Cannonball Read 15

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Don’t Stop the Music

Step It up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music by David Menconi

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I heard about this book on a fan page for the Avett Brothers, and since I love music almost as much as reading, it seemed like something to check out. Menconi was a music reporter for the Raleigh News and Observer for many years, and the book reflects his deep connections to the community. It’s structured by time and genre- each chapter deals with a different location and type of music. North Carolina is often overlooked in the music scene, but it turns out to […]

A Ghost in a Green Gown

The Girl in The Green Silk Gown by Seanan McGuire

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Bingo review 12: Green In some ways, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown was actually my introduction to Seanan McGuire; it was the first book of hers that drew my interest, but it wasn’t the first thing of hers that I read. I’m just only now getting to it. It turns out the titular green dress actually has some meaning in the story, but it’s also a handy reason to use it for this bingo square. This is book two about Rose Marshall, who […]

Not So Ordinary

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

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I read this book over a month ago, so in covid time, that’s like what, 7 months ago?! When I went over to Goodreads to figure out how far behind I was in my Cannonball reviews I was like, “Oh yeeeeah. I read that!!” It was the book club pick for my local library book club, but since we didn’t meet last month (when I had read the book, Trevor Noah’s amazing Born a Crime) I figured I was off the hook this month but […]

Say Hello to Your Friends. Say Hello to the Peeeople Who Caaaare.

Kristy's Great Idea (Baby-Sitters Club #1) by Ann M. Martin

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In this, the time of corona, some people are killing time by embarking on new hobbies. I’m a proud member of the sourdough nation, i.e., those weirdoughs (bread pun!) making homemade starter and bread. I’ve gotten back into adult coloring and, relevant to this review, I’ve taken up reading the first novels of the Babysitters-club books on Facebook live. You miiiiight wonder how exactly I got to here. My favorite podcast, Literary Disco, is doing their part to raise spirits by cranking out more episodes […]

ghost stories with a history lesson or two

The Vine that Ate the South by J.D. Wilkes

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This book is fast, ferocious, and fun- which is not a surprise, considering it was crafted by J. D. Wilkes of the Legendary Shack Shakers. He wrote a rollicking Kentucky Odyssey-meets-Stand by Me and illustrated it himself to boot. Not only is this a “do you wanna see a dead body” sort of tale, but it’s also a thoughtful look at the overpowering anarchy of kudzu vine (the titular invasive vine that ate the south), and the people of Appalachia herself. All of the characters within The […]

Heartland – Heartbreaking and thoughtful in America’s Heartland

Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh

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This is yet another great read I “discovered” via ANUW, the Association of Northwestern University Women book club that I am a member of, by way of my employment at Northwestern University. I was a little leery, as last year the book club selections were pretty heavy to include J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy. At first thought, his book has many parallels to hers, so I wasn’t that interested in reading more of the same. Vance of Elegy grew up in rural Appalachia and details the […]



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