Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Half a Lifetime

Cher: Part One by Cher

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The first half of Cher’s autobiography covers, fittingly, roughly the first half of her life so far. Born to an absentee Armenian father and a wannabe actress mother, Cherilyn Sarkisian seems to have been destined for an outrageous, implausible life from the start. Her mother, a knockout beauty, had terrible luck with the men in her life, marrying miscreants, drunks and other losers over and over again, yo-yo-ing young Cher and her sister from squalor to splendor and back again, depending on the economic status […]

Review 2?

The Sunflowers: Vincent van Gogh's Search for Beauty by Zahra Marwan

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As many of you know, I am in the bookselling business. Currently I am behind the scenes, but I occasionally still “hand sell” a book (usually via an email or over the phone, not on the sales floor). And because I am in retail, it might seem odd I would go to the library as I practically have access to any book I want. But sometimes you just have to.  I want to see if I would like a book before I buy it, or […]

Look forward with the words of Watson

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson and Ekua Holmes

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Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson was one of those books I had heard about, seen, but never really wanted to read. I mean, I like young adult literature, I like poetry and I like young adult poetry. However, I judged the book by the cover and theme. I assumed it would be some flowery “poor me” story. Instead, it is a truly strong and amazing short collection of poems that are relatable, informative and thoughtful. The language is lovely, but straight forward. […]

She made sure it was not a silent night

Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World : How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement by Kate Hannigan

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This poetic biography of Rachel Carson covers the basic facts, but also gives a romantic twist to how her personality, adventures and contributions were. There are multiple sections where the five senses come into play and we learn what she sees, hears, smells, feels, and tastes. They could be literal but mostly metaphorical.  Rachel Carson’s Wonder-Filled World : How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement by Kate Hannigan and illustrated by Katie Hickey (which I read via an online reader copy […]

Talking to Dad

Dear Dad: Growing Up with a Parent in Prison—and How We Stayed Connected by Jay Jay Patton, Antoine Patton, Kiara Valdez and Markia Jenai

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I went to the library to drop off some books I had finished and to drop off my reading challenge form. My ride had some errands to run, so I told them to drop me off, and I would use the library as a way to pick up and read a few books I normally wouldn’t read. But first, I looked at the children’s room. I hadn’t been in there too often, and not since they had updated it. But the fist section I went […]

Children’s Music comes to life

A Life of Song: The Story of Ella Jenkins (The First Lady of Children's Music) by Ty-Juana Taylor

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I was  texting with a friend of mine the other day about how I like biographies of people who are not as well known. I had not yet found A Life of Song: The Story of Ella Jenkins (The First Lady of Children’s Music) by Ty-Juana Taylor and illustrated by Jade Johnson at that time,  but boy does it fit that category. If I had heard of Ella Jenkins, I have since forgotten it.  She is a woman who brought music to the people to […]



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