Cannonball Read 15

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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“We are dreamers and makers because that is how we forged ourselves.”

All the Things They Said We Couldn’t Have by T.C. Oakes-Monger

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All the Things They Said We Couldn’t Have  is a gorgeous collection of essays and stories centering the joy of being trans. Tash Oakes-monger is a trans, nonbinary British writer. They don’t sidestep the difficulties of being trans in a hostile world, but illuminate the joy and life that comes with existing in the world as your true self. I found myself starting each morning by reading a couple of selections. I find value in joy for its own sake, and it is the reason […]

“When they take away your vote, use your voice.” `~Julia Cimafiejeva

Motherfield: Poems & Belarusian Protest Diary by Julia Cimafiejeva

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At first, I had a little trouble getting into Motherfield: Poems & Belarusian Protest Diary. I was reading via my phone from Edelweiss (my go to for online reading as it is the only one I can really get to work on my dinosaur of a phone) and that meant my screen was as small as the Helvetica font at level 9! (That is tiny by the way.) And then I was able to sneak at lunch time a few minutes on my work computer. […]

To Thine Own Self Be True

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

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All Boys Aren’t Blue is George M. Johnson’s memoir manifesto. I’d been hearing about it since it was tragically banned in way too many US states. Well, jokes on those haters who are way too obsessed with censorship. It was picked in September for my Mocha Girls Read book club and our Cannon Book Club. Through a series of essay chapters, we learn about George’s life from childhood to now. We learn about their identity issues that started with their name. In early childhood, the […]

Long Form Articles Brought Together

Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe

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Best for: People looking for some quality long-form writing about some interesting and disturbing characters. In a nutshell: Keefe brings together essays he’s written for magazines over the past decade or so. Worth quoting: N/A – Audio book Why I chose it: Loved his past two books – didn’t realize this was a collection of long essays. Review: This is not a bad book. It was not exactly what I was looking for, but I did still enjoy it. I listened to each essay in […]

Hopefully Good for Mothers

I’ll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife & Motherhood by Jessi Klein

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Best for: New moms looking for some solidarity. In a nutshell: Author Jessi Klein shares brutally honest stories from her life raising a tiny human as an older mother. Worth quoting: If I’d had a hard copy I’d probably have underlined a bunch, but it was an audio book, so I didn’t capture any. Why I chose it: I generally like her stuff. Review: I don’t have kids, and I’m not having kids. So this book is not for me, and my review should be […]

Hands-Down My Favorite TITLE of 2022

Please Miss: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Penis by Grace E. Lavery

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Please Miss: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Penis Let that title sink in. It’s so great! Also great: hearing Grace Lavery say it aloud herself. If you have any interest in diving into this piece (and holy moly, you should!) I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audio performance- and I do mean performance! Grace, Danny Lavery, and Marc Vietor do not skimp on the drama and pomp. Grace, in particular, has a lovely elastic and elegant lilt- cliché of clichés, but I do think I […]



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