Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


“…for you are my child, courageous and free.”

From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Kai Cheng Thom, Wai-Yant Li and Kai Yun Ching (illustrators)

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My January reading stalled out a bit, so I decided to pivot to some Read Harder Challenge tasks with shorter works. Task 16 this year is to read a queer picture book. The goal of the challenge is to broaden reading habits, and this task certainly did since I had no picture books on my very long TBR. I did some research, checked my library catalogue, and decided on From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea.   This is an extraordinarily beautiful book, both in its message and its visuals. Illustrators Wai-Yant Li and Kai Yun Ching deliver a […]

“I made promises to you that I’m not sure I can keep.”

Forever... by Judy Blume

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Most years I try to read a banned or challenged book as part of Banned Books week (which I’m VERY late for this year). There are many reasons I do it, but one of the most important is that I want there to be library requests in my system for these books as its one way to help keep challenged books on shelves (there are lots more suggestions for actions in this Book Riot article). This year I was having a tough time deciding what book to choose as I’ve been struggling in the past few years […]

“When they ban a book, they’re really just trying to cover up something they don’t want you to know.”

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Recently a coworker asked us to send some of our favorite Banned and Challenged book titles and a little snippet about it and/or why we love it.  I emailed her back and said did she want them alphabetically, order of importance or just my favorite? How did I approach it? I thought, send a few favorite author(s), but that was too many. Just every book I read that has been B-and/or-C? Way too many to do. Therefore I said “Make it simple.” And found a […]

“What would happen if we spoke the truth?”

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

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Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic had been on my to read for a bit as one of the more visible challenged and banned books since its publication in 2006  (31st most challenged  in the decade 2010-2019 according to the ALA) that I hadn’t gotten to yet, but moved higher up as it was challenged locally to me twice since 2020 (it’s been retained both times). So, it found its way to my September reading as my personal choice for Banned Books Week 2024.   As […]

“Because I know the day you come here to tell me that she’s dead will be the worst day of my life.”

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen (Writer), Jonathan Case (Illustrator)

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Reading Doomed sparked a push for more true crime reading and I hit up my TBR and put in a slew of library requests. First in was another Read Harder choice, Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case. Before this year I was unfamiliar with the existence of this book, or the decades long investigation it chronicles. But such is the reward of hitting up library lists for challenges, particularly banned books. (The challenge task was specifically banned comics […]

Definitely Not a Comic Book

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha

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When I read that my local High School had removed the graphic memoir Almost American Girl by Robin Ha from their summer reading list, I had to read it. The school board members called it a comic book. Well, I am sure glad this book hit my radar because it is excellent. I strongly feel that most high school kids would benefit from reading it. Let me start by saying I do not like reading graphic novels. My brain is not wired to enjoy reading […]



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