books & a cuppa;
Most of us like to have a glass of something when we read. For me, usually, that glass of something is a hot drink. Coffee, tea, sometimes a chocolate drink, like a Nutella hot chocolate. I choose my drinks based on my moods, and more often than not, my moods are linked to the book I am reading.
What I’m saying, of course, is that I categorise my drinks by the type of books I am reading. There are just certain stories and genres that pair well with certain drinks.
Chocolate; Fantasy
It can be anywhere between overly sweet and dark bitterness. For me, hot chocolate pairs well with a well-paced fantasy story. It sucks you right in, the characters leaping off the page. You amble along with them, learn with them, grow with them. A quest tale, perhaps, or a fairytale adaptation.
Tea; Romance
It pairs well with something that is soothing, that calms you down, brings you back a few paces. Slows you down, though nothing that is so dull you fall asleep. Generally, I find myself having a mug of tea with a romance novel. Something I can curl up with that makes me smile. Something that warms me up on the inside.
Coffee; Sci-Fi
It gets your pulse racing. The adrenaline flows, and you find yourself flipping through your book, eagerly devouring everything in sight. You have to know what comes next. There is a sense of urgency in the story. It moves quickly, it grips you and does not let go. Action in science-fiction finds me with a coffee, and a book finished in a scant few hours even though I should be doing something else.
Of course, sometimes I switch it up. I’ll have a tea while I’m reading a fantasy, or a coffee while I’m reading romance. It depends on the mood, and the atomosphere, but I have always enjoyed reading when I have a mug of a good drink in my hand.
Everyone has their own preferred cup of something to go with what they are reading. What are yours?