Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

She’s not the spirit we wanted, but the one we needed

Zawa + The Belly of the Beast by Michael Dialynas

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I was a few pages into Zawa + The Belly of the Beast by Michael Dialynas when I said, “I think this might be a rating of four.” I was not sure why, but the humor and story up to this point made me think I was going to really really like it. Well, I did enjoy it, but not really really liked it. As the story went along, there were some missing pieces, and I was not liking some of the characters (the ones […]

Look forward with the words of Watson

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson and Ekua Holmes

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Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson was one of those books I had heard about, seen, but never really wanted to read. I mean, I like young adult literature, I like poetry and I like young adult poetry. However, I judged the book by the cover and theme. I assumed it would be some flowery “poor me” story. Instead, it is a truly strong and amazing short collection of poems that are relatable, informative and thoughtful. The language is lovely, but straight forward. […]

Getting schooled and then some

Sparks Volume 1: Portals by REVEL GUTS

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While starting off strong, Sparks Volume 1: Portals turned into a dragged on middle to end story.  Perhaps it would be better to read all volumes that will be included at once, but who knows. However, I should have realized with an author name like REVEL GUTS, this was not going to be the usual reading. Let’s get the warnings/possible triggers out of the way: They include (but not limited to) course language, some sexual situations, drug and alcohol use, vomit, and missing students the […]

Second verse, same as the first

Dungeon Club: Time to Party (Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club, #2) by Molly Knox Ostertag

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I keep seeing the name Molly Knox Ostertag and I think, “Have I read them?” And I stop, think some more and say, “Yes! Oh duh! They have done….” and think about a book or two they have created. Why I can’t remember them I am not really sure. After all, they are a good author. So, I feel really bad that this name escapes me, but I assure you, you should not let Ostertag escape you! Dungeon Club: Time to Party (Dungeons & Dragons: […]

The King is Dead and Secrets Will Roll

The King Is Dead by Benjamin Dean

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Taken from a review found online:  Sometimes I find it really hard to rate a book, and The King is Dead is one of them. A lot of my friends had already read it and almost unanimously gave it three stars. Their conclusion: a nice story, but … a bit boring and a rushed ending, a fun read but off pacing, a solid book but lacking subtlety, you name it. And I can understand them all. And still … I found The King Is Dead […]

More than the cookie crumbles

Crumble (A Graphic Novel) by Meredith McClaren and Andrea Bell

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Though Crumble (A Graphic Novel) by Meredith McClaren and Andrea Bell is currently available, I read it via an online reader copy.  When I first heard about McClaren’s graphic novel several months back, I figured it would be a nice story, but nothing to go wild over. While it was not my favorite read, it has several elements that really made this not only a fun read, but have a little edge without being too mature.  Our main character and her family can put their […]



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