Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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A fun, original contemporary romance

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

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CBR12 Bingo: “I wish…” I first saw Evvie Drake Starts Over (2020) by Linda Holmes on the shelf at the library. I was intrigued. I’m a fan of good romance novels and this looked like one I’d enjoy. I’m also using this book for the Cannonball Bingo “I wish” category. Romance novels are wish fulfillment in writing. And I think it’d be nice to live in an idyllic Maine town and fall in love with a professional athlete. I did enjoy this novel. Evvie was a fun […]

“This disease has magnified all our mistakes.”

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

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I first saw The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai on NPR’s Best Books of 2018 List. I was convinced that it was worth reading by the glowing reviews and the many awards–it was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and National Book Award finalist. However, I wasn’t sure this was a book I would enjoy reading. The cover and the title don’t give much away. The blurb just said it was about 1980’s Chicago during the AIDS epidemic and the art scene in Paris in 2015. None of those topics […]

Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

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I never really watched Star Trek, but I know of George Takei because I see his posts a lot on Facebook. So, when I saw They Called Us Enemy by Takei on NPR’s Best Books of 2019, it caught my eye. Although George Takei is the big name on the cover and it is his story, it was also written by Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott. In addition, Harmony Becker did an excellent job with the art. I read graphic memoirs once in a while, and they’re fine, […]

Nothing beats pure talent

Range by David Epstein

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I found Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (2019) by David Epstein through a number of different internet sources. An email from Outside magazine had it on a list of 9 Self-Improvement Books Actually Worth Reading, and it was also on NPR’s Favorite Books of 2019. However, I’m not sure I would have gotten to it as soon as I did, if I hadn’t seen that it was available on audiobook at my library. I haven’t had much time for reading lately, so listening to books is a way […]

Jane Austen and murder

The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

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I discovered Lucy Parker’s romance novels through Cannonball reviews. They have all been set in the West End theater district in London. I loved the relationships, the stories, and the inside look at the actors’ work and lives, so Parker has become a must-read for me. I was pretty slow in realizing that Parker had a new book, The Austen Playbook (2019). It was published way back in April, which is why it took me until December to read it. Unfortunately, I think these last two books […]

She misses believing in God.

Florida by Lauren Groff

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Florida (2018) by Lauren Groff was strongly recommended to me by my boyfriend. He was surprised I hadn’t heard of it, and I probably should have. It was a National Book Award Finalist and on NPR’s Best Books of 2018 List. I read the first part of the first story on his iPad and was interested enough to read the rest of the book. Short stories are not my go-to. Most of the time I have a hard time connecting to the characters before the next story begins […]



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