Buon Appetito! Sink your teeth into this sweet and savory book.

In order to fulfill Lina's mom's dying wish, she agrees to spend the summer in Tuscany with the father she never knew. It's awkward enough living with someone she doesn't know and even more so because her dad is the curator of the WWII cemetery. Lina can't wait for the summer to be over so she can go back home, but when she discovers a secret journal her mom kept, Lina embarks on a journey that leads her to love, gelato, and a long-too-hidden truth. 

Margherita Pizza - This is my take on the classic Italian pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. In the book, as in the country, everyone loves the pizza!

​Stracciatella Gelato - As father and daughter form a bond, the two share lots of gelato especially over the stracciatella variety. 

​www.amazon.com/Love-Gelato-Jenna-Evans-Welch/dp/1481432559/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519684927&sr=8-1&keywords=love+and+gelato+by+jenna+evans+welch

This is the most poignant of all the books I've read recently because it has touched me the most. Sometimes in life you never know the impact you'll have on someone. Mentoring a troubled girl has led to me fostering this beautiful teenager who is struggling to put the broken pieces of her life back together again. Her whole story is not mine to share, but the food represented here was made with my very own girl in pieces.

www.amazon.com/Girl-Pieces-Kathleen-Glasgow/dp/1101934719

Seventeen-year-old Charlie has experienced more heartache in her young life than most people do in a lifetime. The broken glass takes away the pain and yet leaves her filled with hurt at the same time. She'll have to discover that she holds the key to freeing herself from the sentence she's given herself. Only then can she begin to heal.

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Dive into a great book!

After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in the tiny town of Eulogy, Mississippi, Ramona's family struggles to overcome the hardships of an unexpected pregnancy, temporary housing turned not-so-temporary, making ends meets,  and relationships pulling her in directions Ramona never expected, she's learning that life can be more fluid than she thought. 

www.amazon.com/Ramona-Blue-Julie-Murphy/dp/0062418351/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519331401&sr=8-1&keywords=ramona+blue+by+julie+murphy

This book has all the feels in the right places!

When Violet and Finch meet in a most precarious way, the two begin to change one another's lives. Finch shows Violet how to let go of the past and begin to live again while Violet shows Finch reasons to hang on just a little longer. The two journey around the state completing a school project and grow closer and heal, but what happens when Finch's innermost demons demand attention? 

Oatmeal with blueberries - It symbolizes the swirling together of Finch and Violet. His world became hers and vice versa. There's also a deeper meaning of the liquid consistency of the oatmeal, but I won't spoil the whole book. Finch supported Violet in letting go of her guilt and fear of really living. Maple syrup was added to represent the sweetness they had for one another.
Finch shaped pancake - (I never claimed to be an artist...don't judge.) Literal representation of him. 

​www.amazon.com/All-Bright-Places-Jennifer-Niven/dp/0385755910