Pairing Tea and Book Genres

Tea and reading are one of those classic pairings that symbolize calm, slowness, and escape. Sipping a hot drink while devouring a page turner is the epitome of relaxation. Tea companies have even created tea flavors based on classic novels to pay homage to this pairing. But I’ve broadened that matchup to marry tea flavors with book genres. Below are five tea flavors that I recommend you drink while reading different genres.

Adult fiction and black tea

I’ve paired up the most common genre we think of when we think of books along with the most common type of tea that you think of when you think of tea drinking. Fiction is a familiar favorite. It’s where all of our classic stories come from and the ones that we adapt to stage, screen, and song. It comes in so many forms from romance to horror to adventure.

Likewise, black tea is that strong, dark, reliable favorite. You can make it to taste and add elements, such as milk, sugar, and lemon, to create a whole new flavor without changing its name or base flavor.

Black tea is what we carry on the go. And we bring books us, particularly fiction books, wherever we go. We read on our commute, on our vacations, or in school. And black tea is the perfect drink to pour into a to-go cup and sip on, whether we read one page or 100 in a sitting.

YA/middle grade and ginger peach tea

Contrary to popular belief, adults read YA and middle grade books too. We reread the books that we read as kids or keep up with the latest trendy stories for kids and teens, maybe so that we can identify with our kids or relive our youths in some way.

Middle grade and YA are fun genres to read. Even if their storylines get heavy, they are often quick reads with a smaller page count and a smaller vocabulary that keeps them simple, clear, and refreshing.

I’ve paired this genre with ginger peach. This mixture of flavors creates a tangy sweetness that is childhood and adolescence. It’s how we look back fondly on a time that may have some dark heavy spots. But the ginger soothes that stomachache, and we’re left with the happy memories.

Nonfiction and vanilla chai

Nonfiction is a learning genre. It requires additional concentration, and you have to be in a sophisticated mood to take on a nonfiction book. Whether it’s a coffee table book, a historical account, self-help, or a philosophical question that’s trying to be answered, you need a tea that’s as dense as the subject.

For this genre, I recommend vanilla chai. Vanilla is that basic flavor that people tend to associate with blandness, but throw in some sugar, and you have a rich, tasty flavor. Vanilla chai has a foggy look to it that gives it a heavy flavor and feel. You’re digesting a lot, just as you are with non-fiction which is full of facts, advice, and thoughtfulness. Both leave you with a full feeling that provides brain fuel which can be inspiring, thought-provoking, and even entertaining.

Graphic novels and pumpkin spice tea

Graphic novels are a genre that people brush off as kiddie comics and a lower form of reading. It’s a genre that has required its readers to defend it in one form or another. The same can be said about the pumpkin spice flavor. The seasonal fall flavor has become one that its admirers are sometimes shamed for loving so much. Their enthusiasm for the upcoming pumpkin spice season is something that the Internet especially likes to tease them about.

I too have never ordered a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. And even if I wanted to, I might be too ashamed to do in a coffee shop or fast food restaurant amid the fear that one of the haters might scoff at or judge me for. But I have recently tried a pumpkin spice tea and found it so fun and addictive. That’s what makes it the perfect guilty pleasure drink for your guilty pleasure reading.

So, whether you’re making your way through a Marvel or DC superhero run, a graphic novel version of a classic story, or a graphic memoir which literally illustrates the author’s life, pumpkin spice tea is a great drink of choice. It doesn’t even have to be fall if you can find it.

Memoir and honey vanilla chamomile tea

Memoir books are a great bedtime read. They don’t require much imagination, and they aren’t as dense as other types of nonfiction. You just have to follow along as if a friend is telling you about their day or about something that has happened in their past. It can be compelling enough to keep you up at night or gentle enough to lull you to sleep.

Honey vanilla chamomile is my go-to nighttime tea, particularly on a cold night. It’s caffeine free yet still packed full of flavor. It’s light yet still has a warming, welcoming color. Both the tea and the genre have a unique, definitive voice that you can run through slowly yet still make astonishing progress. Even if events get tense on a certain chapter, you know that the author has made it through, and that’s a comforting thought to remember as you drift off to sleep having been warmed inside and out by your bedtime drink and your choice of reading.

What are your favorite teas to drink and genres to read? Leave your answers in the comments below!

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