Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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“Grind culture is violence and violence creates trauma. We have been traumatized deeply.”

Rest is Resistance: a Manifesto by Tricia Hersey

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Back when I still participated in Twitter, I had been following Tricia Hersey’s The Nap Ministry for years and years. As I’ve unpacked my likely (but not official) autism diagnosis, masking, burnout, depression, burnout, disability, and generally not functioning at the speed that the white supremacist capitalistic hellscape we live in would like me to her rallying cry of rest has resonated greatly. I have pushed back on the demands for my time and energy and routinely schedule what I call sloth weekends where I […]

“That is, perhaps you can forgive yourself for being a person who doesn’t always rise above her human urges.”

The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Older

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I’m a smidge perplexed by my relationship with Malka Older’s The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series. I think it boils down to loving them in concept but not in practice. The idea of a mystery a la Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie mixed with the cozy character-driven sci-fi of Becky Chambers sounds right up my alley – which means I’m looking forward to them each time, and then struggle to sink in. I’ve given myself some time and I think a big part of […]

“And to that end, welcome comfort, for without it, you cannot stay strong.”

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

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This time, I read the duology back-to-back (how I wish this series had continued, but I understand Chambers stopping here). Where Psalm for the Wild-Built was really just about Sibling Dex and Mosscap, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is much more the story of community. Having made it to the monastery and back the pair now embark on the promised road trip for Mosscap to ask its question of humanity. To do that, they travel from town to town on their way to the city. Dex is convinced that if there is an answer to what humanity needs it […]

Sex Cult and Wellness Startup

Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult by Ellen Huet

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I have a history being interested in cults and cult-like behaviors, so when Read Harder included a task to read a book about cults, I was excited. I’ve already read The Quiet Damage this year and have a couple others lined up, including Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult by Ellen Huet.  Let’s start with the headline – I did not enjoy this book. I am an outlier in that regard.   This is not about the content; this is an incredibly well researched work from someone who has been reporting on the One Taste cult […]

“Now, in a growing number of cities across the country, when a victim testified, she no longer did so alone.”

The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story by Pagan Kennedy

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Following news at the beginning of May that the End the Backlog campaign had finally achieved rape kit reform legislation in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Now, in the year of aggravation that is 2026. But, with a goal of being thankful for the wins and not angered by their delay I decided it was time to move The Secret History of the Rape Kit up to the top of my reading list.   Pagan Kennedy’s book traces the story of the creation of the modern rape kit and the woman, Marty Goddard, […]

“For a being as sophisticated as you are, it is baffling how little understanding you have of the composition of your own mind.”

Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #5) by Martha Wells

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Reviewing a re-read is always a bit of a stumper for me, and even though I’ve been systematically making my way through re-reading the Murderbot books over the past couple of years the idea of trying to have something new to say about Network Effect is a bit daunting. Even though it has been over four and a half years (ouch) since I last read this book it was still fresh in my mind’s eye, there was very little that I didn’t remember from last time. But there were things that flowed much easier for […]



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