Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A daring and brilliant escape

Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo

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I found Master Slave Husband Wife (2023) by Ilyon Woo on NPR’s Favorite Books List. It is the true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped from slavery in Georgia in 1848. I thought this book was solely about their escape, but Woo also describes the families of Ellen and William, their enslavers, as well as a significant time period after their escape. On the whole, I thought this book was well-written and interesting–although the pace lags in a couple of places. If you’ve only taken U.S. […]

You’ll Be Examining More Than Just the Chicken and the Egg Here

From Darwin to Derrida: Selfish Genes, Social Selves and the Meanings of Life by David Haig

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David Haig’s From Darwin to Derrida: Selfish Genes, Social Selves and the Meanings of Life is probably not one of the most accessible books that I could close the year on—which is why I decided to make it my second last and not the last review of the year.  David Haig is an Australian biologist and current George Putnam Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. I first came across his work when reading up about genomic imprinting and maternal-fetal conflict. (These subjects are […]

Taking women’s healthcare seriously

Grown Woman Talk by Sharon Malone

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I’ve read Michelle Obama’s books, but it’s usually Barack Obama’s book recommendations that I pay attention to every year. However, I noticed Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy (2024) by Sharon Malone had a glowing recommendation from Michelle Obama. Now that I’m forty-five years old, I’ve become a little more aware of my health and the upcoming challenges that may occur with perimenopause and menopause. I’d rather not get my all of my health information from Instagram, so I thought this book might […]

“I’m not interested in burning myself [out] by whole-assing stuff that will be fine if I half- or quarter-ass it. Being able to achieve maximum economy of ass is an important adult skill.”

Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts by Oliver Burkeman

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This year I picked my top five books and Burkeman garnered the number one spot for another book, but he earned the superlative for “most likely to change your life” for this one. I first discovered him (like not that I “discovered him” but that when I became aware of him, you get my meaning) on NPR Life Kit in an episode titled “How to Rethink What You Spend Your Time – And Life – Doing.” This simple 21 minute episode shook me upside down, […]

Suffering on the high seas

The Wager by David Grann

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I first saw The Wager (2023) by David Grann on Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2023 list. I’m a big fan of Obama, and I read a number of his recommended books every year. I also read The Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann about five years ago. It was a deep dive into a little corner of history that I knew almost nothing about, and I found it very interesting. The Wager is also something of a deep dive into a little corner of history. The Wager was […]

Psychopaths need love, too

Sociopath by Patric Gagne

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Once again, I was looking for an audiobook to read when I found Sociopath: A Memoir (2024) by Patric Gagne. It sounded unique and interesting, so I put it on hold at my library. Patric Gagne knew she was different from a very young age. She says that no matter how hard she tried to fit in, her classmates could sense that there was something “off” about her. Patric’s mother also sometimes found her difficult to figure out. When Patric’s beloved pet ferret died, her mom was […]



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