It’s likely that if you are a book person that you are also a tea person; the two things are basically synonymous with one another. It’s almost impossible to sit down for an extended period, totally captivated in an amazing book, without also having a hot or cold beverage by your side.
If you’re like me, making a cup of tea before I sit down to read is almost ritualistic. Without realising it, I had already started to make certain types of tea depending on the kind of book that I was reading; the flavour had to match the theme, moods or even what the characters were drinking within the books, so that I could feel even more enthralled within a story.
Each book provides a certain mood, or in this case- a flavour. And I’m here to recommend some great books along with their perfect pairing of tea and other beverages! I hope some of these recommendations pique your interest in trying a new book, or perhaps you may feel inspired to think about what teas you would pair with your favourite books.
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The Night Circus by Erin MorgensternThis dazzling tale follows the lives of two rival magicians, set against each other from a young age, they have been trained in magic to compete against each other in the “competition”, where their goal is to essentially exhaust the opponent to death. Although that summary of the book sounds makes it sound a little bleak and sinister, please don’t be put off! This book is full of richly described illusions, magical wonder and love. The two magicians work for Le Cirque de Rêves; an unusual circus that appears without notice within different cities, and is only open at night…Welcome, to the Night Circus. Also available as: eAudiobook (Libby), eAudiobook (Borrow Box) and eBook. |
Pair with: French Earl Grey
This book leans heavily on sensory and visual descriptions, and the author executes it perfectly; everything described makes you feel excited, and as though you are seeing the magic of the Night Circus unfold right in front of your eyes. The night-time vibe of the book combined with the beautiful circus scenes pair perfectly with a lovely, brewed cup of herbal black tea, personally
French Earl Grey is a top pick to go with this book. French Earl Grey is perfect on its own, or with honey and a dash of milk.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins ReidThis amazing novel follows a biographical style journey through the life of fictional Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo, and her infamous seven different marriages during her stardom. This story follows Evelyn from when she first moves to Los Angeles in the 1950’s all the way through to her leaving show business in the 80’s, of course Evelyn’s stardom is heavily centred around her demanding on-screen presence as well as her beauty; however, it remained an audience fascination that she had so many husbands. Within this novel, an aged Evelyn finally shares with a young journalist why there were so many husbands, revealing the heart-wrenching and difficult decisions that Evelyn had to make throughout her life to keep something that mattered the most to her a secret. I’ll try not say too much about the plot- because this book is best to go into without knowing too much! Also available as: eAudiobook, eBook, large print. |
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Pair with: Lemon Iced Tea
This whole book served up some amazing imagery of 50’s-80’s Hollywood, you can just imagine the hot California weather, the convertible cars, and beautiful fashion pieces that are described throughout the book, and because of these hot summer vibes, a lemon iced tea pairs perfectly with this book. This tea is a little more time consuming to make, and if you’re unsure where to start, I recommend this easy recipe by BBC Good Food.
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The Binding by Bridget CollinsI was truly taken with Bridget Collins’ lyrical and captivating writing, down to the setting, characters and the plot of this novel, I enjoyed every moment. I also don’t want to give too much away for the premise of this novel but imagine a world where “Book Binders” are able to stow away peoples most traumatic or heart-breaking memories into books, so they no longer endure that pain. Likewise, this book asks the question of what happens when those books fall into the wrong hands, and don’t our memories and experiences shape who we are? Would we lose ourselves and be lost to our loved ones if we opted to forget certain things, but they didn’t? Also available as a eBook. |
Pair with: English Breakfast or Australian Afternoon
This novel also captivates an almost Jane Austin-esque vibe through its setting and descriptions of old English country areas and towns, which I absolutely adored! Making it very easy to decide which tasty hot beverage I would pair this book with. A strong black tea with milk- either English Breakfast or Australian Afternoon would pair amazingly with this novel. Particularly as there are a lot of cold winter scenes to tie in with us heading into winter here, you’ll feel cosy and held by this tea while getting enmeshed into Collins’ beautifully woven story.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline MillerSet during the Greek Heroic Age, this breath-taking novel is an adaptation of Homer’s Iliad told from the perspective of Patroclus, a side character in the original text who was exiled to live in the kingdom of Pthia. It is here that he meets Achilles. Their relationship being tentative at first, blossoms into a steadfast friendship and continues to form into something far deeper, leaving the reader emotionally invested in this tragic romance. Informed by scholarship, Millers’ imagination blends seamlessly with incidents from The Iliad, providing a wildly romantic representation between the two characters. Also available as: large print, ebook, MP3 audiobook |
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Pair with: Turmeric Latte
Millers’ beautiful and emotive writing induces strong imagery and emotions for the reader within this novel, with incredibly well interwoven themes of love, violence and redemption, this book leads me to pair it with a bit of a stronger and more unique drink, a turmeric latte. I also just feel that the vibrant orange colour of this drink pairs well with how I imagine the vibrancy of the setting within Greece, it is also admittedly a bit of a play on Achilles often being referred to as King Peleus’ ‘golden son’, as turmeric lattes are also called ‘golden lattes’ at a lot of cafes!