The Jemima Code

author: Toni Tipton-Martin

History buffs and foodies rejoice – The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks is an amazing resource. This book is not a cookbook, although it does reprint some recipes. Instead, this is an encyclopedia of about 150 cookbooks by Black authors. They are arranged chronologically, from The House Servant’s Directory (by Robert Roberts, 1827) to Jerk: Barbeque from Jamaica (by Helen Willinsky, 1990).

Each cookbook is listed with a lengthy description of its context and its contents. The introduction to the book, and introductions to each chapter, place the cookbooks in the social and racial context of the years in which they were written and show how cookbooks give us a glimpse into the daily lives of people in the past as well as the accomplishments of black cooks and chefs, the diversity of Black cooking, and the racism prevalent in the industry. The covers alone are an education, each reprinted in color. My favorite title is My Mother Cooked Her Way Through Harvard with These Creole Recipes (1972). More recent cookbooks (1991 – 2009) are given a brief listing with title, author, publisher, and date of publication.

This is definitely a book that will appeal to a niche audience, but I believe anyone interested in history, especially the history of African Americans, the history of food, and domestic history, will find this book to be invaluable. This book is a joy whether discussing church cookbooks, self-published cookbooks or professionally produced, polished cookbooks.At times it’s infuriating, at times it’s inspiring, but it’s always deeply respectful and affectionate towards Black cooks in America, so many of whom have gone unrecognized.

– Carrie S

Cookbook, Nonfiction

The Girl with Ghost Eyes

author: M.H. Boroson

The Girl With Ghost Eyes starts just before a fight begins, and it just keeps going. In this action packed story, Li-lin is a young Chinese widow who has the ability to see the spirit world and who has been trained in kung fu as well as magic. She is drawn into magical intrigue when she must protect her father and the people of San Francisco’s Chinatown from an attack that combines magical and mundane threats.

Li-lin is the first-person narrator and I just adored her. I thought that her struggles to be a “good” daughter were realistic and her ability to bend rules without breaking them was endlessly entertaining. However, it’s the supporting characters who steal the show – a floating eyeball, a warrior cat, a Buddhist man with the shadow of a tiger, and Li-Lin’s infuriating yet layered father, among others.

I’m not sufficiently knowledgeable about Chinese culture to speak to how authentic the book is in that regard, but I was impressed by the afterword, in which the author stresses that Chinese culture was not and is not monolithic. He also explains some authorial shortcuts (as when on one occasion he uses a Japanese word) and emphasizes that Asian cultures and languages are not interchangeable. As a resident of Gold Rush country, I can say that the sense of place is nicely handled, as is the role of the Chinese in Californian history. I’d be interested in the thoughts of anyone of Chinese descent who has read the book.

There’s only the teeniest hint of romance in this story. However, it’s a great paranormal/fantasy in a historical urban setting that focuses on a group of people too often ignored in history and in non-fiction. And Li-lin is a wonderful heroine: smart, determined, and struggling against all kinds of barriers including her own sense of self. I’m very much hoping that Li-lin and her floating eyeball friend will return in a sequel.

– Carrie S

Historical: Other, Science Fiction/Fantasy

Break the Rules

author: Claire Boston

Break the Rules by Claire Boston is a forbidden/office romance featuring a heroine who works in an oil refinery. It’s a really cool contemporary romance but I personally struggled with the “sexism in the workplace” theme because it’s so close to my real life.

Bridget Flanagan is a safety manager at an oil refinery in Houston, TX. She’s feeling low because she was passed over for a promotion that she clearly earned. She goes out with a friend, meets a sexy guy named Jackson Gibbs, has hot sex with him, and then shows up Monday morning to find out that Jack is her new boss.

Both of them want to continue the relationship but Bridget is well aware of how she will be perceived for sleeping with her boss, while Jack will largely escape the stigma of having sex with a subordinate.

This book worked because Jack realizes that he’s actually less qualified than Bridget for the job, and that sexism inherent in their industry has held her back from being successful. I liked that they come together as a team and I liked that this book explores a career that’s not often depicted in romance.

My issue is that I too work in a male-dominated industry (trucking) and the depictions of the sexism Bridget encounters were spot on. Because this is an issue I deal with a lot, it made it hard for me to escape into the romantic fantasy.  More than anything, as I read this, I went “Ugh, preach it sister.” I think for someone who hasn’t had those experiences, though, this book would work really well.

– Elyse

Contemporary Romance, Romance