Let’s face it. It’s been a rough year. Money’s tight all around, which means the usual “let’s just take some time off and get away” gig isn’t happening. My passport sits firmly in its drawer, thankfully with a 2013 expiration date.
The “escape” needs redefinition. Sure, there are always movies, but even though this year’s Oscar contenders are amazing, they’re by no means uplifting. If you’re a Lost fan like me, you know they’ve added to the depression by making us wait so long to see what happens next. There is, God bless it, 30 Rock, but even a few recorded episodes stacked up only occupy so much time. Sometimes we need a reality escape that lasts longer than thirty minutes or a couple of hours.
Although they’re a little less sexy than a business class seat, books are a good, time-consuming diversion that we can pick up in times of need or use as tools to distract us from online shopping with maxed out credit cards. The best books are those that actually transport us, make us forget where we’re sitting, or transform our current view.
These books did just that for me. They’re some of my favorites and are about some of my favorite places—none of which I can afford to fly to right now. Sigh.
Book: Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris, by Sarah Turnbull
Escape to: Paris
Barstool summary: Ex-pat from Australia moves to Paris and recounts her experience, which isn’t as pretty as a mint-green macaroon.
You’ll pick up this book thinking it’s going to be a sickeningly sweet tale of a love affair with Paris; you’ll close it thanking the author for telling you the truth. The story follows a woman who moves to Paris from Australia and examines her entire transformation. The author writes in a way that allows you to feel first-hand the difficulty of discovering what Paris and its people mean and how to navigate through the highly accented messages they deliver. The chapters are filled with full-fat yogurt and pain au chocolat, tales of how dog ownership catapults one’s status in the neighborhood, visions of polished outfits (even on Saturday mornings), and stories with morals of “nice is not always better.” You travel on this Paris journey realizing this city is the world’s toughest sorority to join, but all the while secretly wanting in.When you turn the book’s last page, you feel as though you’ve lived in Paris, with all the warts and diamonds that come with it.
Book: Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover’s Courtship, with Recipes, by Amanda Hesser
Escape to: New York
Barstool summary: A delicious tale of food and love that accurately questions the recipes.
Amanda Hesser’s Cooking for Mr. Latte is a tribute to New York, restaurants, cooking, and love. What could be a better escape? Her story begins with a young woman, a local and fairly high-profile restaurant reviewer, who goes on a great first date, only to find the man she is falling for is far from her food equal. Their story continues through the dining rooms of the city, stopping throughout to provide recipes (yes, real, actual recipes) that make you both want to close the book and head to the kitchen and stay and keep reading at the same time. There’s not much that rivals a fine dinner in New York, and many readers would never experience the caliber of meals enjoyed by critics. At times it almost seems hard to relate, but then you find yourself envisioning the lighting, the people, the forkfuls of food that even on a full stomach make you long to be there. The magic of New York, and even its suburbs, is in every chapter, but the writing runs deep enough to tug at your heart and make you feel for the two people who are at the table.
