I have always wanted to read Simone de Beauvoir’s novel focusing on the life of a woman in existential crisis. I have not carved out time for fiction in a very long time so it feels indulgent. I also feel like it’s a necessary escape from reality and a little bit schadenfreude for the misery of the characters. I love transporting myself to the setting of 1960s France. De Beauvoir’s masterful writing is a welcome departure from the current events of today.