Required Reading - 1

Since getting married and moving to a different part of the city, I've renewed my love for the local library. I currently have 8 books checked out, with 1 more cookbook waiting to be picked up. I thought I'd start a list of which books make me carry them around in my purse, looking for spare moments to turn a page.


My Berlin Kitchen is a new kitchen memoir written by Luisa Weiss, the clever author behind the blog The Wednesday Chef. I love reading memoirs that incorporate recipes and this has to be the best one I've read lately. Luisa writes about her childhood, lived between Berlin and Boston, in a way that makes you want to take every plane ride with her. Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. I sat in the kitchen on a Thursday night, stirring stew and reading. I stole ten minutes in bed in the morning before making myself get up. I can't wait to put her spicy mexican meatballs on my to-cook list next week, the perfect antidote to the cold weather that's officially settled in.



For "chick-lit," Mary Kay Andrews is my favorite, hands down. Her books are always set in the South, packed with interesting women and full of juicy twists & turns. Spring Fever was slightly slow in taking off, but soon I couldn't put it down. If you're new to her books, congrats! There's a dozen or so for you to catch up on. I envy you.


Jen Lancaster is the queen of the humorous memior. Her latest book, now that she's tucked into the quiet suburbs, far away from the Logan Square neighborhood, rife with crime and other juice gossip, might have been boring. It's not. I was sitting in bed, giggling to myself for nights on end (or so it seemed to my poor husband, trying to sleep. He asked what was so funny. He's now reading it.)

Those are my favorites from the past couple weeks. (I read fast.) Thankfully I've got a score of new library books just waiting for me at home...