I've read a few nonfiction books in the past couple of months and particularly enjoyed these three volumes.

My Cousin the Saint

A Search for Faith, Family, and Miracles

By Justin Catanoso

William Morrow, 2008, $29.95

I truly enjoyed this book about one man's journey as he sought what he thought was going to be information but turned into a quest for faith and a new love of family.

Catanoso grew up in New Jersey. His grandfather, who had come from Italy at the turn of the 20th century from a small town in Italy, had pretty much severed ties with his homeland.

Little did he know that his cousin, Padre Gaetano Catanoso, a priest, was quietly making his mark back home -- and would eventually be selected by Pope John Paul II for sainthood.

The author and most of his family members never knew of Gaetano until it came out that his name was on the "short list" of candidates for sainthood.

Although raised Catholic, Justin Catanoso had, like many other young people, drifted away from organized religion.

His visits to Italy allowed him to meet relatives who welcomed him with open arms, offering information not only about Padre Gaetano, but about his own grandfather as well.

Catanoso pulls readers into the story from the first page. It's a well-written and compelling book.

The author, who lives in Greensboro with his wife and daughters, is the executive editor of The Business Journal.

35 Miles From Shore

The Ditching and Rescue of ALM Flight 980

By Emilio Corsetti III

Odyssey Publishing, 2008, $14.95

I didn't recall hearing about this particular incident at the time it happened, although I'm sure it must have been all over the news.

This was the only time a commercial jet flight had ever been ditched in open water. What follows is a tale of a "perfect storm" of incidents that led up to that ditching.

Emilio Corsetti III is a professional pilot and is certainly qualified to analyze the events surrounding the tragedy. He does a great job of looking at it from all perspectives and relating in an interesting way.

Murder in Mayberry

Greed, Death and Mayhem in a Small Town

By Mary Kinney Branson and Jack Branson

New Horizon Press, 2008, $24.95

No, it's not really in Mayberry, but in the small town of Madisonville, Ky.

Wealthy widow Ann Branson, a beloved resident, was found bludgeoned and stabbed in her home.

Jack Branson, her nephew, was with the Secret Service at the time, so he kept close tabs on the local investigation. His wife, Mary, a writer, kept a journal of events from the time they learned of Ann's death right up through the suspect's trial.

Together they reveal the story through the eyes of family members as well as through interviews with law enforcement officers, and by using court records.

An interesting look at family dynamics can be found here.

Contact Faye Dasen at fdasen@thepilot.com.