Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Book Review: The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Scalf Linamen

A funny and inspiring book that blends personal stories and advice with a love of chocolate to help you manage the obstacles along the "rocky road of life."

In The Chocolate Diaries, Karen Scalf Linamen shares stories from her life and those of other women, to bring you a helpful book on surviving the trials and tribulations of daily life. From broken relationships to deaths, and from the challenges of raising children to the difficulties of picking up your life and starting all over again, Linamen sprinkles these uplifting stories with a dose of humor and lots of chocolate.

As I mentioned in my First Chapter Review of this book on Monday, the author wastes no time in setting up her theme: misery and chocolate. She opens in the kitchen and food plays a part throughout the book. While the chapters and stories might change, you can be sure of three things: 1) the question, "What's your secret to a sweeter journey on the rocky road of life?" will be asked during each chapter and be answered by a different individual; 2) there is a Food for Thought section toward the end of each chapter that allows the reader to reflect on what she has read and how it applies to her life; and 3) each chapter ends with a quick and easy recipe.

As Linamen states within the book, misery and food--namely chocolate--have a long history, so it makes sense to blend them together. This faith-based inspirational read will help you smile. It will probably even make you chuckle. Most importantly, it will help you devise a plan for surviving and thriving despite the bumps in the road.

Title:  The Chocolate Diaries: Secrets to a Sweeter Journey on the Rocky Road of Life
Author:  Karen Scalf Linamen
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (May 3, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1400074029
ISBN-13: 978-1400074020
SRP: $13.99

I received a free e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.

This is the ninth book I've read for the following challenge:


This is the third book I've read for the following challenge:


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your review of THE CHOCOLATE DIARIES. I'll have to add it to my TBR book list.