Cannonball Read 14

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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About xoxoxoe

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I am an artist, blogger, and culture critic. I write about movies, books, television, pop culture—old and new—with a feminine/feminist perspective. sometimes I post pictures of the kid, too. Check out my blog, xoxoxo e, for all of my recent interests, exploits, and opinionated opinions.

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Matt Scudder – Nostalgic NYC Noir

When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block

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My dad was a huge fan of the prolific author Lawrence Block. Block is best known for two series of books, one following ex NYC cop Matthew Scudder and his battles with alcohol and guilt, as well as a light-hearted series about the charming burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, who always seems to find himself on a job in a fabulous residence that also happens to contain a dead body. Most of the Scudder novels are included with my Audible subscription, so I have been enjoying revisiting […]

Rosemary Reads Rosemary

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

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Rosemary’s Baby is one of my favorite films. Once I read the book I realized that the film followed it pretty closely. In some scenes, word for word. So taking it to the ultimate meta I guess, I decided to listen to the film’s Rosemary, Mia Farrow, read the classic horror novel by Ira Levin. She did not disappoint. Her interpretation helped me see the story through Rosemary’s eyes. Farrow ably portrays the extremely naive Rosemary, who is starstruck by her ambitious actor husband Guy. […]

Christie, Two Takes

The Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

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The Murder on the Links and The Murder on the Orient Express and The Secret Adversary and And Then There Were None Agatha Christie has always been one of my go-to re-reads. It’s my literary comfort food. I’ve read and re-read most of what I have in my library, but didn’t feel like cracking the cover of an old favorite once again. My to-read pile didn’t look appealing, either, so what to do? I had a bunch of Audible credits and found a bunch of (free) […]

A Cozy (Almost) Christie

A Village Murder by Frances Evesham

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Author Frances Evesham is an unabashed fan of Agatha Christie, Murder She Wrote and the like. A Village Murder is the start of a new series featuring retired copper (and new pub owner) Adam Hennesey, a stray dog named Harley and possible multiple murders in a quiet Somerset country village. Landscape gardener Imogen Bishop has inherited her father’s hotel after his death. As she is debating whether or not she wants to take on the challenge of running the hotel her husband turns up dead […]

Poltergeist, circa 1930

The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale

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English woman Alma Fielding has had a hard life. She has had numerous health issues, is in a dull marriage and struggling financially. The world around her is in chaos, too – war with Germany seems imminent. And to add to all of her stress she seems to have attracted an at first mischievous, at times violent spirit – a poltergeist. Alma’s haunting has attracted the local newspaper, and also the attention of Hungarian emigre Nandor Fodor, a journalist turned psychic phenomena investigator. Fodor has created his […]

Classic Swedish Noir

Martin Beck Book Series by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

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In 1965 writing partners (and partners in real life) Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö embarked on a quest – to write and publish ten novels in ten years featuring Stockholm’s Martin Beck. The novels, police procedurals, were structured as not only mysteries, but reflections and commentary on modern Swedish society. The duo wore alternating chapters – but since I haven’t read any of their individual works I couldn’t;t guess who wrote which chapter in any given novel. The books are cohesive and follow policeman Martin […]



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