Book and cocktail pairing for your spring book club meeting
As the evenings get longer, book clubs are looking for spring reading. Try one of our book club recommendations, ranging from a funny take on fame-hunting gone too far to a tense page turner. To get the conversations really flowing, we’ve included a few cocktail pairings to convince your friends to join — even if they haven’t completely finished the book.
Cool off with an icy drink this summer
Emma Donoghue, the best-selling author of Room, amps up the tension with Frog Music (Amazon, $18). You might not think San Francisco in 1876 can hold your attention, but when a young girl is shot in a railroad saloon, you won’t be able to stop reading until you find out who killed Jenny Bonnet — and why. Her French burlesque dancer friend survives and begins the hunt for Jenny’s killer, but Blanche finds herself navigating a world she doesn’t understand — and the killer is on the hunt for her, too.
Set in the middle of a heat wave and smallpox epidemic, Frog Music swelters between its pages. Keep cool with a Blackberry Moscow Mule, Cake -n- Knife‘s fruity twist on the classic cocktail.
Laugh, cry and hug your mom friends with this anthology
Impress your book club with your pick of an anthology this spring. No matter how much time your friends have — or don’t have — to spend on this month’s book, they’ll be able to read at least a few of the unparalleled essays in Listen to Your Mother: What She Said Then, What We’re Saying Now (Amazon, $20). Edited by Ann Imig, the founder of the Listen to Your Mother show, a series of live readings taking place around Mother’s Day, around the country, this collection celebrates all kinds of mothers and all aspects of motherhood. From the hilarious to heartbreaking, raunchy to reverent, every member of your book club will find an essay — or several — that have her saying, “me, too.”
Much like the way the essays in Listen to Your Mother: What She Said Then, What We’re Saying Now blend together for a complete experience, you’ll love the way the medley of flavors blends together in the Black Cherry Sangria from Low Cal Cocktails.
Stay up all night with this page-turner
When Rachel — a girl on a train — sees something shocking during her daily commute, she shares it with the police. Readers will begin to wonder if she’s done more harm than good as they read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Amazon, $14). The tightly-wound thriller will keep you up at night, and your book club won’t be able to stop talking about the plot twists and turns.
Pair The Girl on the Train with the Pimm Palmer from Chattavore. The cocktail has an added jolt of caffeine to keep you alert — so you won’t miss any of the book’s delicious details.
When the quest for fame goes horribly wrong
When the reality show you’ve been dying to land goes to another family, the only thing for a patent mom to do is give up on her nine-year old daughter and set her sights on the fame-potential of the one still in her womb. Pretty Ugly by Kirker Butler, of Family Guy, explores what happens when a family’s priorities get hopelessly of sync. Surrounded on all sides, from their fame-hungry mother to their pill-popping father who gets his fix on the job to a murder-planning grandmother, the four Miller children don’t have many (stable) options. You’ll want to read this instead of watching your favorite reality TV show, which makes this a definite must-pick for your book club.
A family as spicy as the Millers deserves a cocktail that kicks up the heat. Try the Bloody Mary from Home Bar Girl, and you’ll have the perfect drink to read during your Pretty Ugly book club discussion — even if you’re meeting during brunch.
A non-alcoholic drink for any book club meeting
Keeping a mocktail on the menu ensures that all of your guests have something to enjoy. Whether you have a friend who chooses not to drink, a pregnant reader or a few little ones joining your afternoon book club meeting, a special non-alcoholic beverage is a fabulous way to make everyone feel special. The Strawberry Orange Blossom Sparkler from Baking a Moment is the perfect fizzy fruit treat.
[scrollGallery ID=182]- Black Cherry Sangria
- Blackberry Moscow Mule
- Bloody Mary
- Pimm Palmer
- Strawberry Orange Blossom Sparkler
Do you tailor your book club refreshments to the book you’re reading?
You May Also Enjoy:
Share this Post