Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“I think there is just one kind of folks. Folks.”

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for- Atticus This is one of those books that I read at least once a year, and each time I find something new to appreciate in it. It also has the rare distinction of having one of the best and most accurate cinematic adaptions to date. (Seriously, To Kill A Mockingbird and Hogfather are the two off the top of my head you can say that of). My mother lent me her copy […]

The first woman to sit down was a teenager

Claudette Colvin: I Want Freedom Now! by Claudette Colvin

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We know Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, Dr. King and more of the civil rights movement people, but do you know Claudette Colvin? She was a teenager who one day was sitting on the bus. She was, like Rosa after her, tired and knew her rights. She said No, I’m not giving up my seat. She would be yelled out, arrested and charged with numerous crimes (none of which were true). And her mother and preacher would bail her out of jail. But that was not […]

An Interesting Queer Horror

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo

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One of my favorite elements of horror from queer voices (and other marginalized identities) is the examination of monstrosity and what makes for horror. I think Mandelo comes at it from an interesting angle in this novella, and I really did enjoy the final arc with Stevie. I also enjoyed Stevie and Les’ dynamic over the course of the story, seeing that call of like to like but also hesitancy given the locale. In many ways, though, I don’t overall know how I feel about […]

When Langston Found Langston

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome

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Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome is an interesting look at the late 1940s, Chicago, growing up and literature that was way too short. I would have enjoyed more of the history of the time and seen a bigger connection to the two people called Langston. Still, I enjoyed what I read but, like I said, there needed to be more: more of the history of the times (Why were the black families moving north? Why were the soldiers were coming back? Even the fact that […]

cbr12bingo – Debut

Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson

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Oh dear. Boys of Alabama is a lot. In Genevieve Hudson’s debut novel we are introduced to small-town Delilah, Alabama through the eyes of Max- the new kid in town. Max and his family just moved to rural America from urban Germany, and we leap into the culture shock with them. Delilah has two religions: Christianity and football- and the two form a dangerous communion. Max is sensitive, quiet, and gay. He can also bring dead things back to life; one touch and wilted flowers bloom. […]

The Reverend

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep

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Disclaimer: This is not an impartial review. The author Casey Cep and I attended grad school for a year. Though we’ve lost touch, I consider her an old friend and think highly of her. Harper Lee is an iconic American figure almost as much for her reclusiveness as her writing. Aside from a smattering of journal articles, her one hit wonder To Kill A Mockingbird is probably the most printed book in history outside of the Bible, yet she never wrote anything else and maintained a veiled […]



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