Tuesday, December 20, 2022
Review - Canary Girls
AUTHOR: Jennifer Chiaverini
RATING: ★★★★
RELEASE DATE: July 18th, 2023
Summary (from Goodreads): Rosie the Riveter meets A League of Their Own in New York Times bestselling novelist Jennifer Chiaverini’s lively and illuminating novel about the “munitionettes” who built bombs in Britain’s arsenals during World War I, risking their lives for the war effort and discovering camaraderie and courage on the soccer pitch.
Early in the Great War, men left Britain’s factories in droves to enlist. Struggling to keep up production, arsenals hired women to build the weapons the military urgently needed. “Be the Girl Behind the Man Behind the Gun,” the recruitment posters beckoned.
Thousands of women—cooks, maids, shopgirls, and housewives—answered their nation’s call. These “munitionettes” worked grueling shifts often seven days a week, handling TNT and other explosives with little protective gear.
Among them is nineteen-year-old former housemaid April Tipton. Impressed by her friend Marjorie’s descriptions of higher wages, plentiful meals, and comfortable lodgings, she takes a job at Thornshire Arsenal near London, filling shells in the Danger Building—difficult, dangerous, and absolutely essential work.
Joining them is Lucy Dempsey, wife of Daniel Dempsey, Olympic gold medalist and star forward of Tottenham Hotspur. With Daniel away serving in the Footballers’ Battalion, Lucy resolves to do her bit to hasten the end of the war. When her coworkers learn she is a footballer’s wife, they invite her to join the arsenal ladies’ football club, the Thornshire Canaries.
The Canaries soon acquire an unexpected fan in the boss’s wife, Helen Purcell, who is deeply troubled by reports that Danger Building workers suffer from serious, unexplained illnesses. One common symptom, the lurid yellow hue of their skin, earns them the nickname “canary girls.” Suspecting a connection between the canary girls’ maladies and the chemicals they handle, Helen joins the arsenal administration as their staunchest, though often unappreciated, advocate.
The football pitch is the one place where class distinctions and fears for their men fall away. As the war grinds on and tragedy takes its toll, the Canary Girls persist despite the dangers, proud to serve, determined to outlive the war and rejoice in victory and peace.
REVIEW: I absolutely love historical novels. It’s one of my favorite genres to read because I always learn something new. I had never heard of the canary girls from World War I before reading this book, and I loved learning about the contributions they made to the war effort and the many sacrifices they endured for their country. I also enjoyed learning about the women football leagues and how they defied the gender bias of that era. This was my first time reading a Jennifer Chiaverini novel, and it reminded me a lot of Kristin Harmel’s work. You can easily tell a ton of research went into writing this story, and I admire that. The only thing I didn’t particularly care for was some of the dialogue, especially from Helen and Arthur. It was very prim and proper and felt out of place. (Words like “shan’t” and “jolly” were used quite often). Perhaps this is just how middle and upper-class British people talk, but either way it was annoying. Overall, though, I would gladly recommend this book to everyone because it has a wonderful plot and is full of interesting historical facts. I look forward to reading more of Jennifer Chiaverini‘s work in the near future.
(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.)
Sunday, December 18, 2022
GMA December Book Club Pick Now Available
The Good Morning America Book Club December pick, The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton, is now available in my Little Free Library. If you decide to borrow this book, please return it to my library after you read it or drop it off at another Little Free Library so other people can enjoy it.
Summary: Florida is slipping away. As devastating weather patterns and rising sea levels gradually wreak havoc on the state’s infrastructure, a powerful hurricane approaches a small town on the southeastern coast. Kirby Lowe, an electrical line worker; his pregnant wife, Frida; and their two sons, Flip and Lucas, prepare for the worst. When the boys go missing just before the hurricane hits, Kirby heads out into the high winds to search for them. Left alone, Frida goes into premature labor and gives birth to an unusual child, Wanda, whom she names after the catastrophic storm that ushers her into a society closer to collapse than ever before.
As Florida continues to unravel, Wanda grows. Moving from childhood to adulthood, adapting not only to the changing landscape, but also to the people who stayed behind in a place abandoned by civilization, Wanda loses family, gains community, and ultimately, seeks adventure, love, and purpose in a place remade by nature.
Told in four parts—power, water, light, and time—The Light Pirate mirrors the rhythms of the elements and the sometimes quick, sometimes slow dissolution of the world as we know it. It is a meditation on the changes we would rather not see, the future we would rather not greet, and a call back to the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness.
(Thank you to Good Morning America and Little Free Library for the free copies).
Saturday, December 10, 2022
Recipe - Healthy Orange Chicken
I love Asian food and Orange Chicken is my favorite. Here's a healthy twist to the original. Enjoy!
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups steamed broccoli or green beans
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
SAUCE:
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger*** grated
- 1/2 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS: Clean and cut chicken into 1 inch cubes.
In a large frying pan, heat sesame oil. Cook the chicken until the edges are brown and slightly crispy (About 12-15 minutes). As the chicken is cooking, stir together the sauce mixture in a separate bowl
Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked remove it from the pan and place it off to the side in a separate bowl.
Pour the sauce mixture into the same pan you cooked the chicken in.
Bring the sauce mixture to a boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring every minute or so until it starts to thicken. (You will know it has thickened when you scrape the pan and it pulls away from the pan) The sauce should be bubbling the entire time.
When the sauce thickens, add the cooked chicken back in + stir to coat the chicken
Serve over steamed broccoli or green beans for a paleo option, or rice/quinoa.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds. *** If substituting ground ginger for fresh ginger, cut the amount to 1/2 teaspoon.
(Recipe and photo courtesy of The Clean Eating Couple)
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Review - Someone Else’s Shoes
AUTHOR: Jojo Moyes
RATING: ★★★★★
RELEASE DATE: February 7th, 2023
Summary (from Goodreads): A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars.
Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes?
Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope--she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.
That’s because Sam Kemp – in the bleakest point of her life – has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag--she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence that makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.
Full of Jojo Moyes’ signature humor, brilliant storytelling, and warmth, Someone Else’s Shoes is a story about how just one little thing can suddenly change everything.
REVIEW: Such an awesome story! First of all, I love that the main female characters are middle-aged and menopausal. I don’t think I’ve ever related to fictional characters more in my life. LOL. Secondly, this story grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. (I read the whole thing in one day!) You get everything with this book - humor, drama, romance, and even a little mystery and suspense. I believe seasoned readers (i.e. older readers), like myself, will get the most from this story, especially those who have been married a long time and/or who might be feeling that mid-life crisis phase creeping in. (If you know, you know). The only characters I didn’t like were Phil and Ray. (Yes, I know they struggled with depression, but Phil’s zombie-like demeanor and Ray’s neediness really grated on my nerves). I loved every other character, though. Their personalities were so different, but those differences added just the right amount of emotion and depth to the story. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. Oh, and it is definitely movie material! I hope I see it on the big screen someday soon.
(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.)
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Recipe - Gluten Free Sweet Potato Muffins
- 1 cup cooked sweet potato pureed or mashed
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup applesauce unsweetened
- ⅓ cup milk regular or dairy free
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups oat flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup chocolate chips optional, plus more for topping
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, beat together sweet potato, eggs, applesauce, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
In a separate large bowl combine oat flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger with a fork or whisk.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
Fill each liner ¾ full of batter. Sprinkle chopped pecans and more chocolate chips over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until muffins are set. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
(Recipe and photo courtesy of The Clean Eating Couple)
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