Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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CBRBINGO: Friends—”I was most flattered when I was called the Steven Spielberg of Sitcoms, and in response to that, Steven called me and told me that he wanted to be known as the James Burrows of movies.”

Directed by James Burrows by James Burrows

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I bought this at Book Outlet earlier this year (or late last year? what is time) and didn’t feel any particular rush to get to it. Then James Burrows died in June, and now just felt like the right time. This is a career-focused memoir told by James Burrows to Eddy Friedfield, who compiled it all into a book. You can definitely tell that Burrows is not a writer (a fact that he opines at least four times throughout the book—is this irony or what?) […]

Joe Buck LOVES Christina Applegate

Lucky Bastard: My Life, My Dad, and the Things I'm Not Allowed to Say on TV by Joe Buck

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A lot of people on the internet hate Joe Buck. I’m not one of those people.  Because I grew up in Texas, I am a big Troy Aikman fan.  I like Joe Buck by association. Plus, unless a sports broadcaster never stops talking, I usually have a favorable opinion of them. Ergo, I picked up this audiobook. I was looking for a light, fun listen for my work drives. Lucky Bastard delivered. Joe Buck was born in 1969 to beloved St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck […]

I cried six times while reading this memoir slash podcast slash pop culture book.

Slayers, Every One of Us: How One Girl in All the World Showed Us How to Hold On by Kristin Russo & Jenny Owen Youngs

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Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC. It hasn’t affected the contents of my review. First, here’s the blurb, because I’m not sure my review actually does a great job letting you know what the book is about: “A memoir reflecting on heartbreak, perseverance, and life lessons learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, from the hosts of the hit podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer. Kristin and Jenny’s marriage started with an ultimatum: to further their relationship, Kristin must watch Jenny’s favorite show, Buffy […]

You’re Watching Disney Channel

Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer

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Disney Channel’s children’s TV shows were a major cultural touchpoint during the 2000s, with hit TV shows like Hannah Montana and movies like High School Musical, which is all the more impressive considering that it was practically built from the ground up starting in the late 1990s. It’s hard to overstate the ubiquity of the Disney Channel’s children shows during the 2000s. I never watched these shows because my parents were exceeding suspicious of non-cartoon children’s entertainment when I was a child (I watched High School Musical for […]

“California, here we come, right back where we started from…”

Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History by Alan Sepinwall

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I picked the lyric above from Phantom Planet’s “California” (The O.C.’s theme song) because it nails how I feel about reconnecting with The O.C., a show that holds a curiously large place in my heart. I’ve visited the show at various life stages, from being a teenage college student all the way through being a grown family man with kids of my own. Life changes, but my love for The O.C. stays the same. Why? What keeps me coming back? I picked up Alan Sepinwall’s […]

If Mr. Rogers was that quirky uncle, LeVar Burton was that cool older cousin

My Friend LeVar by Ezra Edmond

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I saw the title: My Friend LeVar. And I wondered, “Is this the LeVar?” The Mr. LeVar Burton who was one of the influential parts of my reading childhood? And yes, Ezra Edmond’s picture book (due in October 2024 and read via an online reader copy, and illustrated by Jenna Nahyun) was about that LeVar Burton. The story is unusual in the sense that it is not your usual action book. There is a lesson, but not the ones you usually get. The story is […]



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