Nothing beats grabbing a book on a sunny day, settling in, cracking it open, and relaxing the day away by getting lost within the pages. It’s essentially the human equivalent of being a house-cat. But you know what would take your reading day over the top? If you had the perfect food and drink to pair with your sensational summer reads! We’ve got you covered there, cool cats. Read onwards to see what we suggest you match up with your summer reading list so that you can ‘forge’ your perfect summer BBQ!
Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi
What to Eat: Set in West Africa, we think a traditional West African cusiene would be most fitting. Jollof rice is a one-pot dish that originated in West Africa and is now popular across the continent. It’s made with rice, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and spices like cumin and paprika, and often served with grilled meats or fish.
What to Drink: Staying on theme, a popular West African beverage that would pair nicely here is Zobo: A drink made with hibiscus leaves, ginger, pineapple, and simple syrup that’s popular in Nigeria and throughout West Africa. This drink is especially fitting for the summertime, as it has a light, fruity, and refreshing flavor!
A Certain Kind of Starlight by Heather Webber
What to Eat: Heather is the queen of sweet Southern charm, so it only makes sense for us to pair this magical book with a dessert! Plus this book features a family bakery, so reading it will definitely put you in the mood to eat something sweet! Take a look at this guest post written by author Heather Webber herself that outlines some delicious treats you can make to pair with this book! Might we suggest the strawberry shortcake? It’s a classic summer staple, and will truly hit the spot!
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What to Drink: A sweet read calls for a sweet drink (can you sense a general theme here?), so we think a frozen strawberry daiquiri would really be the icing on the cake.
Passion for the Heist by K’wan
What to Eat: As the title and one of the main character’s names suggests, something made with ‘passion’ would be best suited for this gripping book. This passion fruit mousse recipe is creamy, tangy, fresh, and a truly perfect treat to bring along to the summer BBQ!
What to Drink: Staying true to theme, we suggest pairing this book with a delicious passion fruit drink, such as this passion fruit and mint cooler. It’ll be super refreshing to sip on something like this to help you cool down as you lounge out the sweltering sun!
A Farewell to Arfs by Spencer Quinn
What to eat: Chet and Bernie, the best human and dog duo around, are big fans of eating at Burger Heaven. So we suggest you fire up the grill and make a burger for yourself to chow down on as you read this book!
What to drink: To pair with your burger, we feel an all-American classic Coca-Cola is the perfect way to go.
Desperation Reef by T. Jefferson Parker
What to eat: This book centers around a big-wave surfing competition that takes place on the Pacific coastline, so we think seafood is definitely the way to go here! Try pairing it with this incredibly delicious grilled shrimp tacos with creamy cilantro sauce recipe. It’s zesty, tasty, and one of the best meals to make during the summertime.
What to Drink: Since this story largely centers around surfing, a sweet beach beverage is what you’ll want to pair with this thrilling read! And nothing screams ‘beach’ and ‘summer’ more than sipping on a delectable Piña Colada. This drink will truly put the ‘chill’ in ‘chilling by the ocean!’
Raw Dog by Jamie Loftus
What to Eat: We’d be completely remiss if we didn’t include Raw Dog on this list: the ultimate guide to hot dogs; a beloved staple food at summer BBQs across the Unites States in the summertime! It’s all within the name: Raw Dog is a book all about hot dogs, so obviously that’s the very food you need to pair with this book!
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What to Drink: Hot dogs simply wouldn’t be the magnificent creations they are without the help of the condiments that compliment them. Many people have heated debates about what the best type of hot dog is (a New York dog, a Chicago dog, a Boston Dog; the list goes on!) but we think we can all agree on the fact that any superior hot dog is the one adorned with our favorite condiment sidekicks. So a fun (albeit unique) drink that features an actual condiment is the best option here! Try sippin’ on a pickle martini while you make your way through Raw Dog!
