Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Bad Monkey, Worse Writing

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

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I enjoy Bill Lawrence’s TV shows, so I’ve been looking forward to seeing Apple TV’s Bad Monkey, starring Vince Vaughn. On an impulse, though, I decided to read the novel first, figuring that I would never read the book if I’d already seen the show. I’ve heard good things about Hiaasen for years, and as an Elmore Leonard fan I figured he was right up my alley. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Bad Monkey did remind me of Elmore Leonard, but only because it seemed like […]

Celebrating and loss

Popi's All Souls Song by C.K. Malone

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Popi’s All Souls Song by C.K. Malone and illustrated by Shelly Swann is due mid September 2024. I was able to find an online reader copy and I am curious about the final product. I think reading online made me “miss” some important pieces of the story. There is a small bump near the end that did not flow for me. However, overall it is an interesting story that takes a familiar topic (the death of a loved one) and handles it with love, care […]

Family celebration

A Turkish Rosh Hashanah by Etan Basseri

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I was reading A Turkish Rosh Hashanah (via an online reader copy though it has recently been released) by Etan Basseri and thought about The Light Keeper by Levin, Baslaw and Priestley. It is not because they have a similar theme, setting (one is set in Russian, one in Turkey), or even that the main characters are all Jewish, but it just had that feel of something familiar and yet, also different. It was sweet, interesting and a bit educational without being textbook-like. They both […]

Let there be light and community 

The Light Keeper by Sheila Baslaw

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Recently an email pops into my work emails and it says that I have been chosen to read a book in an online reader format. Fantastic! When did I enter/ask for this book?  I could not remember even seeing The Light Keeper by Sheila Baslaw, Karen Levine, and Alice Priestley before. But that would work in my favor as I had no preconceived notions about things.  While I have read the theme of the story before (the idea of being brave), it was new and […]

The Ghost of Memories

There's a Ghost in the Garden by Kyo Maclear

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There is a message inside of There’s a Ghost in the Garden by Kyo Maclear, but it is one that will be different for each reader. Also, it is okay if you just enjoy the words of Maclear, the flow of text and the illustrations (by Katty Maurey) without taking any meaning from them. It works on both levels allowing the reader to take what is needed at each listen and/or reading.  This can work for many ages, though it is for slightly older listeners/readers. […]

How could one ever capture a star?

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

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CBR16 Bingo: Celestial – Teddy paints Stella as Electra, one of the Pleiades of Greek mythology – the daughters of the Titan Atlas who were transformed into stars by Zeus. Grey-haired Stella is the only one of her friends still unwed, and does not expect to marry soon either. But between her new acquaintance with aspiring artist Teddy and the pressure from her brother’s impending marriage, Stella finds that her path may not be what she always envisioned. After a whirlwind read of the previous three […]



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