Good Reads: The Chocolate Cake Sutra by Geri Larkin

I’ve been putting off writing this review for over a week. Why? Because the book is bad? Because I don’t know how to say anything nice? Not at all – the complete opposite actually! The Chocolate Cake Sutra by Geri Larkin is so freakin’ fabulous, I don’t even know how to begin explaining it. I suppose there are worse things …

Since I rented the book from the library, I didn’t have the benefit (or joy) of highlighting my favorite passages. Instead, I simply wrote down the page numbers. Of the book’s 182 pages, I noted 68 different pages that made me feel enchanted, inspired, and enlightened. For math geeks, that over 1/3rd of the entire tome. So yeah, it’s a “good” book.

Before I rave on about its greatness, let me give you an overview. The word “sutra” in the title no doubt makes you think of Buddhism, and that is what this book is about … sort of. Author Geri Larkin, an ordained Dharma teacher (who doesn’t have a website; shocking!), loves chocolate cake – she has been known to eat it for breakfast (now that’s modern Buddhism for you).  She uses the metaphor of a cake recipe & its preparation to describe the mental and spiritual elements we need to embrace. These “ingredients” will lead us into a modern-day nirvana, no chanting required (but that can be fun).

Like M.J. Ryan, Geri Larkin has a pleasing, conversational tone that makes you feel like she is right there with you. Buddhist or not, spirutually seeking or otherwise, The Chocolate Cake Sutra can (and should) be enjoyed by readers the world over. I plan on buying the book, reading it again, and highlighting like mad. Then, whenever my life feel off-track, I’ve got all I need to get on the “right” path again.