Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Likes soda, hopscotch, comic books and picking bugs out of dads hair

Lulu and the Others: A True Story by Eliot Schrefer and A.G. Ford

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Eliot Schrefer and illustrator A.G. Ford created Lulu and the Others: A True Story. Now, I am not completely sure that is funny, sweet and would make a fun read aloud, is really really true, but I am sure it was at least inspired by real events. You see, I have a hard time believing that any animal would have a banana shaped cup! How pedestrian…  All jokes aside, Lulu was a bonobo and lived with her human family Mother, Father and Sister. They were […]

Lincoln Viewed through the Power of Melancholy

Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled his Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk

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This new to me biography of Lincoln focuses on his depressive temperament, how he and his contemporaries viewed that temperament, and what modern-day readers can learn from Lincoln’s life and outlook. Shenk lays the groundwork for this book by observing that the labeling of psychological phenomena can be helpful, but also artificially limiting. “Language doesn’t just name a reality; it creates a reality.” Going to talk about how Lincoln has been viewed throughout history, including as bipolar and depressed, Shenk states that “such retrospective diagnoses […]

Towns that Never Were. Mountain Ranges That Were Nonexistent. And then an IKEA That Apparently Exists in a Land That Never Was. Good Times!

This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong (and why it matters) by Mark Cooper-Jones and Jay Foreman

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We are all familiar with the wonderful maze of a store that is IKEA, no?  Cunningly contrived to let yourself get lost for a day of perusing mysteriously named Swedish household wonderfulness (and don’t forget the meatballs!) while astutely offering you childcare if you should need it.  Our sons happily would play with cars on their street floor mats, and a good time was had by all.  And until fairly recently (2019), one of the items on offer was the Björksta, a large classy map […]

Read Me

Monsterlogica: A menagerie of monsters, beasts and magical beings by Martin Maudsley and Victoria Topping

The Big Book of Useless History Knowledge: 250 of the Coolest, Weirdest, and Most Unbelievable History Facts You Won't Be Taught in School by Kay Wolfersperger, Liz Kay, Lauren Radley, Neon Squid, and Vicky Armstrong

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It is that time of year when the publishers are promoting their future releases. Two of those books that were highlighted are below in this combined review. Neither had a finished online readers copy available, but what they did have made me terribly excited When I started Monsterlogica: A menagerie of monsters, beasts and magical beings by Martin Maudsley and illustrator Victoria Topping (due September 2026) I was not sure of it. Another monster book? Eh. I mean, sure monsters are fun, they could add […]

Salmon Running and Snow Falling

Salmon Run: An epic journey to the ocean and back by Annie Chen

Snowfall by Sun-jung Park

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Picture books are a fun way to read books. You finished reading something, feel accomplish and can binge without really taking a lot of time out of your day. Take an hour and you can have half a dozen or more reads under your belt depending on the size of them. Two books that would be a good hour read are the two below. The first is a bit on the longer side and paced so you do want to take your time. The second […]

History behind “The New Colossus”

What Emma Wrote: The Woman Behind the Words on the Statue of Liberty by Ann D. Koffsky and N. Tarcan

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What Emma Wrote: The Woman Behind the Words on the Statue of Liberty by Ann D. Koffsky (Ann Diament Koffsky) and illustrator N. Tarcan   While I was not WOWed by this story, I was warm and cozy with it. It was a nice story, a good introduction to the subject and made me want to learn more about the woman who is the Emma of the title. Both the text and illustrations give off comfortable vibes The publisher’s description says “with its poetic message” […]



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