The news is catastrophic. Would it be so wrong to briefly escape into a beach read?
Los Angeles is reeling. The area is still recovering from devastating wildfires. Mayor Karen Bass this week accused the Trump administration of waging an 'all-out assault on Los Angeles.' Roving teams of federal immigration agents have cast a pall of fear across many of the region's communities.
Would it be wrong to escape for a few hours into a beach read?
Abby Jimenez, a best-selling author of romances like 'The Friend Zone' and 'Just For the Summer' who also owns a wildly successful bakery, believes an escapist romance book can be just the thing for troubled times.
'Romance is a safe space,' she said in an interview. 'No matter what happens in the story, you're going to wrap it up in the end.'
'The genre is so inclusive. There is sweet romance. Spicy romance. Christian romance. There are romance thrillers. Queer romances. And then you get your happy ever after.'
Jimenez's latest book, 'Say You'll Remember Me,' came out this spring, just in time for beach read season. Though these days Jimenez lives in Minnesota, this book is partially set in Glendale, where she spent some of her childhood. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
What does a beach read mean to you?
There are just some books that are suitable for the pool and the sand over others. You're not going to be crying on the rest of your vacation.
What are your favorite California beach reads?
In your book, the main character Samantha has a meet cute with sexy veterinarian Xavier over a kitten's bowel problems, and then immediately decamps from the Midwest to Southern California. Tell us about your book's connection to Southern California.
It is a book about making memories and losing them. It's a long-distance relationship. Samantha's mother is suffering from early onset dementia.
I grew up in the Glendale/Burbank Area, before moving to Palmdale.
The house I wrote into the book is actually my grandfather's house in real life. I wrote it exactly as it is in real life. The car I wrote into the book, the 1966 Dodge Dart convertible, was my car growing up.
Bob Lentz of Sylmar says: 'I climb on my roof in the foothills of Sylmar to watch the fireworks across the entire San Fernando Valley!'
Jody Stefansson of Pasadena says: 'My family's favorite thing to do on the 4th of July is close all the curtains and blinds in our home, turn down the lights, play soothing classical music and comfort our dogs with cuddles and reassurance. We celebrate July 5th!'
On July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison — the lead singer of the Los Angeles band the Doors — died in Paris of heart failure at 27 years old.
A bust placed on his grave site to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his passing went missing nearly 40 years ago. As the Times reported in May, Paris police found the memorial bust 'by chance.'
Essential California will be off tomorrow. Enjoy your Fourth of July. We'll be back bright and early Saturday.
Izzy Nunes, audience engagement internDiamy Wang, homepage internKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, Sunday writerKarim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
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