Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

It was comforting to return to an established world: cbr12bingo “Yellow”

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

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I love this gorgeous cover, from the golden yellow to the intricate details referencing elements of the story.  I’ve been looking forward to reading this, so I was delighted that it fits the yellow square!  Three colors now crossed off on my bingo card. After going through three long books, two of which were challenging and thought provoking, requiring close attention and processing of what I was reading, the other a chonker of an epic fantasy, I was ready to return to something familiar.  This […]

A swing and a miss from Oprah.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

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I did not like this book. I remember the weird Oprah controversy from last year, but honestly, didn’t pay too much attention to it while it was going on. And then my book club chose it for the summer selection. Most people loved it — regardless of the controversial story of Jeanine Cummins — but I couldn’t really get past her whole story and as I continued reading (well, listening), I got more and more annoyed with her and the story. A quick overview of […]

Entire epic fantasy in one novel: cbr12bingo “Orange” – Bingo!

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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“Orange” square completes my first Bingo! The Priory of the Orange Tree was the featured speculative fiction pick of the month by Mysterious Galaxy when it was first released.  One of the booksellers, who is a huge epic fantasy fan, was eagerly waiting to read it because it’s the type of fantasy that has appendices.  At the time it came home, I didn’t have space space in the TBR.  However, it was the perfect fit for the orange square, which gave me the push to […]

A Cannonball prize and a bingo (Bingo #3)

Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia

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4.5 stars #CBR12 Bingo: No Money (in fact, won in the prize raffle for the first annual CBR Bingo) Official book description: Fifteen years ago, a murder-suicide in room 712 rocked the grand old Bellweather Hotel and the young bridesmaid who witnessed it, Minnie Graves. Now hundreds of high school musicians have gathered at the Bellweather for the annual Statewide festival; Minnie has returned to face her demons; and a blizzard is threatening to trap them all inside. When a young prodigy disappears from infamous room […]

The garden itself isn’t magic, positive thinking and determination are what brings the change: cbr12 bingo “Green”

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illustrated by Tasha Tudor

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I did not intend for The Secret Garden to  be my “Green” book for Cannonball bingo but when I finished reading it to my 8 year old last night, it seemed silly to not take advantage of it fitting the green square.  This is my beloved copy from childhood.  I can’t recall how many times it has been read over the years and with this re-read it has now been shared with both my children.  The Secret Garden captured my imagination as a child with its […]

Get your priorities straight!

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

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Cbr12bingo Happy This short book could count as a “how-to” as well as a “happy” category book. The title might lead the reader to think it’s a funny send-up of self-help books, and while it is frequently funny, it is actually a very helpful discussion about finding the right values to guide you in life. It’s about prioritizing and recognizing that a good life is not an easy one and that you shouldn’t strive for easy. This is really a great book to be reading […]



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