Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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I'm left-handed! (Learn more about this Cannonballer: Halbs's Quick Questions interview.)

Halbs's Reviews:

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The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman

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Earlier this year I reviewed Cyberville, Stacy Horn’s recounting of starting an online community in 1990s New York. That got me on a 90s entertainment kick in music, movies, and other books. (To be honest, I’m always on a 90s kick in music.) Klosterman’s The Nineties was an obvious followup read. While a lot of my pop culture interests are Chuck Klosterman-adjacent, this was the first time I’ve read one of his books. If his other reads are like this one, I’ll put them on […]

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” – Lao Tzu

Lightning by Dean Koontz

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I opened my 2018 review for Dean Koontz’ Velocity with, “Dean Koontz is my man. He writes pop thrillers with interesting characters and a certain panache that I enjoy.” That same introduction applies for this review of Koontz and his 1980s sci-fi thriller called Lightning. From its opening moments, Lightning has an ominous tone.  Even the sunnier moments have shadows. Koontz makes it very clear that the characters in the book will face real darkness throughout their lives. It feels dangerous and even foolish for […]

Games Don’t Seem Fun?

Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry by Jason Schreier

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Not too long ago I reviewed gaming journalist Jason Schreier’s Blood, Sweat, and Pixels – a book looking at the development of a dozen games in the 2000s and 2010s. Due to the size of the games and the graphic fidelity, hundreds of people can work YEARS on a AAA game (a major game). It’s controlled chaos and tons of crunch (working nonstop for extended periods). Schreier told some compelling stories in that book, and in this followup he explores what it’s like to have […]

“Whatever comes, face it on your feet.”

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

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Earlier this year I read book one in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series – The Eye of the World. I gave it the ol’ five star treatment because I just enjoyed the heck out of it. While I fully intended to read one of these books every year and finish in my 50s, that didn’t happen. Instead, I waited only two months before starting book two – The Great Hunt. I enjoyed this book even more than the first! All of the origin story […]

“Where do you stop? That’s the trickiest part.”

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made by Jason Schreier

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I bought this book when it came out in 2017. Ironically, I didn’t get around to reading it until a camping trip this past weekend! It seems silly to go out into the woods to read about video games. However, I’m glad I did have the time and space to finally sit down with a fun read instead of a “should” read. In the end, we only have so much time on earth, so why not do what makes us happy? For me maybe that’s […]

Mass Effect and Mando? Shiny!

Those Left Behind by N. C. Scrimgeour

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Those Left Behind is the first book in N. C. Scrimgeour’s “Waystations trilogy.” The first two books are available in paperback and on Kindle Unlimited if that’s your jam. I was scrolling through TikTok the other night, trying to ignore the impending doom of our planet and my own cold dead heart, when author N.C. Scrimgeour’s account popped up. “Do you like Mass Effect and The Mandalorian?” the video asked. Of course I do! I promptly added the Waystations trilogy to my To Read shelf, […]



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