Week 2:   Assignment 2

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

With language as rich and flavorful as the food she describes, Bauermeister tells the story of an insightful master chef and the members of her cooking class.  Each chapter is about a different person who either gains insight or has their lives changed through the preparation and partaking of food.   Many of their stories are quite touching and the book ends on a satisfying note with two of the characters finding romance. 


The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Phillips is a better than average romance writer.  In this sequel to Call Me Irresistable, Lucy Jorik, whose mother is the ex-president, leaves her bridegroom at the altar and escapes the media storm on the back of a motorcycle driven by, of course, a mysterious hunk.   There's lots of humor and sexual tension, a sassy heroine and handome hero who engage in witty verbal sparring, and an interesting cast of complex characters.