Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Good for what it is

White Bird by R.J. Palacio

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“You see, Julian, it always takes courage to be kind. But in those days, when such kindness could cost you everything – your freedom, your life – Kindness becomes a miracle. It becomes that light in the darkness that Papa talked about, the very essence of our humanity. It is hope.” White Bird by R.J. Palacio is a Wonder story. It tells the story of Julian’s grandmother Sara (grandmère, as Julian calls her). She was a young Jewish girl during World War II. She lived […]

Dark and Light and Lots of Greys

Spontaneous Human Combustion by Richard Thomas

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In this collection, Thomas presents fourteen short works of speculative fiction which blend science fiction, fantasy, and horror together in intriguing ways. It’s hard to write this review because of the diversity of the tales. The stories touch upon a plethora of genres and themes, including familial relationships, transformation, and atonement. A common device the author uses is cyclical time loops, which often lends a dream-like quality to the story that is enhanced by his deft prose. One thing I really liked about the collection […]

Sophy is fine, Charles is a pill

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

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You realllly need to sell the plus side of a crabby-Darcy character type, or my reaction to any reasonably nice woman ending up with him is gonna be “Ehhhh … I don’t get it.” I enjoyed A Christmas Party earlier this year, the first time I’d read one of Georgette Heyer’s mysteries, and the jacket quotes on The Grand Sophy persuaded me that this would be a fun comical romance. And the setup is indeed fun — Sophy, raised from a young age by her diplomat […]

Pretty good, but the author has written better

Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan

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“I grew this summer. Not on the outside, but on the inside. And that’s the only place where growing really matters.” Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan is about self-discovery and the role models who forever change us. Julia Marks is very short for her age. She never thought of herself as a performer, but when she was cast to be a Munchkin in a summer performance of The Wizard of Oz. Julia gets inspiration and motivation from the amazing director of the play Shaw Barr, […]

“Maybe she is reaching out because she has sent another man to his grave prematurely. Or maybe she wants to know if I can buy eggs on the way home. Either way, I’m not picking up.”

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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30 Books in 30 Days, Vol. 2 Book 15/30 Objectively, this should be getting a higher rating, but I found it rather agonizing to listen to, just because of personal preference. It’s actually really smart and really well done, and I think it accomplishes exactly what it’s trying to do. I should have figured this might happen, though. Satires are love them or hate them for me. And, really, I didn’t hate this! I just sort of hated listening to it. It made me feel […]

Life is a Cabaret

Other People’s Clothes by Calla Henkel

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Best for: People who like a little bit of a mystery but also a character study. In a nutshell: Zoe and Hailey are in Berlin for a study abroad art school year. Except classes are only once or twice a month. So what should they do to fill the time? How about host a casino / house party once a week? Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: It came in the Books That Matter subscription this month. Review: I had a goal at the […]



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