Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A Classic With a Fantastic Final Line

The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie

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Best for: Those looking for a quick, satisfying read. In a nutshell: Leonard is accused of killing an elderly woman, Emily. He believes his wife will serve as his alibi. Will she? Worth quoting: “Everything has something to hide, something they would do anything to protect.” Why I chose it: I enjoyed “The Unexpected Guest,” and have been checking out what is available of Christie’s at my local library. Review: I listened to this, and it was read by Christie’s grandson. Cool idea, but his […]

Minority Musings

Quarterly Essay 96 by George Megalogenis

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In this Quarterly Essay (available free on Audible!), journalist Megalogenis unpacks the world of Australian politics as we plunge forward to our next federal election in 2025. It’s clear, as one looks at elections around the world, that the rules of the past in elections are gone. Polls no longer reliably predict winners. Incumbents no longer reliably get second terms. People don’t vote in blocks like they used to, and single-issue parties and politics are taking hold. It’s a fascinating (if terrifying) time to be […]

The Guest Isn’t the Only Unexpected Thing

The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie

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Best for: Those looking for a quick read that challenges one to think about who the real culprit is. In a nutshell: Michael Starkwedder has run his car off the road and is looking for a phone to use. He finds a house, lets himself in, and sees a woman with a gun and a man dead. Worth quoting: N/A (I listened to this as an audio book) Why I chose it: I’ve enjoyed the films based on Christie’s writings, and so wanted to read […]

A new perspective

When Crack Was King by Donovan X. Ramsey

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I found When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era (2023) by Donovan X. Ramsey on NPR’s Favorite Books last year. I needed another audiobook for my commute and decided to give it a try. Ramsey grew up in the 80’s and 90’s during the worst of the crack cocaine epidemic. In this book, he delves into how it affected people’s lives, how it became such a problem, people’s perception of the crack epidemic, and the government’s response to it. Ramsey follows four people who suffered […]

Very meta

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick

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The Man in the High Castle is a speculative narrative – what would the world be like if the allied forces lost WWII? What would a life under a Nazi Germany and Japanese regime look like? The story loosely revolves around Frank, a pawn show owner is San Fran who trades in authentic American memorabilia. He is also, secretly, Jewish. Though he’s changed his physical appearance and voice so as to go undetected. Going into this novel, I hadn’t seen the TV series so cannot […]

Brooklyn and billionaires (maybe millionaires, but I like alliteration)

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

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I found Pineapple Street (2023) by Jenny Jackson when I was looking for another audiobook for my commute. I probably first saw it on NPR’s Favorite Books, but I can’t remember at this point. My brother lives in Brooklyn, and I thought it would be interesting to read a book set in his neighborhood. This book has love, heartbreak, class divisions, and humor. I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting. Sasha is a normal New York City artist who has married into the Stockton family–a family […]



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