Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

…when you open your heart to rewilding a landscape…you’re opening your heart to rewilding yourself.

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

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CBR BINGO: Landscape Years ago a friend recommended I read Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, Prodigal Summer, about a wildlife biologist studying coyotes. It wasn’t something I thought would be in my wheelhouse, but I loved it and have been on the lookout for books of the the same ilk ever since. Give me books about folks obsessed with nature and wildlife written with obvious respect and awe. Paint those landscapes with words and give voice to the wild. I struggle with finding a name for this genre. The […]

I might have wanted to go to this camp if I known there would be cool kids like Willow and her friends

Secrets of Camp Whatever Volume One by Chris Grine

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An adorable coming of age with lots of humor story is the best way to describe Secrets of Camp Whatever Volume One. Monsters, adventures, and snacks come together when a handful of children go to a bit of a creepy, but cool, summer camp. Adventure awaits! Just watch out for fog leeches. Chris Grine created characters that are relatable, diverse, and are full of surprises. Willow, our main character, and her friends are sent to a summer camp for a few weeks. Willow does not […]

Perhaps all humans are lonely. At least potentially.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

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CBR13 BINGO: Book Club (Obama’s Summer Reading List 2021 & Good Morning America’s Book Club) Ishiguro writes the kind of books that you can’t discuss too much without giving away the plot. In the most simple synopsis: Klara is an artificially intelligent robot that can be purchased to be a child’s bff. Initially showcased in a storefront window, she is soon supplanted by newer models and relegated to lesser and lesser positions in the store. While languishing in a shady corner in the back of […]

Siblings: can’t live with them, can’t live without…well you could but you know, not ALL the time….

Kyle’s Little Sister by BonHyung Jeong

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Kyle’s Little Sister is an interesting look at siblings from all sides of the coin. While it is mostly told from Grace’s point of view, you do get bubbles of thoughts from others. This sweet, funny, realistic, and relatable tale talks about how we are not “the little sibling of our older sibling.” We have a name of our own. We have personalities of our own. We have our own interests. We look like ourselves, and we act like ourselves. And younger siblings want everyone […]

Is this what people do?

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

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CBR13 BINGO: Rec’d square (Cannonball Read has been my go-to when looking for something to read for as long as it has been around. That’s over a decade of recommendations, folks. One of the greatest loves of my reading life is Rainbow Rowell and I have to thank many, many great Cannonballers for that. So, I’m stretching the Rec’d Square here a bit because it wasn’t one specific Cannonballer who recommended this book in particular. It was a group effort recommending the author in general. While I may have come […]

Familiar faces and story with a twist

Manu by Kelly Fernandez

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Best friends, magic and religion mix for a fantastic fantasy graphic novel called Manu by Kelly Fernandez. The themes, landscape and feeling of the novel itself is based in the author/illustrators Dominican and American heritage. This is a modern fairy/folk tale that combines classic story and new imagery. Manu was a foundling. Manu is always getting into trouble. Manu is a bit “too much” for her classmates. But Manu is loved by the headmistress and her best friend, Josefina. This is a school for magical […]



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