Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Amusing with a dash of heartbreak

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

by 1 Comment

While never a huge David Sedaris fan, I started to appreciate his approach to writing when I read the excerpts from his personal diaries during the pandemic. Sedaris focuses on the little, absurd things in life and weaves an essay around them. His off-the-wall, probing questions might seem unsettling to some, but I suspect he’d make a fantastic dining companion and a hoot to have at parties. For example, in an essay titled “Six to Eight Black Men,” he talks about how he makes a […]

“I subscribe to a theory that answers cannot hide from us forever if we seek them long enough.”

Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne

by Leave a Comment

Al is one of five magical scribes in the world, charged with upholding the law between the mortal world and the higher planes where gods and mythical creatures reside. When his latest apprentice turns up dead, he discovers that he may have been trafficking the fae – and as his mentor, it is Al’s duty to make things right. This is the first book in the series, which is a spin-off of Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles. I have not read those books, but Ink and Sigil works […]

“The hearts of men are alike wherever you go. The rest is scenery.”

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

by Leave a Comment

In the midst of the Peloponnesian War, more than 7000 Athenian prisoners of war are left to rot in Syracuse’s quarries – except a select few whom unemployed Syracusan potters Lampo and Gelon decide will be perfect to mount a pair of plays by the great tragic playwright Euripides. You might have to reread that premise. It’s a pretty whacky one, though some mild trawling of Wikipedia later revealed to me that allegedly some Athenian prisoners in Sicily did buy their freedom by reciting Euripides […]

“You can’t legally brag about your son since you named him “Carl”.”

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

by Leave a Comment

Jolene copes with her soul-sucking job by pretending to be invisible and ranting at her coworkers in emails in white text. But when she’s found out, she’s sentenced to anti-harassment training with the cute new HR rep and restrictions on her computer – except it turns out that she’s accidentally been given access to the emails of every single of her coworkers instead. Often funny and often sad and very much filled with petty office politics which verge just on unbelievable sometimes. Jolene is a […]

Damnit, Janet

Now or Never: 31 on the Run by Janet Evanovich

by 26 Comments

Every year I start out strong and think, maybe this will be my year. I also am that girl who buys a new calendar every January, uses it until the 11th, and then gives up cause Google calendar is easier. But this year I’m NOT buying a calendar, so…. maybe that’s a good sign? (I mean, it’s only January 1st. I haven’t been to Target yet.) Anyway. Spoilers ahead. Lots. This is the 31st installment of these books, and yes, I have read every single one […]

Cryptid Curious

Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen

by Leave a Comment

Do you love illustrations or graphic novels? Do you also love cryptids? Then you should read Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen. It’s a collection of adorable comics about cryptids. I loved how most of the supposed monsters or aliens are sensitive types and often simply antisocial. We get little vignettes about aliens, Mothman, ghosts, sasquatch, Loch Ness, and more. Most of the characters look harmless and anxious. It felt like a collection of funny facts about cryptids. You can run through rather quickly. There isn’t much […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo