Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The Next Chapter

Run Book One by John Lewis

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Run Book One is an easier read than the March trilogy by the same team of John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell, and L. Fury. However, there are pages that are terribly crowded with text that covers the illustrations and can make it difficult to read at times. For me, the combination of the black and white illustrations and this crowded information makes everything blur together. Along with a physically dark format (the black colors can be solid), sometimes I lost the message being told. […]

slick with sweat, thick with hate-and I love it

The Lover by Marguerite Duras

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Somehow, this incredible little novella flew completely under my radar until last year. Luckily, the folks over at Lit Hub are absolutely obsessed, and I was unable to remain in the dark for much longer. When it’s in a book I don’t think it’ll hurt any more …exist any more. One of the things writing does is wipe things out. Replace them. While not entirely an “autobiography”, Duras tells the tale of a very young girl who grew up in an unstable household in French-colonized […]

Maybe it is or isn’t art, but the woman behind it made an impact

Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey

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Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey is a sweet story about a woman who we might not have heard of, but one that in many ways changed the world. Hitting many first landmarks, such as Almas Thomas was the first black woman to have an art show at a particular museum, she was the first contemporary artwork and first woman of color to have their work in the White House), but she also just seemed to be a […]

what happens to the torch-bearers, the candle holders, the vigil keepers?

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

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There is so much that I want to tell you about this book, but I won’t. I took so many notes, and placed so many scraps of paper between pages, but I do not want to ruin a single realization for you. Rebecca Makkai has crafted an intricately woven tapestry that you have to witness in its full glory; I do not want to give you a magnifying glass before you have had a chance to first witness the enormity of the project. The Great Believers hits […]

Before Lucy stepped into the wardrobe

Through the Wardrobe: How C. S. Lewis Created Narnia by Lina Maslo

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It is always funny, nice, or exciting (depending on your view) to learn the history behind a favorite book series. Or, even if you are not a fan, to learn about a popular reading series. And you get that in Through the Wardrobe: How C. S. Lewis Created Narnia by Lina Maslo. This picture book biography of C. S. Lewis hits the highlights of his life, disappointments, inspirations and his family/personal life and his writing process. There is also mention about his Christian upbringing, questing […]

5 stars out of 5 just because it’s that darn different

Oscar’s American Dream by Barry Wittenstein

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Oscar’s American Dream might not become a classic, but Barry Wittenstein has created something that has all the pieces to become one. First, there are the great illustrations by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell. Second, there is a story that tells us the history from “the little guys” point of view. And finally, there are elements that the two create together to make something all ages can relate too and love. The start of the book is a man named Oskar (who would change his name […]



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