Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Baby’s First Fantasy Court Intrigue

Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian

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Daphne understands, suddenly, exactly what she is – not a girl, not a princess, not a spy or a saboteur. She is a poison, brewed and distilled and fermented over sixteen years, crafted by her mother to bring ruination to whomever she touches. Beatriz, Daphne, and Sophronia have been raised since birth to wed into the royal families of their neighboring countries – and then sow discord to bring them under their mother’s control. But the triplets find that when their loyalties are tested, it […]

Life Under the Regime

A Village in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd, Angelika Patel

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Wars come and go, but life goes on. And so it went on in the village of Oberstdorf throughout the 1930s and 1940s, with the rise and fall of Nazism an undercurrent all along – except it was one that swelled in a way that even a quiet little village couldn’t ignore. A few years ago I took a class called Experiencing Total War, in which I learned about what it was like for the average person to live through the world wars. It was […]

Wild Wild Country

Rajneeshpuram: Inside the Cult of Bhagwan and Its Failed American Utopia by Russell King

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In the 1980s, a man who calls himself God and his disciples attempt to set up a utopia in the countryside of Oregon, and they are not afraid to bend laws and hurt people to get what they want. As a Hindu myself, I have a quite skeptical view of all the Western-catering groups that sprung up out of India in the 70s and 80s, the gurus promising to teach people to lead fulfilling lives based on a lot of Orientalist stereotypes and mysticism. And […]

“I knew beyond any doubt that there was genuine value to be found in my story.”

Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation by Hannah Gadsby

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I feel like this is going to be a tough one for me to review, because my relationship with the content that Hannah Gadsby creates is so personal to me and has been frankly crucial to how I am coming to understand myself that it’s a bit difficult to try to take that out of the equation and look at Ten Steps to Nanette on its own. I’ve likely watched Nanette half a dozen times in the past couple of years (and once again in […]

I Need A Hefty Historical Saga About This Woman, ASAP

The Mistress From Chandernagore by A. B. de M. Hunter

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When Catherine, born to a French family in India, wed an Englishman from down the river, she thought she would settle down and have lots of children. But instead her life becomes a whirl of travel, scandal, spies, and romance that eventually leads her to the highest echelons of Napoleonic society. Poor student of history that I am, I do know who Talleyrand is. But I had never even considered the existence of a Mme de Talleyrand, and so was quite delighted to learn all […]

Local Man Jumps to Conclusions, Thinks He Loves A Traitor

The Meddler by Kate Archer

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Perhaps he might indicate his lack of interest in musical ability? No, that was probably not right – she might not like to be reminded that she was in the habit of thrashing the pianoforte rather than playing it. A group of women placed in high society who have always wanted daughters decide to fulfill those motherly ambitions by sponsoring impoverished young ladies. But Jasper is afraid that his mother Lady Mendleton’s choice may be a traitor… if only he hadn’t fallen in love with […]



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