Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Putting Black women back into the historical narrative.

A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry & Kali Nicole Gross

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This was a really good book for what it was—a survey of Black women’s roles throughout 400 plus years of North American history—but the relatively small 219 page count just wasn’t enough space to really get into the sorts of details I really love when reading about history. I don’t think we can discount the impact of the purpose of the book, though, since its entire aim is to place Black women back into the historical record, and it very much succeeds in that goal. […]

Some places, you never leave the same

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

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Kicking off my CBR12 Bingo with The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead for the RED book cover square. A beautifully written novel about a segregated Florida reform school during the Jim Crow era. All the boys never left The Nickel Academy the same as when they arrived. The novel flashes between the present and the past through Elwood’s eyes. Each chapter gives you a lyrical moment in time. We learn about the place in pieces, flashing forward to Elwood as an adult. As soon as […]

“A civilization is not destroyed by wicked people; it is not necessary that people be wicked but only that they be spineless.”

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

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If we- and now I mean the relatively conscious whites and the relatively conscious blacks, who must, like lovers, insist on, or create, the consciousness of the others- do not falter in our duty now, we may be able, handful that we are, to end the racial nightmare, and achieve our country, and change the history of the world It is time to listen. James Baldwin had a voice unlike any other. He transcends country, creed, and time. His work is astonishing and terribly important. The […]

On Pointe

Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina by Lea Lyon

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Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina has gotten a lot of attention. First, because this is a good book that covers several subjects. It covers African American history, women’s history and dance. It covers determination and perseverance. It talks about challenges, a family’s love and how you can do anything with the right book. This is a sweet story about Sylvia Townsend: a determined girl who let nothing stopped her. Lea Lyon and A. LaFaye’s text is upbeat and highlights the […]

Luke Cage meets noir meets The Diviners meets more please!

Abbott by Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivelä

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Abbott is a brief, five-issue series set in 1970s Detroit about journalist Elena Abbott, lone black female reporter at the Detroit Daily. Abbott prefers to delve into the stories the paper’s board would rather not see printed. She’s recently getting heat for her piece on the death of a black teen at the hands of police, but so far she’s been protected by her loyal boss. She has a new case on the horizon and it’s a grisly one.  A mutilated police horse is found […]

Ms. Desmond, you’re the wrong color to be sitting there

Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged! by Jody Nyasha Warner

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This is not a 5 because it is the best book ever. It is very good, but it is not my favorite book. However, it is a 5 because it is talking about history in a time, place and about a gender we donot hear a lot about. We learn about a woman of color who sat down for her rights and the rights of every black Canadian. And in a way, she stood up (by sitting) for people of color everywhere. To see a […]



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