I finished reading this book a week ago today, and I’m still not sure how to write about it. I found it deeply moving, but it may still be too soon to put my thoughts and feelings into words, and anything I write here can only scratch the surface. Jonny Steinberg has packed so much into the 326 pages of Three-Letter Plague (published in the U.S. under the title Sizwe’s Test). He writes about his own literal and figurative journey to try to learn how […]
Misleading title and cover, good novella
Lady Charlotte Beaumont has been overlooked and ignored by her family for her entire life. Generally isolated at a remote country estate, she’s had the opportunity to hone her artistic skills, way past the bland watercolours ladies of her station are normally allowed to paint. She’s also become quite a talented forger, and tries to use her skills to negotiate a deal with the infamous King of the London Underworld. He acknowledges her skill, but also calls her bluff. Nevertheless impressed, he agrees to help […]
The facts are in evidence, but the truth is never told
His Bloody Project, nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2016, is one of those great books that makes you wonder if it’s a true story, a fictionalised account, or just completely made up by the author. After reading the first bit, I actually went to read some reviews (which I never do in advance) to find out for sure. Graeme Mcrae Burnet’s main character—who’s “project” is the subject of the book—is Roderick John Mcrae, or Roddy as he’s called, so it seems entirely plausible that the […]
Old Money, Twelfth Night and Murder
Though I’ve read the entirety of the Pink Carnation series, this was my first time trying any of Willig’s other work, and while her voice was recognizable, it had a very different feel. While the Pink Carnation series certainly deals with dark subject matters (espionage, war, murder, and secret societies), especially the first few novels in the series were very light hearted. As a result, I was surprised by how much darker and more serious this one felt in comparison. While at her brother Bay’s […]
Context and Choices
My uncle, an occasional Cannonballer, sent me Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime and an awesome coffee mug for Christmas. I was delighted. I love reading and drinking coffee. The beginning of the year turned out to be incredibly stressful and I struggled to focus on reading. I finally made it though. I read the book and then I immediately reread the book. It’s so good. Noah introduces each new section or story with a page or two of historical context. The context is necessary to understand […]
The best Ravenel yet
I had planned for this year’s Cannonball Read to focus solely on the books that have been sitting on my shelves for years waiting to be read, but I’m breaking that vow already because I’m just so delighted with this book. Lisa Kleypas has long been one of my favourite romance writers. Not all her books are perfect, and they’re fairly standard fare in terms of characters and plots, but they are reliably well written and engaging, with better period detail than 99% of historical […]
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