Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Fascinating Exploration of Language

Wordslut by Amanda Montell

by Leave a Comment

Best for: Those interested in learning more about how our language is shaped by – and shapes – society. Everyone who speaks US English. In a nutshell: Author Montell explores a variety of aspects of language and how it reinforces and can be used to fight the patriarchy. Worth quoting: N/A (but only because it was an audio book and usually I was running while listening so didn’t have a way to note something down) Why I chose it: The topic was intriguing to me. […]

Not The Guidebook I Needed

Amorgos by Tassos Anastassiou

by Leave a Comment

Best for: Probably those who speak Greek, as the translation was challenging to read. In a nutshell: A history of the island of Amorgos in the Cyclades. Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: I just spent four days there and wanted to know more. Review: Amorgos is a small island in the Cyclades area of Greece – other islands that are more well known are Santorini and Mykonos. In the guide books there isn’t much information or history about it. I saw this book […]

Hmmm

You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh

by Leave a Comment

Best for: Those looking for some reminders related to the Buddhist approach to live and being present. In a nutshell: Prolific writer on Buddhism Thich Nhat Hanh shares some thoughts on positivity and presence. Worth quoting: “You need to recognize that these kinds of positive elements exist and that you can benefit from their refreshing and helpful presence.” “We must always ask ourselves the question, ‘is my perception accurate?’” “The future is being made out of the present, so the best way to take care […]

Yes, There Will be a Quiz

1066 and All That. A Memorable History of England, Comprising all the Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings, and 2 Genuine Dates by W. C. Sellar

by 1 Comment

cbr17 bingo School A real oddball of a book!  Basically, it is a photocopy of a previously existing library book, (dated 1930) including a copy of check out card and index card (remember card catalogues?).  The back blurb states: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations.  Within the United States, you […]

“What we search for in fiction is not so much reality but the epiphany of truth.”

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

by Leave a Comment

Nowhere Book Bingo 25: A Bookish Memoir/biography CBR17 Pie Chart: Education CBR17 Bingo: Citizen (Nafisi lived and taught in Iran during increasingly more dictatorial strictures against its citizens) Official summary: Every Thursday morning for two years in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a bold and inspired teacher named Azar Nafisi secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. As Islamic morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran, fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, and a blind censor stifled artistic […]

Hubris and the British Empire, a Match Made in Heaven

Erebus: The Story of a Ship by Michael Palin

by 2 Comments

Erebus tells the story of the eponymous ship, part of the British Imperial navy at the height of its power. Though it was originally meant for combat, it was used for exploration – polar exploration, to be precise. It was first sailed to the south pole by James Clark Ross, with its sister ship HMS Terror, for a very successful exploration: geographical landmarks still bear their names (Mount Terror and Mount Erebus). However, the ships’ glory came to an abrupt halt several years later in […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo