Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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On Pointe

Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina by Lea Lyon

March 5, 2020 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina has gotten a lot of attention. First, because this is a good book that covers several subjects. It covers African American history, women’s history and dance. It covers determination and perseverance. It talks about challenges, a family’s love and how you can do anything with the right book. This is a sweet story about Sylvia Townsend: a determined girl who let nothing stopped her. Lea Lyon and A. LaFaye’s text is upbeat and highlights the […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, History, Non-Fiction Tagged With: A. LaFaye, ballerina, Black History, Dancers, Jessica Gibson, Lea Lyon, Sylvia Townsend, Women's History

BlackRaven's CBR12 Review No:113 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, History, Non-Fiction · Tags: A. LaFaye, ballerina, Black History, Dancers, Jessica Gibson, Lea Lyon, Sylvia Townsend, Women's History ·
Rating:
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Luke Cage meets noir meets The Diviners meets more please!

Abbott by Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivelä

March 13, 2019 by cosbrarian Leave a Comment

Abbott is a brief, five-issue series set in 1970s Detroit about journalist Elena Abbott, lone black female reporter at the Detroit Daily. Abbott prefers to delve into the stories the paper’s board would rather not see printed. She’s recently getting heat for her piece on the death of a black teen at the hands of police, but so far she’s been protected by her loyal boss. She has a new case on the horizon and it’s a grisly one.  A mutilated police horse is found […]

Filed Under: Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Horror, Speculative Fiction, Suspense Tagged With: 1970s, Black History, comic book, Comics, detroit, horror, Intersectionality, journalism, mystery, Noir, paranormal, Racism, Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivelä, supernatural

cosbrarian's CBR11 Review No:19 · Genres: Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Horror, Speculative Fiction, Suspense · Tags: 1970s, Black History, comic book, Comics, detroit, horror, Intersectionality, journalism, mystery, Noir, paranormal, Racism, Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivelä, supernatural ·
Rating:
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Ms. Desmond, you’re the wrong color to be sitting there

Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged! by Jody Nyasha Warner

February 12, 2019 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

This is not a 5 because it is the best book ever. It is very good, but it is not my favorite book. However, it is a 5 because it is talking about history in a time, place and about a gender we donot hear a lot about. We learn about a woman of color who sat down for her rights and the rights of every black Canadian. And in a way, she stood up (by sitting) for people of color everywhere. To see a […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Non-Fiction Tagged With: Black History, Canadian history, civil rights, Jody Nyasha Warner, Richard Rudnicki, Viola Desmond, Women's History

BlackRaven's CBR11 Review No:40 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Non-Fiction · Tags: Black History, Canadian history, civil rights, Jody Nyasha Warner, Richard Rudnicki, Viola Desmond, Women's History ·
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The United States v. Jackie Robinson

May 30, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

A non-fiction book about Jack Robinson. Or better known as Jackie Robinson. The United States v. Jackie Robinson is not a typical biography of a baseball player. They start out with him being a child growing up as the only black family on their street. His mother’s strength and finally Jackie’s strength in the military. Few probably know that Jackie would not give up his seat on a bus either and it lead to a historic ruling, too. Finally, it ends with some of his […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Non-Fiction Tagged With: American History, Baseball, Black History, history, Jackie Robinson, military, R. Gregory Christie, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:182 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Non-Fiction · Tags: American History, Baseball, Black History, history, Jackie Robinson, military, R. Gregory Christie, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen ·
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A worthy literary endeavor that left me underwhelmed

December 29, 2017 by teresaelectro Leave a Comment

Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Underground Railroad, was another Mocha Girls Read book club selection. The novel follows Cora on her Odyssey-like journey to escape slavery traveling a magical realistic underground railroad. “Here was the true Great Spirit, the divine thread connecting all human endeavor – if you can keep it, it is yours. Your property, slave or continent. The American imperative.” – page 80 It begins in Africa following the first slaves as they were stolen and brought over to America. From […]

Filed Under: Fiction, History Tagged With: #CannonballRead9, african american history, American Slavery, Black History, cbr9, Colson Whitehead, Fiction, historical fiction, historical research, Pulitzer Prize, Slavery, The Underground Railroad

teresaelectro's CBR9 Review No:9 · Genres: Fiction, History · Tags: #CannonballRead9, african american history, American Slavery, Black History, cbr9, Colson Whitehead, Fiction, historical fiction, historical research, Pulitzer Prize, Slavery, The Underground Railroad ·
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Who knew buying a small town on eBay would lead to finding your purpose in life

December 29, 2017 by teresaelectro Leave a Comment

I had the fortune of visiting The Ripped Bodice to see Beverly Jenkins speak about her new historical romance novel, Breathless. After the event, I was kindly invited to join the LA chapter of Mocha Girls Read book club. I’m so thankful Ms. Jenkins and my favorite bookstore introduced me to a lovely book club group! Having an in-person book club kept up my motivation to read more books to review for Cannonball Read. 🙂 Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins was the February selection and much needed palette cleanser […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance Tagged With: african american history, Beverly Jenkins, Black History, blessings series, book 1, bring on the blessings, cannonball read 9, cbr9, contemporary fiction, Fiction, foster parents, kansas, romance, troubled kids, women's fiction

teresaelectro's CBR9 Review No:8 · Genres: Fiction, Romance · Tags: african american history, Beverly Jenkins, Black History, blessings series, book 1, bring on the blessings, cannonball read 9, cbr9, contemporary fiction, Fiction, foster parents, kansas, romance, troubled kids, women's fiction ·
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