Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

We were merely freshmen (and sophomores)

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Either / Or by Elif Batuman

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CBR Bingo – two books, one square (and a Bingo!) – adapt, because that’s what we’re all trying to do in college I read The Idiot and Either/Or back to back, so it felt more like a single, longer volume than reading two separate books. Based on Goodreads reviews, some felt that the tone in the second book was a bit different – that wasn’t my experience, but again, back to back reading might help  with the feeling of consistency. I think that’s an important note because the […]

Does a mama shark tell her kiddo to wait 30 minutes before swimming?

Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Marquez

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I was lucky and recently had Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Marquez fall into my lap (well, in my hands). Not due until late May/early June 2023, Marquez’s story is one we all need to know as it is not just about a woman, or a woman of color, or about science, or the ocean. It is all of that and a fun book to boot. Taking fiction and fact, she tells her story through the eyes of a young girl. We do not […]

Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) ROBIN!

Batman and Robin and Howard by Jeffrey Brown

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One reviewer from Goodreads said Batman and Robin and Howard was (to be more polite) less than intelligent, and while I will not disagree, I think they missed the point. This is an over the top, fun, story about being the new kid vs. the before kid at school. The story of two people who do not click and make assumptions about each other. It is a goofy way to help kids try and see both sides of the cape. While the adult doofus Batman […]

When your big sister starts liking books with KISSING in them, and mist creatures want to kidnap her

Sisters of the Mist by Marlyn Spaaij

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Sisters of the Mist can be summarized as a story “where trolls lurk in the mossy spaces between tree trunks and changelings scamper about” but there is more than that. It is a simple look at coming of age with a magical twist and a few turns. Not to mention some mud holes, a foggy swamp and a couple of scary creatures. Marlyn Spaaij has us follow three sisters at various stages of their youth and young adulthood and Tunde Vollenbroek is credited as a […]

What would you do when the law comes for you?

Monster: The Graphic Novel by Walter Dean Myers and Guy A. Sims

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The flow of this graphic novel adaptation of the Walter Dean Myers Monster was a little hard at times to follow with the bouncing between timelines. We see “before events” as well as “during events” and “current events.” The ending suggests an after the current events scene or two. The themes of truth, trust and lies are tossed on their heads in Guy A. Sims adaptation. Monster: The Graphic Novel includes a realistic take on the justice system. However, due to the type of people […]

Never Trust the Fae

Stars, Hide Your Fire by Kel McDonald, Jose Pimienta

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Somewhere in Massachusetts, two best friends, Darra and Andrea, struggle with the reality of growing up and growing apart. As they start high school and consider their futures, one wants to stay put while the other can’t wait to get away, which inevitably strains their friendship. When they break into an abandoned, supposedly haunted factory and the ghostly woman trapped there offers one of them eternal youth, they accidentally unleash something sinister on their unsuspecting small town. I really liked this one, which is unsurprising […]



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