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My latest book reminds me a lot of Shauna Niequist's Bread & Wine, which has become a fast favorite. I've made so many recipes from that book this year and not a one has disappointed yet. I have a feeling that Dinner With the Smileys, by Sarah Smiley, is going to be the same way.
When her husband leaves for a 13 month deployment on the other side of the world, Maine mother Sarah Smiley and her three sons seek to fill his empty place at their table by inviting someone new to dinner each week. It's a simple and lovely premise for a book filled with touching life lessons and recipes. It's the kind of book that makes you feel really comfortable and, well, nourished, while reading it and it will stick with you long after, like a good meal. Yes, I'm being corny here, but the book is anything but. I really, really love this book and I am recommending it to my real life book club where we meet over dinner and cook recipes in or related to the books we read. Dinner With the Smileys is a perfect choice.