Cannonball Read 15

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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About dsbs42

CBR 3
CBR 4
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CBR13 participant
CBR14 Participant
CBR15 Participant

Once again trying for the full 52! (Learn more about this Cannonballer: dsbs42's Quick Questions interview.)

dsbs42's Reviews:

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> Articles by: dsbs42

“Don’t limit your dreams, that’s what the school Careers Adviser said. Within reason.”

D: A Tale of Two Worlds by Michel Faber

January 9, 2023 by dsbs42 Leave a Comment

A fantasy novel about words and friendship that Neil Gaiman finds glorious? How could this go wrong? I was so excited to read this book, about what might happen when the letter D slowly starts disappearing from the world and only one young girl, Dhikilo Saxardiid Samawada Bentley, seems to notice. I know some people find it cutesy, but I happen to love stories with a warm, friendly narrator who enjoys wordplay and speaks directly to the reader. It’s why The Hobbit is my favourite […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fantasy Tagged With: Michel Faber

dsbs42's CBR15 Review No:1 · Genres: Children's Books, Fantasy · Tags: Michel Faber ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
Red background with a black old-fashioned hotel key behind the title in a cream coloured font. Small clip art of a hammer, a book, and the letter "X" surround the key.

Midsomer Murders She Wrote

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

March 13, 2022 by dsbs42 2 Comments

I feel like I should get credit for reading two books here, as once again, one entire novel is sandwiched around another in Anthony Horowitz’s second Susan Ryeland/Atticus Pünd murder(s) mystery. And this time it’s murder squared. In Moonflower Murders, Susan Ryeland (our heroine from Magpie Murders, which I thoroughly enjoyed) is running a hotel on Crete with her boyfriend Andreas, but instead of enjoying paradise, she feels miserable. The hotel’s got money problems, she’s working 24/7, and her relationship with Andreas is souring. When […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Mystery Tagged With: Anthony Horowitz

dsbs42's CBR14 Review No:5 · Genres: Fiction, Mystery · Tags: Anthony Horowitz ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments
A yellow skeleton of (I think) a mastodon rotated so it's tusk-up, feet facing the left of the page, superimposed on a red background

‘What happened to the frogs? We don’t hear them calling anymore.’

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

March 6, 2022 by dsbs42 4 Comments

This book is equal parts heartbreaking, infuriating, fascinating, and beautiful. It hits my sweet spot exactly between natural history, science, environmentalism, and travel writing (freaking Kolbert got to go to, off the top of my head, Australia, Germany, France, Peru, Panama, Iceland, Scotland, and Italy for this book, and I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting some). This genre is my catnip, and if I could trade lives with any author on the planet, well, it would probably be Michael Palin, actually, but Elizabeth Kolbert and Mary […]

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Elizabeth Kolbert, natural history

dsbs42's CBR14 Review No:4 · Genres: History · Tags: Elizabeth Kolbert, natural history ·
Rating:
· 4 Comments
A young black man wearing red, in front of a red background, surrounded by red roses

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

February 12, 2022 by dsbs42 Leave a Comment

More Angie Thomas goodness. I loved The Hate You Give and On the Come Up, and was excited to read the prequel from the point of view of Starr Carter’s father, Maverick. This was a quick read, no less impactful for what we already know about will happen to Mav, his girlfriend Lisa, and his two new babies. Because a lot of the backstory was only briefly touched on in THUG, there’s plenty to flesh out here, and I don’t think it’s only because of the […]

Filed Under: Young Adult Tagged With: Angie Thomas

dsbs42's CBR14 Review No:3 · Genres: Young Adult · Tags: Angie Thomas ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Riverdale meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off meets Ted Lasso

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

January 17, 2022 by dsbs42 4 Comments

If you read my review of her last book, this one is going to be more of the same. (Once again – THREE CHARACTERS, KAREN. Why are you doing this to me?) Karen McManus is basically my YA Liane Moriarty, in that I will read whatever light mystery she writes and enjoy it no matter how slight, because she’s good at creating characters I like to spend time with. And also the first books of theirs I read were the best and it’s been somewhat […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult Tagged With: karen m mcmanus

dsbs42's CBR14 Review No:2 · Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult · Tags: karen m mcmanus ·
Rating:
· 4 Comments
On a red background, the shoulder and head of not-unlike-Trump-looking man with a while balloon in front of his face. The title and subtitle are written on the balloon.

To all the stable geniuses out there, this one’s for you

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo

January 17, 2022 by dsbs42 4 Comments

I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds the reviews the hardest part of the Cannonball Reads. I read 44 books last year but only managed to review 17 of them. I’m aiming for the full 52 again this year, but this is, I think, the fifth time [ETA it is the sixth] I’ve tried and failed a full Cannonball? It’s harder to create than it is to consume. It’s also easier to tear down than it is to build. It’s easy to write […]

Filed Under: History, Non-Fiction Tagged With: Ijeoma Oluo

dsbs42's CBR14 Review No:1 · Genres: History, Non-Fiction · Tags: Ijeoma Oluo ·
Rating:
· 4 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Carriejay on A great time was had.Good choices! I feel like I don't see Emma Thompson in enough stuff these days.
  • narfna on A great time was had.My friend and I actually fancast it while we were reading! We decided on Viola Davis for Billie, Michelle Yeoh as Helen, Emma Thompson as...
  • Emmalita on “The way to stay married is simple – don’t get divorced.”Faintingviolet and ASKReviews did. I clearly need more Ada Calhoun in my life.
  • booktrovert on “The way to stay married is simple – don’t get divorced.”Thank you- I highly recommend this one! Did you review her book, Why We Can't Sleep? I remember seeing someone review that here on Cannonball...
  • Carriejay on A great time was had.Agree, a movie would be great. Who are we casting? :)
See More Recent Comments »

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