Cannonball Read 15

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Ardent reader of pretty much anything, including the backs of shampoo bottles. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: Pooja's Quick Questions interview.)

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The Public World and the Private Domain

The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed

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Annette Gordon-Reed uncovers the family history of the Hemingses of Monticello, who are known as the slaves of Thomas Jefferson – though their story encompasses more than that. I knew a bit about Sally Hemings and her relationship with Jefferson, but the author goes beyond this notable person to expand her focus to her entire family. In many ways the Hemingses are remarkable for their blood relationship with Jefferson’s wife Martha and how that affected their treatment, but in others they were just like the thousands […]

“Books have a soul”

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa

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“A book that sits on a shelf is nothing but a bundle of paper. Unless it is opened, a book possessing great power or an epic story is a mere scrap of paper. But a book that has been cherished and loved, filled with human thoughts, has been endowed with a soul.” Rintaro Natsuki, a reclusive high school student, inherits a bookstore when his grandfather passes away. Then a talking cat appears and demands his help in rescuing books from their misguided owners. This was […]

Utah v. Lafferty

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer

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Not long after, Ron handed Dan a piece of paper through the bars. Written on it was a revelation that Ron said he’d just received, in which God commanded Dan to let Ron kill him. After praying for guidance, Dan says, “I felt I should submit to what it said, and we discussed how it might be done.” In 1984, two men, fervent Mormon fundamentalists, murdered their sister-in-law and niece and claimed they had been commanded to do so by God. Krakauer is one of […]

Time to Talk About Time

Switch by A.S. King

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We have arrived at a fold in space and time. Nothing moves forward. A scientific dilemma yet to be solved fully. You are probably confused. We are confused, too. Ever since time stopped, Truda’s life has turned upside-down. Her mother left the family. Her brother is keeping secrets. She has discovered that she can throw a javelin further than anyone ever has. And her father is building boxes around a mysterious switch in the house. I have never read a book quite like this. It […]

Surf and Secrets in Malibu

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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‘The Malibu fire of 1983 started not in the dry hills but on the coastline. It began at 28150 Cliffside Drive on Saturday, August 27—at the home of Nina Riva—during one of the most notorious parties in Los Angeles history. The annual party grew wildly out of control sometime around midnight. By 7:00 a.m., the coastline of Malibu was engulfed in flames. Because, just as it is in Malibu’s nature to burn, so was it in one particular person’s nature to set fire and walk […]

No Country For Grieving Mothers

Stolen by Tess Stimson

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‘But Lottie is alive. My daughter is alive. She’s tenacious, determined, ferocious. She couldn’t be extinguished without creating a disturbance, a rent in the fabric of the world that I would feel.’ Alex’s three year-old daughter Lottie is kidnapped from a destination wedding in Florida, vanishing into thin air under the negligent eyes of the guests. Sympathy for grieving Alex turns to suspicion as the case progresses. This story, told from the viewpoints of Alex, reporter Quinn, and a mysterious abductor, takes an unusual approach […]



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