I like my cocktails the way I like my books—good. Which is to say I like books and I like cocktails and I almost always categorize both as good. I’ve recently been obsessed with finding the perfect cocktail for some of my favorite books because there is nothing like unwinding after a long day with a yummy drink and my favorite fictional people. Of course, wine pairs well with every book and has become a staple of many book clubs. But perhaps you’re like me and you’re looking to spice up that reading circle with something a little more boozy. Luckily for you, I’ve got you covered! So pick your favorite drink and find your next great read.
A Boozy Reading List: 5 Books as Classic Cocktails
The Dirty Book Club
Blood Mary
Sometimes life, books, or alcohol gets you down. You need a pick-me-up, a cure for life’s hangover—or an actual hangover. You need something earthy, sweet, spicy, and maybe a little funny. THE DIRTY BOOK CLUB is the perfect book to get you back on your feet after a night of heavy uhhh . . . reading. After moving from New York to California, M.J. finds herself invited to a very secret book club, one that only reads erotic novels. Intrigued, M.J. accepts the invite and finds herself among three interesting women. They quickly form a bond of friendship and realize they have the power to take control of their own stories.
The Dirty Book Club
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Flight or Fright
Dark and Stormy
When I think of a dark and stormy, I think of rough weather and the warm, sharp taste of ginger. A Dark and Stormy pairs perfectly with FLIGHT OR FRIGHT, edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent. FLIGHT OR FRIGHT is a collection of 17 harrowing tales of flying that King himself described as the perfect read for the stormy descent on your next flight.
Flight or Fright
#1 New York Times bestselling author and master of horror Stephen King teams up with Bev Vincent of Cemetery Dance to present a terrifying collection of sixteen short stories (and one poem) that tap into one of King’s greatest fears—air travel—featuring brand-new stories by King and Joe Hill, “an expertly compiled collection of tales that entertain and scare” (Booklist).
Stephen King hates to fly, and he and co-editor Bev Vincent would like to share their fear of flying with you.
Welcome to Flight or Fright, an anthology about all the things that can go horribly wrong when you’re suspended six miles in the air, hurtling through space at more than 500 mph, and sealed up in a metal tube (like—gulp!—a coffin) with hundreds of strangers. Here are all the ways your trip into the friendly skies can turn into a nightmare, including some we’ll bet you’ve never thought of before... but now you will the next time you walk down the jetway and place your fate in the hands of a total stranger.
Featuring brand-new “standouts” (Publishers Weekly) by Joe Hill and Stephen King, as well as fourteen classic tales and one poem from the likes of Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, Roald Dahl, Dan Simmons, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and many others, Flight or Fright is, as King says, “ideal airplane reading, especially on stormy descents…Even if you are safe on the ground, you might want to buckle up nice and tight.”
Each story is introduced by Stephen King and all will have you thinking twice about how you want to reach your final destination.
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Vegas Girls
Margarita
There is something about margaritas and hot summer nights that remind me of sitting around a kitchen table, or on the back patio, crying and laughing with my best friends as we spill our darkest secrets and our wildest hopes. Maybe it’s the salty, sour, sweet sensation that brings us closer together, or maybe something else. Sure, a margarita is a fun summer drink, but it’s so much more than that, just like VEGAS GIRLS by Heather Skyler. VEGAS GIRLS tells the story of three high school best friends who reunite in their hometown, Las Vegas, for a week of celebration. But the reunion isn’t just about spending time in the sun; each of these friends is on a private quest of self-discovery and longing. This novel is about best friends, love, and the importance of embracing your past in order to move on.
Vegas Girls
For Fans of Julia Glass and Ann Hood, a Novel about How the Choices We Make Last a Lifetime
Vegas Girls begins when three former high school friends, now in their mid-thirties, reunite in their hometown of Las Vegas—a city they vowed to escape as soon as they could—to celebrate their new lives and revisit old haunts. But what starts out as a week-long, sun-kissed reunion takes a strange turn as mysterious gifts appear, familiar faces pop up in unexpected places, and each woman reveals a secret, private quest.
Ramona is searching for a son she gave up for adoption before their high-school graduation. Jane is trying to leave her husband of eleven years, even with her two kids in tow. And Ivy, who has a new baby, is haunted by the memory of her mother abandoning her twenty years ago—and she has begun spotting her everywhere. Add to this a darkly charismatic ex-boyfriend of Ivy’s who won’t give up hope of rekindling their romance, and a strange, new friend of Jane’s in need of help, and the week quickly begins to unravel.
Set against desert heat, swimming pools, and casino lights, and told masterfully through five different points of view, Vegas Girls is about how we navigate the present while carrying the ghosts of our past; about growing up with one eye glued to the rearview mirror; and about what happens when the past you thought you left behind turns out to have been with you all along.
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Trouble Brewing
Moscow Mule
TROUBLE BREWING might be about a sassy, independent female beer brewer, but it is as light and refreshing as a Moscow Mule. TROUBLE BREWING follows Piper Williams, a determined craft beer brewer, who makes a pact with a charming new gastropub owner. Piper agrees to go on a date with Blake, but only if two more pubs agree to start selling her beer. However, when Piper gets the opportunity of a lifetime, the deal might be off the table despite the electric chemistry between the two. It’s fun, flirty, and charming, just like this delicious summer drink served in a quirky copper mug.
Trouble Brewing
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The Great Gatsby
Manhattan
The Manhattan is a classic cocktail that is a favorite among many. So, of course, a classic cocktail deserves a classic book, and what better book than THE GREAT GATSBY. THE GREAT GATSBY is full of rich flavors, enduring love, death, recklessness, and a little bit of glitz. You can find all of those things in a Manhattan as well. It’s bittersweet, but there’s nothing like reading THE GREAT GATSBY and drinking a Manhattan in the corner of your favorite bar.
The Great Gatsby
Some consider it “the great American novel.” The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his powerful love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan is an exquisitely crafted tale that has been essential reading since it was published.
Read the full review here.
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