Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Join the CBR18 Book Bingo Reading Challenge—Now Underway!   

Terrible Book Supposedly About Travel

Wherever You Go: A Guide to Mindful, Sustainable, and Life-Changing Travel by Daniel Houghton

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Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review. So I am seriously annoyed by this book. This book was supposed to be a memoir of the former CEO of Lonely Planet, Daniel Houghton that showed how travel changed his life and how it impacts everyone around you. Instead, we have Houghton dancing around what sounds like troublesome parts of his life (somewhere in there he got divorced) and just interviewing the rich and famous in traveler […]

Before a governor of South Carolina gave “Hiking the Appalachian Trail” new meaning

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

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Would have been my True Story bingo square if I’d gotten my act together to write this up Thursday night while distributing candy! It’s hard to say whether Mark Sanford did a disservice to the adventurous hikers braving the 2,200-mile trail that runs from Georgia to Maine or whether, perhaps, he inspired a few people to give it a go by raising awareness. At any rate, this book has nothing to do with political scandals, extramarital affairs, or clandestine trips to Argentina, so if that’s […]

Time For A Walking Tour

An Opinionated guide to London Architecture by Sujata Burman, Rosa Bertoli and Taran Wilkhu

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Best for: People visiting (or living in) London who want to see a variety of examples of good / interesting architecture around the city. In a nutshell: Wallpaper* (note, I hate that the magazine title has an asterisk, as it make me want to add a line at the bottom of this review resolving the asterisk) journalists and architecture photographer provide just over 50 examples of London architecture. Mostly buildings. Worth quoting: “Why do we change our minds about what’s considered good? Why I chose […]

The Longest Journey

Magellan by Stefan Zweig

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In September of 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out to find and sail a presumed passage between the Atlantic and the South Pacific in order to find a Western route to the highly coveted Spice Islands. Although not planned as such, this journey ended up the first circumnavigation of the world which proved that the Earth is a round, rotating ball. Magellan himself did not live to see its conclusion as he died during an unnecessary battle in the Philippines, but the important events […]

I’m going up the country, baby don’t you want to go?

Roadtripping: On the Move with the Buffalo Gals by Conni Massing

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I find I like the idea of literary travel books more than I usually like the books themselves.  Travel books have a tendency to veer into stories of someone else’s vacation- fascinating and possibly life changing for the traveler, less so for the listener/ reader.  In addition, travelogues can lack the themes or narratives that pull a fictional novel along and, likewise, can be short on the cohesive conclusions that a good non-fiction book draws. Given that they’re not my favourite genre, why did I […]

History and travel: bingo two for two in a series (#History/Schmistory & Travel)

His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire #1) by Naomi Novik

Throne of Jade (Temeraire #2) by Naomi Novik

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I’m pretty behind on Bingo, so trying to catch up before it ends! Some quick reviews of two entries in a series I’ve been reading this year, both on audiobook: Temeraire (AKA His Majesty’s Dragon) and Throne of Jade, by Naomi Novik. Temeraire fits the History/Schmistory square, since it’s set in an alternate history, and Throne of Jade satisfies the requirements for Travel. This was the series Novik was known for before she delved into folklore fantasy with Uprooted and Spinning Silver. They’re difficult to compare, as […]



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