Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


If you read this book – definitely opt for the audiobook version!

Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

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I have a microphone on my desk at home that I use for meetings when I’m working from home. When I first got it my old boss used to tease me that I looked like a radio host, and then I’d do my cheesy radio voice. This book has nothing to do with that, but I’m guessing there’s a cool microphone involved in the audiobook and the podcast it’s about. This is one of those books that you should ABSOLUTELY listen to the audiobook version […]

A Matter of “Pure Will”?

Voss by Patrick White

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I have an embarrassing confession to make: I have never read anything written by Patrick White. It’s odd, and somewhat disappointing really, that our only Australian-born Nobel Laureate for literature is so frequently passed over. For example, I never heard his name brought up once when I was studying English. He doesn’t seem to have much of a profile outside of Australia either. (Unlike say, Gerald Murnane, who seems to be slightly more recognized here in the US than at home.) So, I made the […]

Stories of In-Home Vet Care

Pets and the City by Dr Amy Attas

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Rating: 3.5 Stars CN: Pet illness and loss. In a nutshell: Veterinarian Dr Attas started the first house call vet service in Manhattan and share stories of treating the pets of the ultra rich, the not rich, and the famous. Best for: Those who love animals, so long as one can handle some sad stories as well. Quote that made me think: N/A Why I chose it: In December we had to say goodbye to our cat of 14 years, Tigger. You may remember him […]

Food Glorious Food: Eating the “Other” in 1930s Taiwan

Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-Zi

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Anglophones miss how central food is to most other cultures. Our conversational starters revolve around the weather as a way of breaking the ice with a stranger, whereas food has become just a source of fuel. In many other languages “Have you eaten yet?” as a greeting is a way to metaphorically (and sometimes literally) break bread. In Taiwan Travelogue, food brings together a Japanese travel writer, Aoyama, and her Taiwanese translator, Chizuru, but also seeks to highlight their different tastes. Ideas of the high-culture […]

More digestible self help

The Anxious Perfectionist by Clarissa W. Ong and Michael P. Twohig

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I’ve been reading a lot of self-help books lately for a number of reasons. It is great when something I read can make a concrete difference in my life. I just recently read another book on perfectionism, called The Perfectionists Guide to Losing Control. That book was interesting, but a little frustrating and left me wanting more. So, I listened to The Anxious Perfectionist (2022) by Clarissa W. Ong and Michael P. Twohig hoping for a better understanding of perfectionism and how it might affect me. Although The […]

Cinderella triumphs again

An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

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I’ve watched most of the Bridgerton series, and I generally find it entertaining. So, when the latest season became available on Netflix, I watched the first half of the season–everything that was available at the time. It is a Cinderella story, involving the second-oldest Bridgerton brother, Benedict (the spare). And I really liked it. I thought the chemistry between the two lead actors was great, and I found Benedict to be a charming, charismatic, and funny leading man. I decided to read An Offer From a Gentleman (2001) by Julia Quinn […]



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