Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Join the CBR18 Book Bingo Reading Challenge—Now Underway!   

Fish are friends, even if they can’t travel with you

Goodbye, Koi by Jack Wong

September 2, 2026 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Inspired by actual events of when they were a young child, Jack Wong’s Goodbye, Koi is a lovely toned story and amazingly illustrated book. Due mid September 2026 (read via an online reader copy) this story is adaptable to most ages. While the picture book format might turn off a few older readers, you could read it up to about second or third grade. The premise is that a child must say goodbye to their beloved koi fish pets, as something is happening so they […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction Tagged With: diversity, family, Jack Wong, Multicultural, parents, travel

BlackRaven's CBR18 Review No:265 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction · Tags: diversity, family, Jack Wong, Multicultural, parents, travel ·
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I should save this for a bingo or something like this, but I gotta tell you about the book that made me cry

We Are Pan by Andre R. Frattino and Yasmín Flores Montañez

June 5, 2026 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

A little over a year ago I read Tokyo Rose – Zero Hour by Andre R. Frattino and illustrator Kate Kasenow. I gave it a rating of four. When I was looking for my review from 2025, I found another review that was from 2023 (if you haven’t guessed, I came late to the party) on here that was also a four. I mention this other book because not only is it a great book and should be promoted when it can, Frattino is the […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Religion, Romance, Short Stories, Young Adult Tagged With: 1960s, 20th Century, Alex Segura, Andre R. Frattino, Andre R. Frattino and Yasmín Flores Montañez, Castro, Catholic Welfare Bureau, Cuba, diversity, family, Fidel Castro, Hispanic & Latino, Multicultural, Operation Pedro Pan, parents, revolution

BlackRaven's CBR18 Review No:160 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Religion, Romance, Short Stories, Young Adult · Tags: 1960s, 20th Century, Alex Segura, Andre R. Frattino, Andre R. Frattino and Yasmín Flores Montañez, Castro, Catholic Welfare Bureau, Cuba, diversity, family, Fidel Castro, Hispanic & Latino, Multicultural, Operation Pedro Pan, parents, revolution ·
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“People – a group comprised of every sapient species, organic or otherwise – were chaos, but chaos was good. Chaos was the only sensible conclusion.”

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

February 21, 2026 by Malin Leave a Comment

Monthly Keyword Challenge 26: Ground Nowhere Book Bingo 26: A book that came out more than 4 years ago Defeating the Goblin TBR 26: The Gizmo Book (A Sci-fi or Dystopian book) Reading Rainbow – Indigo cover The planet of Gora doesn’t have much to recommend itself to anyone, except as a stopover for travellers to other, more interesting parts of space. Travellers can rest, refuel, eat, restock their supplies and update any permits that might be required. It’s like an interstellar truck stop between […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Science Fiction Tagged With: #Science Fiction, Aliens, Becky Chambers, cbr18, family, friendship, keyword 26, Malin, Multicultural, Nowhere Book Bingo, space, the galaxy and the ground within, Wayfarers

Malin's CBR18 Review No:7 · Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction · Tags: #Science Fiction, Aliens, Becky Chambers, cbr18, family, friendship, keyword 26, Malin, Multicultural, Nowhere Book Bingo, space, the galaxy and the ground within, Wayfarers ·
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Cover of Songs for Ghosts bt Claire Kumagi

Folktales and cycles through history

Songs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai

July 17, 2025 by LB Leave a Comment

Songs for Ghosts fulfills the “culture” square on CBR17 Bingo. Songs for Ghosts is a beautiful, tragic story of the power of stories and love, as well as the way past choices can create cycles throughout time. I’m unfamiliar with it, but in the afterword the author talks about Songs for Ghosts being a retelling of Madama Butterfly opera by Puccini where Cio-Cio-San has more agency than just the reductive submissive wife trope. Adam is a seventeen year old whose boyfriend just broke up with […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Horror, Young Adult Tagged With: achillean, biwa, cbr17bingo, Clara Kumagai, folklore, historical fiction, historical horror, japanese, Multicultural, Nagasaki, queer, songs for ghosts, sophomore novel, World War II

LB's CBR17 Review No:14 · Genres: Fiction, Horror, Young Adult · Tags: achillean, biwa, cbr17bingo, Clara Kumagai, folklore, historical fiction, historical horror, japanese, Multicultural, Nagasaki, queer, songs for ghosts, sophomore novel, World War II ·
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Cover of The Story of my Anger by Jasminne Mendez

A firestorm of a story!

The Story of my Anger by Jasminne Mendez

July 8, 2025 by LB Leave a Comment

The Story of my Anger counts for the “school” square on CBR17 Bingo. I was immediately drawn to The Story of My Anger because Yuli’s pose on the cover is so defiant and powerful, and I knew I wanted to read her story. Told in verse, this book follows Yuli and her group of friends who are trying to prevent the books that have allowed them to be seen in curriculum from being banned. Especially in today’s sociopolitical landscape and how many books are being […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult Tagged With: book bans, cbr17bingo, chosen family, contemporary fiction, jasminne Mendez, Multicultural, protest, queer secondary characters, Texas, the story of my anger, United States of America, Young Adult

LB's CBR17 Review No:9 · Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult · Tags: book bans, cbr17bingo, chosen family, contemporary fiction, jasminne Mendez, Multicultural, protest, queer secondary characters, Texas, the story of my anger, United States of America, Young Adult ·
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Love is Love and Hate is Hate

Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar

March 14, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Diversity The CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar is currently available. However, I found an old online  reader copy to read. I thought I had read it before, but it did not feel familiar to me. Therefore I think I just looked at it and “put it aside.” Thankfully I did find it again as it takes a couple of familiar themes but adds a modern take to them, and I was in the right mood for it as well, as […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Religion, Romance Tagged With: Ameya Narvankar, diversity, family, LGBTQ, Marriage, Multicultural, Social Themes, The CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:141 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Religion, Romance · Tags: Ameya Narvankar, diversity, family, LGBTQ, Marriage, Multicultural, Social Themes, The CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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