Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“If you are going to tell a lie, tell a good one”

Transcription by Kate Atkinson

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Juliet is in her early twenties when World War II starts, and like so many girls and women her age she finds herself working for MI5. This sounds more exciting than it is; mostly, Juliet types things. One day she is ordered to join a mission in a small flat in London, where an agent named Godfrey Tobey ingratiates himself with Nazi sympathisers.  I haven’t read the blurb at the back but I imagine it continues with something about Juliet not knowing what she’s getting […]

Recipe spelled reciept

Cooking with Two Fat Ladies by Clarissa Dickson Wright, Jennifer Paterson

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The Two Fat Ladies were something of a staple on BBC food tv, being entertaining comic interludes with a real emphasis on UK regional cookery that’s pretty traditional. However, this is not immediately apparent in the version of the cookbook Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies I found as it’s labeled “as seen on Food Network”. I don’t recall Food Network ever picking up this series, and even if they did, that does a disservice to the content of the show which is unashamedly old-school […]

Good, Old-Fashioned Excitement

Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford

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Before getting into the review proper, I’d like to mention that my buddy L gave me Radio Girls at book swap we had at my former office. It was pretty fun – everyone at our place of business brought in some books to swap or give away during a random lunch break. It’s special to have your friends’ copies of books, and in some cases even their marginalia or notes inside of books. So, I’d recommend having a lunch break book swap. [Very minor spoilers […]

On your marks, Get set, Bake!

Bake it Better: Pies, Tarts & Puddings by Angela Nilsen, Jayne Cross

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I think I mentioned a long while ago that my mother had bought a bunch of cookbooks on sale as Christmas gifts, and then misplaced the bag for a few years, then found it. I have finally completed the last of these, and it might just be the best. I have been a fan of the Great British Bake Off (or Baking Show in the US, but The Great British Bake Off Bake It Better: Pies, Tarts & Puddings is of UK origin so we’ll […]

YES I CAN HEAR YOU CLEM FANDANGO

Toast on Toast by Steven Toast

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and with that traditional greeting, Steven Toast bellows his way into the utterly ridiculous and frequently disgusting story of his life. Steven Toast, an utter buffoon of a down on his luck/past his prime actor, is the creation of Matt Berry and Arthur Matthews- and while Toast is credited as the author (what with this being an autobiography and all), the work really belongs to them. If you have not seen Toast’s show, Toast of London, then you are going to need to stop what […]

More time with McLevy

Shadow of the Serpent by David Ashton

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This Mclevy mystery occurs prior to the end of the BBC audio series. It is also more closely linked to Victorian politics than some of the other mysteries. While the focus is on Mclevy, and we get more of his backstory, which is a little different than you think. In many ways, Mclevy was made to saunter Leith. The other supporting characters from the series also make appearances, so of course we have the gossip of Jean Brash and Mclevy over coffee scenes. The bit […]



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