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December 2021
MsWas's Message Corner
Hi everyone,
Without looking, do you know what TIME Cannonball Read 13 ends? It’s not midnight, it’s not 5:00pm, it’s NOON! High noon, pardner. That’s right, in the middle of the last day of the year CBR13 ends. We close down at 12:00pm on Dec. 31 to make sure we have all of our ducks in a row, and all code gets updated and moved up to 14. Then the site will open back up on Jan. 1, ready for CBR14.
It’s hard to believe we are going on 14 years of this project. There were times when we were unsure if we would make it to the next year; but here we are, going strong and almost government approved! Thank you to all of you who were able to donate to our cause on #GivingTuesday, we made 175% of our goal. That money allowed us to pay for all website costs for next year and make a donation to ACS to match Bothari43’s employer’s philanthropy support of $300, bringing donations for the year to $600 and the total amount that we have raised for the ACS to $9175.
Can you help us make that amount even larger? We have made fewer donations this year, due to the fundraising pause while we were drafting our paperwork; but there is still have time to try to make our year-end donation more substantial.
If you’re able to contribute financially to our mission by the end of 2021, please donate via PayPal or Venmo.
Thank you!
--Bonnie (aka "MsWas")
“And books, they offer one hope -- that a whole universe might open up from between the covers, and falling into that universe, one is saved.” - Anne Rice
Q&A with a Cannonballer: Jenna
Your bio says your favorite genre is “takes place in an old hotel.” Do you have a favorite “old hotel” book, or one that you think best represents the genre?
I think anything Agatha Christie wrote set in a hotel or boarding house (most recently, I read N or M?, review coming soon) exemplifies what I love about hotel stories. There are always secret nooks and crannies, everyone knows more than they let on, and time is always of the essence because guests are coming and going. Some other, more recent favorites: Bellwether Rhapsody by Kate Racculia, One by One by Ruth Ware, and The Return by Rachel Harrison.
Quick Questions Flashback: The comments on Emmalita's December 2016 Q&A turned into a roundup of eggnog recipes!
Update on our nonprofit status
We are officially pending as a 501(c)(3) organization! The IRS is currently looking at applications submitted in August 2021, and our paperwork was turned in in July, so hopefully sometime next year we'll receive our official status. That will allow us to make tax-deductible contributions to the American Cancer Society, receive exemption from Federal income tax, be eligible for matching gifts from many employers, and more. Stay tuned for more info!
Giving Tuesday: Thank you, all!
With Giving Tuesday, regular donations, and a volunteer reward from my job (hooray for capitalist performative community involvement!), CBR has been able to donate $600 to the American Cancer Society. Thank you to all our readers, reviewers, clickers, and donators for the unflagging support!
New category: Audiobooks
A book is a book is a book, whether you read a paperback in a comfy chair with a cat, on an ereader on a train, or on your headphones on a hike. Audiobooks are now their own category, so if you want to talk specifically about a great (or terrible) reader, a memoir read by the author, the benefit of hearing things pronounced out loud, or anything else audio-related, go ahead and click that category!
It's time to register for CBR14!
[see the newsletter header for yesknopemaybe's awesome new CBR graphic]
Did you enjoy your Cannonball journey this year? Keep the good times rolling into CBR14! Or if you've been forwarded this email by a pushy reading/reviewing friend, we'd love to have you first-timers as well! Registration is now open.
Some more ARC giveaways
If you want to start your CBR14 off with some shiny new advance reader copies, good news! We have two free ebook offers through a NetGalley widget. If you're interested in either of the two, contact Emmalita.
 The Ivory Key, Akshaya Raman (The Ivory Key Duology, #1) - out January 4
Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic – a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict – she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic. Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken.
 Set On You, Amy Lea - contemporary rom-com out May 4
Fitness influencer Crystal Chen is so focused on herself and the gym that no man can get in her way: except for firefighter and new gym patron Scott, literally, when he steals her squat rack. Soon the competition – and their undeniable chemistry – heats up as they fight for gym domination. But after their escalating jabs, the last place Crystal expects to see Scott is at their grandparents’ engagement party. As Crystal discovers the softness under his muscular exterior, she feels a deep bond forming – but when internet trolls come after a viral picture of them, Crystal and Scott will have to ground their budding relationship in what they know is real. Described by the publicist as body positive.
Year-end CBR Zoom Chats
We had a great time at our two holiday/end-of-year Zoom chats on December 11. Who knew there were so many possible book-related (and interior decorating) topics to discuss? Well, we did, obviously. Thanks to everyone who joined, and we look forward to chatting more in 2022!
This Month's Fan Mail
NTE's review of How to Wear A Sari by Darshana Khiani got a lovely Twitter comment from the author, plus a follow-up when it got retweeted on our @cannonballread account: “Your review made my week or month or something even more.”
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!
CBR Event Calendar
Check the calendar page on the blog for an overview of upcoming events.
- 12/31/2021: 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST: End of CBR13
- 1/1/2022: CBR14 begins
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Dec 14, 2021 11:15 am
Your bio says your favorite genre is “takes place in an old hotel.” I love the specificity of that! Do you have a favorite “old hotel” book, or one that you think best represents the genre? I think anything Agatha Christie wrote set in a hotel or boarding house (most recently, I read N or M?) exemplifies what I love about hotel stories. There are always secret nooks and crannies, everyone knows more than they let on, and time is always of the essence because […]
Read More »
 
Dec 14, 2021 09:00 am
A Bowl Full of Peace: A True Story is a book that I can tell you: it is a beautiful book about survival, family, and beauty within the ugliness of war. A family heirloom survived the bombing of Nagasaki, but some of the family did not. This based on a true story testament to the why we should never let this happen again. Lovely illustrations accent and compliment the text. I can say that it is written by Caren Stelson and those lovely illustrations are […]
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Dec 14, 2021 08:28 am
One year ago. They were pissed, to begin with. A little. Not nearly as much as Horatio is now. Only a shared Viognier bottle over fresh pasta, then a pair of whiskeys so they wouldn’t have to leave the restaurant, abandon the silk ribbons of wind. All the sharp corners sanded off their inhibitions. It was the sort of perfect-weather night that saddens New Yorkers because there are only ten or twelve per year. The city becomes an hourglass, precious grains lost every second. – […]
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Dec 13, 2021 11:55 pm
Ever since I read Animal Wise by Virginia Morell, I’ve been looking for more of the same. Morell’s book was eye-opening and fascinating. I hoped I had found something similar when I saw The Emotional Lives of Animals (2008) by Marc Bekoff. With a foreword by the amazing Jane Goodall, and a topic right up my alley, I began it with high expectations. Unfortunately, I still have not found a book that rivals Animal Wise. Although I agreed with most of Bekoff’s arguments, I was often frustrated by a lack […]
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Dec 13, 2021 11:39 pm
I can count on my friend for good book recommendations, so when she told me that she’d really enjoyed Love at First (2021) by Kate Clayborn, I did not hesitate. We both read many different kinds of books, but we often pass along our romance recommendations. I had high hopes for this book. This book takes place in Chicago. Dr. Will Sterling has just inherited a unit from his estranged uncle in a six-unit building filled with very eccentric, close-knit owners. Conditions of the will prohibit Will […]
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Amanda Howard (aka "Bothari43")
The Cannonball Read Newsletter Editor
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