Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“I wish I were a girl again, half-savage and hardy, and free.”

Fifteen Wild Decembers: A Novel by Karen Powell

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Fifteen Wild Decembers tells the story of the Brontë family through the eyes of Emily, from 1825 when she first goes away to school, to her death in 1848. From their childhood tales of the fantastical island of Gondal, to the events in their lives that shaped them and their literary outputs, Fifteen Wild December offered a glimpse into their lives. It was an alright book; I’d love to rate it any more warmly than that, but it didn’t really inspire much in me. I […]

Among the Stars

The Georgian Star by Michael D. Lemonick

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Read as part of CBR17 Bingo: migrant. William Herschel, the main focus of this book, was born and raised in Germany but eventually migrated to England due to military commitments. He settled in England, where his migration was most beneficial as he turned to astronomy and discovered great things in the name of the King. I’m not a big science guy but astronomy has always been a curiosity of mine. What I know about it could fit in a thimble — and this book probably […]

(Chappell voice) Battle For Manhattan

Battle For Manhattan by Bruce Bliven, Jr.

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Read as part of CBR 17 Bingo: starts with letter B. Look this is going to be a very strained review. I’m sorry but this book doesn’t merit 250 words. As it says on the inside flap, large portions of this book originally appeared in The New Yorker. It’s a glorified wikipedia entry. I picked it up because I needed to read a book about the American Revolution for my library book bingo and it was a slim volume. I knew Manhattan had some importance in the […]

If you want the sweet of The Snowman, look somewhere else

When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs

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How do you make a book about The Bomb and War beautiful? As Raymond Briggs or actually, read their graphic novel titled When the Wind Blows. This is not The Snowman with its whimsy and sweetness. This is a book that will make you laugh, be sad, have an off chuckle (should I really be laughing at these poor people?), then you will not stop crying. This is an amazing Anti-War story that is not for the sensitive reader, but is a must read to […]

Try to look away from the game of living and watching living

Spectators by Brian K Vaughan

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Spectators by Brian K Vaughan and illustrator Niko Henrichon is a train wreck I could not stop reading. This graphic novel (due late fall 2025) is in the vein of Revival by Tim Seeley and artist Mike Norton, and The Walking Dead but with fewer zombies and more ghosts.  When I finished my reader copy (and in fact through it) I thought it was the most screwed up book I’ve read in a while! DAMN! What an awesome read! There is so much going on […]

“The Caravan of life is moving by, Quick! to your places in the passing show.”

Caravan by Dorothy Gilman

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CBR17 Bingo: Culture – Caressa encounters and immerses herself in multiple cultures during her wanderings through the Sahara, including the Tuareg and the Hausa. By the age of sixteen Caressa has been a carnie, a Boston schoolgirl, and the wife of an anthropologist – but in her years in the Sahara desert, she will go on to become a widow, a sorceress, a slave, and much more. The trouble with this book is that the description is rather misleading. There’s a little magic, and a […]



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