Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About cheerbrarian

CBR 6
CBR 7
CBR 8
CBR 9
CBR10 participant
CBR11 participant
CBR12 participant
CBR13 participant
CBR14 Participant
CBR14 Bingo Badges
CBR15 Participant
CBR16 Participant
CBR17 Participant
CBR18 Participant

I am a born and bred southerner and transplant to the Midwest. I read because I NEED to (as a former English major, it's in the DNA) and because I'm possibly ignoring frigid temperatures. Until summer, and then I'll just be reading outside. I also enjoy cooking, witty banter, and cheese. All the cheese. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: ardaigle's Quick Questions interview.)

cheerbrarian's Reviews:

“Am I not merciful?”

Illuminae Files (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

by 3 Comments

In five(ish) words: space opera, young adult, aritificial intelligence, romance, violence. I don’t read a ton of YA but was on the hunt for a good audiobook and this one was recommended by two people as the best audiobook they had EVER listened to. Bold claim? Yes. But now that I’ve read it, I’m on board. It is really that good. It was a complete audio experience, like listening to a play or an old timey radio show (or I guess a new-timey podcast?) with […]

“Sometimes when I speak, I feel like I’m writing dialogue for the character of myself. I’m impersonating a normal human when really I’m a confused freak.”

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

by Leave a Comment

In five words: Romance, Comedy, SNL, Pandemic, Self Doubt I mean, it’s right there in the title: Romantic Comedy is up front about what it proports to be, and Sittenfeld delivers exactly what it says on the cover. I saw this one on the shelf at my library and snatched it up as I was in the market for something light and fun for summer. It’s been a while since I read any of her novels (having enjoyed both Prep and American Wife) and this one […]

“The women had a story to tell, even if the world wasn’t quite yet ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words. We were there.”

The Women by Kristin Hannah

by 4 Comments

In five words: Vietnam War, Friendship, Dire, Uplifting The amount of people that have told me to read this book is high considering it just came out in February. What tipped me over the edge to get it ASAP was the recommendation from a person who generally hates historical fiction and said this was the best BOOK they had ever read. Full stop. That got my attention, so rather than wait for who knows how long for this literary hot potato, I ventured to an […]

“First your actions change, then your thoughts, then finally your feelings, in that specific order.”

Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas by Alexi Pappas

by Leave a Comment

In five words: Olympic, inspirational, poetic, raw, memoir This book came like a wrecking ball out of nowhere and hit me upside the head, in the best way possible. “Run like a bravey. Sleep like a baby. Dream like a crazy. Replace can’t with maybe.” I had never heard of Alexi Pappas but a run club friend, knowing I love to read, loaned me her copy of the memoir of this Olympic runner/poet/filmmaker. I took it to a Silent Book Club meet-up and read non-stop […]

“As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”

All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

by 4 Comments

In five(ish) words: Free will, space-faring, android, science fiction, charming. I see how “charming” might seem out of place for something called “The Murderbot Diaries” that revolves around our understanding of a security droid’s awakening to and wrestling with purpose, but here we are. This novella packs a lot of meaning and thought-provoking content (and even a little humor) into its pages. This book reads like a space episode of Doctor Who, the type where the Doctor and their companion is stuck on a space […]

“And what about a person’s life? How do you make a map of that? The borders people draw between themselves. The scars left along the ground of one’s heart.”

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

by Leave a Comment

In five words: secrets, Caribbean, sprawling, water, heritage This was a library book club pic that I had heard of (due to the Hulu adaptation) and found it to be intriguing and unique, if also a bit uneven. It’s a story of the gnarled knots and hidden corners of a family tree, and the lengths people will go to protect those they love. After a Thanksgiving Day family blowout, the Bennett family was on rocky ground. Benny, upset at her parents reception to a big […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo