Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Late to the party, but still at the party!

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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Each year, my spouse and I pick out five books for each other to read. The Wedding People was on my 2026 list, so here we are! A great recommendation. Five stars. It’s almost like she knows me. I know this was a monster book in 2024, so you probably already know about it. If you are one of the uninitiated like I was, The Wedding People is a feel-good dramedy set in a fancy Rhode Island hotel. As you can probably guess, pretty much all […]

I got 3 hours and 52 books. Let’s see if I can finally do this.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher

The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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Whelp, I apologize in advance for what I’m about to do. For 17 years I have been trying to complete a full Cannonball and I have never once succeeded. Sometimes I don’t read enough, but mostly I don’t write enough. I get caught up in knots trying to write a perfect review and then worry I’m spending too much time writing instead of reading and it becomes a whole thing because my brain is a nightmare. So this year I decided I’d just write rough […]

What Strangers Can Teach Us About Ourselves

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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Best for: People who want an easy read that isn’t a quick read. In a nutshell: CN: Suicidal ideation Phoebe and her husband divorced just after the pandemic. She has come to a hotel to die by suicide, When she arrives, it turns out she’s the only person there who isn’t part of a wedding. Worth quoting: “What is one thing I can do right now instead?” “Everybody in my life is always telling me I can be anyone I want, but then whenever I […]

Wedding Guests Bring the Drama

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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Finishing this book also meant finishing my first buddy read with my mom, which was a fun experience, and I enjoyed the book. In a time of crisis, main character Phoebe has booked an expensive hotel, and upon arriving learns that due to a hotel oversight, she is the only guest who is not there for a wedding. Phoebe is grieving the end of her marriage, among other losses, and soon comes into contact with the bride, Lila. Through Lila, Phoebe slowly becomes sucked into […]

Bergère d’Azur Infinie

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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Phoebe is a professor of Victorian literature; something which informs most of her decision-making. When her husband leaves her for a younger, more attractive colleague after a long fertility journey, Phoebe takes a page from her tragic heroines and decides she no longer wants to live. She checks into the beautiful if ostentatious Newport Hotel with the intent of swallowing a bottle of painkillers while enjoying an overpriced ocean view. The only problem is that the hotel has been fully booked by a wedding party, […]

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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Not a lot to say about this one. I really enjoyed it. I didn’t care for Espach’s other book, but she managed to hit the perfect combination of drama, comedy, and even hints of romance throughout the book. I really felt for the main character of Phoebe Stone who is still reeling after her husband left and divorced her two years earlier. Watching her slowly come awake due to the insanity of the wedding and all of the people she meets was very good. And […]



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