Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“We were too tired to help. Above 8,000 meters is not a place where people can afford morality”

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

by Leave a Comment

With the best bit about my last, ultimately disappointing read turning out to be the actual climbing of Mount Everest, I decided to stick with that theme but turn to real life for my next read. I’d enjoyed other books by Jon Krakauer and so decided that he’d make a good guide for me. Into Thin Air did not disappoint. Sent by the magazine he was employed by at the time, the story Krakauer came home with was very different to the one he’d intended, […]

As shaky as ever

Three Cups of Deceit by Jon Krakauer

by Leave a Comment

So I have never read Three Cups of Tea, so I am limited to speak on it directly, but it always struck me as some Ugly American/White Savior nonsense at one extreme or misguided American charity at the less extreme end. This book is a response to that book and mostly involves following up the sources in the biographical parts of that book and then a more financial investigation into the nonprofit work. Essentially, Krakauer comes to the conclusion that Mortenson vastly exaggerated about his […]

Only 6 out of every 1,000 sexual assault perpetrators will end up in prison.

by 1 Comment

Rape culture is real. But that doesn’t make me want to face it any more than I already have to in my life. I have had this book on my to read list since it was published in 2015.However I didn’t read it then, instead I picked up Into Thin Air to get a taste of Krakauer’s style before jumping into the deep end so to speak.  I have comments across many Cannonball Read reviews of this book saying that I’m going to tackle it […]

Bigotry and fundamentalism make for a bad mix

by 3 Comments

I’m on the books as being a fan of Jon Krakauer, so as someone who is not very familiar with Mormonism beyond that South Park Episode, I was beyond curious to read his take on the history of Mormonism and the ways that certain ingrained aspects of the faith can somewhat naturally progress into the type of extremism that causes two brothers to brutally murder their sister in-law and her child because they believed they were following God’s orders. In general, one of the ways […]

A great primer in how both higher education and the justice system victimise women a second time in cases of rape and assault

by 1 Comment

I finally picked up Missoula just as the #metoo revelations started to pick up steam. As someone who’s had a lifetime full of #metoo moments, I was both eager and hesitant to dive into this read about multiple rape accusations in the college town of Missoula, Montana (home of the University of Montana Grizzlies!), and the school, and/or police investigations, (or lack thereof) and trials, (or lack thereof) which resulted from those accusations. This is not a good choice for the faint-hearted, or anyone who has been […]

“Common sense is no match for the voice of God.”

by 9 Comments

I am so excited to join my first Cannonball Read! It’s funny that this will be my first book, as I don’t generally read a ton of non-fiction, so this isn’t exactly tone-setting. But it’s the first book I finished this year so it’s the review y’all are getting! Without further ado, here we go: Until the age of 15, I was a part of what I consider an abusive cult: a particularly strict, particularly conservative sect of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was disfellowshipped (excommunicated) when I […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo