Read a book
The stages of reading in life is interesting.
How the current state of mind determines the books we read. We are in a huge reading curve and seems like many friends are in the same mode.

Today I'm searching for inspiration in memoirs, personal stories and uplifting fiction. Chelsea Handler, Marc Benioff and Melinda Gates to name a few.
Mat loves the Dan Brown / Michael Connelly, keeps him distracted from the Washington Post and the NY times.
For years all I read was wine books and anything food, travel and wine related. Some of my all time favorite books.
In my 30's, the bulk of my intense wine studies, I had 3 or more wine books open all the time. When Mat & I bought our home, we combined our books and of course we both had the Jancis Robinson encyclopedia, so I had to get one signed on my 3rd personal sighting of my mentor.

To spend a couple of days in Italy or France, as the book places your mind in the location ( sign of a really good book ) and definitely the best books for me. Head to the hammock and enjoy an afternoon away! Blood, bones and butter by Gabriel Hamilton is an all time favorite as well as all of Ruth Reichl and Julia Childs books!
Cookbooks are another favorite, inspiration for many of our events. Chef specific, season or protein/ veg driven. Our cookbook collection is eclectic, focused and very personal. The Joy of cooking has always been Mat's 'go to' book and chef written are great for tasting room events. Like the Hog Island cookbook when we featured oysters for an evening. Charles Phan Slanted Door is a super popular one that we have done twice. Plus often our club parties feature a CP dish, Thomas Keller and many others.

Reading menu's is a combined love of ours too. If it's a dinner menu, a wine list and even wine labels, there is a conversation to be had. Both Mat & I clearly enjoy our chosen industry and have a shared passion.
I never thought of us as book people but this year has been the year to prove that clearly we are. In the current climate of life, it is so important to have time to remove day to day weight, pick up a book and read.
