Books Paired with a Cocktail

Books Paired with a Cocktail BRR Blog Header Image

Kick back and unwind this holiday weekend (and all summer long) because there’s no last call on these page-turning reads—paired with delicious cocktails. Cheers!

Maureen’s Pairing:

The Wager, paired with a Dark and Stormy

David Grann


Up for an adventure? Traverse the rough seas of the Drake Passage with a Dark and Stormy this holiday weekend. Pro tip: add extra lime to prevent scurvy.

From the author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on The Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire.

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Rachel’s Pairing:

Slasher Summer, paired with a Bloody Mary

E. L. Chen

Much like the spicy indulgence of a good Bloody Mary, Slasher Summer is a campy cocktail of fright-filled surprise at the turn of every page. Highly recommend enjoying at your next cabin-side vacation in the woods.

In this campy love letter to the slasher films of the 1980s, seven friends reunite for a weekend of fun—only to be hunted down by a cold-blooded killer. But the real horror is not being able to escape who you were in high school . . .

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WATCH E. L. Chen on Our “Nightmare Narratives” Horror Author Panel

Zetta’s Pairing:

Our Perfect Storm, paired with a Purple Rain

Carley Fortune

When it’s raining in paradise, this perfect pairing finds the romance in it all.

Best friends have one week visiting the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

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Shop the Carley Fortune collection from Out of Print!

Sharnell’s Pairing:

The Ex Dilemma, paired with a Blackberry French 75

Elle Wright


Pair this second-chance romance with a Blackberry French 75: classy, a little messy, and guaranteed to stir up feelings you thought were long gone.

“Marry or lose your inheritance.” A commitment phobic heir in Detroit, Michigan faces the ultimate challenge from his powerful grandmother and family company CEO in this charming, irresistibly fun and flirty new contemporary romance from award-winning author Elle Wright.

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Jen C.’s Pairing:

Sisters in Yellow, paired with a Lemon Drop Martini

Mieko Kawakami


Inspired by the bar Lemon in the novel. Its sweet yet tart flavor mirrors the bittersweet themes of friendship and betrayal in the book.

From Mieko Kawakami, award-winning author of Breasts and Eggs, comes a bold novel of sacrifice and the tumultuous bonds of sisterhood, set in the gritty Tokyo of the 1990s.

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Miriam’s Pairing:

Green Gold, paired with a California Sunshine Cup

Sarah Allaback, Monique F. Parsons

How did a regional staple from Latin America come to occupy a central spot in American culture? Featured in this riveting agricultural history are 17 recipes, including one for the California Sunshine Cup cocktail (from the 1967 publication of The Avocado Cookbook). 

A lively and engrossing cultural history of the avocado and the people who transformed it into an American obsession.

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Elizabeth’s Pairing:

Saltwater, paired with Limoncello

Katy Hays

Conjure Capri with a glass of Limoncello—sharp with citrus, deceptively sweet, and, like the novel’s family secrets, best served ice-cold.

From the bestselling author of The Cloisters comes a slow-burn psychological drama about an opulent family that unravels when a decades-old crime resurfaces.

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Kelly’s Pairing:

Mrs. Benedict Arnold, paired with Peach Sangria Mocktails

Emma Parry

Treason? Survival? Bring out the pitcher because you’ll need some refreshing Peach Sangria mocktails to keep you hydrated while gossiping over the juicy details of this novel on the porch with your friends.

A riveting reimagining of the young woman who almost ended the American Revolution.

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