Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

How Grief Takes Over

The Truth About Melody Browne by Lisa Jewell

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Best for: People who like their mysteries best when they don’t start with a murder. In a nutshell: After going on a first date to a hypnotism show, Melody starts to remember things from her childhood. Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: I’ve enjoyed her books this year, and I find the audio versions are great for longer runs. What it left me feeling: Not much Review: This book is not bad. It feels different that Jewell’s other work, but it still has that […]

A delightful journey into the world of lexicography

Word by Word by Kory Stamper

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Who would have thought a book about someone who edits dictionaries would be so delightfully engaging? Even better? I listened to the audio book, narrated by Stamper, and her personality and wit shone through the airwaves. Despite her self-deprecating descriptions of lexicographers as solitary, introverted shut-ins who would rather sit in a dark room alone than talk to another human, being in the room with her for this book was a great reading experience. Stamper regaled me with her stories of how she tackled the […]

“There doesn’t need to be a winner and a loser. You just have to care how the other person feels. You have to care more about them than you do about being right.”

Happy Place by Emily Henry

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Umm, second chance romance where a couple actually works through their problems, written by an author with a track record of writing fully realized characters and not relying on cheap plot twists? Why are you still here? Just go read it! Plot: Harriet and Wyn have been together for a decade. They’ve gone through university, medical school, and residency together. Only these busy, full years have managed to hide a rot in their relationship. A rot that has permeated everything until it was all that […]

“The only good thing about getting old is nothing, but I don’t complain.”

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

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There is a growing trend of books being written FOR audio and I absolutely love it. Plot: Sewanee Chester wanted to be an actress, and thanks to some nepotism, genetics, and actual talent, she made it big. And then she promptly UN-made it and retreated to audiobook narration. Fortunately, she is excellent at that too. Less fortunately, audiobook narrators aren’t exactly bringing in Marvel money, and she needs cash. So she dusts off the pen name she used when she started, back when romance novels […]

“Letting someone help you is the nicest thing you can do for anyone.”

How Lucky by Will Leitch

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A crime novel that is funny and not only features a disabled character, but makes him the hero. Plot: Daniel feels incredibly lucky. He has a stable job, enough money to make ends meet, close friends, and the relentless good weather of Georgia. He should also have been dead for a good decade or more, because he was diagnosed with type 2 spinal muscular atrophy as a baby, a degenerative illness that kills many of its victims before they even hit puberty, while he’s still […]

Heartwarming advice from Michelle

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama

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I’m a big fan of Michelle Obama. I read and really enjoyed Becoming back in 2019, and I was pretty sure I’d be getting around to The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (2022) as well. I’ve enjoyed listening to these as audiobooks, and I like that Michelle Obama is the reader. The only problem this time is that I checked The Light We Carry out from the library, and it was automatically and unexpectedly returned when I only had half an hour left. So, I waited the many months […]



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