Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A lot to unpack in this short, supernatural mystery

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

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There is nothing in this book that I relate to. I am not a 16-year old, gay, black, male. And I definitely don’t see ghosts or ghouls. But Jake is and does. And as extraordinary as he is, he still deals with all the other ordinary things a teenager deals with. So Jake’s life is…complicated…to say the least. Jake’s ordinary life concerns living in the shadow of his big brother, growing apart from friends, and getting to know the cute new student at his school […]

“How will we learn about the world if not from each other?”

All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews

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Sneha immigrated to the United States from India with her parents when she was 17, and five years later (in 2012) she is attempting to begin her life after moving to Milwaukee. She has a corporate job that pays decently (for a 22 year old recent graduate with little debt) and includes a paid-for apartment as a perk. Most of this novel is about how Sneha spends most of that first year as a young person, one with some significant personal history she hasn’t fully […]

Gripping Conclusion of the Passage Trilogy

The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin

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Most of The City of Mirrors is set about 20 years after events of The Twelve. Virals haven’t been seen in decades, and citizens from Kerrville, TX, are moving out into settlements in other parts of Texas. They think the threat is gone because they don’t know about Fanning (AKA Zero). We learn a lot about Fanning. A large segment of the novel, about 100 pages’ worth, is dedicated to his first person account of his life prior to being infected. He was roommates with […]

A rose by any other name would it be as long?

The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name by Sandhya Parappukkaran

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Growing up did you have a nickname? Though I went by my given name at school, at home it was shortened to the first letter by my mom (full name was for being in trouble. And when the middle name was added? Don’t ask!) and my sister and I had a few nicknames for each other (that occasionally we still use to get the others attention). So, nicknames are things that happen and can be a good thing. But can they be an issue, too? […]

Don’t be ashamed of yourself

Ashamed by Steven Lundle

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Ashamed is an interesting coming of age story. It is set before the narrator, Jeremiah, knows his truth/is question the truth about his sexuality. The book is based on author, Steven Lundle, and his experiences, but fictionalized as well. However, I think it is “closer to home” than he is admitting, as Jeremiah’s voice is personal. It is also, an interesting commentary on the fundamental Christian upbringing of Lundle. Overall, this story is a chapter in fourteen-year-old Jeremiah’s life. He is coming to terms with […]

Stop, Thief! That’s my color!

The Great Barrier Thief by Dr. Sue Pillans

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CBR15Passport from another country Dr. Sue Pillans (or Suzie Starfish) is an Aussie marine scientist and artist. She has created a story about the Great Barrier Reef and the loss of the color of the coral, aptly named The Great Barrier Thief. We learn t hat there is something called climate change and how it is human controlled. I word it that way as Pillans presents the idea as if she is the first to do so. And she tries a bit of humor to make […]



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