Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Call her The Doctor

The Whale Who Swam Through Time: A Two-Hundred-Year Journey in the Artic by Alex Boersma and Nick Pyenson

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I have read other stories about whales who have lived for centuries, as I am sure you have, too. But what makes The Whale Who Swam Through Time: A Two-Hundred-Year Journey in the Artic so wonderful is the illustrations. The story is nice, not overly pushy but gets the point across. You know this is a story not just about a whale that could live up to over 200 years-old, but an environmental book as well.  Yet, when it comes to the art, that is […]

Who IS Maud Dixon? The Talented Mr. Ripley meets Gone Girl

Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews

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Looking for an engaging, quick but literary, character-driven mystery? Spend a cozy Saturday curled up with Alexandra Andrews’ debut novel. First, you’ll have to get past the unlikability of almost all the characters in the novel – it’s a testament to Andrews’ writing that despite really disliking nearly every character I still devoured this book. I may not have been any more interested in spending time with Florence Darrow than her colleagues, but I was interested in what would happen to her in this book. […]

Beware of Bored Women!

Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District by Nikolai Leskov

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ESPECIALLY if you are the one to damn them into a life of boredom. I sought out this short story after being utterly enthralled by the 2016 Florence Pugh tour-de-force Lady Macbeth. If you are a sucker for a brutal period drama chock full of female desperation-disguised-as-power, then hustle your bustle to your  nearest ye olde video rental and check. it. out. The film is phenomenal, and I was immediately curious about the source material! A little Wikipedia creeping led me to Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk […]

once again: great book, TERRIBLE cover

The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante

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The cover is even WORSE this time- not only do we have another DIY looking illustration,  but the featured pull quote from The Australian‘s John Freeman is ABYSMAL: “Imagine if Jane Austen got angry and you’ll have some idea of how explosive these works are.” Fuck right off, guy. Emphasis on GUY. Just because Austen characters aren’t slapping and cussing each other out does not mean that they aren’t also filled with the contained rage of being a woman trapped in position- a woman who will do […]

Doesn’t really matter to me (or does it?)

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

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Although she holds the title of my favorite author, the Simon Snow series has never resonated with me in any meaningful way and the first two books are firmly at the bottom when I rank her bibliography. My fiancee, who I’ve read all of Rowell’s books to (aside from this one), is firmly in agreement on that one. Whether it be the spells that are in fact just cliches that have amassed magical power from their frequent usage, the Harry Potter retreads that aren’t really […]

Beside the victory, that’s her destiny

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

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Anna: I’ll have to come back eventually to get the stitches removed and for some checkups. But soon I’m on my own. June: What do you mean ‘on your own’? You can’t even piss by yourself. You gonna waddle down the stairs in that shitty Terminator leg brace to get your delivery tacos three times a day? When we meet Anna, she is scraping by trying to stay afloat doing odd jobs at a local temp agency for henches (villain support staff). After receiving a […]



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