The Escape to Candyland by Yong Takahashi

A Novel Pairing because I love both 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.