Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

I’m telling you stories. Trust me.

The Passion by Jeanette Winterson

by 1 Comment

Bingo Square: Back to School Henri works in the kitchens during the Napoleonic Wars. A naive young solider he has nothing but love and admiration for Napoleon and longs to be of service. But as the years pass and the zero winter sets in, Henri becomes disillusioned, especially when he falls in love. Villanelle is a boatman’s daughter of Venice. She has bright red hair and webbed feet and spends her time in the casino, picking pockets and dealing cards. She has literally lost her […]

So Much For Romance

The Miracle at St. Bruno's (The Daughters of England Book 1) by Philippa Carr

by 2 Comments

In 16th century England, Damask Farland falls in love with the orphan Bruno who was raised by monks and hailed as a miracle child. The historical background is mostly formed by the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII, but continues on until the coronation of Elizabeth I. The history of the time is explained in great detail, the intrigues at court, Henry’s many wives, religious conflict, etc., but while some events affect the characters, others don’t. Damask’s father, for instance, is denounced as a traitor and […]

The wife stuff (bingo, true story)

The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

by Leave a Comment

As I was mentally writing my review for this book midway through it, I realized that my only complaint was that it wasn’t a The Right Stuff -length piece. At first I was thinking how if Koppel focused only on the Mercury astronaut wives, we could have learned so much more about them in greater depth, but then we would have missed the differing responses to the Apollo One tragedies in Pat White, consumed by her husband’s loss, and Martha Chaffee’s fortitude in moving on. […]

She Did It Again

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

by Leave a Comment

BINGO: Listicle (ELLE magazine Best Fall Books 2018) Best for: People who like Liane Moriarty books. In a nutshell: Nine people arrive at a health retreat looking for change. They find a little more than that. Worth quoting: “The first was a woman … wearing an oversized, brand-new-looking whit t-shirt that hung almost to her knees over black leggings, the standard outfit for an average-sized woman who starts a new exercise program and thinks her perfectly normal body should be hidden.” Why I chose it: […]

1st BINGO!

Finn by Jon Clinch

by Leave a Comment

Since I read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as my classic this year, what better way to do the Remix square then to find a retelling of the book I had just finished. The original would be fresh in my mind and I’d have a place to jump off from. I found Finn at the local book barn, and since it was only $5.00 for the hardcover, what was the harm? The premise was intriguing….a whole book from Huck’s father’s perspective….and for full disclosure, I was taken […]

Smaller Mass Update #3: Books about a guy who owns a dog or two

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt

First Degree by David Rosenfelt

Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt

by Leave a Comment

Ok these three together actually makes sense!  They’re all from the same series, and they’re all about a lawyer who loves his dog.  Any one of these books can fulfill my “I Love This” bingo square, because I love dogs, and I love legal thrillers.  In real life, I love dogs more, so don’t worry about me! Here’s #1!  I again started a series at book number 1.  I think CBR is reforming my ways. In this book, we’re introduced to Andy, who is a […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo