Weekend Reads v.1

It's yet another snow-filled blustery day on Prince Edward Island, and I am taking advantage of the time to unwind by reading my rather large stockpile of to-be-read books.  I'll be sharing thoughts on some of those in forthcoming videos for my youtube channel, but I thought I'd share two recent reads on the blog today.
The first of these, is "All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes" by Betsy St. Amant. This is a truly fluffy little read, in which the protagonist is a pastry chef with dreams of cupcake greatness who enters one of those Food Network Bake-Offs, and wins the heart of her best friend and long-time secretly-pined-for fellow, along with baking glory.  Now I admit, I am a bit of a Food Network junkie and love all those baking shows, and love baking myself, which is why I picked up this book in the first place.  There were likeable aspects to it, to be sure.  The main character Kat, is relatable and sweet, and the storyline is entertaining, if slightly predictable.  It's IS a little drawn out and slow-paced in parts.  That said, sometimes you just want something you don't have to think too much about - and if you go into this book with those expectations, I don't think you'd be disappointed.  
For a bit more of a breakdown of my likes vs. dislikes, you can check out my Goodreads review here (Spoiler: It got a two star or "It's OK" result from me). 
Next, is "Lean On Me - Finding Intentional, Vulnerable and Consistent Community" by Anne Marie Miller.  
Now this, was a book I truly felt was a worthwhile read, on a topic that has been top-of-mind for me lately - Community.  I initially did a relatively quick read-through and now actually plan to do a read-along with my best friend, so both of us can go through it together and really discuss it properly.  
I find it important to intentionally invest in my relationships and friendships, and so the thoughts presented in this book really resonated with me - things like our need for a sense of belonging, on diversity in relationships, finding a willingness to be vulnerable, on finding but also on being someone to lean on, on persevering through heartache and challenges life drops on us along the way.  It's less a how-to guide, than the author sharing her story and the discoveries she made along the way. It's super-relatable and she touches on subject matter that I think almost everyone could connect to.
Anne Marie Miller shared much of her own life through the pages and her honesty throughout was a huge part of what made this book so engaging and definitely one I will come back to.   If you're looking for an encouraging, faith-based read, this is definitely one to pick up.
As always, I'm love a good book recommendation - so let me know!  What have you been reading lately?