Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Busy Bee and friends

Little Bee V01 The Buzz About the Party by Danny Neville and Colleen McKeown

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One day I have an email in my inbox that says I have been given access to an online reader of Little Bee V01 The Buzz About the Party by Danny Neville and illustrator Colleen McKeown. It is due early March 2026 and the image of the cover was there as well. There was a lot of technical stuff (you know words) about how great it was and other information about it, but I try not to read too much about things so I am […]

New place, new community, new home

The Garlic Eaters by Madison Safer

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As a bookseller I have access to books in multiple ways. The easiest way is to have online reader copies. I was granted access to The Garlic Eaters by Madison Safer this way. I was going to wait to read it (as it is due in July 2026, so I had plenty of time to read) but decided why not? I needed something that seemed quick and easy. There is nothing quick or easy about things. You are getting a deep story about displacement from […]

The book I didn’t think I’d like, read anyway, and was delightfully surprised by the results

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

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The publisher description of “With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner Satoru as they take to the road on a journey…” is the perfect way to describe The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa (translated by Philip Gabriel). And I thought that before I was even halfway through. I am now (as I start this review) a little over halfway through and it is still perfect. The emotion of the story is soft, but intense as […]

Celebrate Ramadan

Ramadan for Everyone: A Muslim Community Story by Aya Khalil

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Again, I almost did not read a book. I have read several books about Ramadan, and thought that perhaps Ramadan for Everyone: A Muslim Community Story by Aya Khalil would be just like those. Turns out, it is and is not like other books. We have the concept of Ramadan, the events and things one does to honor Allah, but there is more as well. The young girl of the story has a voice that is different from other stories, and yet is familiar too. […]

Mom and Me

The Brunch Shift by Adrienne Thurman

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When reading a book, you always start with the cover. When I saw it as an online reader, the cover image was just a thumbnail for The Brunch Shift. I did not think I was going to like it based on the cover alone as unfortunately, there did not seem to be anything grabbing me. I figured I knew the story, “Mom was at the restaurant while the child was home with dad or grandparent (other adult) and waiting. It would be a story about […]

I like cats. And drawings.

The Boy Who Drew Cats: A Japanese Folktale by Lafcadio Hearn

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There are three main times when I swear. In no particular order, when I am tired and/or mad; when I want to make a point and when something is just so fudging (only I didn’t say fudge) good. And The Boy Who Drew Cats: A Japanese Folktale by Lafcadio Hearn is one of those fudging good books. Amazing story, amazing illustrations, amazing feeling to it, even an amazing back story of the author. Perhaps more for adults (collectors of art books, of Japanese folk tales, […]



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