Cannonball Read 11

Sticking it to Cancer One Book at a Time

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In A Hopeless Place

The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem

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Read as part of CBR11 Bingo: Listicle. “20 Best Crime Novels of 2018” -crimereads.com It’s interesting to me that Jonathan Lethem’s The Feral Detective made CrimeReads.com’s list of 20 best crime novels of 2018 considering how widely panned it was. Many reviewers said some variety of “How can the man who wrote Motherless Brooklyn produce such dreck?” I think such sentiment comes with unfortunately high expectations. I read Motherless Brooklyn earlier this year. It was excellent, definitely one of the best things I read in 2019. And it made me want to give The Feral Detective another try after I had crapped out on it at the end […]

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Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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7/12/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:56 |

California Love

The Drowning Pool by Ross Macdonald

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I’ve developed a recent habit of revisiting old books; some favorites, others not. I wanted to see how they held up after all this time and if my notions of them were still true. Many list The Drowning Pool as one of Ross Macdonald (Kenneth Millar)’s greatest works. I am a Lew Archer diehard. I’ve said many times in this space that it’s my favorite detective mystery series of all-time. But I’m also lucky that I unintentionally began it later in the series, when Macdonald had already sharpened his craft, as opposed to the beginning when he was just trying to imitate […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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6/25/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:47 |

The Dreamers – Wait, What?

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

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A mysterious sleeping sickness hits a small town in California. This is the first act of an apocalyptic novel that doesn’t quite get off the ground, or at least, doesn’t get off the ground in the way I have come to expect from an apocalyptic novel. I couldn’t put this down and read the whole thing in two days because I was excited to see what happened.  I picked it up to begin with because the front cover has praise from Emily St. John Mandel, the writer of “Station Eleven,” an excellent apocalyptic novel. That might have prejudiced me though. […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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5/18/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:20 |

Get out your drapes and rumba

Jazz Owls: A Novel of the Zoot Suit Riots by Margarita Engle

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Get out your drapes and start to jump, leap and swing to the beat! You will Rumba the night away! Jazz Owls: A Novel of the Zoot Suit Riots by Margarita Engle is a prose poetry book that reads like a novel. Each character (and there are several, some named and some just their occupation) has a story to tell about California in the early years of the Untied States time in World War Two. American born sisters, 16-year-old Marisela and 14-year-old Lorena just want to dance after a long day working in the cannery. They have their 12-year-old brother, […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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5/3/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:150 |

“All tyranny is abominable.”

Zorro by Isabel Allende

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As a kid growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, The Family Channel’s “Zorro” was must-watch-tv. While “Batman: The Animated Series” would eventually take over as my favorite hero show when I became a hardened and cynical fourth grader, Zorro has always held a special place in my soul. Yes, my soul. Zorro is hero descended from Spanish and Native Americans, born to help. And, to help with panache. You can imagine the impact that would have on a little Hispanic boy. In a way, I think it Zorro had an impact on my eventual decision to become a lawyer. […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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4/16/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:12 |

Some Early Steinbeck

The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck

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If you have noticed a lot of Steinbeck reviews the last few months, that’s on me.  I currently live in the Monterey Bay Area and decided that while I live here, I should read the works of the man who was so inspired by this place.  Steinbeck is from Salinas, CA, the largest city in the area but many of his books take place in and around the county.  The famous Cannery Row of Monterey is actually named for his book, which popularized the nickname of the former Ocean View Avenue.  Monterey loves celebrating Steinbeck.  Just today, on one of […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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2/7/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:8 |

Living in Steinbeck’s World

Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row, & Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck

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Save your drafts as you go! I lost a really long double review for these books due to my own negligence.  Ugh….   I moved to Monterey a year and a half ago, the home of Steinbeck and the setting for both of these novels.  Both take place at real locations in the greater Monterey area, though Tortilla Flat is a fictional neighborhood, which added to my interest.  Both novels follow a few main characters who live together and experience the effects of their shenanigans.  Both novels reflect the attitudes of the era in which they were written as well; […]

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12/18/2018 's CBR10 Review No:45 |

I’ll be up at night from reading this book

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

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One of my pals started a horror book club and McNamara’s book was selected. It was already on my radar, but this put it at the top of the list. Unfortunately, it is so dang popular that I wasn’t able to get the book until after the meet-up, but once the audio hit my inbox I was committed. I heeded the advice of everyone else which was NOT to listen to it at night time. This was my early morning walk/morning commute listen. Definitely a lights on read, as it is a horrifying tale. This is an outstanding book, and […]

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10/27/2018 's CBR10 Review No:38 |


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