Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


“One ought to be able to grasp like a hag when bread is involved.”

Once Upon a Marquess by Courtney Milan

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I strayed too far out of Romancelandia and lost all my will to read, but where there is a Milan book, there is salvation. Plot: Lady Judith was on the cusp of joining the marriage mart when her father and brother were accused, by her intended, of treason against the Crown. Both were found guilty, with her father dying in jail while her brother was transported and lost at sea. So it should have probably come as no surprise that she was not interested in […]

Return of King: Or how Merry got his groove back

Return of the King by JRR Tolkien

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At last, we have reached the end of the trilogy. I won’t keep you on tenterhooks. My lukewarmest take is still that these books need brutal editing. These books are boring much more often than they are interesting. Still, you’re not here for warm takes. You’re here for hot takes, and I am here to deliver. I first owe Peter Jackson an apology, since Eowyn’s feminist cry was just in the last book rather than in Two Towers. But not a big apology. Tolkien seems […]

Basketball and Clothes

Lucky Me by Rich Paul

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Lucky Me (2023) by Rich Paul was recommended to me by a friend–and as I do with many biographies–I listened to it on audiobook. Now, I have only recently been learning a little bit about basketball through my husband, but it is not a sport I have followed. That information is relevant because Rich Paul is a basketball agent. He represents LeBron James and a number of other very famous players. He is also in a serious relationship with Adele (maybe married?). Rich Paul grew up […]

Heartfelt and Humorous Exploration of Gender and Sexuality

Will I Ever Have Sex Again? by Sofie Hagen

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Best for: Anyone who is familiar with Hagen’s work; anyone who is themselves pondering the quality of their sex life. In a nutshell: Author Hagen explores their history of gender identity and sexuality against the backdrop of not having had sex in many years. Worth quoting: I listened to Hagen read the book and know that I found a few lines noteworthy but didn’t end up writing any down. Why I chose it: I enjoyed Hagen’s first book Happy Fat and wanted to support their […]

Decent Sequel

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

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Best for: Those who enjoyed the first book in the series, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. In a nutshell: Taking place immediately after the end of the first book, we find a witch who has taken over her sister’s body and a lot of men who want to cause a lot of harm to women. Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: I enjoyed the first in the series. Review: Without spoiling the book, I appreciate that the first one had a theme that was related […]

Meryl Streep could have been a movie star

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

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After a very good experience listening to Tom Hanks read The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, I was ready for another. It just so happened that Tom Lake (2023) was on a number of Best Book Lists from 2023, so my next Patchett book was an easy decision. I think the author must have some pull with her narrators because the one and only Meryl Streep reads the Tom Lake audiobook, and it’s not surprising that she does a great job. I think it’s my favorite book by Ann Patchett. Lara […]



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