Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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“What garlic is to salad, insanity is to art.”-Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Stan and Gus: Art, Ardor, and the Friendship That Built the Gilded Age by Henry Wiencek

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When  I first read about this book in The NY Times Book Review, I knew I had to have it. Having grown up on a steady diet of  hearing about “Ragtime” and “The Girl on the Velvet Swing”, or how about how Clover Adams’s Memorial was on my mother’s must-see list, any book that covered any and all of that was something I needed to read. Thankfully, this did not disappoint. Stan and Gus covers the working (and potentially sexual) relationship of Standford White and […]

Shine your light

The Lonely Lighthouse: The Story of Little Sable Point Lighthouse by Stephanie Owen

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Picture books have become one of my favorite reading choices. I like the details and yet they can (sometimes) be no more than 40-50 pages. I get the satisfaction of reading and finishing a book usually in one sitting. And I also might learn something new if it is a historical or factual book. And The Lonely Lighthouse: The Story of Little Sable Point Lighthouse by Stephanie Owen covers all the bases. Due in mid April 2026 (read via an online reader copy), this is […]

Great Photos and Interesting History

Fragments of Glasgow by Rosalie Menon

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Best for: Those interested in Victorian architecture. Those who live in or want to learn more about Glasgow. In a nutshell: Author Menon explores the various 19th century architecture in Glasgow, splitting thorough text with gorgeous photos. Worth quoting: “… repurposing these historic buildings is an inherently sustainable option.” Why I chose it: We purchased moved to Glasgow last year and live in a tenement flat. I’ve become fascinated with the architecture in this city. Review: I love Victorian architecture. I love stone buildings that […]

American Dream or Vanity Project?

Liberty by Julian Voloj

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cbr16bingo Vintage (Of an age) and the statue is over 40 years old…so counts)  Liberty by Julian Voloj and illustrated by Jorg Hartmann is a solid, strong book about the Statue of Liberty. There are creative illustrations that bring to life not just the ins and outs of the statue, but the history and the feelings of the times. We see the country through the eyes of a well-to-do Frenchman, his contemporaries and how France and the US differ and are similar. What little I […]

Shaping the structures of the world

Mr. Pei's Perfect Shapes: The Story of Architect I. M. Pei by Julie Leung

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Mr. Pei’s Perfect Shapes: The Story of Architect I. M. Pei by Julie Leung and illustrated by Yifan Wu is a WOW! book. Not because it is the best book ever (though it is in the top 25 for 2024 so far), but because it is different from what I have been reading and it is about someone that I had never heard of before, or if I had, not someone who had “clicked” as he was not a mainstream name (such as Frank Lloyd […]

Gird Your Loins. But It’s Worth It.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

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cbr15 bingo History So this was a 1000 page doorstopper, and apparently the first of a trilogy.  And you know what?  Bring it on. Set in England during those dicey years before the Plantagenet crew really took hold, it’s basically the story of the building of a cathedral.  But the thing about building a cathedral, especially in these early days?  It’s a community endeavor headed by Some Guy (Tom Builder to start with in this case) but it must be a feat of sustained passion […]



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