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August 2022
MsWas's Message Corner
Hello everyone,
Hope you’re having a good end of summer, and that you’ve managed to squeeze in some beach reads, or pool reads, or just a read in the great outdoors.
The only reason I managed to find any time at all to do that myself this summer is because of our many CBR volunteers. Over the years, lots of people have stepped up to help out with something that is their specialty or to offer their time to learn something new. This very newsletter, our social media, #CannonBookClub, holiday book exchange, diversions, and many other wonderful things associated with CBR are run by volunteers, and they literally would not happen without them.
Our fifth Book Bingo Reading Challenge is going wonderfully, and I'd like to give a special shout out to teresaelectro, faintingviolet, and andtheIToldYouSos for volunteering at the last minute to help with tracking and checking reviews. Circumstances with excellent timing had coalesced in Emmalita's personal life just as she began planning the challenge that she loves so much (and directs so well). Its success this year is a testament to the care and thought that she puts into the challenge. Even with a bunch of people helping out, it was still a smooth sail.
If you have a hobby or talent that you’d like to dedicate to help Cannonball Read, or if you’re interested in learning new things and have some time to offer, please drop us a line.
--Bonnie (MsWas)
“How can I explain to anyone that stories are like air to me, I breathe them in and let them out over and over again.” – Jacqueline Woodson
Quick Questions with a Cannonballer: booktrovert
What’s the best book you’ve picked up as a result of a CBR recommendation/review?
 The September Book Club recommendations have been great so far - my favorite has been All Boys Aren't Blue. Most recently I added The Journalist and the Murderer to my TBR, and it's nearly at the top so I am looking forward to reading that soon! I am also currently listening to How to Be Perfect on audiobook in the car and really loving that (I also really loved The Good Place). My TBR stack has just grown out of control, so often by the time I pick up a book and read it I can no longer remember where I first read about it. However, many times, when I've finished a book I have really enjoyed going back and finding reviews AFTER I've read it, to see what others thought (notable examples: The Maid, Maus, French Braid). I cannot remember if I first read some of the wonderful reviews of Becky Chambers on Cannonball (I am almost positive that's where I found Chambers) but I truly enjoyed reading all of the reviews of Chambers' novels after I read and posted my own reviews this year.
See what else booktrovert has to say »
Quick Questions Flashback: In August 2016, KatSings told us about realizing that life's too short for bad books.
Bingo Check-in
The latest Bingo Check-in post is up, and Bingoers are on a roll! Just look at all the reviews tagged out there with cbr14bingo! How's your bingo card shaping up so far?
Fundraising Spotlight
Now that CBR is an official 501(c)(3), we can be a beneficiary of corporate donation matching incentives. If your employer is able to contribute matching funds and you'd like more info on how to turn your dollar into two, please contact us.
We also want to take a moment to thank our recent donor, Tava B. for her financial support. Tava is an author and Pajiban who's also donating 10 books to lucky Cannonballers (see the ARC section below).
#CannonBookClub: Banned Books in September
In honor of Banned Books Week’s 40th birthday we are reading All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Cannonballers are encouraged to read any of the selections above—you can read one, you can read all, it’s completely up to you. We would love it if you can write and post reviews sometime before Book Club convenes on September 16 – just remember to tag your post with the CannonBookClub tag to make your review discoverable with the other book club reviews. Even if you can’t get your review up in time, all are welcome to chime in on our Discussion Posts which will go live on September 16, at our Zoom meeting on September 17, 2 pm eastern/11 am pacific, or in any of our social media platforms.
CBR Diversion: Books That Make You Scream
Our August Diversion was a big hit, with a ton of comments and some great interpretations of the question: what books make you scream? Commenters talked about good screaming ("You have to read this!!!!") and bad screaming ("don't read that crap!!!!") and a good time was had by all. If you missed it, or you thought of more to scream about, feel free to come back to the Diversion!
Recommend a Review
Have you read a review recently that makes you laugh/cry/think/race to your library? Recommend it to be one of our Featured Reviews!
Style Tip: CBR Prefers Titles in Italics
Cannonball Read follows the Chicago Manual of Style in formatting your reviews. That means book titles should be italicized. If you're talking about your close personal friend Anna Karenina, it doesn't need to be italicized, but if you're talking about the classic Tolstoy novel, Anna Karenina needs some italics.
ARC, ARC, the Dogs Do Bark
 Pajiban Tava Baird (not her Pajibanym), is offering to send a paperback copy of the first book in her series, Wyldwood, in exchange for an honest review. Set in Scotland in 1746, Wyldwood is part romance and part adventure with a supernatural secret. For fans of Outlander or Discovery of Witches. She will ship to up to 10 Cannonballers, open internationally.
 A star-crossed lovers stand alone YA fantasy romance - A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass - weaves together a princess who craves control over her own life, a soldier hardened by the life of a spartan, and the irrevocable forces that bring them together. Available as a NetGalley widget (available internationally) or physical (US only) to one reviewer.
To take advantage of one of these offers, please contact Emmalita.
This Month's Fan Mail
Author Shelly Sanders thinks we’re inspiring! She commented on Twitter about ElCicco’s review of Daughters of the Occupation: A Novel of WWII, saying “I’m thrilled that #daughtersoftheoccupation is reviewed here, as my mother has survived thyroid, breast and skin cancer.”
Let us know if you have anything to submit to our Fan Mail page. Don't forget to tag @cannonballread when you post on social media - it helps others find us, and helps us find you to include you on the page!
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