. There […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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