In Which the Reader Receives a Birthday Gift

I had nearly deleted without reading the email from Barnes and Noble, assuming it was just another advertisement, when the word "gift" caught my eye. Turns out my excellent friend Joan had ordered a copy of The Last Chinese Chef, by Nicole Mones for my e-reader in anticipation of my birthday. A true friend knows all your tastes--and for me, the only thing better than an absorbing book is an absorbing book in which food figures largely. Armed with this book and a few others for summer reading, the Reader can face fifty-five with equanimity.