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:

Improbable + gloomy = Not interested

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs

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This is going to seem like an odd way to start this review, but stay with me a minute while I describe a scene from one of my favorite old movies, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Mr. Blandings (Cary Grant) purchases a wreck of a house in Connecticut. When he brings an engineer out to look at the property, the engineer tells him to tear the house down. “Tear it down!” an incredulous Blandings shouts. “If your sills were shot and your timbers was okay, […]

“Shame derives its power from being unspeakable. That’s why it loves perfectionists–it’s so easy to keep us quiet.”

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

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Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, has spent two decades studying shame, vulnerability, and courage. This doesn’t necessarily make her a lot of fun at parties. In fact, she jokes that when she tells people she studies shame, they look away uncomfortably and find someone else to talk to. Yet she also has five best-selling books to her name, and her  TED Talk on vulnerability is one of the top 25 most popular TED talks of all time. I hesitate to […]

I read this book because my waiter wrote it–and guys, you need to start talking to your waiters more often

Bonds of Destiny by Rajesh Varma

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A little backstory about me: I like food. My husband and I and one of our good friends have what we call a “dining club,” which essentially amounts to the three of us going out to dinner about once a month, ordering a bunch of wine, and seeing how many witticisms ludicrous statements and/or Monty Python quotes the two guys can drop into the conversation before I lose it. It’s a good time. In February, we went to an Indian restaurant in Glendale, California called the […]

Two very different novels from a very English author

The Tenth Man by Graham Greene

Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene

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Graham Greene was a prolific English writer who, in addition to writing over 25 novels, wrote movie treatments and screenplays. Probably his most famous adaptation was for the Orson Welles classic The Third Man, based on Greene’s own novella of the same name. The author conceived of The Tenth Man in the 1940s while working for MGM, but nothing happened with the draft for 40 years. When MGM sold the rights in 1983, the buyer allowed Greene to revise and publish the novel, giving us […]

Awfully * Bloody * Cute

The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's (the Hard Way) by Patrick McDonnell

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My sister teaches kindergarten, and for Christmas she gave me this book with a note that said, “This book has become a class favorite, and it’s a real nail biter!” I can see why! I can’t remember “reading” a children’s book as adorable and clever as this one. I put “reading” in quotes because it contains very few words. The title indicates that kitty learns his ABCs “the Hard Way,” because there are mostly pictures that go along with each letter of the alphabet; however, […]

A mixed bag, but in the end it won me over

Believe Me: a memoir of love, death, and jazz chickens by Eddie Izzard

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Another shout-out for the little free libraries of Burbank, CA! This book is a roller coaster, if your idea of a roller coaster starts out as insanely boring with bits of really interesting insight and a few chuckles along the way that leaves you with more questions than answers. I realize that is not a resounding endorsement, but I’m giving this book  3 stars because in spite of many flaws I found it rather inspiring. I’m going to be kind of hard on it though, […]



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