With so many fantastic books that came out last year, it's only right we honor them as well as the new books we're excited about for this month! We've paired them with some of our favorite wines, some new to us and others that we've carried for a while. Read on for books and bottles that are worth a try. 

Liberation Day by George Saunders
FRAM Chardonnay 2021

This masterful collection explores ideas of power, ethics, and justice and cuts to the very heart of what it means to live in a community with our fellow humans. With his trademark prose—wickedly funny, unsentimental, and exquisitely tuned—Saunders continues to challenge and surprise: Here is a collection of prismatic, resonant stories that encompass joy and despair, oppression and revolution, bizarre fantasy and brutal reality. A superb value, this South African Chardonnay is equally masterful, making it the perfect wine pairing. The nose and palate are full of generous, ripe apples, supported by minerality, yellow citrus fruits, and an elegant cereal note.

Becoming by Michelle Obama
McBride Sisters Black Girl Magic Red Blend 2019

Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, telling her full story as she has lived it. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same. The McBride Sisters’ Black Girl Magic collection is an ode to their story, and inspired by the magic and resilience of Black women. A complex, well-crafted and inviting wine that shows tobacco and vanilla bean notes alongside generous plum, raspberry, and blackberry.

Ghost Music by An Yu
Villa Fura Amarone della Valpolicella 2018

An Yu’s enchanting and contemplative novel of music and mushrooms follows a former concert pianist searching for the truth about a vanished musician. An atmospheric novel of art and expression, grief and survival, memory and self-discovery, Ghost Music animates contemporary Beijing through the eyes of a lonely yet hopeful young woman and gives vivid color and texture to the promise of new beginnings. This Valpolicella blend is rich and full of flavor with tantalizing aromas of ripe fruit, plum, and vanilla. An intense red color, this wine opens nicely, with juicy notes of black cherry, chocolate, and raisins. Vigorous and well-balanced structure that's persistent with hints of toastiness, making it an excellent pairing with this book.

Good For A Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman
Castello Bonomi Franciacorta Brut NV

Part memoir, part manifesto, Good For A Girl is Fleshman’s story of falling in love with running as a girl, being pushed to her limits and succumbing to devastating injuries, and daring to fight for a better way for female athletes. Long gone are the days when women and girls feel lucky just to participate; Fleshman and women everywhere are waking up to the reality that they’re running, playing, and competing in a world that wasn’t made for them. Fleshman gives voice to the often-silent experience of the female athlete and argues that the time has come to rebuild our systems of competitive sports with women at their center. This lush bubbly is elegant with character, strength, and personality – a great way to celebrate Fleshman’s memoir. It offers notes of ripe apple, lemon zest, and a hint of bread crust.