Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Major Tom? Can You Hear Me?

Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

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cbr17 bingo Migrant   Like the title says, an archive, a family one, loaded into boxes and carried across country from New York to Arizona.  The family is a hybrid one – the husband with his son and the wife with her daughter, yet the two children are a team.  Good thing they have each other to rely on.  The parents met as part of a project to document the soundscape of New York City, but when the wife meets the mother of a classmate […]

“Whether or not you find your own way, you’re bound to find some way. If you happen to find my way, please return it, as it was lost years ago. I imagine by now it’s quite rusty.”

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, illustrations by Jules Feiffer

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There are no wrong roads to anywhere. Young Milo finds everything absolutely boring; tv is boring, school is boring, life is boring up until the day he arrives home from school to discover a tollbooth has appeared in his room, complete with a map of places to see and a car to go to them. Seeing as there’s nothing good on t.v. and he has nothing better to do, Milo drives through it and is transported to another world. The most important reason for going […]

I think I prefer her contemporaries

Manic Pixie Dream Earl by Jenny Holiday

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3.5 stars Thanks to Jenny Holiday, Netgalley and Tantor Audio for this ARC. My opinion is my own. Edward “Effie” Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, is a poet and a terrible disappointment to his father. Thankfully, he’s about to set off on the annual “Earl’s trip” with his two best friends, who support him come what may. So they don’t ask any questions when Effie asks them to help him store a broken printing press, nor why he’s so preoccupied with letters from a Miss Evans. Effie […]

“Join a commune!” they said.

The Gulf by Adam de Souza

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The Gulf by Adam de Souza was an interesting read. However, since I have read several similar titles, the theme did not WOW or “Hit me powerfully.” However, it was a great coming of age story with some interesting twists and turns. The concepts might be a bit mature for some readers, but for the most part the content is fine for at least thirteen and up. And as always, older teens and adults should read it as it has an almost all age appeal. […]

Red Velvet reps NY?

Baking Across America by B. Dylan Hollis

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I’m starting to think I might be getting a little old to appreciate late Gen Z/early Gen Alpha influencer-types. I wasn’t the hugest fan of Dylan Hollis’ first book, although I applaud the premise. I was thusly a bit unsure about the second book, but this one has some things going for it the first one did not. Our author hit the big time as a YouTube/social media foodie influencer with a focus on vintage Americana cookery. Baking Across America is framed as a “vintage” […]

I should read more Susanna Kearsley

The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley

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StoryGraph Easy Reading Challenge 2025: All Alone – Read a stand-alone book Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC. My opinions are my own. It is 1613 and Prince Henry, James I’s eldest son and heir has tragically died. Rumours whisper that it might not have been by natural causes. Queen Anna is distraught, and King James is determined to punish the guilty. Andrew Logan is one of the king’s messengers and he’s tasked with going to Scotland to apprehend Sir David Moray, […]



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