The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan Anna worked at a boring mass-produced chocolate factory in a small English town, until a freak accident left her missing two of her toes, and her self-esteem. Feeling sorry for herself and bored, she rekindled a friendship with her old French teacher, who is also at…
Category: dramedy
“Christmas in Vermont” Book Discussion and Maple Cinnamon Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Emma has a problematic habit: after one year of dating, she realizes each guy she’s with just isn’t marriage material, and she breaks up with him. So now, she’s suffering through winter in New York with a broken radiator (when she should have been on a tropical vacation with her now ex-boyfriend), working on a…
“The Sugar Queen” Discussion and Peppermint Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Peppermint Whipped Cream Frosting
Josey Cirrini’s mother is a bitter, wealthy woman who judges her daughter incessantly, demanding to be chauffeured to social events, and in waiting on her, Josey missed having a life of her own. At thirty, Josey spends all of her free time alone, hiding in her secret closet filled with the forbidden sweets and travel…
“One Day in December” Book Discussion and Chocolate Cupcake Recipe With Chocolate Mousse Topping
A single, sarcastic girl makes eye contact across a crowded bus station with a handsome boy, and wishes she got off the bus and got his number. Then the girl—Laurie—spends the next year searching for him in every pub in London. A year later at a Christmas party, Laurie’s best friend, Sarah, brings home Jack,…
“P.S. I Love You” Book Discussion and Strawberry Jam and Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Holly’s husband Gerry has just died of a brain tumor. She thought they would have the rest of their lives together, and instead she has to learn how to be a widow before she has even turned thirty. But Gerry didn’t leave her to fend for herself completely. He left a series of letters for…
A Wind in the Door and Hot Cocoa Cupcakes with Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Charles Wallace frequently visits the glacier rocks not far from the Murry’s house, a place where a wise old snake named Louise lives. But one day Charles Wallace finds what he believes to be a dragon’s feather. When he returns with Meg, they find a many-eyed, winged creature called a Cherubim, and a very tall,…
A Wrinkle in Time Book Discussion and French Toast Cupcakes Recipe
Synopsis: Meg is hot-tempered and awkward at school. The only person who seems to really understand her is her odd youngest brother, Charles Wallace. He is exceptionally intelligent and eloquent for his age, but then, both of their parents are brilliant physicists. His father, however, Charles Wallace has never met. Sent away on a government…
“Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” Book Discussion and Easy Cheesy Biscuit Recipe
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Eleanor Oliphant, lonely and literally scarred by the past, is desperate for a change, and to connect with someone, going whole weekends without speaking to a soul, other than the grocer who carries the vodka that helps her forget. At a concert, she sees a singer whom…
“I Capture the Castle” Book Discussion and Cherry Hot Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith This story is unlike any other coming of age tale. Subtly humorous, set in a castle inhabited by a very poor family in the 1930s, I Capture the Castle is reminiscent of other Gothic novels in that there are two sisters living in an ancient castle in the…
“The Fault in Our Stars” Book Discussion and Bacon Egg Cups Recipe
“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green The Fault in Our Stars is a teenage love story about being faced with cancer and potentially dying at a very young age. Wrapped in the sharp, clever humor of the protagonist Hazel Grace are profound thoughts on life, love, books, and all sorts of things she…