Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. While wandering the library, trying to decide the next book to read, I came across a wonderful book cover. On weathered shelves sets two green Jonathan apples, a tantalizingly delicious looking pie, and a bowl of strawberries. One look at that cover and I knew I had to read that book. The book "The Year of Pleasures" by Elizabeth Berg lived up to its cover.

Elizabeth Berg is a well-known, prolific writer and a perennial bestseller. She has won a number of awards and had one of her books, "Open House", selected for Oprah’s Book Club. Readers should be familiar with her work.

"The Year of Pleasures" ironically is about the year, following the death of Betta Nolan’s husband. Betta is a middle-aged woman in her fifties who had planned on many more years with the love of her life. Then he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. Betta promises him that she will move to the Midwest, as they had planned.

The book opens with her, striving to keep her promise, as she drives along the country back roads of the Midwest. The unadorned elegance of her writing is demonstrated in her description of the countryside. "I saw farmhouses in the middle of protective stands of trees, silos reaching for the sky, barns faded to the soft red of tomato soup". Betta drove on and on mile after mile as the "Land rushed up, then fell away; rushed up, then fell away." Finally, she stops at a yogurt stand in the middle of a small town just outside of Chicago. The proprietor Ed Selwin notices her car laden with belongings and invites her to be interviewed on his "Talk of the Town" radio show as a new arrival in town. So Betta impulsively decides that Stewart, Illinois, is as good a place as any to settle down. She buys a large Victorian house and begins "The Year of Pleasures".

John Nolan told Betta that after he died he wanted her to celebrate the simple joys of life with a year of pleasures. To aid her journey during this difficult year, John left her a series of puzzling messages on pieces of paper. The words "green bowl" bring to mind a beautiful green bowl that she had wanted to buy. She loved the elegance of it. Although John urged her to purchase it for only $2.00, she declined, always wishing that she had bought it. John’s messages bring back memories of simple pleasures enjoyed or opportunities missed--his final gift to her. This year will not be an easy year; however, Betta will rediscover old friends and find new as she begins the process of recovery and renewal.

A library patron chose to honor a friend by giving this book to the library. I am exceptionally glad she did. Give yourself a treat and read "The Year of Pleasures" by Elizabeth Berg.

Other books by Elizabeth Berg include the following:

"The Pull of the Moon". Written as letters and diary entries, "The Pull of the Moon" tells the story of a 50 year-old wife and mother, who runs away from home to find herself.

"Range of Motion" is the story of a comatose man and his wife and told from both of their viewpoints.

"Say When". A man’s comfortably happy life is turned upside down when he discovers that his dependable and dependent wife is having an affair.

"Until the Real Thing Comes Along". Patty Murphy says she’s "Ms. Runner-up" in life, waiting for the right man, waiting until the real thing comes along.

"Joy School" continues the story of Army-brat Katie, which began in "Durable Goods". (American Library Association Best Book)

"Never Change". Perennial wallflower, nurse Myra Lipinsky, now fifty, finds her life upended when high school golden boy Chip returns home to die.

"Open House". An Oprah Book Club selection, this is the story of a woman re-creating her life after divorce.

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