Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Gardening to Victory

Gardens for Victory by Jean Marie Putnam & Llyod C. Cosper

by Leave a Comment

In a box my grandmother hadn’t opened for probably fifty years, she found a swath of old family documents, and in it was this book, Gardens for Victory, a comprehensive  guide to teach Americans how to  supplement their ration cards during World War II with sustainable gardening. We have no idea how the little pamphlet never got thrown away; the spine was very bent and the pages dog-eared, meaning my great-grandparents probably followed its instructions during the war for their own gardens. The fact that it had […]

cbr12bingo – How To!

How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems by Randall Munroe

by 1 Comment

Randall Munroe, the engineer/author/cartoonist extraordinaire (most importantly- the creator of the excellent webcomic xkcd) is at it again with How To. He takes all sorts of simple questions and expands, explodes, and/or completely blows up the possible answers into a cacophony of hard science and absolute absurdity. Say you want to throw something really far- he starts out with an anecdote about George Washington hucking (technical term) a silver dollar across a river, which turns into a breakdown of how far silver dollars could be […]

Maybe You Should (EVERYONE SHOULD) Read This Book! (Bingo – Happy)

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb

by 3 Comments

Well hellooooo. I am three reviews behind which for me is an albatross of sorts that I let guilt me into not reading until I get caught up, because um, reasons?? What an appropriate book to HAPPILY dive back in with, a bit of psychotherapy. This might be my favorite book of the year WHICH MAKES ME HAPPY. I’m presently in therapy and think everyone could benefit from it. If you are similar, than you’ll likely take to this book like a duck to water. […]

No is a complete sentence

The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

by Leave a Comment

I spend far too much time on Reddit threads about real life creepy encounters, which is how I learned about this book. Written by an apparent security expert, De Becker takes a look at the various ways in which we discount our intuition and how paying attention to it instead could save your life. While in some ways this book is kind of workday, and the advice can sometimes seem a little common sense, it’s also the kind of book I wish I’d read when […]

More than womb and board

You and I, as Mothers: A Raw and Honest Guide to Motherhood by Laura Prepon

by Leave a Comment

I am not a fan of Laura Prepon. I have occasionally enjoyed That 70’s Show but not enough to watch all of them, or even to go onto Orange is the New Black (like my cousin did after learning other actresses she liked were on it. And in the meantime, became a follower of Prepon’s cookbook). But when I saw we could request a reader copy of You and I, as Mothers: A Raw and Honest Guide to Motherhood I thought I would get it […]

A God Wink

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

by Leave a Comment

If you’re not into spirituality or woo-woo, you may want to skip this review. I talked a little bit about my spiritual journey in my review of Love Wins. During this time of shelter-in-place and global pandemic, I’ve been diving deeper into what I believe. This book helped to lock some pieces into place for me, and for that, I am immensely grateful. Before I get to the juicy part, I need to lay the foundation. Because I try to avoid decision fatigue at all costs, when […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo