Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


The Father Who Stepped Up, Then Stepped Aside

Whistler by Ann Patchett

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Daphne Fuller, the protagonist of Ann Patchett’s newest novel is a fifty-three old English teacher at an all-girls private school. On a day trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with her older, retired husband, she runs into someone she hasn’t seen in over forty years: her former stepfather Eddie Triplett. They begin spending time together and it helps Daphne fill in some of the blanks from her childhood that have been puzzling her for years. You see, Daphne has never fully understood the story […]

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

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Not too much to say on this outside of the fact that the it went on just way too long. And I thought the one daughter, Emily, was insufferable throughout. I think if Patchett had shortened things a bit that the book would have been perfect. Tom Lake follows Lara Nelson as she and her family hunkers down on their cherry farm during the COVID pandemic. The family has gotten sick of podcasts (as we all have in 2026) and Lara’s three daughters (Emily, Nell, […]

A Sprint to the Finish

Run by Ann Patchett

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On a snowy night, Bernard Doyle, the former mayor of Boston, drags his two adopted sons to a lecture by Jesse Jackson, Sr. Doyle is white and his sons, Tip and Teddy, are black, but Doyle is by far the most interested in Jackson’s lecture. Tip would much rather be back in the ichthyology  lab with his fish samples, and Teddy would rather be visiting his great-uncle John, a retired priest recently in the news for supposedly curing the sick. Outside the lecture hall, a […]

Putting the IN in Introvert and the Ex…. never mind….

The Verts: A Story of Introverts and Extrovert by Ann Patchett

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I know little to nothing about the author Ann Patchett. I’ve heard they are: YES BEST EVER! And they are: NO DON’T READ EVER! I leave it up to you to decide if The Verts: A Story of Introverts and Extroverts by Patchett is for you. Due in mid-September 2024, I read this picture book via an online reader copy. I had debated if I wanted to read it as the subject is one I care about, but am very picky about how it is […]

“…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. […]

Meryl Streep could have been a movie star

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

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After a very good experience listening to Tom Hanks read The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, I was ready for another. It just so happened that Tom Lake (2023) was on a number of Best Book Lists from 2023, so my next Patchett book was an easy decision. I think the author must have some pull with her narrators because the one and only Meryl Streep reads the Tom Lake audiobook, and it’s not surprising that she does a great job. I think it’s my favorite book by Ann Patchett. Lara […]



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