Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“It means that the things that make us human often make us ill.”

The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen

by 2 Comments

I remember reading in my Intro to Psychology college text book that Schizophrenia is the “cancer of mental illnesses.” Because Schizophrenia has reared its ugly head in my family, I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. Dealing with it is tragic and life altering. I feel like I’m always trying to figure out more about it, so I find myself reading books on the subject. A couple of years ago, I read Hidden Valley Road, a non-fiction book about a large family where over half the kids […]

Hooray for Hollywood

The Star Machine by Jeanine Basinger

by Leave a Comment

cbr16 bingo Fanfic Growing up in mid-century Palm Springs, summers could be long and boring (no pool).  TV options were very limited, but there was the mid-afternoon Million Dollar Movie.  That was my mom’s favorite thing to watch as she did the ironing (everything was cotton – there was a lot of ironing for a six-person family) so I would get sucked in too.  I can credit those summers with being familiar with all the actors in this book. This is a very detailed look […]

A little history–with many asides and jokes

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell

by Leave a Comment

Many months ago, I was getting ready for a short road trip to New Mexico and Texas, and I needed something to listen to. I’ve read a couple of history books by Sarah Vowell, and I enjoyed her take and irreverent style. When I saw, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States (2015) by Vowell, I decided to read it. Before reading this book, everything I knew about Lafayette was from Hamilton. In fact, I imagined Daveed Diggs, the original Lafayette from Hamilton, as I read this book. First, I […]

One pill makes you larger / And one pill makes you small / And the ones that mother gives you / Don’t do anything at all

Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries by Rick Emerson

by Leave a Comment

Okay, the title of this book is just a hint of what the book is going to cover.  And the title of the book is a lot, which make sense because this book is often a lot. Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World’s Most Notorious Diaries by Rick Emerson covers exactly what the title suggests. As a general note and content warning, this book contains extensive discussions of drug addiction and self-harm. One section, in particular, was especially disturbing, prompting […]

A (not so humble) brag: This 2025 book has made my 10th Cannonball.

Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave by Drew Beckmeyer

by 4 Comments

I did not think Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave was going to be interesting when I first saw the cover (though it is due in March of 2025, I was able to have an online reader copy.) Being overly cute and cartoonish, I was eh… but also thought that I should not judge a book by its cover and give Drew Beckmeyer’s book a chance. And I’m glad I did, and you should too. I recommend going to your local […]

Few triggers but overall a delightful read

Layers: A Memoir by Pénélope Bagieu

by Leave a Comment

This weekend was unintentionally a weekend where I learned I have read so much that I’m repeating authors and not even realizing it! One of the books I read was Layers: A Memoir by Pénélope Bagieu (translated by Montana Kane). When I saw what else they had written I was shocked. I’ve read several of their books in English. I started with the title Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World (lovely collection of women who were brazen); California Dreamin’: Cass Elliot Before the Mamas […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo