Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Float like a butterfly sting… well you know the rest…. now here’s the best

Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali by Marc Bernardin

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I have wanted to read Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali by Marc Bernardin and illustrated by Ron Salas for a while now. It is from the company First Second. Their graphic novels are usually fun, educational, clever, unique and interesting. I might not like all of them, but I do appreciate them. And while I am not a fan of Muhammad Ali, I have enjoyed a few biographies of the man, so I figured why not try this one. The introduction to things comes […]

A song that lead to a anti-captivity movement and understanding of a wild creature

Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas by Zaqchariah Ohora

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During a recent lunch that was not too exciting, I read a few books. They were all read online and all had recently become available. One of those books was Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas by Zaqchariah Ohora. The story itself is simple: a scientist named Paul and a musician named Paul and his children find a way to communicate with two orca whales. They learn a lot about communication, the whales themselves (how they play, grieve, and where […]

The Brain Game

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

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Officially I did not finish The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks. This is not because it was bad, but because it was not what I was exactly looking for. While it was technical in nature, the non-technical reader could partake in it without a lot of issues. However, I will admit, there were places where I read every single word of the sentence, knew exactly what each one meant, but still had no idea what […]

The littlest (quietest) revolutionary

The One & Only Googoosh: Iran's Beloved Superstar by Azadeh Westergaard

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Azadeh Westergaard’s The One & Only Googoosh: Iran’s Beloved Superstar is an interesting biographical book about a performer of Iran who is probably not well known to the general public. Even though she did a concert in the 2000’s I had never heard of her. But then again, I am not familiar with many international performers. But also, maybe her decades long forced silence in her homeland of Iran had something to do with it (and the fact that the concert mentioned in Westergaard’s book […]

Stop being so…. gay

Blessed Cure by Mário Oliveira

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Triggers in Blessed Cure by Mário Oliveira include, but are not limited to: homophobia, homophobic language, homophobic actions, beatings, sexual images of genitalia and acts, prostitution, transphobia.  One man’s life from the 1960s to the 1990s (with the potential for a “now” setting) unfolds as he does everything in his power to not be “so gay.” (Which is  the nicest thing he is called in the book.) From parents blaming each other, doctors blaming parents, the church blaming everyone (especially the mother) to the man […]

What I talk about when I talk about “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running”

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

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I have been recommended books by Haruki Murakami for a while now. Norwegian Wood and IQ84 are on my to read list, but I admit I had no particular interest in getting a copy of “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running”, despite being an avid runner for over a decade now. Running started as a chore for me. Every day after work I would go down to the gym and jog on the treadmill for an hour. I worked up my speed […]



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