Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

More Than Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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A fictional oral history-style story about a seventies rock group risks being gimmicky, on a number of levels. And indeed, aspects of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & The Six conform to conventions and tropes rather than challenging them, from the self-centered lead singer battling his demons to the manic-pixie dream girl who never wears shoes and never shows up on time. That said, this novel defies expectations and ultimately makes some surprisingly profound observations about love, art, and gender. (And it does not, thank […]

“…reality simply waits, patiently, for you to run out of the energy it takes to deny it.”

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Next up on my “Pajiba recommendations for sure shot books until I pay my library fines” list – in case anyone is wondering, my fines are paid and I’m now a fully operational library patron again and forevermore – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Basic premise – Evelyn is an aging, reclusive old Hollywood star giving the scoop of a lifetime to a reporter for a Vogue-surrogate magazine. Evelyn is brash, confident, and chilly. Monique, the reporter, is floating along letting her life happen […]

Four Weddings and Three More Weddings

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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In its own way, a near-great novel is just as frustrating to read as a bad one, if not more so. The false notes don’t bother you at a middle-school orchestra performance as much as they would at the Philharmonic. Taylor Jenkins Reid does so much so well in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo that it feels improper to focus so much on the parts I didn’t like, but unfortunately in my case those parts are the ones that stick in my mind so […]

This Year’s Girl

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Early on in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I was getting frustrated. I wanted to know why Taylor Jenkins Reid was using the journalist framing device to extract such detail around the curiosity of a multiple married woman. Don’t get me wrong; I know celebrity relationships are a constant source of fascination with folks. But I just didn’t feel like it made for an interesting story. I wanted to read about this fictional Evelyn Hugo staring in fictional movies, getting into fictional Hollywood feuds, etc. And […]

Should have seen that coming…

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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This was a book passed down to my from my cousin Kelsi (as many of my books are). She told me that it was a fun, easy read and that I would know the ending before I got there. I kept this in my mind the whole time I was reading, thinking I would know exactly what happened before the ending. Turns out, I had no idea. When we talked about it later, she couldn’t believe I didn’t see it coming. I honestly thought this […]

I’m sorry to report that the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo didn’t work for me

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Star of the silver screen, Evelyn Hugo, has agreed to her first interview in many years, but she stipulates that she will only meet with a junior writer named Monique Grant. Monique’s never met Evelyn, but she’s not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. When Monique shows up at Evelyn’s apartment, Evelyn reveals she doesn’t want Monique to interview her about her upcoming charity auction, she wants Monique to write her biography. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime; it will establish Monique […]



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