I was kindly tagged by Hadeer @ Cairene Librarian to do The Coffee Book Tag. Let’s just jump right in, shall we?
Black coffee: a series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans
I’m going to go with A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (aka Game of Thrones). It certainly has a lot of hardcore fans, but many of them discovered the series through the TV adaptation, and are daunted by the hefty books that came before it.
Peppermint Mocha: a book that gets more popular during the winter or a festive time of year
I’m going to go with Harry Potter. Firstly, because it gets my generic HP answer out the way early, and secondly, because the inherent magic and nostalgia attached to the series have a lovely draw at that time of year.
Hot chocolate: a favorite children’s book

Huntress of the Sea
The first novel for children that I remember reading over and over again is Huntress of the Sea by Alan Temperley. I eventually met the author and got my battered old copy signed, and I still own it now.
Double shot of espresso: a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish

The Corset
A recent one that comes to mind is The Corset by Laura Purcell. It’s not a thriller, per se, but I felt so enthralled by the brutality of the world, and so invested in the life of the protagonist, that I was compelled to keep reading.
Starbucks: a book you see everywhere

The Heart’s Invisible Furies
I’m going to go a little unconventional here and say The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. This book isn’t technically everywhere, but a lot of my online bookish friends have read (and adored) it, and I’ve been meaning to get to it for so long that by this point I feel like it pops up all the time; taunting me for still not having picked it up…
That hipster coffee shop: a book by an indie author (a shoutout)

The Naming of Cancer
The Naming of Cancer by Tracey S. Rosenberg is a slim collection of poems, published by the small indie press, Neon Books. Each piece focusses on a different perspective of cancer, to highlight the various ways it can affect a person’s life: be it the sufferers themselves; the spouses watching as doctors poke and prod their lovers; the colleague not sure what to say to the man who’s just lost his wife; or the cancerous cells themselves as they lament the destruction of their host. It’s powerful yet accessible, and beautiful yet urgent, with barely a superfluous word.
Oops, I accidentally got decaf: a book you were expecting more from

The Bear and the Nightingale
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. I’m still a little sad about this one; I even included it on my list of 5 star read predictions. The blurb makes it sound right up my street, and so many people rave about it, but I just didn’t click with it at all. I sometimes wonder if it was a case of right book, wrong time.
The perfect blend: a book or series that was both bitter and sweet, but ultimately satisfying

All We Shall Know
I feel like I mention this in tags almost as often as Harry Potter these days, but bitter, sweet, and satisfying is exactly how I’d describe All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan. It’s a gut punch in novel form, but the way Ryan brings everything together is masterful. At the turn of each page, he can break or mend your heart all over again.
Green tea: a book or series that is quietly beautiful

The Travelling Cat Chronicles
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. Upon first glance, it would be really easy to write this off as a somewhat twee little read about a man and his cat, but it is remarkably human, subtly exploring what it means to find family, process grief, and make peace with the past.
Chai Latte: a book or series that makes you dream of far off places

Burial Rites
I associate Burial Rites by Hannah Kent so strongly with Iceland. Not only is it set there, with the landscape captured perfectly in all its raw and majestic beauty, but I read the book whilst visiting the country for the first time. The two will always go hand-in-hand for me.
Earl Grey: favorite classic

Rebecca
Ooh, I like a fair few classics. Tess of the D’Urbervilles is the first one I had to read for school that I loved, so even though it’s been years, I still think of it fondly. More recent favourites are Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and Dracula by Bram Stoker. But my very favourite classic, and perhaps my favourite book in general (but don’t make me commit to it), is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
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There we have it! Thanks again to Hadeer for tagging me. I’ve done a few tags in recent times, so I’ll leave this one open to anyone who wants to get involved.