I had a "Heaping Spoonful" for dessert... and wine

So, recently I was lucky enough to NOT win a giveaway from one of the great blogs in my Google Reader, Is it 5 O'Clock Yet? by Shauna Glenn.

Lucky, because I contacted her after the giveaway ended since I had never seen a post about who had won, and she said I had not won, but someone hadn't collected her prize, so I could have it if I wanted it.

The prize was a signed copy of Shauna's book, Heaping Spoonful.



I have wanted to read it for a while, because I'm a fan of Shauna's writing on her blog. She's pretty funny, even though she uses the "V" word an awful lot. (Of course, I'm a big baby and can't bring myself to say or type the "V" word--A matter which, on another note, came up at one of my family Christmas get-togethers. Seems most of us prefer "hoo-hah" or something like that rather than the "V" word. Anyway.)

So, I got the book, and didn't get a chance to read it for a couple days, but I decided on Saturday I wanted to dig into it after dinner, so I requested that Hubby bring home a bottle of Pinot Grigio when he went out to get the Chinese take-out. PG is, by the way, Shauna's favorite drink, and is even mentioned in the book. In fact, she signs copies of her book with a peace sign, a heart and a wine glass, which means "Peace, Love and Pinot Grigio."

See?



So, my dear husband brought home a bottle of 2008 PG from one of our favorite wineries up north, Chateau Grand Traverse, and it was EXCELLENT! We will definitely get it again.



So, we ate our Chinese and finally, finally got the kiddies to bed, and I was able to sit down to enjoy my book.

First, I set up my little "reading nook" in the kitchen. My comfy glider rocker is there, and I got the book, lit a candle and poured a fresh glass of wine.





Then, I proceeded to sit down and devour the entire Heaping Spoonful in one shot!

I am a fast reader, which is why I don't like to buy many books. I read them too quickly, and I'd end up with soooooo many books just sitting around. I prefer to borrow them from the library or a friend or, in this case, win them! (Well, sort of.)

Anyway, the writing sounded like Shauna's "voice," which I liked. The plot was good, and it kept me interested. I wanted to read on to see what happened. It was kind of predictable, but that's OK. It was exactly the after-dinner treat I had been looking for, and it didn't disappoint.

Neither did the wine.

Well, it did disappoint a little in that the bottle was empty long before I wanted it to be, but that's because I had to share with Hubby.

But, yeah, back to the book.

The plot revolves around a woman named Claire, who has been through an unimaginable horror--she lost her husband to cancer. So, there she is a year later, raising their two children and trying to keep her memories of her husband alive and her bakery afloat with the help of her faithful employee Ben. She's also dealing with a mom who has Alzheimer's and a wack-job of a sister. She has forgotten how to love, but has come to the realization that she's ready to try again. Men drift in and out of her life and in the end, well, I guess I'm not going to spoil it for you. Get the book and read it for yourself! :)

It was sweet, like a Heaping Spoonful of sugar.

I did actually wish that some parts had been drawn out a little more, but in all it was an enjoyable read and a great way to cap off my Saturday.

If you want a good laugh, check out Shauna's blog Is it 5 O'Clock Yet? and if you want a good read, grab a copy of Heaping Spoonful.

And make sure you have some wine handy.