AUTHOR: Erica Bauermeister
STARTED: October 12, 2013
FINISHED: October 12, 2013
PAGES: 275
GENRE: Fiction
FIRST SENTENCE: Lillian stood at the restaurant kitchen counter, considering the empty expanse in front of her.
SUMMARY: [From BN] Lillian and her restaurant have a way of drawing people together. There’s Al, the accountant who finds meaning in numbers; Chloe, a budding chef who hasn’t learned to trust after heartbreak; Finnegan, quiet and steady as a tree, who can disappear into the background despite his massive height; Louise, Al’s wife, whose anger simmers just below the boiling point; and Isabelle, whose memories are slowly slipping from her grasp. And there’s Lillian herself, whose life has taken a turn she didn’t expect…. Their lives collide and mix with those around them, sometimes joining in effortless connections, at other times sifting together and separating again, creating a family that is chosen, not given. A beautifully imagined novel about the ties that bind—and links that break—The Lost Art of Mixing is a captivating meditation on the power of love, food, and companionship.
THOUGHTS: I am SO glad I randomly discovered Bauermeister. Her books are my ideal kind of novel. They are beautifully written and full of complex characters and relatable story-lines. The Lost Art of Mixing continues the magical aura of the first book in this series. This is the kind of book that puts a smile on your face, tears in your eyes, and makes you want to read-and-read-and-read all day.
Mixing picks up where the first book ended. We learn more about old characters while being introduced to a few new ones. The entire plot is organic and feels so real. Bauermeister makes me want to live in this world. No matter the age or gender of the character, they have their own voice and feel fully formed. I love how all the characters' stories interlace, but each story still has it's own side of life. It's wonderful. This is a novel full of heart, and I never want the stories to end.
Also, all the descriptions of food make me hungry.
I will read anything this author writes in the future. More please!
RATING: 9/10 [Excellent!]
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