Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

‘“Nonsense, my dear! It is the 1920s, you know.” She squeezed Bella’s hand. “The world is changing. For the better, I hope.”’

Hotel Portofino by J.P. O'Connell

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CBR 14 Bingo: Hot We are on the Italian Riviera in high summer, and the characters lavish in beach days and garden parties. Bella Ainsworth has just opened her hotel in Portofino, but she is already facing trouble – unruly guests, blackmail, and some business about a Rubens… This was my second stab at this book. I received an audiobook ARC originally, but I found it could not keep my attention so I went with an ebook for the library instead and it coasted by […]

‘… and to the women of science whose names we will never know -‘

The Physicists’ Daughter by Mary Anna Evans

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CBR 14 Bingo: Minds Justine’s true weapon is her mind, the things she learned from her parents, and her ability to solve problems and crack codes. Justine, a physicists’ daughter who lives in New Orleans, suspects that someone at her factory is a saboteur trying to thwart the war effort. But even she doesn’t know that she is the crosshairs of a spy. I really thought very hard about my rating for this book – I was torn between three stars and four, because while […]

Coming to America

The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb

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CBR 14 Bingo: New I’d left my knowledge of Ellis Island behind in fourth grade; I’ve never read any book about it before this. Alma is a matron on Ellis Island; Francesca is a young woman hailing from Sicily. They become friends, but when as efforts to reduce corruption on the island come to the forefront, they must choose whether they will step forward or stay silent to protect themselves. Long ago in elementary school, our teacher decided that a good way for us to […]

Came For The Recipes, Stayed for the Memoir

Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora by Reem Assil

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CBR 14 Bingo: Star The author is a well-known, award-winning chef. I am on a cooking spree these days – what can I say? It relaxes me. And I especially enjoyed this cookbook, not the least because I love Middle Eastern cuisine. Arabiyaa is a mix of cookbook and memoir, telling us the stories of the recipes but also of Assil’s life and her path toward becoming a chef (hint: it’s not straightforward). The book is divided into five sections that cover all the basics of […]

The Story the Torn Gown Told

The Sewing Girl's Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America by John Wood Sweet

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CBR 14 Bingo: Question Lanah Sawyer was questioned again and again in an effort to get at a truth she had already told. One evening, a teenage girl and a man who called himself a lawyer went for a walk on the Battery. But Lanah Sawyer refused to stay silent about what he had done to her – and charged Harry Bedlow with rape. I have heard of Lanah Sawyer before, briefly, though I cannot recall whether it was in history class or in Gail […]

Adventurous Eats for the Hungry Cook

Cook As You Are: Recipes for Real Life, Hungry Cooks and Messy Kitchens by Ruby Tandoh

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CBR 14 Bingo: Adapt (Camel) This book is chockfull of flexible recipes, easy to modify and adapt as you like. Ruby Tandoh introduces recipes from across the world with an eye to accessibility and ease of making. Before we go into this review, a caveat: I am a picky eater. A lot of foods don’t agree with me, whether due to taste or texture, and the only meat I eat is chicken. As such, I could not try out a lot of the recipes in […]



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