The Measure + Pause Cake
The Measure by Nikki Erlick came recommended by someone whose taste closely aligns with my own, particularly in books that grapple deeply with life, mortality and meaning.
The novel starts off slowly, but once the characters begin to intersect, the story finds its rhythm and becomes compelling. Erlick moves between multiple lives, each responding differently to the arrival of a string that reveals the length of one’s life, creating a mosaic of fear, hope, denial and urgency.
While the novel doesn’t plunge as far into philosophical depth as it might have, it does succeed in making the reader pause and reflect. It’s difficult not to imagine what you would do if such a box appeared on your own doorstep. Would you open it immediately? Hide it away? Let it decide your choices or refuse to let it define you at all? Erlick’s character Ben makes it clear that although he knows his fate, he doesn’t think knowing is ideal, “I feel like there was a time before my mom was opened and a time after, and they’re just so completely separate… Once you know something, you forget what it was like to not know it.”
Erlick writes with a conviction that keeps the reader suspended between two impulses, the desire to know the exact moment of death and the temptation to live in deliberate ignorance. This tension is embodied beautifully in Amie’s perspective: “She simply had to live her life in oblivion, as if her string were somehow infinite. It was the only way she knew how.” That sentiment lingers long after the page is turned.
Ultimately, The Measure is more contemplative than confrontational. It may not fully excavate the depths of its premise, but it remains a thoughtful, emotionally engaging novel, one that invites readers to quietly reassess how they are living now, with or without knowing the measure of their time.
One-Pan Pause Cake
A simple cake to bake, slice, and sit with—no rush, no extras.
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
¼ cup neutral oil or melted butter
½ cup milk (or oat/almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional:
A sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg
A small handful of berries or chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan.
In the pan itself, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Make a small well in the center. Add the egg, oil (or butter), milk, and vanilla.
Stir gently until just combined. Don’t overmix—let it be imperfect.
Scatter berries or chocolate on top if using.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool slightly, slice straight from the pan, and eat slowly.
To Enjoy:
Best eaten warm, with a book nearby and nowhere else to be.
Pause between bites. Let the sweetness linger.
Some things don’t need measuring to be meaningful.