Biography/Memoir – Page 53 – Cannonball Read 17

“A peace based on injustice is a treacherous sleep whose waking is death. Your honor lies in waking out of it.”

The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore

June 6, 2024 by narfna Leave a Comment

This book was infuriating, but very interesting. If you’re looking to rage-out at the patriarchy, The Woman They Could Not Silence will certainly do the trick. But also, because Elizabeth Packard was a badass who changed things for thousands of people in her lifetime and many more into the future, you get a happyish ending as well to lift you back from your cleansing rage. Elizabeth Packard was committed to an asylum in the 1860s by her husband; because he said she was insane, she was […]

Player of Pearl

Earl the Pearl: My Story by Earl Monroe

June 6, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

I’ve always been fascinated by NBA player Earl “The Pearl” Monroe. I don’t know when I first became familiar of him being a great player, first for the Baltimore Bullets, then the New York Knicks. But my first memory is the Denzel Washington monologue in He Got Game where he talks about how Earl was called “Jesus” on the playgrounds of Philadelphia because he was such a great player. I wanted to know more about Monroe’s time in Baltimore. Being a native, I have always considered him […]

May 2024 Leftovers

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Batmanga: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga, Vol. 1 by Jiro Kuwata

Magic: The Life of Earvin "Magic" Johnson by Roland Lazenby

Somebody Owes Me Money by Donald Westlake

When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block

The Curse: The Colorful & Chaotic History of the LA Clippers by Mick Minas

Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon by Roland Lazenby

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses

June 5, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

June already? Sheesh. The Brass Verdict**** Ever since John Grisham lost his fastball in the late-90s, I’ve mostly forsaken legal thrillers. But I like the Bosch series and I wanted to read something LA-based and this delivered. It’s a fun plot with some legit exciting twists. Will probably go back to it at some point or maybe watch the show. Interior Chinatown*** I wish I liked this one more than I did. The satire is razor sharp, the story is deep and the pain is […]

Play Stopper

Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant by Roland Lazenby

June 3, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

CN: This review touches on the details surrounding Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault case and settlement. While it does not go into graphic detail, those who are sensitive to sexual assault can skip this review. And so I conclude Roland Lazenby’s trio of books on great Lakers guards. First Magic Johnson, then Jerry West, and finishing up with Kobe Bryant. This is by far Lazenby’s best one and though it struggles with some of the same issues his others do (trading insight for access, taking shortcuts […]

Darlin’ who doesn’t want inspiration?

Friends of Dorothy: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Icons by Anthony Uzarowski

June 3, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The biographies of people included in Friends of Dorothy: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Icons starts with Dorothy herself, Judy Garland, and each person who follows has become an icon for the queer community. Garland would have gay men of her era take her name for a code, “Are you a friend of Dorothy?” Meaning, were you gay. This was during a time when their open representation of who they were could have dire consequences to their military career, jobs and safety. Rumor had it that […]

Groundbreaking

We Are Golden: 27 Groundbreakers Who Changed the World by Eva Chen

June 3, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I have wanted to read We Are Golden: 27 Groundbreakers Who Changed the World by Eva Chen and illustrated by Sophie Diao for ages. And when I found the books “ID number” (or what is known as the ISBN number), I plugged it into the site where I find my online reader copies, and even though it has been out since January 2024, there was still a link. The description of the size of the book has it as a board book. And since I […]

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.

Help Our Mission