Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


If you’re going to lie about the past, lie big. Make it weird.

Alexandra Petri’s US History: Important American Documents I Made Up by Alexandra Petri

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Alexandra Petri’s US History: Important American Documents I Made Up, is a gentler poking at US history, politics, and culture than I’m really in the mood for right now. Ten years ago I would probably have guffawed and chuckled a lot more. Right now it’s hard for me to enjoy this gentle and privileged roasting while the governor and legislature in my state are racing towards fascism like a toddler running towards a ball pit full of bombs. It’s hard for me to laugh at […]

From Serf to Empress

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten

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CBR 15 Bingo – History: This is a historical novel which in following the rise of Catherine I recreates the world of late 17th century Russia. Born a serf, Marta manages through her cunning and luck to rise through society until she becomes the mistress and later wife of Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia. This is an insane story of stratospheric social mobility, and I am shocked I hadn’t heard of it beyond Alpsten’s books. There’s plenty of shadowy corners in Catherine’s biography in […]

“We had made a fetish out of our misfortune, fallen in love with it.”

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

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I’ve had The Dutch House (2019) by Ann Patchett sitting on my hold list at the library for literal ages. It’s been available numerous times, but I kept postponing it because there was always something more pressing or exciting to read. Finally, I saw it again when I was looking for audiobooks to read and a familiar name caught my eye. Tom Hanks was the narrator of the audiobook! I usually like to read my literature myself, but I’m also a fan of Tom Hanks, so I […]

“My biggest concern is the misuse of science to support policies.”

The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis

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I wanted to find a good political book for Cannonball Bingo, and my husband quickly recommended The Fifth Risk (2018) by Michael Lewis. I listened to the first couple of minutes on Audiobook, and thought it sounded interesting. So, I decided to give it a shot. The reason I found the beginning of the book so interesting was that it described in detail what was happening in government offices when Trump took over after the election. Civil service workers were waiting with their binders full of information […]

“Looks like rain…”

11 Unabridged Stories from The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard by Elmore Leonard

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Western stories are horror stories. Desolation. Solitude. The Unknown. Monsters. That’s what they’re always about. I think that’s why I like them so much – they strip civilization down to a skeleton and then they ask the most basic questions. What kind of person are you, really? What would you do to live? Would you rather survive, or keep your character intact? Can you do both? This collection of Elmore Leonard’s Western stories was recently on sale as an audiobook, and most of the stories […]

Mommy Dearest

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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I saw a short interview with Jennette McCurdy about her new memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died (2022), and it sounded interesting. But then my friend mentioned she had read the book, and argued that we should outlaw child actors altogether. I didn’t completely disagree with her, but it seemed like an extreme statement. I wondered what in the book had made her feel so strongly. So, I picked it up on audiobook from the library. I thought it was fascinating. I never got bored, and I […]



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