This event has passed
In-Store event with Monica Comas "Recipe for Joy"
Past event
About This Event
Join us while we welcome author Monica Comas to discuss her book: RECIPE FOR JOY: A NOVEL. Books available for purchase and signing Refreshments will be served.
RSVP at 847-234-4420
A grieving woman finds healing and purpose through her late grandmother’s cherished recipes in a poignant and hopeful novel about rediscovering the comfort of family in the most trying of times.
Belle Sutton is a little lost these days.
She has a stalled career, a New York apartment she can’t afford, and her sister, Lexie, is more estranged with each passing year. Belle’s one true consolation is her beloved grandmother, who’s powered through her own broken family ties with a tenacious zest for life and a passion for cooking. But when her grandmother suddenly passes away, a grieving Belle feels her only connection to the past is gone forever.
That’s when Belle receives a series of letters, along with a cookbook, photographs of Belle and Lexie when they were young and happy, and her grandmother’s last wish that the sisters mend severed ties before it’s too late. For the love of Gran, a challenge is met that sets Belle and Lexie on a journey of hope, reconciliation, surprising discoveries, and the nourishing power of family, forgiveness, and tradition. All they have to do is follow the directions.
Featured Author
Monica Comas
Monica Comas was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and a master’s in journalism from New York University. She’s worked as a newspaper reporter, a journalist covering stocks and the economy, and a financial editor. But fiction has always been her true love. Monica lives in New York with her husband, John, and their tiny shih tzu, Poirot.
About the Venue
Lake Forest Bookstore
Now in the historic James Anderson building, the Lake Forest Book Store continues its 70-year relationship with the community and looks forward to serving the residents and visitors for years to come.
Visit store pageMore at Lake Forest Bookstore
In-store event with local editorial collaborators Dustin O'Regan & Sarah Lyons
Join us while we welcome local editorial collaborators Dustin O'Regan & Sarah Lyons to discuss their new coffee table book:THE NORTH SHORE by Sheridan RoadWednesday, November 18, 2026, 6pm-7pmat Lake Forest Book Store662 N. Western AvenueLake Forest, IL 60045Books available for purchase and signingRefreshments will be servedRSVP at 847-234-4420 or click the gray "RSVP" above The North Shore by Sheridan Road is a richly produced, 300-page coffee-table book that brings together historic archives, contemporary photography, and original editorial work to celebrate the homes, landscapes, institutions, traditions, and people that define Chicago’s most distinctive lakefront communities.Dustin O'Regan is an attorney turned media executive and philanthropist who serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Sheridan Road Magazine, a prominent luxury lifestyle publication covering Chicago's North Shore. Based in Lake Forest, Illinois, she has spent over a decade shaping the cultural and editorial landscape of the regionSarah Lyons has spent over 20 years in luxury residential real estate, consistently ranking in the Wall Street Journal’s RealTrends Top 1.5% of brokers nationwide. She operates primarily out of the Winnetka, Illinois office of @properties Christie's International Real Estate, while also managing high-end relocation and luxury listings with Premier Estate Properties in Palm Beach, Florida.
Staff Picks Showcase: A Night at the Book Store
You're invited! Lake Forest Book Store is hosting a Staff Picks Showcase: a night at the Book Store where our booksellers will find you the perfect gift for everyone your list.Join us on Wednesday, December 2nd from 5:30-7:30pm at Lake Forest Book Store.Tickets are $20 and will include... A book talk from our staff showcasing some of our favorite books to read, and gift, for all ages! 10% off all purchases (20% off for Book Store members) Plenty of time to browse and shop Free gift wrapping Refreshments and treatsBut space is limited! So please call soon, or sign up online
Luncheon with author Jennifer Smith
Join us at The Forester Hotel for a luncheon with author Jennifer Smith as she discusses her new book:RABBIT, RABBITFriday, February 26th, 2026, 11:30pm - 1:30pm 200 North Field DriveLake Forest, IL 60045$85 includes lunch and a copy of the bookPlease call to RSVP: 847-234-4420Or Click on "MORE INFO" button at the bottom of the page to sign up online!A heartwarming novel about what it means to chase the life — and love — of your dreams, from the bestselling author of The Unsinkable Greta James.As the clock counts down to midnight on New Year’s Eve, Billie — 39, single, an American film editor on a girls’ trip to Florence — makes a decision: this is the year she’s going to have a baby on her own. Less than an hour later, she meets Arthur — 44, single, a Scottish conservationist celebrating a friend’s stag party — who seems perfect but for his conviction that kids are not for him. Over the course of the next year, Billie finds herself pursuing both versions of her life, moving back and forth between visits to fertility clinics and romantic getaways around the world as she tries to figure out what she wants most. But as she approaches the inevitable fork in the road, she’ll discover that it’s not so easy to follow your heart when it’s pulling you in two very different directions.Full of Jennifer E. Smith’s signature heart and warmth, Rabbit Rabbit is a powerful romantic novel about paths not taken…and what happens when you meet the right person at the wrong time.