Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

laughing to keep from crying

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans and Comedy by Kliph Nesteroff

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A book to make you howl with both laughter and fury, We Had a Little Real Estate Problem gushes with humor, outrage, determination, and life. Kliph Nesteroff has worked with a large and knowledgeable team to document the past, track the current, and look towards the future of Native American comedy. Framed around a beloved punchline from Charlie Hill, the first Native American comedian to be featured on The Tonight Show, We Had a Little Real Estate Problem, is both a knee-slapper and a heart-breaker. I […]

take a look! it’s in *this* book!

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

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Why not take a break from the world with a strangely soothing tale of a library fire? That question appears to be pure chaos, but seriously: wouldn’t it be nice to let a meticulous journalist and storyteller narrate a well-researched account of history, memory, and true crime? Good news: you can do it! Just plug your headphones in and let Susan Orlean and The Library Book transport you to a different world. Orleans covers more than just the true-crime glitter that is strewn around the  […]

A small book about big ideas.

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

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I now see why this has been a bestseller. I mean, I loved his first book, so I figured I would like this one, too, but his first book was a straight up history, and this one was much more of a genre mish-mash. I didn’t at all realize going in that a large portion of it would be memoir, and that turned out to be the best part of the book! I finished this book on January 6th. It is ruining my reviews, so […]

Crazy New BEST Friend?!

I Want to be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom

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I must start by thanking ASKReviews for letting us all know that there was a SECRET MUSICAL in the middle of this audiobook! I heeded their recommendation to “Get the Audio Version”, and boy howdy am I glad I did! Not only do we get a musical adventure about Rachel Bloom’s desire to be a musical theater STAAAR, the musical is performed by her harmonizing with herself, herself, herself, herself, and maybe another Rachel Bloom or two. Bloom’s voice is so important here; her style, […]

A fuckin’ great book about swearing.

What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves by Benjamin K. Bergen

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This was a fun, nerdy, sciencey book that takes something taboo and unserious and treats it seriously, which very much appeals to me. This is going to be a short review, because I read the book back in the beginning of April, and my memories of the specifics have mostly faded. I remember that for the most part, I found it HIGHLY enjoyable. Bergen is a linguist and cognitive scientist, so he’s got all the good details. This book is basically everything I wanted from […]

“I’ve seen the film Grease. I’ve seen a film of Greece. I have never seen a film in Greece, or while being greased.”

Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Odyssey by Richard Ayoade

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Who better to address the enigma that is Richard Ayoade (speaking of- wouldn’t he make a great Riddler) than Richard Ayoade? I don’t know that I brood. I just occasionally take time out to silently consider the specific ways in which others have wronged me. Ayoade, the elusive filmmaker, has been tracked down by Ayoade, the author and maniac behind both personas. His ability to be so silly and yet so serious- often simultaneously- continues to leave me both baffled and delighted. Even so-called ‘short […]



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