Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Sailing sailing the ocean blue

Kondo & Kezumi Visit Giant Island by David Goodner

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Kondo & Kezumi Visit Giant Island is a quirky story about friendship, overcoming fears and having adventures. David Goodner created book one of an unknown number of books in a new series for an early reader of chapter books. Or for a child that is willing to sit and listen to a longer story. Fun illustrations by Andrea Tsurumi are simple even slightly simplistic (but not in any way negative). The tone of the story feels like it has a “worldly” feel to it as […]

A Walk To Adventure

Timo the Adventurer by Jonathan Garnier

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Timo the Adventurer is, to say the least, an odd book. The theme is mostly obvious with the question of “What a hero truly is” as its main point. However, there are also the themes of learning to trust others; asking for help; giving help; learning to forgive others along with yourself and learning from your mistakes. Jonathan Garnier crafted a book that might appeal to most kids ages 8 to 12 (or young 13). There is action, fantasy violence and even the tiniest bit […]

Couple of stinkers off on an adventure

Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World by Jacqueline Davies

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Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World is cute. Cute story about friendship, overcoming fears and not leaving your tuna sandwich laying around. Cute illustrations. Cute humor and cute presentation. Yes, Jacqueline Davies (author) and Deborah Hocking (illustration) created a cute overall new tale for the (read aloud/pick up a few words) 5 to 9 (solo reading). A young 10-year-old could also find a little something from this. Sydney and Taylor are two friends (hello Frog and Toad, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, Boris […]

“It is difficult, after the passage of more than a century, to understand the extent to which the train robbery of 1855 shocked the sensibilities of Victorian England.” #CBRBingo – Money!

The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton

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I would love to see the movie version of this, which Crichton also wrote and directed. Sean Connery as Edward Pierce, the mastermind behind the robbery that threw Victorian England for a loop. He really was a smart guy. It’s obvious Crichton did his research about the period (apparently he became obsessed with the Victorian criminal underworld). The book is chock full of criminal slang. You catch the meaning eventually, and it certainly lends an atmosphere. This was a bit hard to get into at […]

“It might be that saving the world is idiotically simple. Maybe we just need to connect and care for one another.” #CBRBingo – Shelfie

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (The Carls, #2) by Hank Green

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I give this beautiful eyesore of a book five stars. Well, 4.5 rounded up. I kind of don’t know what to say about this book! It was a lot! And, honestly, I liked the first book in this duology (3.5 stars worth), but it didn’t blow my socks off or anything. This one kind of did. I think there was a huge jump in quality here, but also a huge jump in scale. There was a focus on April in the first one that kept […]

”My name, since you raise the topic, is Arthur Aloysius Kimberley de Brabazon Secretan. What would you do in my place?” “Leave the country … You poor bastard, you never stood a chance.” #CBRBingo – The Roaring 20’s

Slippery Creatures (The Will Darling Adventures, #1) by K.J. Charles

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I loved everything about this. K.J. Charles is honestly spoiling me for other historical romance authors. There’s just something about her style (very detailed, historically accurate, flawed but compelling characters) that gets me right in the pleasure center. She also doesn’t just write in one time period or keep it to straight-up romance. She’s always messing around with spy fiction or mystery or golden age pulp (here and Think of England) or jewelry heists or homages to Georgette Heyer regency fiction. Sometimes many of these […]



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