Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Ah, to be young and have much money…

And I'd Do it Again by Aimee Crocker

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CBR 15 Bingo – Asia/Oceania: Aimee was fascinated by the people and cultures of Asia from when she was young, and the majority of the adventures she recounts take place in various countries there. Edwardian heiress Aimee Crocker, after the failure of her first marriage, sets off multiple years-long journeys around the world for the sheer joy of it, picking up along the way many lovers, children, pearls and snakes. I had never heard of Aimee Crocker until I read 19th Century Female Explorers and had […]

Around the world in 72 days – and more than that

19th Century Female Explorers by Caroline Roope

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CBR 15 Bingo – In the Wild: The women of this book ventured into the wild spaces of pretty much very continent at some point or another. In the heyday of European colonialism, social mores were constrained for women, who were expected to stay domestic and tend hearth and home. Despite this, many European women managed to go traveling around the world on just as exciting adventures as their males counterparts did, and often recorded what they saw with clearer eyes as well. Truth is […]

‘No airport was an island either.’

Airport by Arthur Hailey

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CBR 15 Bingo – Nostalgia: This book is set in the glamorous heyday of air travel (and as I am currently in hour three of a ten hour layover in Munich, I can assure you I am feeling very nostalgic.) Over the course of seven hours, Lincoln Airport must go through a snowstorm, a protest, and the return of an airplane that’s had a hole blasted in its side. I love stories about airports and airplanes. They’re exciting to me because they are emblematic of adventure – […]

One million roses, each handpicked.

In Search of Perfumes: A Lifetime Journey to the Source of Nature's Scents by Dominique Roques

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Dominique Roque, a sourcing agent working in the perfume industry, recounts his travels and travails in pursuit of natural ingredients used in perfumes and dives into the storied history and often precarious methods of the producers of those raw materials. Perfume is a ubiquitous thing, to the point that you don’t really even register it. I have several bottles sitting on my dresser right now. But I’d never really thought about where the components of which they are composed of, which was why I found In […]

I Know What Styles I Like

How to Read London: A Crash Course in London Architecture by Chris Rogers

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Best for: People without a background in architecture who are interested in learning about the different styles they see around London. In a nutshell: Author Rogers provides two-page overviews of major architectural landmarks across the (primarily northern part of) London. Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: I was in a museum bookshop and had seen it before. Also, I find so much of London architecture interesting, but also a lot of it pretty depressing. What it left me feeling: Far-sighted (the font is super […]

Is This Accurate? Hope So.

Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living by Linnea Dunne

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Best for: People who liked all those hygge books that came out a few years back. Suckers for tactile, pretty books. In a nutshell: Author Dunne offers tips based in her Swedish upbringing, which she says was heavily influenced by lagom. Worth quoting: “There is no bad weather, only bad clothes.” (Allegedly an old Swedish saying?) Why I chose it: I mean, the size? The cover? Fun little tips for life? Sign me up. What it left me feeling: A bit inspired Review: This book […]



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