Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Fairy Tales as Free Therapy

Ripening: Why Women Need Fairytales Now by Sharon Blackie

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Ripening: Why Women Need Fairy Tales Now by Sharon Blackie is probably the only type of self-help book I like. Dr. Blackie is a psychologist and folklorist who examines how women can apply fairy tales and folklore to the different parts of their lives. She likens a woman’s life cycle to that of a tree (which is very fairy-tale of her), and makes a very sound case for the use of fairy tales as bibliotherapy. Dr. Blackie believes we are all storytellers of a sort, […]

The b*tch” in obituary

The Glam Reaper’s Guide to Slaying: Life Lessons for Rebellious Souls by Bill Crisafi

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The Glam Reaper’s Guide to Self-Care Slaying: Life Lessons for Rebellious Souls by Bill Crisafi is really warped and very messed up! I like it! Okay, seriously this is one wacky trip with Death and how freaking GLAM-ouros she is. How she has long nails and just rocks her heels and knows what fashion is to die for. They also know how to help those who are having self-esteem problems, confidence issues and are just stuck and can’t give up the ghost. Sometimes, literally. We […]

Let’s all be Vulcans in our personal bubbles

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

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I try to go to yoga two or three times a week. The instructor for early Wednesday runs an insurance/financial advising office outside of the studio, and is fond of bringing in the self-help/improvement kinds of things that can be made to work for both the business side of things as well as the yoga. This is how I first heard of The Four Agreements. I saw the book itself, and in need of retail therapy, I decided to see what the whole thing was […]

Let me save you some time.

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield

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I don’t remember how I learned about this book. All I know is that it sat in my Libby holds from March 2023 until last month. When I first added it, I was something like 282nd in line. Periodically, I toyed with the idea of taking it off my list. I also thought that perhaps it was less crazy to just buy it. I’m glad I didn’t. There is nothing wrong with this book. The content matches the blurb on the cover. However, as in […]

I am the wrong audience for this book.

How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters by Michael Bungay Stanier

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CBR17 Bingo: Using the Free block for the Red square In the next couple of months, I’m fortunate to have some downtime as my busiest season is over. During this time, I want to try to relax, catch up on stuff I shoved to the side, and enjoy the slower pace. I also want to work on some of my long term projects. However, as these projects are daunting, I’m deciding which approach is the best. I want to make meaningful strides without burning myself […]

Semper Iocosus

Grit, Spit, and Never Quit by Rob Riggle

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Before reading this book, Rob Riggle was like the friend of a good friend. I enjoyed my time with him on The Daily Show, Bear Grylls, Angie Tribeca, New Girl, etc. But Riggle wasn’t my friend yet. This book, to continue the metaphor, is the first time Riggle and I have ever hung out without the mutual friend. It’s like our mutual friend had to cancel dinner plans with Riggle and me at the last minute, but we both still showed. And we found out, […]



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