I don’t read enough non-fiction, but this came so highly recommended by the world at large that I didn’t hesitate to pick it up, and man, oh man am I equal parts happy to have read it, and completely ruined by it. Matthew Desmond embedded himself in the slums (if you will) of Milwaukee for a long time, built relationships with a number of people on various sides of the complex polyhedron that is the American landlord/tenant dynamic, and in this book, reports on them […]
They say you can’t go home again.
My favorite place in the world when I was a kid was the basement children’s room of the town library. I even ended up working there in high school. I systematically read my way around the YA books on the perimeter of the room, going back to certain ones over and over. One of the series I revisited a few times was the Tillerman Cycle, a seven-novel series which starts with Homecoming (1981). There are many children’s books and YA novels that have not aged […]
Officially Did Not Finish, 2016
A few years ago, I came to the realization that I did not have to finish a book, if I wasn’t enjoying it. This was – to say the least – a startling revelation for me, because I had previously trudged through every. single. word. of every. single. book., even if I despised it. It led to some pretty miserable reading days. But since I’ve stopped doing that, I not only read more, I enjoy what I’m reading more, because I know that I’m reading […]
Book Club Discussion Post: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
We have reached the day – it’s time to discuss The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. There have been many positive, and introspective reviews of the book both since our announcement of its choice for this book club, and over the years of Cannonball Read’s existence. So, let’s dig in and talk about the why’s and how’s with this book, and some larger thematic conversations as well. Let’s start with a few ground rules: Since we’re anticipating lots of conversation, […]