Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Directness often disguised as much as it revealed, and was a marvelous defense.”

What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long

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Towards the end of June Nart reviewed What I Did for a Duke by Julie Ann Long and I had an immediate urge to drop what I was doing and go find my nook so I could start a re-read. I don’t do a ton of re-reading but there was something about this story that has kept an urge to visit it again simmering in my brain. I had visceral memories of the way the characters spoke to each other being delicious, and the house […]

Classic Sci-Fi: Should You Read It? The Foundation Trilogy

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov

Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov

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Classic Sci-Fi: Should You Read It? is a self-imposed project in which I read pre-1990 science fiction novels and categorize them as “classis sci-fi you should read,” “classic sci-fi you should read if you’re all hardcore about it,” or “classic sci-fi you don’t have to read.” For background on my project, please see the introduction to my review of 1984. Foundation Synopsis Foundation was written by prolific sci-fi author Isaac Asimov in 1951. Like his I, Robot, the text consists of interrelated short stories set […]

“…but the losses were as solid and dependable as the Earth itself.”

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

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My book club chose Commonwealth (2016) by Ann Patchett ages ago, but it was a meeting I couldn’t make. So when I ran out of time, I skipped the book entirely. However, because I’ve enjoyed other books by Patchett, I decided to pick this one up as an Audiobook. I’ve enjoyed every book by Patchett that I’ve read, and Commonwealth is no exception. Although, this one is not quite at the top of my Patchett list, it is memorable. I appreciate Patchett’s realistically drawn characters and nuanced family drama. […]

Sylvester Stallone is Not in this Book

The Expendable Man by Dorothy B. Hughes

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Dorothy B. Hughes is one of those writer’s writer types that readers get too after they’ve read the noir novels everyone has heard of and are desperate for more. With classics like In a Lonely Place and Ride the Pink Horse to her name, she is deserving of a place in the upper echelon. The Expendable Man is another plank in that argument. Hugh Densmore is a young doctor driving from L.A. to Phoenix for his sister’s wedding. Phoenix is his hometown, and his whole […]

Oh Thank God; It’s Good!

Birding With Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

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When you live a pretty bookish lifestyle, you’re bound to become friends with a lot of bookish people. This is twofold when you’re not just a big part of your local reading community, but you’re also a librarian. So when you have a friend who is not only a romance reader friend but a librarian friend, and they’ve written a book—a romance novel, nonetheless—you’re kind of expected to read it! (You also want to read it, because it’s a romance novel! Written by your friend! Set […]

What the H?

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

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Recently named one of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century by the New York Times, Helen Macdonald’s H is for Hawk covers one year in the author’s life. After the death of her father, Helen purchases and trains a goshawk to give her something to focus on in her grief. While recounting that process, she also diverges into discussions about the life of the author T.H. White, who in addition to writing The Once and Future King, was also a falconer. I listened […]



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