Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Allegory of power

Pigeons!: A Fable For Our Times by Marc Chalvin

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If I have one complaint about Pigeons!: A Fable For Our Times by Marc Chalvin (due December 2025, read via an oline reader) is that the people who need to read this book, won’t. This is the commentary about what is happening today. It comes out and tells us how the Dictator will use anything he can to stay in power. It comes out and tells us there are well meaning people, but they are missing a few pieces of the puzzle. And those who […]

To tell their stories

Home Is a Door We Carry by Constantin Satüpo

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Home Is a Door We Carry is a hard book to read, and not just because of the subject. There was a flowing issue for me. Things are simple and at times almost too simple for my personal tastes. Maybe different art could have enhanced my personal journey, but also I know that this is what author Constantin Satuppo needs to tell his story. Satupo is trying to give you the emotions of refugees (the voices of the children seen in the images) having to […]

I am the wrong audience for this book.

How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters by Michael Bungay Stanier

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CBR17 Bingo: Using the Free block for the Red square In the next couple of months, I’m fortunate to have some downtime as my busiest season is over. During this time, I want to try to relax, catch up on stuff I shoved to the side, and enjoy the slower pace. I also want to work on some of my long term projects. However, as these projects are daunting, I’m deciding which approach is the best. I want to make meaningful strides without burning myself […]

if women were “naturally” anything, societies wouldn’t spend so much time trying to police every aspect of their lives

The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley

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I found The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley because I needed a palate cleanser after some 19th century melancholia. And it worked. If you want something that isn’t Eline Vere by Louis Coperus, I can highly recommend this book. A lot has happened in feminism and geekery since the book was published in 2016, shortly after gamergate (which was covered) and shortly before Trump was elected and the me too movement blew up in 2017. I got ready to abandon the book when I […]

Self help through self-compassion

Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff

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CBR17Bingo: “TBR” because after this book was recommended to me, it took me months to finally get around to reading it. I am lucky enough to have access to some therapy through work because my job is inherently stressful. Recently I’ve been struggling more with stress and anxiety, and my therapist recommended that I read Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself (2011) by Kristin Neff. I wasn’t too sure about this book at first. Neff started out by saying, when you feel badly about […]

Semper Iocosus

Grit, Spit, and Never Quit by Rob Riggle

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Before reading this book, Rob Riggle was like the friend of a good friend. I enjoyed my time with him on The Daily Show, Bear Grylls, Angie Tribeca, New Girl, etc. But Riggle wasn’t my friend yet. This book, to continue the metaphor, is the first time Riggle and I have ever hung out without the mutual friend. It’s like our mutual friend had to cancel dinner plans with Riggle and me at the last minute, but we both still showed. And we found out, […]



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