Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Music puzzle

Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive by Erin Frankel

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Picture books. Love them or hate them they are a genre that has expanded my knowledge over the years. I have learned about volcanoes, bats, famous artistic nuns, poems and more. And Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive by Erin Frankel and illustrator Stacy Innerst added to it with a poetic look at Stephen Sondheim and his works. While not a “pure biography” of the composer, the highlights of his work and life are addressed. Things are whimsical and a […]

PUUUUNK!

Be Your Own Backing Band by Liz Prince

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The author, Liz Prince, has become a reading staple of late. I have read most (if not all) that is  out there (minus a few things she just illustrated). But when I got Be Your Own Backing Band, I felt that Prince might have had one of her best collections yet. But then again, she could probably write a phone book and I would read it. After I finished, I said, “Keep on coming with the cool and goodness!” This is a look at how […]

The courage to sing

Songbird in the Light: A Picture Book by Billy Porter and Chris Clarkson

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Access to online readers is not really an issue for me if I play around with my work computer. However, I am not able to access all that I do wish to read. Thankfully I had access to Songbird in the Light: A Picture Book by Billy Porter and Chris Clarkson. This March 2026 picture book talks about the life and times of performer Billy Porter in a roundabout way. We do not do a deep dive, but we get the overall picture of someone […]

Songs of Grandfather

Cassi and the House of Memories: A Graphic Novel by Dean Stuart

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Sometimes I see a book and say to myself that it looks good, but for some reason say no thank you to actually reading. Then things happen and it keeps coming back to my attention. And finally one day I will say FINE I will read you. Sometimes I regret doing that, sometimes I do not. I am not sure how I feel about Cassi and the House of Memories: A Graphic Novel by Dean Stuart. This book is an emotional fantastical journey of a […]

Do they like Ray Charles, Elton John or Liberace?

The Elephant and the Piano by Colette Hiller

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As 2025 winds down, I am finding more online reader copies for 2026. And not just for January or February. No, I’ve seen as late as July 2026. Thankfully The Elephant and the Piano is an early one as it’s due in May 2026. Until then (when I will be finding finished copies for gifts and the library), I will just read Colette Hiller’s book online. This book is based on actual events (but takes some poetic license) of how one man decided to help […]

“Let’s stop all the fight (Now)”

War Is Over by Sean Ono Lennon, Dave Mullins, Brad Booker, Max Narciso

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[Intro: Yoko Ono & John Lennon] Happy Christmas, Kyoko Happy Christmas, Julian [Verse 1: John Lennon] So this is Christmas And what have you done? Another year over And a new one just begun And so this is Christmas I hope you had fun The near and the dear ones The old and the young [Chorus: Yoko Ono & Harlem Community Choir] A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let’s hope it’s a good one Without any fear [Verse 2: John Lennon & Harlem Community […]



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