Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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December 2023 Leftovers

Mandarin Plaid by SJ Rozan

Lady Killer, Volume 1 by Joëlle Jones

Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden

Batman, Vol. 6: Graveyard Shift by Scott Snyder

The Confession by Domenic Stansberry

A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself by William Boyle

Joe Dogs: The Life and Crimes of a Mobster by Joseph Iannuzzi

Robert B. Parker's Cheap Shot by Ace Atkins

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow

December 29, 2023 by Jake Leave a Comment

Merry Christmas. We may need to dispense with the cold/snow songs. They’re about as realistic as Santa at this point. Mandarin Plaid **** SJ Rozan continues to improve with each book in this series. This one has layers and moves well to its conclusion. I’m not gonna be totally sold on a white person writing from the perspective of an AAPI one but I think Rozan does a better job with it than she did in the first one. May have to go long with […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, History, Non-Fiction, Sports, Suspense Tagged With: A Friend Is a Gift You Give Yourself, Ace Atkins, Alys Arden, Batman, Boston, Brooklyn, Chinatown, Coney Island, Domenic Stansberry, Florida, football, Gilded Age, Graphic Novel, hard case crime, historical fiction, hit woman, Joe Dogs, joelle jones, John D. Rockefeller, Joseph Iannuzzi, lady killer, Lydia Chin, Lydia Chin and Bill Smith, mafia, magic, Mandarin Plaid, Manhattan, Massachusetts, Mob, mystery, New England Patriots, New York City, oil, organized crime, psychological thriller, ron chernow, scott snyder, SJ Rozan, Spenser, superheroes, The Confession, Titan, true crime, William Boyle, Zatanna

Jake's CBR15 Review No:183 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, History, Non-Fiction, Sports, Suspense · Tags: A Friend Is a Gift You Give Yourself, Ace Atkins, Alys Arden, Batman, Boston, Brooklyn, Chinatown, Coney Island, Domenic Stansberry, Florida, football, Gilded Age, Graphic Novel, hard case crime, historical fiction, hit woman, Joe Dogs, joelle jones, John D. Rockefeller, Joseph Iannuzzi, lady killer, Lydia Chin, Lydia Chin and Bill Smith, mafia, magic, Mandarin Plaid, Manhattan, Massachusetts, Mob, mystery, New England Patriots, New York City, oil, organized crime, psychological thriller, ron chernow, scott snyder, SJ Rozan, Spenser, superheroes, The Confession, Titan, true crime, William Boyle, Zatanna ·
· 0 Comments

Food and family

Rainbow Shopping by Qing Zhuang

December 28, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The publisher’s description of Rainbow Shopping by Qing Zhuang says “Shopping for and preparing a delicious meal helps a young Chinese American girl feel connected to her family.” But it is more than that. It is a way of her having a connection with her past and the present. And it shows a piece of her old home and her new home. We are able to see that while she cannot find everything she and her mother wanted for their special dinners (the whole family […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Health, Poetry Tagged With: Asian-American, Chinatown, Chinese-Americans, colors, Concepts, Emigration & Immigration, family, Qing Zhuang, United States - Asian American & Pacific Islander

BlackRaven's CBR15 Review No:891 · Genres: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Health, Poetry · Tags: Asian-American, Chinatown, Chinese-Americans, colors, Concepts, Emigration & Immigration, family, Qing Zhuang, United States - Asian American & Pacific Islander ·
Rating:
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Way Down to Chinatown

This Is A Bust by Ed Lin

May 19, 2022 by Jake Leave a Comment

One of the joys of reading is discovering a new author that you like and want to explore more into their catalog. I found that with Ed Lin. Wow what a book. This is one I’ve had on my shelf for a while that I decided to finally tackle. And I loved it. Yes in some sense it is a mystery but the mystery is only part of the story. The real story is Robert Chow, Chinese-American, Chinatown product, Vietnam washout, tokenized NYPD patrolman. Through […]

Filed Under: Mystery Tagged With: Chinatown, Chinese American, Ed Lin, historical fiction, mystery, New York City, This is a Bust

Jake's CBR14 Review No:83 · Genres: Mystery · Tags: Chinatown, Chinese American, Ed Lin, historical fiction, mystery, New York City, This is a Bust ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Read it, Jake. It’s…

The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood by Sam Wesson

March 9, 2020 by Jake Leave a Comment

Sometimes, it’s a good thing to sit on a review. Normally, I try to get these out right away while the book is fresh in my mind. I don’t want to forget the sensation of reading a novel, completing it, and giving my thoughts before it’s fully digested. The thrill of reading books is actually finishing the book and appreciating and/or critiquing the story I’ve just received. However, due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn’t able to get to this review until hours after […]

Filed Under: Non-Fiction Tagged With: Chinatown, Jack Nicholson, movies, Robert Evans, Robert Towne, Roman Polanski, Sam Wesson, The Big Goodbye

Jake's CBR12 Review No:40 · Genres: Non-Fiction · Tags: Chinatown, Jack Nicholson, movies, Robert Evans, Robert Towne, Roman Polanski, Sam Wesson, The Big Goodbye ·
Rating:
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It’s Chinatown

China Trade by SJ Rozan

August 18, 2019 by Jake Leave a Comment

In a context-free vacuum, China Trade is a fine, entertaining mystery. I liked the characters, especially the lead and her partner (though the “Will they or won’t they?” aspect was annoying), the plot is fine, the Chinatown setting done well. It’s a good start to a series that would potentially lead to more. But… It’s really tough to get over the idea of a white person (SJ Rozan) writing a first-person perspective novel from the POV of a Chinese woman. Now don’t get me wrong: I think […]

Filed Under: Mystery Tagged With: Bill Smith, China Trade, Chinatown, Lydia Chin, Manhattan, mystery, New York City, SJ Rozan

Jake's CBR11 Review No:79 · Genres: Mystery · Tags: Bill Smith, China Trade, Chinatown, Lydia Chin, Manhattan, mystery, New York City, SJ Rozan ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments


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