Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“It took a tremendous effort for me not to rip his arm off, and I’d like that noted for the record, please.”

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

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Back in November of 2018 I joined the cult of Murderbot. After I had read and loved The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Emmalita and narfna had told me that Murderbot needed to be next up in my reading of contemplative, character driven space opera. I was immediately in love. I’ve kept up with the furthering adventures of Murderbot in the intervening years and had decided earlier this year that I wanted to do a full series re-read before I […]

An adorable YA romance from Talia Hibbert

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

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For our Hot Fun in the Summertime Cannon Book Club, we read Highly Suscipious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert. I also read it for Happily Everyone After book club at The Ripped Bodice.  This was Hibbert’s first foray into YA/Young Adult romance. Published by Joy Revolution, an imprint run by Nicola and David Yoon, they strive to publish diverse stories that celebrate joy. We meet Celine and Bradley in their last year of high school. They are both overachieving Black British teens whose families are […]

“Intentions always look better on paper than in reality.”

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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Another review of a Book Club choice, 2017’s The Hate U Give. A peek behind the scenes: this one almost got left off the voting, having been popular over the years but as it’s the 30th most challenged book of the decade 2010-2019 and the fifth most challenged in 2021 the argument to include it felt justified. This YA novel was challenged and banned in school libraries and curriculums because it was considered “pervasively vulgar” and because of drug use, profanity, and offensive language. Other […]

“It’s time for the world to let queer black boys unpack their shit.”

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

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When we had our book club vote for September, I was secretly hoping that All Boys Aren’t Blue would be one of the ones we chose. I was flabbergasted that in November of last year the memoir had a criminal report filed with the Flagler County Sheriff’s office by a member of the Flagler County School Board arguing that the book’s inclusion in three district school libraries violated state obscenity laws because it contained sexually graphic material. It has also been removed from school libraries […]

Adventures in ghost hunting

Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

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I read Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega for our Young at Heart Cannon book club. I am so glad this book came into my life. 2022 has been plagued with a few reading slumps from the pandemic. However, this middle-grade book got me back into the groove. I read the audiobook, which I highly recommend. The supernatural mystery follows two friends, Lucely and Syd, who live in St. Augustine, Florida. Lucely is Dominican-American and can see her ghost relatives. She speaks to their spirits […]

I did not see that coming

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

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CBR Bingo: Book Club (Cannon Book Club selection) In 1989, I was 7 years old. I wasn’t the kind of little girl who loved princesses, but like almost any other kid my age, I loved The Little Mermaid. I have no idea how many times I’ve seen it, but I know most of it by heart. I remember learning to play “Under the Sea” in 7th grade band (I also learned Aladdin’s “A Whole New World” in American Sign Language in 5th grade choir, but that’s a […]



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