It’s a Pinterest worthy image: sitting underneath a thick, cozy blanket while it lightly drizzles outside, book in hand and a warm cup of coffee on the table. Whether it be dark academic, romance, or a classic work of literature, there is a beverage perfectly suited to that singular reading experience.
As a self proclaimed coffee connoisseur and a life long voracious reader, here are five book and coffee pairings for the upcoming autumnal season.
“Katabasis” by R.F. Kuang and a cappuccino.
This novel is dark academia at its best. R.F. Kuang follows up her smash hit “Babel” with this mash up of Dante’s “Inferno” and Susanna Clarke’s “Piranesi,” with some romance thrown in for good measure. Two grad students journey to Hell to save the soul of their professor after a terrible accident one of them feels responsible for. This labyrinthine and deeply researched novel is sure to be a wild ride of fun for all readers.
What better way to augment such a well formulated book then with the epitome of classic coffee drinks, a cappuccino. The coffee element is rich, but the use of milk foam smoothes the bitterness out. It’s almost cliche, the image of reading this academic novel while sipping on a cappuccino in a coffee shop. But things are classic for a reason, and this is definitely one of those things.
“The Bewitching” by Silvia Moreno Garcia and a cortado.
A crossover work of horror and dark academia, Moreno Garcia’s latest takes readers on a multigenerational journey of a family’s encounters with witchcraft. Her writing is pointed, creepy, with descriptions that chill readers to the bone. The themes of her books explore what she calls ‘social horror’ and often intersect with topics of inequality or injustice.
I paired a cortado with this because it’s a drink you can order each time you sit down to read, as it packs a punch with each sip. The Spanish origin drink is comparable to a cappuccino or a macchiato, only it contains equal parts milk and espresso, and is served in a smaller portion to the cappuccino but a larger one than the macchiato.
It’s often served with a sprinkling of cinnamon or cocoa powder on top, adding a bit of extra flavor to this small yet tasty drink
“Carmilla” by Sheridan Le Fanu and a double espresso.
This is a dark classic that isn’t as well known, but came to my attention after the popularity of the film ‘Nosferatu’ back in January. Vampires have always been famous, but this novel preceded even Dracula in its use of the mythological being as characters and plot devices in its story. The tale also has a sapphic twist, displaying the romance between Laura and the mysterious visitor who shows up at her door, Carmilla.
I paired this with a double espresso, because that’s about as dark a coffee as you can get, which I felt is fitting for this dark and spooky tale.
“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and an Americano.
Now this classic everyone has heard of, and for good reason. “Frankenstein” is one of the seminal gothic novels, written by Mary Shelley when she was just 18 years old. With Guillermo de Toro’s film adaptation, starring Oscar Issac, coming up, this fall is the perfect time to read or re-read this masterpiece by the mother of science fiction.
An Americano is often mistaken for black drip coffee, but the former is actually an espresso based drink, just mixed with water to dilute the espresso’s bitterness. Originating during the Second World War, its namesake comes from American soldiers stationed in Italy who found the local espresso too bitter to stomach and diluted it with water.
I find it a richer alternative to drip coffee, and a good pick if you are looking for something on the non-sugary or healthy side. I often add a splash of my preferred dairy to the drink to add an element of smoothness, especially when I order it iced. However, when pairing it with ‘Frankenstein’ as reading material, I would order it hot and black.
It’s what Mary Shelley would have wanted (even though she and her husband, Percy Shelley, were known to drink green tea, she would have appreciated the spirit and aesthetic behind this pairing).
“The Ex Hex” by Erin Sterling and a pumpkin spice latte.
Sometimes, amidst the moodiness and brooding energy of fall, a light and humorous romance can bring some whimsy and coziness to life as the weather turns colder. “The Ex Hex” is the first in a trilogy of books about a witch in small town Georgia who curses her ex boyfriend, and when he returns, she realizes her curse wasn’t so small after all. It’s described as Hocus Pocus but spicy.
What better way to celebrate autumn than by pairing this with the drink that started the fall flavor phenomenon. Hitting Starbucks in 2003, the drink has never lost its dedicated fan base (of which I am a part) and continues to spawn an array of fall drinks like ones that are Apple or Pecan flavored, though none hold a candle to the original.
This can be enjoyed hot or iced, depending on mood and the temperature, though I personally am a bit more partial to iced, as the hot version can be a bit too sweet for me.
So, the next time you pick up a cozy and ambient fall read, grab one of these coffees to make the moment feel like you stepped into a classic fall rom com.