Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.”

The Three Musketeers (The d'Artagnan Romances, #1) by Alexandre Dumas

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Nobody told me this book would be funny! Well, in case you didn’t know it, this book is funny! I did know it would be ridiculously long, but I did the audiobook, and Bill Homewood was a very fun narrator, and it didn’t feel as long as it could have. For some reason, I’ve always thought this book would be boring, but it’s a swashbuckling adventure Romance, so in hindsight that was a weird opinion to have. Maybe because the cover looks boring, or I’m […]

My year, I fear, ends with a whimper

People of the Dark by Robert E. Howard

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I had intended this to be the start of a review dump of short stories. It’s ended up being a review of a single story: “People of the Dark”. I haven’t been reading very much this year. Anyway. Published in 1932, this is the story of John O’Brien’s attempt to kill his victorious rival for the affections of Eleanor Bland. His target is Richard Brent, and John has followed him into Dagon’s Cave, hidden away in the English countryside. Before he can let loose his […]

Peanuts fans across the galaxy

Snoopy Soars to Space: Peanuts Graphic Novels by Charles M. Schulz

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The older I get the more I realize, The Peanuts comic is not always (or really) for kids. They have some terribly adult humor (Snoopy dresses as Lucy to show how tough and mean he can me), the characters are mean, themes are mature in some areas, and frankly, Snoopy? Not the loveable pup I remember as a kid. With that said, today’s kids can deal with more than I could and can. And they will be fine with Snoopy Soars to Space: Peanuts Graphic […]

Too little out of too much

The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk

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Summary from the book In The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. My summary: Did not finish I’m very interested in books that deal with mental health and how therapy, medication, and select activities, such as […]

There’s no place like home

A House Between The Earth and the Moon by Rebecca Scherm

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This is the second novel I’ve read recently about traveling to space in the near future to escape climate disaster here on Earth – the last one was a series of short stories with a more terrestrial bent generally. In this novel, there are again casual mentions of pandemics plural, and more – the things that we are always afraid of in the news cycle. Mass shootings, intense weather events that drive people away from their homes, and increasingly more seamless integration of technology into […]

Food, family and love

Chloe’s Lunar New Year. by Lily Lamotte

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I was hungry when I read two recent picture books about food (and family). Did this influence my taste in the books? No, because when I am hungry, I tend not to like a book, but I did the two I read. The second book (the first was a tasty treat about dim sum) was Chloe’s Lunar New Year. Here we leave the hustle and bustle of a restaurant behind and Lily Lamotte takes us into the family home. Here, Chloe is excited for the […]



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