A Novel Pairing because I love books and wine.

Each consequential story from Yong Takahashi’s The Escape to Candyland presents its own subtle layers of struggle. Some of the tales, tinged with bitterness, reveal semi-sweet moments in time if you can only unearth them. Delve into the brokenhearted, the weak-willed, or the fanatical just long enough to wonder what you would do in their shoes.

A wine to sip and enjoy while reading this combination of short stories is a serious red blend. Winemakers blend grapes so that one variety complements the other. One type might soften a bolder variety, sweeten the savory, or smooth the acidic. A red blend could be just the wine to help you balance the rough textures you relate to in each story with hints of goodness from your heart.