I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth. Really.
My most favorite thing to enjoy is a yummy slice of vanilla cake with a thick layer of homemade vanilla frosting.
It’s the best.
But along with that sweet tooth, I have some food intolerances, too. I’m gluten-free, dairy-free and watch my sugar, too.
That means I do not get to eat a whole lot of cake.
So, what’s a reader with a sweet tooth to do? Read about cake instead.
Here’s a list of books that have incredible storylines all centered around cake. It’s a fun and whimsical reading theme, but the books are powerful and will leave you thinking.
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The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender was a delightfully unexpected read. Not typically a fan of fantasy or the supernatural, I wholeheartedly dove into this book because of the premise behind it: Nine year old Rose suddenly becomes privy to the inner feelings of those around her through the food they prepare and offer to others. In an instant, she can feel her mother’s sadness and need for more and ultimately ends up discovering secrets about those she thought she knew the most. It stopped me in my tracks to think how others might feel knowing my inner thoughts and feelings that are rarely shared or hidden…..and how that might indicate a need for change. This was an incredibly powerful book.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
I love novels that capture the complexities of real families and don’t shy away from the hard stuff. This book certainly fits the bill. Moving back and forth from past to present, we come to know Eleanor Bennett and her family, a family torn apart by misunderstandings, hurt feelings and fear. And while we might think we have all the time we need to make things right, Eleanor passes away before her children, Benny and Byron, can reunite as a whole family again. But she leaves behind her treasured Caribbean black cake along with hours of audio recordings sharing history that should have been shared years ago. This information instantly alters their lives forever and might just reunite them for good, too.
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert
Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? I do. That’s why I loved this book so much. What seemed to be a series of unlikely events for multiple characters ended up putting them exactly where they needed to be: all sparked through a delicious coconut cake. The story follows Lou, a cheerful woman struggling to keep her new restaurant afloat and her fiance happy, and Al, a grumpy British food critic transplanted to Wisconsin. When Al’s review crushes Lou’s restaurant, she escapes by showing the city to her new friend, who unknowingly just happens to be Al himself. What follows is a beautiful unfolding of events on how to enjoy life, live it to the fullest and surround yourself with the best food possible, not to mention the power of second chances.
