January 2018
Q&A with a Cannonballer: Halbs
How many times have you participated in CBR? Has it changed the way you read?
CBR10 is my fourth go-round. Participating has definitely changed the way that I read! I read more, I read more deeply, and I also read more boldly. I am more open now about being (1) an avid reader and (2) loving the books that I love. As a happy result of being more forthcoming, I'm now in a book club and a regular book exchange. That's big for me. CBR has enriched my life!
Registration is still open
If you're not officially signed up for CBR10, there's still time! We're hoping Cannonball Read will become your favorite thing (if you're new) or that it's always been your favorite thing and you couldn't possibly live without it (if you're a vet). What's even better than a new Cannonball Read? Sharing it with friends and loved ones! No pressure, no intimidation - sign up for as many or as few reviews as you want. Spread the word, and welcome!
Automated Leaderboard
If you missed MsWas's earlier email, there's exciting news for those of us who always forget to update our profile numbers! For CBR10, the Quantity field in each post not only updates the Leaderboard, it will also calculate the number of that review. Say your first post of the year is a trilogy by N. K. Jemisin, and your post covers all three books. Enter 3 in the Quantity field and in the footer of your post, it will be listed as CBR10 Review No: 3, and you'll be shown with 3 on the Leaderboard.
Many thanks to Spencer at Conducive Data for building in this functionality. CBR could not have asked for a better web developer for our project, and so if you have web project or computer consulting needs, please reach out to Spencer and let him know we sent you.
#CannonBookClub
How many times have you read A Wrinkle in Time? Do you need a refresher before the movie comes out? Join your fellow Cannonballers to discuss this classic in our first #CannonBookClub of the year. Keep an eye on the main page or various social medias for faintingviolet's always-thoughtful discussion questions. Reread if you want to, or just stop by and give us your two cents from your childhood memories and/or obsessively watching the trailer for the upcoming movie. We’re trying two-day discussions this year, so if you can’t make it on Friday, February 23, 2018, join us on Saturday, February 24.
Donations
Clicking, reading, and posting on CBR10 all helps our numbers for American Cancer Society donations, but there are other ways you can donate. Shop on Amazon a lot? Bookmark our Buy Hole. Paypal, Venmo... there are many ways to help support our mission to raise money to fight cancer. We appreciate every click and comment, and look forward to another great year with all of you.
Ready for even more book discussions?
Years ago, Cannonball Read had a Goodreads group. Today, Cannonballer Classic is reviving it! If you want even more places to talk about books and read reviews and suggestions, click on over and join up. Thanks, Classic!
CBR Style Tip: Keep an eye on this space for helpful hints
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Jan 18, 2018 01:30 pm
I picked up this book about three days after my sister and I made the decision, with the help of a wonderfully kind vet, to put down the 12-year-old spaniel mix we were fostering for a local rescue, Placing Paws. Taking on Hoppy happened suddenly in late May, and Hoppy’s story was far from happy. She was abandoned in a high kill shelter in Missouri after her owner died and came to Placing Paws with many issues—including a congenital deformity in her front leg that caused her to “hop” when she walked. When we took her on a year later, […]
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Jan 18, 2018 12:58 pm
I mean, this was definitely Written By A Man. This is a sports romance between a famously aggressive NFL player (Gavin, bisexual and in the closet) who is under house arrest for a brawl that was caught on camera, and the personal assistant (Noah, openly gay former social worker) he hires to help him manage his life while he can’t leave his house. There is much personality clashing, discussion of power dynamics, class issues, football, and sex. It is smart, also, and doesn’t give two fucks about showing its hand and doing its thing. Hassell gets a lot of mileage […]
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Jan 18, 2018 11:59 am
As I read this young adult novel, I had no idea that it had won the National Book Award. All I knew was that I found the main characters compelling and that a few passages caused some serious tears. It felt like an “ABC After-School Special” (yes, I’m totally dating myself) done by a really skillful indie director. Far from the Tree tells the story of three teenagers, all abandoned by the same mother, but ending up in three very different situations. As a baby, Grace is adopted by a middle-class family and is an only child. After she gives […]
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Jan 18, 2018 10:21 am
This novel came out in 1962 and deals with various love….triangles, quadrangles, quintangles…the entire sexual framework of the USA as it deals with bisexuality, homosexuality, heterosexuality, and queerness in general. It also deals with those same issues as they relate to race, black and white identity, Americanness, African-Americanness, and even Frenchness/French Colonialness. All of this leads to an earnest and devastating novel that bloodied and beautiful mix of pain, sadness, love, sexual energy, and violence. There’s some parallels and similarities to a few other writers here, especially elements of Richard Wright in the way violence plays such a clear role […]
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Jan 18, 2018 12:53 am
I think that there must be a moment during everyone’s childhood when you realize that adults are not infallible, not even your own parents. Over twenty years later, I can still remember my own personal moment, and those feelings are captured perfectly in Louis Undercover, written by playwright Fanny Britt and beautifully illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. Louis is a young boy whose parents have separated. He and his little brother, Truffle, are shuttled between their mother’s apartment in the city and their father’s house in the country. Louis is “undercover” because he is a silent witness to the sadness of both […]
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Amanda Howard (aka "Bothari43")
The Cannonball Read Newsletter Editor
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