Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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“What’s the difference between a private library and a book hoarder?” “Feces.”

The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein

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I’m a bit late jumping on the train with regards to this one. I think I’ve had a copy of this sitting on my ebook reader for years… and just never opened it up. Then, forgetting about my ebook, I then purchased the audiobook. Oops. Such a shame though; The Trauma Cleaner is one of those rare gems of a biography where a truly talented author gets a chance  to tackle a truly fascinating subject. The Trauma Cleaner is also unusual in that the subject, […]

“When someone is murdered next door, it changes everything”

The Murder Next Door: A Graphic Memoir by Hugh D'Andrade

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The Murder Next Door: A Graphic Memoir by Hugh D’Andrade was given a rating of five because it is an interesting story. However, it is actually more of a 4.5 as there were a few places I was not “feeling it.”  With that said, the focus of a murder that happened 40 years prior, but is still affecting our narrator, is powerful, interesting and oddly relatable. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, but overall a darn (only didn’t say darn) good read.  Of […]

An Important Middle Grade in Verse

Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner

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Gosh, Please Pay Attention is a book that hurts in the best way. Bea is a sixth-grader with cerebral palsy who is Buddies with Josie, a kindergartner with anxiety, and best friends with Rani. Max is the school nurse, and also her foster mom who gave her her name because Bea’s neonatal room was decorated with Peter Rabbit before Max brought her home. Bea loves to draw and even gets in trouble for drawing places she shouldn’t, like her bedroom wall and classroom desk. But […]

“Once upon a time long ago I lay in my crib at Sandy Point Farm while my father lay in the next room dying.”

Once Upon a Time: A True Story by Gloria Vanderbilt

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I had read about the custody case over Gloria Vanderbilt in the past, but it was long enough ago that I forgot most of the fine details and felt that I was entering the book with no real allegiances or opinions beyond feeling bad for a child caught up in it. I purchased this copy a while ago and then it sat on my shelf until my recent reading spree focused on mid century society gossip. Once Upon A Time: A True Story is a […]

The Original “Poor Little Rich Girl”

Million Dollar Baby by Philip Van Rensselaer

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I spent half of this book wondering if I’d read it before but enjoying it so much I dashed through it in about a day. It is very entertaining and readable, and you can understand why Barbara Hutton took on Philip as a companion. He is a fun narrator and gets across emotion and events very well. Million Dollar Baby is a biography of Barbara Hutton and a memoir the time that Van Rensselaer spent with her in the late 1950s. It is not at […]

It’s not too late to be in the year’s best

The Women by Kristin Hannah

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So there’s good news and bad news. Good news is, I loved this book. Bad new is that I had my top five already written up before I finished The Women, and now I have to rewrite it. It’s definitely worth the extra work though (although the book that got booted might disagree). The Women is set during the Vietnam war and follows the path of Frankie McGrath, who comes from an affluent family that proudly celebrated military service. Following the path her brother took, […]



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