Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Depression, But Make it Funny

Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel

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Small Admissions, by Amy Peoppel, is a contemporary novel set in New York City and supposedly features a group of friends trying to help one of the group get back on her feet. I say “supposedly” because one friend, Chloe, makes the entire situation about herself. In fact, she’s the only character written in first-person, even though she is not the main character. Angela, the sister of the actual main character, tries to help, but mostly just nags and criticizes. And Vicki/Victoria is a completely […]

Ignore This Siren’s Song

The Siren by Katherine St. John

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In “The Siren,” the handsome, famous, wealthy, charismatic, sexy Cole Powers is shooting a film on a small Caribbean island. The writer-director is Cole’s estranged son, Jackson. And the movie also stars Cole’s ex-wife, the actress Stella Rivers. Along for the ride is producer Taylor Wasserman (also estranged from her father), influencer Madison Kasabian, and Stella’s assistant, the very realistically named Felicity Fox. And half of them want to kill one of the others. I chose this book because although I usually prefer sci-fi and […]

“I guess we’re almost friends now, or as friendly as you can get when you’re not one hundred percent sure the other person isn’t framing you for murder.” (Blackout Bingo Card)

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

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4.5 stars CBR17 Bingo: School (The Breakfast Club with murder. So much high school drama) On a Monday afternoon, five high schoolers find themselves in detention after someone planted phones in their bags. They all claim the phones are not theirs, but the teacher is not listening. There is Cooper, the star athlete, with a promising career in baseball ahead of him. There is Addy, always perfectly put together and the homecoming princess. There is Nate, the school’s bad boy, who is on probation for […]

“I’m afraid I don’t know WTF. I only discovered LOL from Joyce last week” (Double Bingo)

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

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CBR17 Bingo: White (a book with a white cover) In a charming retirement village somewhere in the south of England, four elderly individuals solve cold cases for fun. Retired nurse, Joyce, is the last to be inducted into “The Thursday Murder Club”, as they are in need of some of her medical expertise in trying to solve their most recent case. Led by the formidable Elizabeth, who used to be a spy, aided and abetted by Ibrahim, a retired psychologist and Ron, a former trade union […]

I’m Just Here for the Music

Songs for Other People's Weddings by David Levithan

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The book: Songs for Other People’s Weddings is the story of J, a minor pop star from Sweden, who often performs at weddings. For each wedding he’s hired for, he writes a personal song for the happy couple that he performs at the ceremony. He’s dating a woman named V, whose job takes her from Sweden to New York for several months, and he’s having trouble coping with the distance. Why I read it: This is not normally a book I would have any interest in, if […]

“Oona was still learning, everytime she leaped no matter the year someone important would be absent from life.”

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

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Buzzword Title Challenge 25: Alliteration Buzzword Cover Challenge 25: Eyes CBR17 Bingo: O (A book title that starts with O) Official plot summary (because I read this back in July): Just because life may be out of order, doesn’t mean it’s broken. It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. At the stroke of midnight, she will turn nineteen, and the year ahead promises to be one of consequence. Should she go to London to study economics, or remain […]



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