THE DAY I ATE WHATEVER I WANTED, by Elizabeth Berg

Subtitled “and other small acts of liberation”, this collection of short stories and essays is a delightful introduction to the author’s subtle, gentle, but emotionally forthright, style. This is not a beach read, but a late at night with a cup of hot chocolate kind of read. Truth, humor, and a well-tuned eye for the ridiculous pickles human can get into, the foods we eat (the title story is worth the entire book), and the loves we lost and can’t quite find again. A marvelous jewel box of little gems. A 5, maybe for the novelty of reading essays.