Escape from Reality with a Good Read

Now more than ever, we’re all looking for ways to keep busy and take our mind off things while we’re at home with our families. And sometimes, an escape from reality is only a page turn away. Carole Barrowman joins us with her picks for books to read while you’re cooped inside and wanting a little getaway from these trying times. For more information on Carole, visit CaroleBarrowman.com. And see below for her picks! The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert - From the author of Eat, Pray, Love this is a perfect book to get lost in. It’s not her newest (it’s my favorite) so it should be easy to get online from library or bookstore. Spanning the 18th century, the story chronicles the lives and loves of the Whittaker family, particularly Alma, their genius scientist daughter. The novel takes us from Philadelphia to Peru, London to Tahiti. Wonderfully researched and written with a cast of intriguing and unforgettable characters. Mad, Bad And Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed - This is an engrossing new novel told from the separate points of view of two women living in Paris, one in the present and the other 200 years ago whose path crossed with Alexander Dumas (wrote the Three Musketeers) and Lord Byron (infamous romantic poet who was described as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know”). The novel blends art, mystery with romance (and some famous gardens in Paris). It’ll sweep you off your feet. Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby - If you’re having a hard time concentrating for more than the time it takes you to pour a glass of wine, then this collection of essays is perfect for you. Dip in and out of Irby’s latest collection of stories about life in a new state, her new garden, working in Hollywood and staying in PJs all day. Irby is irreverent, snarky and I love her. She describes herself as a "cheese fry-eating slightly damp Midwest person." This book will make you snort a little and laugh a lot. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame - Lots of families are taking time during quarantine to read aloud classic novels from the parents’ childhoods. Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows is my childhood favorite for this month. Mole, rat, and their mischievous friend, Toad, live near a riverbank and their adventures together are legendary.