Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About KimMiE"

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I love reading nonfiction books, especially ones about nature, zoology, brain chemistry, and psychology. I also love the classics, especially Victorian lit. Mysteries are my go-to relaxing reads, and I read fantasy and sci fi when they come recommended. I'm definitely open to new genres! (Learn more about this Cannonballer: KimMiE”'s Quick Questions interview.)

KimMiE"'s Reviews:

Owls are fan favorites

What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds by Jennifer Ackerman

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It seems to me that even people who are lukewarm about birds get excited about owls. Whether you associate them with wisdom (thanks to their connection with the goddess Athena), stuffy know-it-all-ness (à la Winnie the Pooh’s pal), or as messengers (everything from Native American folklore to Harry Potter), you have undoubtedly encountered stories about owls in some area of your early life or education. Perhaps it’s their large, all-knowing eyes, or their stillness, or the way they swoop in almost without a sound that […]

For good reading on a plane, you can’t go wrong with Austen

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

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When I told Ms. Was I had downloaded Sense and Sensibility (among other things) for a long flight I’d be taking, she said, “Well, you can’t go wrong with Jane Austen.” Were truer words ever spoken? Some Austen novels might be better than others, but they are all solid entertainment for passing the time, whether you are curled up with a cup of tea on a rainy day or wedged into a tight airplane seat and taking a break from binge-watching episodes of The Office. […]

Fantastic premise; so-so execution

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

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Amina Al-Sirafi is not just a pirate. She’s a female pirate. She’s a female Muslim pirate. Hell yeah, I can get on board with this book, whose premise promises to deliver adventure with an under-represented perspective. And in that regard, I was satisfied. In the introductory pages, we’re told what to expect–the story of an older woman who continues to defy convention. “Ah yes, a certain degree of rebelliousness is expected from youth. It is why we have stories of treasure-seeking princesses and warrior women […]

If you like lots of snark without too much information weighing it down

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese Oneill

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I have a very thoughtful husband who keeps his eyes and ears open for books he thinks I’ll enjoy. Often, these turn out to be winners, and I can see why he thought Unmentionable would be right up my alley. I love Victorian literature and history, having read and enjoyed Judith Flanders’s massive The Victorian City last year. I also like humor and have been known to engage in snarky commentary now and then. Unmentionable, then, seems like a safe bet for me. What I’m […]

Books that come out of nowhere to become favorites

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

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 As a reader, I find few things more satisfying than stumbling upon a novel expecting nothing but a pleasant diversion and instead falling completely in love with it. My husband found A Gentleman in Moscow in a Little Free Library and took it home because the description and the cover appealed to him. (I probably wouldn’t have picked it up, though it does have a nice cover.) He described the story as “charming” and recommended I try it. We were both thrilled that I was […]

Five stars for The Five. Plus, a quadruple BINGO and board blackout!

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

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CBR15 BINGO (QUADRUPLE BINGO AND BINGO BLACKOUT): History, because it tells the true, untold history of the women murdered by Jack the Ripper Vertical bingo: South America, Dwelling, Hold Steady, Strange Worlds, History Horizontal bingo: History, Bodies, Bodies, Adulthood, Edibles, Europe Diagonal bingo: History, Queer Lives, North America, Violence, Sex 4 corners and center square: South America, Sex, Europe, History, North America I’m a fan of historical true crime stories, particularly those that happened before the 20th century; however, I have never read a book […]



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