Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About Chris

CBR11 participant
CBR18 Participant

Hi, it's me. Really, I hate these bio things. I like to read.

Chris's Reviews:

Jean Brash is my spirit animal

Mistress of the Just Land by David Ashton

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One of the reasons that I loved the Mclevy series on the BBC radio was Siobhan Redmond’s portrayal of Jean Brash, mistress of the best bawdy house in Edinburgh (actually most likely the world). This book, written by the BBC series’ creator/writer David Ashton, takes place before the close of the series and focuses mainly on Jean Brash solving a crime that occurred in her business. She is not happy about this. Hannah Semple, of course, is Watson to Brash’s Sherlock. Mclevy and Mulholland make […]

Best Story about Lovers EVER!

Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories by Ray Russell

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I hadn’t heard of Russell until I saw this Penguin edition somewhere. I love castles with ghosts in them, or at least I love reading about them and visiting them in the daylight. Not sure, if I would like to spend a night in one. So of course, I had to get it and eventually read it. The fact that Russell worked for Playboy does show in a few of the stories – one or two stories have a link with sex and violence. The […]

She can bake and write

The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters by Nadiya Hussain

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If the primary author’s name sounds familiar, she is the Nadiya from Great British Baking. This is her first novel, and it was written with Ayisha Malik. The book centers on four sisters – Fatima, Bubblee, Farah, and Mae. Bubblee and Farah are twins. The title is somewhat misleading as what secrets there are not really the sister’s (honesty, the one you think might be Bubblee’s never shows) but those of their family. Additionally, the book is almost wrapped about too neatly – though a […]

The book House of Tribes was better than House of Names

House of Names by Colm Toibin

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I have always had a spot of obsession with the Matter of Troy. Michael Wood’s In Search of the Trojan War was the first adult program I was allowed to stay up and watch. So say connect something to Troy and I am there like white on rice (except I prefer brown rice unless I am making risotto. But brown rice with some butter yum!). So when I heard about this book I had to read it. And then it was like – really, this […]

Live long and eat tuna fish

Star Trek Cats by Jenny Parks

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What if Kirk, Spock, and the others were cats?  Well, you would have this picture book.  Scotty, for instance, is of course a Scottish Fold.  Park does wonderful illustrations from Classic Trek.  There is, for instance, scenes from both “The Trouble with Tribbles”, and “Mirror, Mirror” – which is important because I love those episodes.   And yeah, there is the Spock in heat thing.   The book is short, but ideal for the devoted cat lover who is also a Trekkie.

To Dance or To Cook

Chef-A-Rella by Marie Agerton

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I picked up the kindle version of this book when it was offered for free.  It is a lovely book about a princess who wants to be a chef and not to dance ballet.  All princesses learn ballet, but this princess would much rather make a curry or a crème brule. Her mother is a little more traditional so there is some conflict.  The main family are a family of color, and the family is presented as a loving one for all members.   The […]



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