Books on Tap: A shelter in the storm

I don't do wildly terrific with chaos, disorganization, messes, or ambiguity...so getting our condo ready to put on the market and looking for a new house is basically my idea of hell on earth. I'm an introverted homebody - my home is my safe haven - and when it's a giant cluster I am not a happy (or relaxed) girl.
 
But I have an escape, my favorite, most beloved kind: books. I chose these books because they're not too taxing, but they were entertaining enough to take me away from my disaster of a house to a world (somewhat) more orderly. These were all really good - check them out!
 
xoxo,
E

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Cinnamon and Gunpowder, by Eli Brown. This has been on my to-read list forever. It hasn't been an easy one to find, but Thriftbooks came to the rescue. All I have to say is, READ THIS BOOK. This is, hands-down, the best fiction book I've read in quite a while. It's about a chef who is kidnapped by a pirate and forced to cook for her with the meager provisions aboard her ship. The writing is wonderful, but best of all the plot is nothing like anything I've ever read before. When you read as much as I do, sometimes things start getting a little predictable, but this absolutely won me over with its quirky characters, great descriptions, and overall lovely flow. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Go get it.

The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Baurmeister. Another Thriftbooks acquisition. The story is about a group of people who take a cooking class at a restaurant, and each chapter is about each of their stories and how a particular ingredient or meal relates to their past. The novel flows between the past and present, and while there are a few minor stories playing out in the present, the book mostly focuses on connecting each individual's story to food. Baurmeister's writing is beautiful, especially when she is describing food. Although I wish that there was a little more meat to the present-tense situations - I think it could really enhance everything - I did love it as-is. It's a very sweet, soft read.

A Window Opens, by Elizabeth Egan. The story itself was fairly predictable -  husband loses job, wife goes back to work, discovers she can't do it all, struggles with new job, etc. However, Egan did a pretty good job on character development. I deeply identified with the main character, Alice, when her job was going wrong and her boss was being two-faced. It made me physically tense to read, because I could identify so well. Also tough to read about was her father's cancer - nobody ever wants to think about that. I actually cried at one point. Ultimately, Alice's situation gets better, but the characters make it worth it for the ride.

Too Much Tuscan Sun: Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide, by Dario Castagno. Pretty sure I don't need to explain to you why I wanted to read this book; the title pretty much says it all. I am, without a doubt, one of those Americans who loves Italy, but I am sure the Italians want to strangle us all sometimes. After reading this book, however, I felt MUCH better about myself. Some of Castagno's clients were absolutely awful, and kind of made me embarrassed to be an American. But the book wasn't just fun, fluffy mocking - Castagno also delved into his past and the past of Chianti, which made me incredibly wistful for this place I love so much. I recommend this for sure!