The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

I just finished this book.  When I started it, I thought it was going to be a lot like the movie Julie & Julia.  I didn't like the beginning....until about the first 30 pages were finished, then it started to get more interesting.  Basically this book is based around a cooking class, and goes through short stories of the students and what lead them to the class, and at the end of the book they all become a part of one anothers lives.  It was a good light read, something different than I usually read.  I don't think I'd have read it though unless it was part of my bookclub list (it's January's book).  That's really all I have to say about this book.

The Bridges of Madison County & A Thousand Country Roads by Robert James Waller

Ok.  I read "The Bridges of Madison County" in October.  I'm late posting, but I wanted to wait until I had read the epilogue, "A Thousand Country Roads", which I read in November, so I'm still late posting.  The first book I read all in one night.  It was pretty good.  It had to be for me to sit and read for three plus hours.  But it was a short book.  And I had the time.  I did enjoy the book.  I thought maybe it would have ended differently.  It's about a man who travels the world due to his career in photography.  On one trip he meets a woman, falls in love, and then I won't give away the ending, but they don't stay together.  It all happens in the course of four days. 

The second book, took me much longer to read, even though it about the same in length.  I didn't enjoy the second book.  There is a twist thrown in there that I view as unnecessary.  Basically it was written to satisfy people about the untold story of the main character.  And his life after meeting the woman he fell in love with.  I would not recommend reading the second book.  If you want a summary look it up, or I'd be happy to share.  It just gives you hope that maybe the end of the last book wasn't "the end" for the two in love.  But it was.

I've been extremely busy and haven't had much time to read (mostly due to my lunch hour being cut in half to accumulate time to take off over Christmas), but I am still trying to finish "Silent in the Grave" which I am still very thoroughly enjoying.  I shall post when it is completed, and hopefully get a few more books read over the break, before our book club starts up again in January (we took December off for a break due to the stress and hustle of Christmas).  Cheers!