Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


The Queer Family Stone

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

by 1 Comment

This is a bit of a delayed Christmas romcom review, both due to the large hold list for it through the Twin Cities-area Libby library and because I utterly fell down on actually reviewing books for CBR 14. Ellie Oliver is a failed animation artist turned webcomic writer and barista. She’s stuck in life and hung up on a one-day snowstorm fling she had over Christmas the year before so when Andrew Kim-Prescott, the landlord of the coffee shop she works at, asks him to […]

A Fantastic YA Centering Queer History & Adventure

Lion’s Legacy by LC Rosen

by Leave a Comment

Gosh, gosh, gosh! This book, LC’s writing reminds me how reading a queer book by a queer author really does hit differently, in the best ways. Tennessee Russo is a teen who’s been going on adventures with his dad to find ancient artifacts for his dad’s tv show since his bar mitzvah, but at fifteen he starts to see the way his dad sells the artifacts as unethical, which results in a fight where his dad abandons him in Japan. Two years later, Ten has […]

A Poignant Blend of Myth and Survival

Dear Medusa by Olivia A Cole

by Leave a Comment

This is the kind of story that burrows into your heart and scrapes you raw in the best way. Alicia’s story is relatable in the worst ways, but I love the community and friendships she’s able to develop and the strength she finds over the course of her journey. Last year, the school’s beloved science teacher raped Alicia, but she hasn’t been able to tell anyone, especially because he is so beloved by the entirety of the school. But holding her pain and rage and […]

Messy, grief-filled story

The Minus-One Club by Kekla Magoon

by Leave a Comment

Oof, this book is messy and emotional. At it’s center The Minus-One Club is a story of grief and finding your way forward after the death of a loved one, but it is also a story of friendship and identity. Kermit just lost his sister after a drunk driver hit her car head-on, and now he has to go back to school and try getting back to “normal.” But he finds an anonymous note in his locker inviting him to a secret meeting, where other […]

Fantastic Jewish mythology middle grade!

The Ring of Solomon by Aden Polydoros

by Leave a Comment

I love Aden Polydoros’ books and when I saw he had a middle grade I was so excited. His books hit a very special place for me, and Ring of Solomon continues that trend. Zach and his younger sister, Naomi, find an old ring at the flea market and plan to get it for their mom for her birthday as she collects Judaica, but when they realize they can use the ring to communicate with animals, Zach decides to keep it for himself. He’s been […]

A story of finding yourself

The Long Run by James Acker

by Leave a Comment

The Long Run is such a great story of two young boys finding their way and finding themselves along the way. Sandro is invisible in so many ways and he’s learned to protect his softness by keeping to himself, especially as his dad and brothers like to “pick on him” in a way that crosses from affectionate into toxic. Bash is having trouble deciding who he is and who he wants to be outside what those around him expect, and in the process has been […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo