A Year in Provence
By Peter Mayle

I like to read books that take me away from the seriousness of the work I do, and it was so much fun to read about a place I had visited. I loved Mayle's sense of humor. The book is, naturally, about the beauty, food, and wine of Provence—but it's also about slow contractors in Provence. It's a reminder that some things are the same wherever you are.