The School of Essential Ingredients

For those of you who are avid readers, go you! I on the other hand have never been a let's pick up a novel and spend hours wrapping myself in words pouring from the page kind of gal. I read a few good books as a kid and got really into the Judy Blume books, even writing her once and was fall over excited when I received a letter back. Other than that there have been the occasional try and fail attempts at becoming a "reader".

Long story short I occasionally receive mystery gifts in the mail that usually end up being thoughtful displays of affection from my Mom. As long as I can remember she has been the spend any available minute reading anything good she could get her hands on type. I admire those types and have always felt their knowledge of the world and intellect was far superior to my own, though I know this probably isn't true it's just a different view of the world and a different use of their brain cells. Ha!

Recently I received a small package in the mail containing a book, The School of Essential Ingredients. My first thought was, ugh a book when am I going to find time to read this and blarg I have to sit and read this! See I've always thought maybe I am slightly dyslexic and I know I have a slight astigmatism so concentrating on black and white pages of tiny words doesn't exactly get me excited. I'm not a speed reader by any means and if there is one thing I am becoming more conscious of as an adult it is patience. Patience with myself that is. I have to remind myself that it doesn't matter now if it takes me 2 days, 2 weeks, or 2 months to finish a 300 page book. This isn't high school or college with a report due in 10 days or an exam critical to passing a class. This is my time. If I want to read and reread a page to fully understand or enjoy it then I can do that. I do, however, have to use some will power to turn the TV off and avoid my favorite travel and cooking shows and find a quiet place to allow myself to be enveloped by the story I hold.

This book, The School of Essential Ingredients, is a fairly quick read. No doubt you avid readers would have it finished in a day or less. It struck something inside me with so many of it's characters hitting notes from my own personal life. I literally found myself laughing out loud and a few chapters later sobbing with my dog coming over and gently putting her face in my lap to see what was wrong. It is truly a beautiful story of the nature of the human condition and of course about food! I wish this author had more fictional works under her belt but for now I will remain excited about this one in the hopes there are more to come.

http://www.amazon.com/Bauermeisters-Essential-Ingredients-Bauermeister-Paperback/dp/B0037JSNIW/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328278692&sr=1-4


Happy reading.