Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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H.G. Wells is the villain for boring me to death

The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

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Sometimes the idea of a story is a thousand times better than the actual story, as is the case with H.G. Wells’s The Invisible Man. I look at that cover and think, “This is going to be one badass book–a fun, light read that will nevertheless leave me pondering the nature of loneliness and isolation.” (Okay, I didn’t get all of that from the cover.) With fewer than 200 pages, this book turned out to be an unexpected slog and I’m still not sure what […]

Unspeakable pain, unspeakable loneliness

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

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Decades ago, when I first heard the term “footbinding,” I thought it simply meant that the feet of Chinese girls were wrapped tightly to keep them small and delicate. Then when I learned that there was much more to it than that, I realized it was awful but didn’t give it much more thought. After reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which goes into detail about how girls as young as 5 or 6 were subjected to the practice, I’m truly horrified. If you […]

When a great story is adapted into a great movie, x2

Different Seasons by Stephen King

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At least 30 years ago I read The Shining and really enjoyed it, so I’m not sure why I never picked up another book by Stephen King. Probably it’s because I’m not a huge horror fan, although Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House started to change my mind about that. Recently, a friend of mine convinced me that I should try Different Seasons, and knowing that it contained the novella that was the basis for The Shawshank Redemption, I thought, “Yes! Excellent idea!” It’s always […]

I wholeheartedly agree with you, but. . .

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

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“Ronnie Childers was tripping his balls off in Jackson Square when an angel of the Lord appeared before him. She was a glorious vision, dressed in black gym leggings and a Bikini Kill T-shirt, her golden hair twisted into a messy knot on the top of her head.” First of all, best opening lines I’ve read in ages. I flipped open to page one to get a flavor of what this book was like and didn’t want to put it down. That’s a strong beginning, […]

This cat book needs more about cats

Cat Tales: A History by Jerry D. Moore

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I love this cover! It’s an illustration from Edward Topsill’s The History of Serpents, or, the Second Booke of Living Creatures, printed in 1608. If you could see it in person, you’d love it even more, because it has a metallic finish. A book with a cover like this will practically jump off the shelf into your hands. I love the 76 photos and illustrations throughout the book, which range from more historical illustrations to photos of mummified animals to a famous photo of P-22, […]

“Money, money, money!” Or, greedy Victorian bastards

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

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I’ve had the idea in the back of my mind for a long time that I’d like to read every full-length Dickens novel, but I only just recently decided to get serious about it. For some reason, I decided that also should include re-reading ones that I don’t remember well. I vaguely remember enjoying Our Mutual Friend when I read it about 15 years ago, but I couldn’t remember the details. First takeaway: Even by Dickens’ standards, this novel feels a trifle padded. I generally […]



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