Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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My Stomach Still Feels the Same

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

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My retired librarian mother and I are alike in many ways; but one of the big differences between us* is that I’m a big proponent of rereading books, and she never rereads ANY THING. She says there are too many books that she hasn’t read to spend time on rereading. Personally, as much as I do like going back to books, I usually only reread books I enjoyed like A Wrinkle in Time, The Stopping Place and The Owl and the Pussycat.

A difficult to find book but very worthwhile read

Juniper by Monica Furlong

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Can she save her father’s kingdom from an evil sorceress? ^^ that’s the blurb on the front of this book and while, technically, yes, also ugh no. Set after the timeline sequel Wise Child but written after, Juniper follows the titular character on the first part of her journey from the spoiled, only child and princess of a local king/chieftain in England in the early days of Christianity to the powerful, peaceful, centered doran we know she becomes. And yes, she has to fight a sorceress who is threatening her father’s […]

Track down this book (used copies abound)

Wise Child by Monica Furlong

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This is a book that is very worthwhile despite being somewhat hard to track down (although, as it were, not as hard as the sequel/prequel, Juniper). Wise Child is a great example of the value of a well-funded school district. I cannot begin to count the number of books that I was recommended by my middle school librarian (hi Ms. Miller!), who would patiently roam the aisles with me after school while I was waiting to be picked up. This is one of them, though, and […]

“The tragedy is not that things are broken. The tragedy is that they are not mended again.”

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

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“Stand unshod upon it, for the ground is holy, being even as it came from the Creator. Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men. Destroy it and man is destroyed.” Cry, the Beloved Country is a novel that gets read in schools a lot, probably because it has a vaguely To Kill a Mockingbird-like feel, but international, with the action moved to South Africa. The Reverend Stephen Kumalo, a black Anglican priest who lives in a rural […]

A Book Mostly About Food Reminds You to Eat the Rich

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

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Re-read because I came across the clip at the very beginning on YouTube and then wanted to re-read the book and now it is an hour and a half later and this was a BIG mistake. UGH. After having read Sex and Vanity I also thought of this book fondly, but upon re-reading I’m forced to admit it’s actually not as great as I remember. I think the parts that are tbe best are all the middling bits that aren’t plot-driven–where Kwan is sharing peeks into Singaporean […]

I see your “Snake Jazz” and Raise You LIZARD MUSIC!

Lizard Music by Daniel Pinkwater

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I found a new favorite author back in April of this year when I FINALLY read Kelly Link’s Magic For Beginners. The titular novella (within a collection of stories) immediately reminded me of, to plagiarize myself, “two of my all-time ‘is this really happening’ favorites: Daniel Pinkwater’s Lizard Music and Nickelodeon’s Pete and Pete.” While I have not watched any Pete and Pete recently (although I really should), I did impulse buy a fun new paperback edition of Lizard Music back in October. Instead of giving in to my […]



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