Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Let’s stop all the fight (Now)”

War Is Over by Sean Ono Lennon, Dave Mullins, Brad Booker, Max Narciso

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[Intro: Yoko Ono & John Lennon] Happy Christmas, Kyoko Happy Christmas, Julian [Verse 1: John Lennon] So this is Christmas And what have you done? Another year over And a new one just begun And so this is Christmas I hope you had fun The near and the dear ones The old and the young [Chorus: Yoko Ono & Harlem Community Choir] A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let’s hope it’s a good one Without any fear [Verse 2: John Lennon & Harlem Community […]

She might have been lost, but she found herself

The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day

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The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day was started as an online reader copy. It would also be finished that way, however, I did not realize the first copy I had was only a sample. After asking if there was a chance for a physical copy, I was informed that there was a finished copy online. Finally! So what should have been a couple of lunches was a several month endeavor. But regardless, I was going to finish this reimagined Greek myth.  When I […]

“You take a bunch of people who don’t seem any different from you and me, but when you add them all together you get this sort of huge raving maniac with national borders and an anthem.” (Bingo)

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

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Nowhere Book Bingo 2025: A book with LGBTQIA-rep CBR17 Bingo: Border (this book is all about a very drawn-out war with borders between the opposing countries constantly changing, depending on who’s currently winning) Spoiler warnings for a 22 year old book. I don’t think I can review it well without revealing some of the more essential plot points. Official plot summary: It began as a sudden strange fancy… Polly Perks had to become a boy in a hurry. Cutting off her hair and wearing trousers […]

Refusing to conform to stereotypical gender norms on two different continents

My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

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3.5 stars Thanks to Netgalley and RandomHouse for this ARC. My opinions are my own. Emilia del Valle Claro grows up in San Francisco in the latter half of the 19th Century. Her mother, Molly, is of Irish descent and was a nun before she was seduced by an unscrupulous young Chilean aristocrat, who left her pregnant and entirely without support (she obviously had to leave the convent). She married Francisco Claro, the intelligent and kind-hearted teacher at the Aztec Pride School, and he’s the […]

I wrote a long review about two books and it’s longer than the books probably…

Sun, Moon, and Star: A Folktale from Korea. by Nancy So Miller

Beatrix and Her Friends by Anne Lambelet

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Folktales have always been a go-to read for me. I enjoy learning about other cultures and seeing how they have been interpreted. Plus, I enjoy comparing them with other cultures’ stories. One true folktale (it even says so in the title) is  Sun, Moon, and Star: A Folktale from Korea. The other, while not a pure folktale, I consider her stories to be folktale adjacent. It is a biography of Beatrix Potter, aptly named, Beatrix and Friends. Nancy So Miller took an established story of […]

“God is a Troubadour!”

The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz

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Well, here it is, the book that made me cry, the book I’ll be throwing at anyone who seems vaguely interested in historical fantasy books that introduce children to big ideas and big research in an accessible way. Watch your head! *throws* Yes, I’m here to tell you a Newbery-honor book is supremely good, follow me for more shocking revelations. The Inquisitor’s Tale follows three remarkable kids and their magical dog as they try to survive Medieval France. Peasant girl Jeanne has visions of the […]



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