The Bookseller's Guide to Fall Beverages
It's fall, the season of colorful leaves, cozy sweaters, and curling up with a good book and a nice, warm drink.
But which book — and what drink?
As it turns out, the pairing of books and beverages is a complicated art. Does a sweet drink go with an equally sweet book? Or is it best if the book and the beverage balance one another out, like complimentary colors? In search of answers, we asked our team what their ultimate book/fall beverage pairing was.
Whose book and beverage combo do you agree with? And what books are you reading this fall?
Bourbon & Cormac McCarthy
"Cormac McCarthy demands to be read with strong bourbon, and possibly the blood of those who have wronged you." —Stefen
Hot Chocolate & Horror
"The cold and uncomfortable setting of the story is balanced out well with the comforting warmth of fresh hot cocoa. " —John
More highly recommended horror
Mulled Wine & Philosophy
"I'm a fan of mulled wine and philosophy on the couch. The goal is to warm up, drink slow, and think deeply with some Foucault, Kropotkin, or Deleuze. You can take your time with them, just like a glass of warm wine." —Peri
Herbal Tea & Space Opera
"Herbal tea and space opera have have always been a world-class combo. I recommend Alistair Reynolds or Ann Leckie. " —Stefen
(Home-Made) Apple Cider & Something Magical
"There’s something about picking apples from gnarly trees, working hard at the cider press, and curling up with a hot cup of sweet, steaming cider that awakens my sense of wonder. But even store-bought cider does the trick! Throw in a stick of cinnamon and open a beautiful, magical book and I feel like a child falling into a fairy tale." —Leo
Or browse our fantasy section
Tea & Poetry
"Nothing warms the soul more on a rainy fall day than curling up with a blanket, hot tea, and poignant poetry." —LC
Coffee & Surrealism — or Absurdism
"I love reading surrealist and absurdist literature with a cup of coffee when it gets cold. I recently read Watermelon Sugar and Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan and loved them. Both novellas are incredibly surrealist — in Watermelon Sugar you feel alert and swathed in color and care, while Trout Fishing in America is a social commentary wrapped in a nature-induced stream-of-consciousness trip. Kafka is a great absurdist writer for fall; The Metamorphosis is a dark and conceptually dense book. I also love Shit Cassandra Saw: it's just plain weird, but in an existentially impactful way." —Peri
More recommendations from Peri
Hot Toddies & Great Big Novels
"Hot Toddies are for Great Big Novels. Crime and Punishment. 100 Years of Solitude. Moby Dick. I look forward to tackling Olga Tokarczuk's The Books of Jacob as soon as the temperature drops. " —Stefen
