Karen Scalf Linamen

Chocolate makes everything better. In The Chocolate Diaries: Secrets for a Sweeter Journey on the Rocky Road of Life, we do indeed find the secrets of life: prayer, chocolate, laughter, chocolate, friends, and chocolate.

In this well-written mixture of humor, disappointment, and encouragement, Linamen manages to tell her story in such a way that makes you laugh out loud just as you were about to start crying. And it's a book about chocolate; really, how can you go wrong? With such wisdom as "When you need a quicker picker-upper, you can reach for a paper towel or chocolate. Chocolate may taste better, but paper towels provide more dietary fiber. Tough choice, I know," and "Every morning, put eating chocolate at the top of your to-do list. That way, you'll always get one thing done," thrown in with encouraging Bible verses and yummy chocolate recipes, this book is a winner.

If you're not a cook, don't let the recipes throw you off. There is some cooking involved in some of them, but others are as easy as, (I'm paraphrasing) "pour some coconut in a bowl, cover with chocolate syrup, sprinkle with almonds, and enjoy your very own Almond Joy," and "grab a spoonful of peanut butter, add mini chocolate chips... instant heaven".

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.… (more)