Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

She climbed and protected so we all could enjoy

Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda and Yuko Shimizu

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I am not a sports person. I am not an outdoors person. I am not a hiking person. And I am certainly not a mountain climbing person. I am a person who will read a book outside (but it’s a porch and there better be running water/bathroom and cool drinks nearby). And I am a person who will read a book about someone who is an outdoors, sporty, mountain climbing person. And  Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita […]

Enemy Friends

The Why Is Everything: A Story of Football, Rivalry, and Revolution by Michael Silver

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As a sports fan, I often lament at the dearth of quality books on the subject. While there are gems like Ball Four, many sports books are corny, half-baked “tales of the locker room,” anodyne autobiographies, and team recaps that don’t reveal anything new. A truly good sports book is a pearl-in-the-oyster. And when you find it, you don’t want to let it go. This is one such book. No it doesn’t stand there with the greats but it’s a fascinating look at Kyle Shanahan’s story […]

A Revenge Puck is a fun as it sounds

Revenge Puck by L. A. Hart

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2024 was a rough year for me and 2025 is not off to a good start.  For the last month or so I have been re-reading (again) Shelley Laurensten’s shifter series.  It’s a comfort read, and my brain and heart didn’t feel like it could take anything new.  But, I needed to get my first Cannonball read review out and I was feeling the pressure. So, I made myself browse Netgalley* to try and find something to get me started and the only book that […]

One summer of food, friends, family

Speak Up, Santiago!: A Hillside Valley Graphic Novel by Julio Anta

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Speak Up, Santiago!: A Hillside Valley Graphic Novel by Julio Anta and illustrator Gabi Mendez is a story about friendship (even to yourself), family and finding your place. The cultural references, the ideas of community and more comes to life. The feeling is a younger The Misfits by James Howe, with colorful illustrations that brings Santi and his four new friends together.  In the end it is a cozy read that is both familiar and fresh. Santi is trying to come to terms with not […]

On guard that cha-cha-cha!

On Guard!: A Marshall Middle School Graphic Novel by Cassidy Wasserman

Swing by Audrey Meeker and Sarah Davidson

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Graphic novels are one of my favorite genres to read.  They cover several themes and ages. Currently middle and young adult graphic novels have several being published. Most of the middle readers are nice, not too in-depth but have a good message. They are fun and relatable without being too heavy for the (strong) 8-9 to (younger) 13-14. Two of those books are reviewed below.  Over a weekend that was cold, I found a quick graphic novel that I hoped wouldn’t go too deep into […]

You are my Sunny, you’re so funny! You make the case when you debate in their face! 

Sunny Makes Her Case: A Graphic Novel by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

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Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm are a team for several books. Some of my favorites are from the Sunny series. I did not love  all of them, but for the most part, they have been fun. They are slightly younger than some of the others out there, but work for multiple ages. I like that Sunny is from the late 1970s. And is mostly a relatable character because growing up and growing pains do not change much.  Now, book five, Sunny Makes Her Case: […]



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