Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

She loves moths, people!

A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter

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As a kid, I hated bugs. I feared many of them. But for some reason, in junior high, I fell in love with Gene Stratton-Porter’s A Girl of the Limberlost. I recently remembered how I’d re-read my favorite scenes aloud, imagining myself as the lead girl. But for the life of me I couldn’t remember anything else about it, so I decided a re-read was in order. The book was written in 1909, and is a companion to Freckles, which I have not read. This caused some […]

Surviving is an act of resistance!

Beasts of Carnaval by Rosália Rodrigo

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This book fulfills the “border” square on CBR17 bingo; Sofia exists on the border of conquered and conqueror, and explores the complexities of her mixed heritage. As soon as I saw the cover for Beasts of Carnaval, I knew I wanted to read it, and the synopsis just cemented it for me. I love stories that are about resistance and revolution and proving that the colonizers and oppressors won’t be the last ones standing. And this delivers so beautifully! Sofia’s twin brother, Sol, vanished to […]

Works of Pimienta

Twin Cities by Jose Pimienta

Stars, Hide Your Fire by Kel McDonald

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Somewhere I have a copy of the book, Twin Cities by Joe Pimienta. Do I know where it is? Not a chance! Books have a habit of finding safe spots that are so safe even I don’t know where they are! Therefore, thank goodness for my local library.  I’m thinking that two readings for adults would be a good idea. First, read the text then second, read the illustrations. Trying to do both at the same time is a little hard. You see, this might […]

Book two times three

Rema Chronicles V02 Kingdom of Water: A Graphic Novel by Amy Kim

Grand Slam Romance V02: Major League Hotties by Ollie Hicks and Emma Oosterhous

Double Booking V02 When and Where Wolf by Pangburn,, Kim Shearer and Nic Touris

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Sequels are always an interesting read. They can  be the best book in the group or the worst. They can also be so much later than book one that you forget everything about what happened before.  And that last one is what happened to Kingdom of Water: A Graphic Novel (the Rema Chronicles #2) by Amy Kim. I started reading (via an online reader, due August 2025) and said, “Who are these people again?” Therefore, read volumes one and two close together. Spoiler: There will […]

The encouraging message that went viral is now in a cute book with more friends

Koupen-chan & You: Words of Encouragement from Japan's Positive Penguin by Rurutea

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I have seen this adorable little penguin on some things but never knew that it had a name or that recently they had a book come out called Koupen-chan & You: Words of Encouragement from Japan’s Positive Penguin by Rurutea. When I found this book as an online reader copy (though it is available currently), I figured I would look at a few pages (as it was nearly 300 pages). What started as a “few pages” turned into “all the pages” read. Now, it is […]

Stitch Head was the first creation. But not the last.

Stitch Head: The Graphic Novel by Guy Bass and Pete Williamson

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Cbr17bingo Favorite (in a favorite genre) Stitch Head: The Graphic Novel by Guy Bass and Pete Williamson is a cute retelling of the Frankenstein monster story with modern twists. Plus it includes the ideas of friendship and how they change and grow. While I am not in the BEST EVER category for this title, there was a coziness to it that I enjoyed, plus the humor was quirky and not too young or “stereotypical” (though there is some of that, too). Sometimes things are a […]



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