Eight Great Spring Book Recommendations {Naptime on the Road}

When I’m on vacation I like to do a lot of reading. I read everything from novels to biographies to cookbooks and never shy away from a good collection or two of short stories. In the spirit of vacation, this week I am sharing some of my recent favorites. These are all great books for a variety of reasons and I hope they inspire you to pick up a book and relax.

Martha Stewart’s Pies & Tarts: I’ve barely read through this book once and have tagged at least a dozen recipes I want to try. This collection of pies and tarts range from the savory to the sweet and is illustrated with beautiful photography. This book is bound to be a resource for all home pie bakers for years to come.

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman: Contrary to the title, this book is not about cooking at all. It is a novel set in California pre-9/11 and is  gripping tale of 20-somethings trying to navigate their way through love, life and professional success. Do not be deceived by it’s gigantic size, I whipped through this novel in less than a week. Thank you to my friend Katie for giving this to me.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut by Jill Kargman: My friend Barbara gave this to me (turns out my friends know I love good books as gifts?!) and I couldn’t put it down. It is a small collection of biographical essays by hilarious writer Jill Kargman. Remember when I recommend her previous novel? Jill shares funny and reflective stories about her childhood in New York (her babysitter moonlighted as a Playboy Bunny) and role as a mother (she compares her ladyparts to the Holland Tunnel). This is seriously laugh-out-loud funny stuff.

Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard: This gorgeous book (with recipes) is Elizabeth’s first hand account of moving from America to Paris and all of the life changes that come with a transatlantic transition. Light and fun, this read makes me want to hope a flight to Paris toute suite! Or, at least whip up a croque moinseur with a side of profiteroles.

In the Small Kitchen: 100 Recipes from our Year of Cooking in the Real World by Cara Eisenpress and Phoebe Lapine: You hear me talk about my friend’s Cara & Phoebe a lot. There debut cookbook is now available for preorder! I’ve already pre-ordered a copy for myself and a few for friends. This book is almost all new recipes and stories that haven’t been shared on their blog yet. It promises to be great!

A Tiger in the Kitchen by Cheryl Tan: In this foodoir (food memoir) Cheryl Tan documents the year she took time off from her highly accomplished career as a fashion writer for the Wall Street Journal to reconnect with her Singaporean roots and learn how to cook her family’s treasured recipes. Cheryl wrote an amazing guest post for The Family Kitchen on Babble and I encourage you all to read it and take a glimpse at her grandmother’s prized recipe for pineapple tarts.

Made For You & Me by Caitlin Shetterly: This memoir gave me an interesting perspective on my life since it was written by a contemporary of mine. While I was pushing my newborn around the Upper West Side in the late 2000’s, Caitlin Shetterly was embarking on a cross-country road trip with her husband from Maine to L.A. in pursuit of ambitious career goals, only to be faced with more obstacles then they ever anticipated. A year later, the year I started this blog, Caitlin, her husband and newborn son were living with her mother in Maine trying to get back on their feet after a year of being broke and nearly homeless. This gut-wrenching book is a must read for anyone interested in a heartwarming story about losing it all, getting it back again, and the pursuit of the real American dream.

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson: My Mom loaned me this book when I arrived in Charleston on Monday and I am completely hooked. You know I love a good murder mystery and this is another great one from Kate Atkinson. I don’t even know how it ends yet, but I am already confident in my recommendation of it!