Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Whatever that story meant, it was mine to tell.”

Adult Drama: And Other Essays by Natalie Beach

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CBR16 Bingo – Liberate: In this exploration of her early adulthood, Beach liberates herself from the petty dramas of her past – especially when it comes to closing the chapter of her toxic friendship with Caroline Calloway. Natalie Beach might have shot to viral fame with her confession to being the ex-best friend and ghost-writer for an infamous influencer, but in this book she takes us on a tour of various other facets of her coming of age, from working in a pencil store to living […]

“You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for who you become and how happy you are” – allegedly, at least.

Girl, Wash your Face by Rachel Hollis

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To reach a happier and more fulfilling life, Rachel Hollis advises you must unlearn the lies you’ve been telling yourself and push yourself beyond whatever limits you assume are there. I am not at all a self-help book reader, though I have plenty of friends who enjoy consume this genre in books and podcasts and social media posts. To each their own, I suppose. But listening to true crime podcasts while walking my dog made me start wondering if we’d ever run across a body […]

Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult: a memoir

Sure, I'll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford

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mood music: Shake It Out – florence and the machine A strikingly sharp, tragicomedy-style memoir about grappling with lifelong mental illness, Bamford delivers a powerful life story through her unique lens. I am unfamiliar with her standup, but did watch a few episodes of Lady Dynamite, so I was familiar with some parts of her comedic work. But this was something that I went into mostly blind, my expectations fairly neutral although several podcasts I listen to recommended the memoir as a must-read. I have […]

Don’t Let Your Midlife Crisis Ruin Your Children’s Lives

Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood

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When Suzanne’s parents tell her that their family is going to live on a boat and sail around the world, they sell it to her and everyone as the adventure of a lifetime. But the reality of it is much more grim, with constant instability and little care for the children’s education or futures. Talk about making your midlife crisis your children’s problem! Having seen an uptick of chatter online about parents gaming the homeschooling system to let their kids run wild, it was interesting […]

Legitimate Kid: an intimate self portrait

Legitimate Kid by Aida Rodriguez

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mood music: Hector Lavoe – el dia de mi suerte Aida Rodriguez’s Legitimate Kid is a beautifully written, heartbreaking memoir that recounts her life from childhood to motherhood. Raised in Miami, Rodriguez discusses the animosity she faced in her community and how these struggles affected her. This includes colorism within the Latine community, sexism from the men in her life, and even disparaging remarks from women who look down upon her as a “bastard child.” Rodriguez details being raised by a mother who did not know […]

A romantic memoir about the idea of love

The Visitor (The One #5) by Dodai Stewart

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“The Visitor” is a true story from journalist Dodai Stewart. On NYE, I stumbled upon it looking for something quick to hit my book goal. Once I began, I realized I’d rather savor it. I finished the audiobook while walking my pup on New Year’s Day. The story is a poignant musing on the idea of love. She explains how she grew up in New York. She loves how cinematic living in the city can be. Everything seems full of promise and glamor, especially when […]



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