Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

cbr12bingo – Repeat (and TWO Bingos!)

Luster by Raven Leilani

by Leave a Comment

Raven Leilani has exploded into the scene like the chestburster in Alien. Fully-formed, unapologetic, covered in blood, and completely in control while annihilating the guts of a mediocre man. Luster has been racking up well-deserved accolades, and I truly cannot wait to see what she does next- although I am relieved that this is her debut, and there isn’t a back catalog waiting to destroy me hiding just out of view. Not only is her work fantastic, but it also allows me to knock two “bingos” (Money, […]

well, that escalated quickly

The Wallcreeper by Nell Zink

by Leave a Comment

Girl meets boy. Well, woman potentially committing corporate espionage is spotted by a company man. Company man whisks her away to a life of luxury. Well, they get hastily married after knowing each other for three months. His parents suggest a suicide pact. I felt sad. His awkward hands reminded me of the flames around Joan of Arc at the stake. Honeymooners leave America for Europe. Well, man takes a shady position at the shady company and wife is along for the ride. Man hits a […]

cbr12bingo – Debut

Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson

by Leave a Comment

Oh dear. Boys of Alabama is a lot. In Genevieve Hudson’s debut novel we are introduced to small-town Delilah, Alabama through the eyes of Max- the new kid in town. Max and his family just moved to rural America from urban Germany, and we leap into the culture shock with them. Delilah has two religions: Christianity and football- and the two form a dangerous communion. Max is sensitive, quiet, and gay. He can also bring dead things back to life; one touch and wilted flowers bloom. […]

cbr12bingo – Reader’s Choice (standing in for Book Club)

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

by 2 Comments

It’s my first “bingo”- the rightmost column! I wanted to replace Book Club because I jumped the gun and read all of our CannonBookClub options earlier this year. Oops! That’s what I get for getting impatient; the choices for #thefutureisqueer would have knocked out multiple squares! I also started (and in some cases, finished) a few series. Oh well, *shooting star* the more you know. Speaking of “the more you know”, I accidentally came into this one over-prepared. Oops again! I’m pretty far into the […]

“I googled ‘monkey brothel’, had an existential crisis, and eventually found the details I wanted in a New Yorker article titled ‘Monkey Business’.”

Sex Power Money by Sara Pascoe

by Leave a Comment

Frequently, I find myself disagreeing with Sara Pascoe- but it’s not a problem! She’s funny, curious, and well-researched, and she makes no claims about being objective. She leans right into the fact that she her opinions are colored by her past experiences, and she remains open to other ideas and beliefs even if they do not mesh with hers. She is open and honest about her past experiences- especially those that pertain to sex, power, and money. Some are truly harrowing, yet she is a […]

“I can remember how grown-up I felt then, and earlier, since about nine. Because we age one way, in one direction, every age we are is the most grown-up we’ve ever been.”

Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body by Sara Pascoe

by 2 Comments

Sara Pascoe is here for you. There is no stone she won’t turn over and no story she won’t tell, because she is going to use her embarrassments, misunderstandings, failures, and larks to help you learn. If you are looking for a medical textbook on what it means to be a human woman then go ahead and look elsewhere. If you want a smart and unflinching comedian to share her life story with you while looking back through biology, history, and cultural norms in order […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo