Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

When Jason Mantzoukas says he’s obsessed with a book, you better believe I’m going to read it.

All You Need is Kill by Yoshitoshi Abe, Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Takeshi Obata

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell

The Case of the Missing Men by Kris Bertin, Alexander Forbes

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I’m a big fan of the graphic novel. I will fight anyone who doesn’t think spending time with a graphic novel counts as reading — for any reading level from elementary to adult. It counts. Since we started self-distancing, I’ve read three amazing — and so, so, so very different — graphic novels. The first, All You Need is Kill, is probably the most famous of the bunch. The inspiration for the Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt movie, Edge of Tomorrow (great movie, terrible title), AYNIK tells […]

When One Summer Turns into the Important Summer

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

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#cbr11bingo #Listicle 2015 Caldecott Honor (List of Caldecott books of 2015 This is a snap shot of two girls during the summer their innocence is partly-lost, one comes of age and both learn that growing pains take on different forms. This premise of This One Summer by cousin collaborators, Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki, has been seen before, but the characters make it fresh. Rose is an only child, slightly older than her summer friend Windy. Her parents, while modern, do have a more conservative attitude […]

Somehow, against all odds, this works!

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Tamaki, Mariko

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Harley’s story is revamped to set her origin during her teen years, and by making this change, we get to enjoy her character without having to negotiate how she got to where she is. In Tamaki’s version, Harleen Quinn has always been something of an oddball and a screw-up with the best of intentions. Raised by a single mom, she takes on being the protector of her family sometimes, even if it lands her in juvie here and there. When she’s 16, her mom lands […]

What do you get when you cross a Drag Queen and she’s friends with Harley Quinn?

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki

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I like the concept of Harley Quinn. I like how she has been reimagined. I like how she has this (literally) crazy humor and like many villains, never thinks she is in the wrong. And it is logical why that is. I like her as a character but not necessarily as a person. Do I think she is a role model and little girls (and I mean little) should dress up as her? No. Do I think she is in one of the most abusive […]

I wish I had read this before I had my toxic relationship

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up Me by Mariko Tamaki

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When I first picked up, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, I am embarrassed to say the cover and reading the title made my first thought about the book be, “Another whiny dude gets dumped by his hot, selfish girlfriend.” I was partly right. It is “Girl gets dumped by her hot, selfish girlfriend.” Then I saw it was a First Second graphic novel. They do not do easy or traditional reads. Even Stargazing has a surprise at the end that is not light […]

Being 16 is a Lot to Deal With Sometimes

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I became interested in reading Skim by the Tamaki cousins after seeing ElCicco’s review this past summer. And what a great recommendation it turned out to be! A quick one, too, as I finished it in just one sitting. This graphic novel is very introspective, coming through via the voice of the protagonist’s diary, and I could see it being a great read for both teens and adults. Skim follows the story of a Canadian teen named Kim, who doesn’t really fit in at her all-girls school, and along with […]



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