Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Thoughtful meditation on science, faith and family

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

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Yaa Gyasi is best known for her critically acclaimed first novel, Homegoing.  Unlike Homegoing, which I gather has a broad sweep in terms in geography and time (its in my TBR pile!), Transcendent Kingdom is narrowly focused on one woman, Gifty, in her adolescent to early adult years.  Although the scope of the novel expands a little to include Gifty’s immediate family and a few friends, the novel remains focused on her experiences with these additional cast members- we see them through her eyes. We […]

cbr12bingo – Debut

Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson

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Oh dear. Boys of Alabama is a lot. In Genevieve Hudson’s debut novel we are introduced to small-town Delilah, Alabama through the eyes of Max- the new kid in town. Max and his family just moved to rural America from urban Germany, and we leap into the culture shock with them. Delilah has two religions: Christianity and football- and the two form a dangerous communion. Max is sensitive, quiet, and gay. He can also bring dead things back to life; one touch and wilted flowers bloom. […]

“Still, I wanted to believe; indeed I longed to; and, in the end, how much of belief comes from longing?”

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

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I worked three jobs in the summer of 2005. I frequently worked more than one during any given day. Days off did not exist- except, miraculously, for the 4th of July. The history of the 4th holds no meaning here, just that I finally had a day to myself. I spent my one day off in bed, reading The Handmaid’s Tale from cover to cover. I did not leave the room. I turned down, much to the chagrin of the person whose bed it was, all opportunities […]

Do you celebrate with your family? Well so does this family!

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  If you are a fan of the All-Of-A-Kind Family series, this might be a book to add to your collection. It is a picture book with slightly more text than usual, but in the vein of the original tales as Emily Jenkins has tried to keep to the spirit of a beloved series. And Paul O. Zelinsky also has tried to keep the feel of the original illustrations while putting his own spin on them. In an afterwards he mentions his influences and reasoning […]

Beauty, mystery, tradition, belonging and faith

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The theme of Deep in the Sahara is simple: An Arab girl of the Sahara who wants to wear a malafa, the veil/dress worn by the women of her faith.  She wants to wear the malafa to be like the women of the village, but it is not until she learns what it really means that her mother allows her to wear it. Kelly Cunnane tells you that the malafa represents all the things the girl thinks it is: beauty, mystery, tradition and belonging. But it also means […]

Well, I guess the red capes had to come from somewhere

Genesis Part VII - Chapters 26-30 by 6000 years of male privelege

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Previously on Supernatural… Sarah’s death, Abraham’s death, Isaac’s marriage to Rebekah: the best little camel waterer in Texas, and sibling rivalry, as per the usual. In this installment… Patty: There was a severe famine so Isaac hightailed it to Gerar. God told him to stay put and not to go to Egypt and that if he obeyed, he would be rewarded with God’s standard offer of blessings and descendants. Now, stop me if you’ve heard this one but Isaac tells everyone in town that Rebekah […]



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