Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

a sweet and familiar coming-of-age story that sidestepped my biggest worries

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

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Let me start out with a BIG sigh of relief: WHEW!!!! That was a CLOSE one! In a story where a 14 year old girl is introduced to sex, drugs, and rock and roll things could have gone quickly and irreparably off the rails- especially with blurbs on the jacket comparing Mary Jane to Daisy Jones and the Six and Almost Famous! Don’t get me wrong: I loved Almost Famous as a teen, but it does not treat it’s female characters with much kindness. I found Daisy Jones to be […]

R-E-A-D Please!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford

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I had hoped to like R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford a bit more than I did. Perhaps my desire to like it “a lot” made it impossible for the result to live up to my expectations. Yet in the end, I enjoyed reading this glimpse into Franklin’s world. It just will probably not be on my top ten of favorite picture books I read this year list. This book is simple, but not simplistic. We see the life and […]

This mystery might make you cry, not in horror but because you will want the characters to have a happy ending

The Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia

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I decided to read The Bellweather Rhapsody based on jomidi’s Cannonball Read review. I’m a sucker for a locked door mystery, especially when it involves a group of strangers trapped in a remote location with a murderer. Content warning: Suicide, both completed and attempted. The completed suicide is described in a fair amount of detail. Domestic abuse is mentioned.  In 1982, twelve year-old Minnie Graves decides to explore the Bellweather Hotel after her older sister’s wedding. She stumbles upon another new bride moments after she […]

Don’t Stop the Music

Step It up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music by David Menconi

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I heard about this book on a fan page for the Avett Brothers, and since I love music almost as much as reading, it seemed like something to check out. Menconi was a music reporter for the Raleigh News and Observer for many years, and the book reflects his deep connections to the community. It’s structured by time and genre- each chapter deals with a different location and type of music. North Carolina is often overlooked in the music scene, but it turns out to […]

BOOKS! BOOKS! And…. well that’s it. Only two books.

I Love My Fangs! by Kelly Leigh Miller

Dinosong by Tim McCanna

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Two books that can be given to the child this Valentine’s Day: because we love books, teeth, vampires, and dinosaurs. Or, these are good if you are looking for something fun and few to read. I Love My Fangs! Well, actually, if I did have fangs, I would. You see, I am one of those odd people who never had “canine” teeth. I had teeth in that area but never those fangs I so admire in our hero young Dracula. And he really loves them, […]

“Long enough for the clouds to fly me away” Grace: Jeff Buckley

Grace: Based on the Jeff Buckley Story by Tiffanie DeBartolo

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Honestly regardless if Jeff Buckely’s story was like this, it does not matter. This story of basically, an Icarus type story, is relatable. As Icarus wanted to escape, Buckley had that dream he craved. It was the drug of success. It is anyone’s story. And by Icarus, I mean, Buckley kept reaching for the stars, for the sun and finally just flew too close and it destroyed him. This is a bitter beautiful tale, with illustrations that show you how fragile it all was. Grace: […]



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