Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Poūkahangatus (pronounced “Pocahontas”)

Poukahangatus: Poems by Tayi Tibble

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CBR15Passport, other country Tayi Tibble is a young woman from New Zealand. They are pretty, smart, serious, funny and did I mention young? She was born in 1995 (I have shoes older than her). Therefore, what does a not yet thirty-year-old know about life? Well, if Poukahangatus: Poems is any indication, a lot. The publisher description says she channels her Māori heritage and childhood, under what she calls “the red fog of memory.” I am not completely sure what she means, but I am going […]

Don’t be ashamed of yourself

Ashamed by Steven Lundle

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Ashamed is an interesting coming of age story. It is set before the narrator, Jeremiah, knows his truth/is question the truth about his sexuality. The book is based on author, Steven Lundle, and his experiences, but fictionalized as well. However, I think it is “closer to home” than he is admitting, as Jeremiah’s voice is personal. It is also, an interesting commentary on the fundamental Christian upbringing of Lundle. Overall, this story is a chapter in fourteen-year-old Jeremiah’s life. He is coming to terms with […]

Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk

Thous Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics by Eugene Cho

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Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian’s Guide to Engaging Politics by Eugene Cho My rating: 3 of 5 stars I chose this for the CBR15 Passport Challenge in the “New to You Author” category. Eugene Cho is a pastor in Seattle who became increasingly uncomfortable with the rise of Christian nationalism leading up to, and after, the 2016 election. “Thou Shalt Not be a Jerk” is his reminder to readers that if they claim to be Christians, then Jesus should be the center […]

And you think your travels had bumps

Hakim's Odyssey: Book 2: From Turkey to Greece by Fabien Toulme

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CBR15Passport book set in and author from another country (from Syria, living in Turkey, trying to get to Greece and France)I was going to wait until I read volume three of Hakim’s Odyssey by French author Fabien Toulme (translation by Hannah Chute) before writing the review of Volume Two: From Turkey to Greece but was not sure when that would happen. And besides, Hakim’s Odyssey fills each book with enough so you do not have to know about three, you will just go to the […]

Well-behaved women seldom make history

Rima's Rebellion: Courage in a Time of Tyranny by Margarita Engle

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CBR15Passport Book I own Rima’s Rebellion: Courage in a Time of Tyranny is an interesting book. First, it is prose poetry and while that is usually a good thing for me, I am not sure this was the best format for the subject. Second, it is confusing what age(s) it is aimed for. The tone of the book is for a middle-grade reader (at least aged 10 and up), but the subject matter is more mature. If this was Margarita Engle’s first novel, that bump […]

Diverseness for the younger crowd.

Rainbow: A First Book of Pride by Michael Genhart

Hair Twins by Raakhee Mirchandani

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What do you do when you want to show diverseness to your child, but they are not ready for some big, non-fiction encyclopedic knowledge book? You grab a picture book. And the below titles are perfectly diverse in that fun picture format. Rainbow: A First Book of Pride was originally from 2019. Therefore, it is just an introduction to the rainbow flag with none of the “extras” we see today. It is a way to show how the GLBTQ+ community is not separate, but part of […]



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