Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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“My great-grandfather was a boxing champion…and I can’t stop sparring ghosts.”

Heavyweight by Solomon J. Brager

January 8, 2026 by GentleRain Leave a Comment

The back cover copy called Heavyweight “provocative,” which I felt was a bit much. Then I found myself getting provoked, which was amusing to me. Heavyweight is a graphic memoir that is ostensibly an attempt to find out the history of Brager’s great-grandfather Erich Levi, but expands beyond that into an examination of how history is portrayed and passed down, inequality, gentrification, colonialism, racism, and so on. There is a big focus on research and what the limits are of what research can provide us. It’s a sweeping […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, History Tagged With: colonialism, family history, Holocaust, LGBT nonfiction, Solomon J. Brager

GentleRain's CBR18 Review No:9 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, History · Tags: colonialism, family history, Holocaust, LGBT nonfiction, Solomon J. Brager ·
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A piece of the story

Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout

October 8, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

To be honest, I have a lot of books that get misplaced. I put them in safe places and well, they are so safe even I can’t find them. But there is always a way to find them. And with Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout that way was the library and interlibrary loan.  A powerful and beautifully done story of family and the horrors of war unfolds across the pages. As it is told via a blackbird, things at times become almost […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Religion, Suspense, Young Adult Tagged With: #Netherlands, 1940-1945, 20th Century, 21st Century, amsterdam, Dutch Resistance, europe, family, German occupation, Holocaust, Maria van Lieshout, Multigenerational, resistance, war, World War 2

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:446 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Religion, Suspense, Young Adult · Tags: #Netherlands, 1940-1945, 20th Century, 21st Century, amsterdam, Dutch Resistance, europe, family, German occupation, Holocaust, Maria van Lieshout, Multigenerational, resistance, war, World War 2 ·
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From Yehiel to Henri

The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man's Journey Across Wartime Europe by Uri Shulevitz

May 16, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Uri Shulevitz can spin a yarn.  And when it is based in/about real events they hit even harder. One of the last writings of Shulevitz, The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe (due in August 2025, read via an online reader copy), takes another true World War II story and brings it to life in emotional text.  This time, instead of following Uri’s story during the war, we follow one of his fathers younger brothers, Yehiel’s parallel journey during the […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, History, Non-Fiction, Religion, Young Adult Tagged With: europe, family, French Resistance, Holocaust, Poland, spanish civil war, Underground, Uri Shulevitz, World War II, Yehiel Shulevitz

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:269 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, History, Non-Fiction, Religion, Young Adult · Tags: europe, family, French Resistance, Holocaust, Poland, spanish civil war, Underground, Uri Shulevitz, World War II, Yehiel Shulevitz ·
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Describe in two words: FREAKING WOW

Chance: Escape from the Holocaust by Uri Shulevitz

April 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The book: Chance: Escape from the Holocaust by Uri Shulevitz One word: WOW. Okay two words. FREAKING WOW I cannot tell you how fantastic this book is. Just read. It is not easy, it is sad, heartbreaking, scary, beautiful, hopeful and more. It covers all the emotions. It shows you a piece of World War II that we don’t know about. Again, WOW and go read. For mature readers at least 12-13 and up, but I would recommend older. But if you read with them, […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Religion, Young Adult Tagged With: art, artists, childhood, Holocaust, Jewish children, Poland, Social Theme, Soviet Union, Uri Shulevitz, World War II

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:225 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Religion, Young Adult · Tags: art, artists, childhood, Holocaust, Jewish children, Poland, Social Theme, Soviet Union, Uri Shulevitz, World War II ·
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This reminds me of a younger Summer of My German Soldier

Enemies in the Orchard: A World War 2 Novel in Verse by Dana VanderLugt

April 9, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Enemies in the Orchard: A World War 2 Novel in Verse by Dana VanderLugt is a combination of a sweet and informative book. Perhaps it is also a bit idealistic, as it shows a part of World War II that is not known as well as other parts of American history, and is done in a “less intense” way. It is an interesting look at war and friendship nonetheless. There is a double POV story telling that is a familiar format, but adds to the […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Poetry, Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: 20th Century, community, Dana VanderLugt, family, friendship, German solider, Holocaust, Labor camps, loss & grief, Michigan, prisoners of war, World War II United States

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:182 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Poetry, Romance, Young Adult · Tags: 20th Century, community, Dana VanderLugt, family, friendship, German solider, Holocaust, Labor camps, loss & grief, Michigan, prisoners of war, World War II United States ·
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I’m trying to think of a clever title that will grab attention but it all seems to frivolous for the subject

Run and Hide: How Jewish Youth Escaped the Holocaust by Don Brown

January 30, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The haunting cover of Run and Hide: How Jewish Youth Escaped the Holocaust by Don Brown does not really give you the whole picture of what is going to happen inside this book, but it is a great start. There are layers that will overlap, some things are familiar, others will give you more insight and others might be new stories or concepts. It does not feel like a subject for a graphic novel, but the subject translates well into this format, but it works […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, History, Non-Fiction, Religion, Young Adult Tagged With: #Holland, 1939-1945, Children, Don Brown, Germany, Holocaust, Jewish Youth, Kindertransports, Kindertransports (Rescue operations), London, Social Themes, World War II

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:63 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, History, Non-Fiction, Religion, Young Adult · Tags: #Holland, 1939-1945, Children, Don Brown, Germany, Holocaust, Jewish Youth, Kindertransports, Kindertransports (Rescue operations), London, Social Themes, World War II ·
Rating:
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Recent Comments

  • Emmalita
    on “Potatoes…do not make gods.”
    Potatoes don’t make gods was my favorite quote from the book too.
  • Emmalita
    on CBR Diversion – Community Bookshelves – Book set in a place you have lived.
    RIP 😭
  • carmelpie
    on CBR Diversion – Community Bookshelves – Book set in a place you have lived.
    I've been racking my brain trying to remember books I've read that are set in any of the cities where...
  • carmelpie
    on CBR Diversion – Community Bookshelves – Book set in a place you have lived.
    RIP Hut's Hamburgers. Pour one out for Katz's (It never closes!), Maria's Taco Xpress, Trudy's, and Threadgills.
  • matt_thac
    on CBR Diversion – Community Bookshelves – Book set in a place you have lived.
    I'm enjoying this one. I've bounced all around the world a few times (for work and wanting a life less...
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