Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“There are no true stories; there are only facts, and the stories we tell ourselves about those facts.” #CBRBINGO – People

We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence by Becky Cooper

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I find most true crime stories helplessly fascinating. I know some people agonize over whether it is moral to be entertained by such stories, but I’ve never had that problem, and frankly think it’s a waste of time to think about the “morality” of what stories we consume. I think most people are drawn to true crime not because they get their jollies out by reveling in other people’s pain (though, there’s always a few . . . ) but because it speaks to our […]

Every Last Fear, and the People Affected by True Crime Entertainment

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

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This is the entry for the “Free!” square in bingo. I borrowed it 🙂 This was a really fun book to read. Horribly depressing subject matter, but there were some twists and turns. I won’t say the mystery is impenetrable as it becomes fairly clear about halfway through, but the way the events unfold is very interesting.  Matt Pine is a student at NYU who is dealing with the aftermath of a true crime documentary about his brother, Danny Pine, and the murder of Danny’s […]

“Edward Fosca was a murderer.”

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

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**30 Books in 30 Days** Book 9/30 I received a free ARC of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides from Macmillan in an exchange for an honest review. I tell you what, I am just really not sure what to say about this book! I kind of feel like I want to sit with it some more, but I need to get this review out. I’m reading so many books this month they would just pile up if I didn’t keep on top of them, so […]

This whole book is SHENANIGANS and it is beautiful.

Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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This was extremely fun. It was nearly a five star book for me, except that I did think it had one weak spot, but more on that in a bit. I wouldn’t quite call this a black comedy⁠—it’s a little too lighthearted and frothy for that⁠—but it’s definitely leaning in that direction. The plot kicks off when Meddelin Chan accidentally kills her blind date, and panicking, enlists the help of her mom (and thus her three aunties) to deal with the body. Meddy and her […]

Poirot vs. A Serial Killer!

The ABC Murders (Hercule Poirot, #13) by Agatha Christie

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I’ve read a lot of Agatha Christie books at this point (but still have so many left! She was a gift) and this has to be one of my favorite so far. This was also the first of her novels I’ve not read by audiobook, and I liked it! (I do still love the indulgent feeling I get from listening to a Christie by audio, especially if it’s Dan Stevens reading it to me.) I will probably pepper in a few hard copies here and […]

True crime and queer history.

Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green

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Thanks to Celadon Books for the ARC! It has not affected the content of my review. I wish I had gotten to this book before publication, but better late than never. I was offered an ARC and accepted gladly, as I’d wanted to read the book anyway. It then arrived weeks late, presumably because the USPS is having some capital ‘I’ Issues right now. The book was worth the wait, though, even if I was sort of unsettled and left a bit unsatisfied at the […]



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