Cannonball Read 13

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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From the US. Living in the UK. Used to review under the name Lollygagger.

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When The Reporters Become the News

Knife Edge by Simon Mayo

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Best for: People who like thrillers. In a nutshell: In one morning in London the entire seven member investigations team from a national news network is murdered, individually, at knife point. Who did it? And why? Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: Paperback sale. Review: Famie is a journalist at IPS in London, and she not too long ago had applied to be a member of the investigations team but lost out on the gig. Lucky for her, because that entire team is murdered […]

Great Escape

Dear Leader by Jang Jin-Sung

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Best for: Those interested in learning more about the recent history of North Korea from an inside perspective, set against the suspense of someone seeking asylum. In a nutshell: Jang Jin-Sung rose high within the North Korean ruling class as a poet, but eventually fled the country. Worth quoting: A lot, but I listened while running so didn’t have a chance to take note. Why I chose it: I stumbled across Michael Palin’s show about his visit to North Korea (https://www.natgeotv.com/me/michael-palin-in-north-korea/videos/michael-palin-in-north-korea) and realized I know […]

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones

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Best for: Those who like stories told from multiple perspectives; those who relish a good, feasible but not totally telescoped twist. In a nutshell: Leslie’s dad has died, and the only way she can get her inheritance is to show up with her sister at the executor’s office. But Leslie has just visited her sister for the first time in ten years, finding her dead. How can she get the inheritance? Perhaps with the help of Mary, a woman who is willing to play a […]

Lives, Small and Large

The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck

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Best for: People interested in a deep look into just a few lives – their potential, their reality, their what-could-have-beens. People who like novels that aren’t conventional but aren’t totally out there. In a nutshell: Five generations of one family experience the 19th century, stopping and restarting along the way. Worth quoting: “She’d been able to remake her thinking from scratch, but not her family history.” “Before striding off on a new path, must one not have acquired a profound understanding of what was wrong […]

Healthcare Was Different Then

Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s by Jennifer Worth

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Best for: Fans of the TV show Call the Midwife; anyone interested in life in London in the 1950s. In a nutshell: Midwife Jennifer Worth recounts stories of her time working in the East End of London, soon after the creation of the National Health Service (NHS). Worth quoting: N/A (Audio Book) Why I chose it: I very much enjoy the TV show Call the Midwife, and have been eying the book in shops for a couple of years now. Finally decided it might be […]



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