Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“One night. I just want one night of sleep”…”Is it that too much to to ask? One night where I don’t have to babysit or dig up a corpse?…”

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

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Part of my Simon and Schuster publisher online finds included The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson. A mouthful of a title that almost hides the plot of this young adult novel. The Past is a messy, quirky, simple and a modern teen novel. Even the unlikable characters can be likable. This is mostly since you can sympathize with what is going on, even if you have never been a reanimated, dead, best ex-friend. (Images are three of the […]

Let’s Go

Letting Go of Gravity by Meg Leder

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Letting Go of Gravity is a book with a very teen romance without some of the usual teen romance (she barely kisses the love interest, but there is a spark between them), and a book that is also dealing with family and expectations that they place on us and that we place on ourselves. Not all characters are a 100% likable as they can be typical characters; sometimes even almost stereotypical, but they are not horrible people either. There are several obvious plot points and […]

“When you’re twins, the magic just never ends” (Little Richard, Philip Bailey)

Twins: A Graphic Novel by Varian Johnson

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Twins: A Graphic Novel has two main elements that make it both familiar and new. Varian Johnson does the “twin thing” (two sisters who are best friends, know each other in ways even their parents cannot know, and are each other’s “partner in crime/fear/whatever is needed), but then makes a new twist with having a modern touch with a blended family of color. The story is simple: Two sisters; almost identical (one is slightly taller; this one has a scar) and best friends. That is […]

It is: “These are cool books, but I do not have the 250-word minimum for each of them” time.

Wild Peace by Irene Latham

Why? A Conversation About Race by Taye Diggs

Who Loves Little Lemur? by Jay Fleck

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It is: “These are cool books, but I do not have the 250-word minimum for each of them” time. We start with Wild Peace which was penned by Irene Latham and illustrations that came from Il Sung Na.  This is a lovely poem about taking a break and about imagination set in the picture book format. The start and end have a few unusual illustrations that I never completely “got” but overall, my favorite part of the book are the illustrations. This is a relaxing […]

I don’t think Bill W. saw this gal coming!

Other Broken Things by C. Desir

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Oh boy! Did I hate this book by C. Desir for the first few chapters: Natalie is a spoiled rich girl and is a “drunk” and of course thinks she does not have a problem; that everyone parities. Her character was a cliché from the first word. She, of course, blames everyone else for her problems, but does not admit they are problems. Even during a cliched moment (that I had really hoped was not going to happen) near the end of the book, she […]

A controversial question with the answer of a good book

Jo Jo Makoons: The Use-to-Be Best Friend by Dawn Quigley

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One of the most controversial questions you can ask about characters of a book is, “Why is your character X?” (Fill in the blank: gay, black, Muslim, etc.). But it is an important question. Why does you character have to be X? OR: Why do they have brown hair or green eyes? Why are they tall or short? Why are they male, female, or non-binary? Why are they an alien, a dog, a robot or a farting penguin? What does that piece of information do […]



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