lgbt – Cannonball Read 11

She thought that maybe, just maybe, if she was beautiful, things would get better

The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara

January 16, 2019 by dAvid Leave a Comment

I’d heard for years that I should watch Paris is Burning, the groundbreaking documentary about the New York’s drag ball scene in the 1980’s, but I never quite got around to it for one reason or another. It wasn’t until a few years ago, when a friend told me just how much that movie influenced Rupaul’s Drag Race, that I finally forced myself to sit down and watch it. Needless to say, it’s brilliant and unforgettable, and shame on me for not watching it sooner. So when I heard that Joseph Cassara’s novel, The House of Impossible Beauties, was based […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

1/16/2019 | dAvid's CBR11 Review No:2 |

More than the monsters get undressed

A Guide to Undressing Your Monsters by Sam Sax

December 14, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

“Forgive my bluntness, but… Goddamn, Sam Sax can write some poems. Ross Gay” And he can. I am not sure though if I like them or not. There are some fabulous images. He just explores what it was/is to be him. Gay, Jewish, male, a person and so much more. And he does it wonderfully, creatively, not easily through his poems. His experiences. His knowledge. Sax is not for the “I like flowers and pretty ponies” poetry crowd. He is for the “this poem will smack you up side the face and not apologize for it” poetry crowd. I once […]

12/14/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:460 |

I want Olivia Gatwood as my new best friend

New American Best Friend by Olivia Gatwood

December 13, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

New American Best Friend is a book that makes me want Olivia Gatwood as my new best friend. Mostly because maybe then they can explain a few things to me. While the poems are straight forward, there are a few images I am trying to figure out what they mean as they can be interpreted a few ways. Then again, maybe that is the point? However, there is no real question about Ode to My Bitch Face (and trust me, if you say you did not practice your own bitch face while reading it, I am going to call you […]

12/13/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:457 |

More secrets from the Creekwood gang

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

December 10, 2018 by dAvid Leave a Comment

I’m still three reviews behind, so I’ll get right to it with this one. Having read and loved Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda earlier this year, I figured I may as well read the follow-up, Leah on the Offbeat, especially since it was one of the few finalists for the 2018 Goodreads Awards that I already owned. The whole gang from Simon is back for senior year, and Simon’s long-time best friend Leah gets to tell her own story. The title is a perfect encapsulation of Leah: a drummer in an all-girl band but not really a […]

12/10/2018 dAvid's CBR10 Review No:66 |

My favorite book of 2018

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

December 4, 2018 by dAvid 2 Comments

It’s official: I have the yips. I finished reading this book three weeks ago, but every time I’ve tried to write a review, I freeze, not because I have nothing to say but because I can’t seem to calm my mind enough to write the review this book deserves. For you see: Alexander Chee’s How to Write an Autobiographical Novel is my favorite book of the year. Chee shares essays about his life and writing career, keeping the subjects separate at first, then integrating them more and more as the book progresses. He writes about a summer exchange program in […]

12/4/2018 dAvid's CBR10 Review No:64 |

Blooming good read

Bloom by Savanna Ganucheau and Kevin Panetta

November 19, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Due late January/early February, Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau is another in the First Second graphic novels dealing with growing up and with sexuality and gender themes. This time, Ari and Hector are exploring what they want now that school is over. And part of that learning is they realize they want each other. The interesting thing about this book, compared to the others, is the simplicity in the sexual and identity exploration. This time there is “only” a gay couple. The other books have expanded on the more current events of gender issues. Bloom almost seems chaste […]

11/19/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:430 |

When a complicated writer finds their audience

Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson

November 19, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Andrea Gibson is a complicated person and that shows in their poetry collection, Lord of the Butterflies. They have several collections, this being their newest for Button Poetry. Winner of awards, writer of almost any liberal subject Gibson has a mix of poems about their personal journey, depression, lovers, current events and life in general. Personally, I prefer the poems where Gibson is not the “main character” of the story. Not to say, I did not like the other poems, I just prefer the ones that have a more general appeal. With that said, there is something for everyone, but […]

11/19/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:429 |

You are bound to find something that speaks to you

Bound by Claire Schwartz

September 18, 2018 by BlackRaven 2 Comments

Bound is one of the shortest books I have probably ever read. The longest poem is several pages long, but it is just a bunch of blacked out text. It is called (black box). I cannot put the symbol here as it is literally the black box/line that is used to block out wording in important documents. I am assuming this is the real speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I will call this poem “IPMBN” just to make it easier. If this is the real speech given by the Prime Minister before the joint session of congress on […]

9/18/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:363 |

yesknopemaybe on The Emerald Circus is multi-faceted but disappointsI literally LOL'd at "Emily Dickinson being abducted by an alien who looks like a leek". This sounds like a book I would not like...
yesknopemaybe on How I Learned to Accept my HangoverOoh, this sounds like a fun read. Great review!
yesknopemaybe on Now We’ve Got Vlad BloodEXCELLENT review title. Welcome to CBR and thank you for making me laugh with a pun :)
yesknopemaybe on Prejudice Against PrideOh no, that sucks that you didn't enjoy this. I liked it a bit more than you did (it's on my list to review), but...
yesknopemaybe on A good starting point for RipperologistsHa! I didn't know these things were bundled under the term Ripperology. I think I've mostly only read fiction inspired by Jack the Ripper instead...