Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“She checked underneath the sink but didn’t see anything that might destroy an evil puppet.”

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

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It’s been a couple of weeks now since I read this, and it’s only gotten better in my memory. I was originally hemming and hawing about whether or not my initial inclination to give this five stars was the right thing to do, but no, I was right. This book deserves five stars. I’ll get into specifics in the next paragraph, but for now if you want to go in cold on this one but still have an idea of what you’re in for, the […]

The darkness inside

Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection by Junji Ito

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CBR15Passport book set in and author from another country Reading Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection near bedtime is not recommended. Now, it is not so much because the stories are “scary-scary” but because they are warped! Each story is not very long but packed with stuff (and you probably realize I am not saying “stuff”).  Yes, things can be creepy, gross (after all, it is horror and somehow the black and white images are almost too realistic in their illustrated manner. I was getting old-black-and-white-1950-thriller/science […]

The Liminal Zone

The Liminal Zone by Junji Ito

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The first Junji Ito collection I read was the only collection my library had, at the time: Fragments of Horror. It definitely had enough of the style to turn me into a fan, but it also had some absolutely bizarre stuff that didn’t translate across cultures well, such as the story about a reclusive writer with a lot of “habits” that turned out to be bizarre social quirks, which to my ignorant eye may have been of more significance in the social conservatism of Japan. […]

“Reality is thin but not always dark:” A Very Enjoyable and Thought Provoking Collection from King

Just After Sunset by Stephen King

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I was struck late last year with the overwhelming urge to read some Stephen King short stories, and so here is the result. I hadn’t read this collection for a few years so was able to re-read these with a sense of meeting old friends who I slightly remembered. This collection has a high overall level of stories, and I was struck by the strength of his writing and the way he worded things throughout, often very beautifully and strikingly. I will say that having […]

“… sometimes a woman has to be a bitch to survive, but bein’ a bitch is hard work….”

Dolores Claiborne: A Novel by Stephen King

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This was another holiday book exchange gift from Black Raven — a book I requested thanks to the recommendations of other Cannonballers [EDIT: Narfna!! I think it was you again! It’s like I’m your literary stalker.]. I don’t generally read in the horror category (although I did review King’s Carrie a few years ago and thought it was great). While there are some horror-y elements to Dolores Claiborne, I think “psychological thriller” is a better description and it is indeed a thrilling story. I was […]

Foul foe, or foul play?

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

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A Head Full of Ghosts is a possession/exorcism tale… or is it? The eldest teenage daughter of the Barrett family, Marjorie, is not quite herself. She’s telling horrible stories, hearing voices, and vomiting green goo. She’s terrifying her little sister Merry with tales both true and imagined. Although she’s taking her prescription medication and dutifully attending her various medical appointments, her condition does not appear to be improving. Her parents or – more specifically – her father, reach out to a local catholic priest, Father […]



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