Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Not “believe” but “acknowledge.”

The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator’s Search for the Unexplained by Stanley Milford, Jr.

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Stanley Milford, Jr., a retired law enforcement officer, is the perfect guy to write a book like The Paranormal Ranger. Rather than coming across as a showman or a snake oil salesman, Milford is unassuming, compassionate, logical, humble, multicultural. Perhaps most importantly, he is credible. That makes The Paranormal Ranger worth reading for anyone interested in things that happen on the borders of the explainable. Milford is the son of a mother raised Baptist and a father raised more in First Nations traditions. Therefore, Milford […]

Things Fall Apart

Norco '80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History by Peter Houlahan

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Before I get into the review itself I should mention that I’m not a true crime person, generally. True crime readers or podcast listeners would be more well-versed in how these books typically read or what kinds of details typically would be included in these kinds of stories. So, your mileage may vary. Ok, will all of that out of the way, here we go! Peter Houlahan’s Norco ’80 is the true story of how five men tried to rob a California bank in 1980. […]

It’s a David Grann-onball

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I’m reviewing two books by the same author because I am so far behind in my reviews.  In fact, I finished my cannonball last month but I need to make it count by getting these reviews submitted.  Plus, what a great post title!? So, I first read Killers of the Flower Moon because it seemed like everyone I knew was reading it.  That wasn’t quite true but it started feeling ubiquitous so I started it in July and finished it in a few days.  David Grann […]

When the illustrations for the article make you decide you have to read the book.

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Sometime in 2016 I found a list of best long-form reporting stories of the past year. Deep into the list, I clicked on this story from ProPublica and The Marshall Project, about a young woman who reported being repeatedly raped over many hours by a masked man, in her apartment, and the nightmare scenario which unfolded as she was accused of making a false report, then arrested and forced to go before a judge to plead guilty for her “crime.” The story was embedded into my memory for […]

I’ve spent an enjoyable 900 years with this book.

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I don’t know if other people do this, but I usually have three books going that serve three different purposes. I have my reading in bed book, and it has to be interesting enough to keep me reading when the alternative is sleeping (Liane Moriarty is ideal for this). I have a book on the end table that’s light enough to read while my daughter plays (ex: home decor books). And I have spots for books that take a little discipline to get through, spots […]

Is it Me You’re Looking For?

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I’m pretty sure I found this book based on an excerpt that was posted on a link on one of the blogs I regularly follow. But I’m not sure which one. You might recall that I have a particular interest in books related to death and dying, as well as forensic anthropology. This very quick (like, 90 minute) read is a nice introduction to what forensic artists do and, more interestingly, how they do it. Ms. Bailey started her “ask a forensic artist” website as […]



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