Books pair well with just about anything. A steaming hot coffee. An icy glass of lemonade, toes sunk in the sand. Depending on the setting and the season, there are plenty of drinks that pair perfectly with a good book. But when 5 o’clock comes around (or maybe sooner, I don’t judge!), books go best with something a little stronger.

The first time I read The Great Gatsby was in high school, and I was undoubtedly infused with energy drinks to get through my homework. But the second time around, many years later, was a guided tour through the liquor cabinet. Some books just seem to call for it, and with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s dazzling soirées and Prohibition-era shenanigans, this one was absolutely it. Glasses of champagne were a must, merlot was on the menu and, to be certain, there was gin. My book still bears the scars with red wine rings staining some pages, but it was worth every drip.

Even if your next book isn’t as boozy, you’ll still enjoy sipping along with these recommendations paired with a nice beer, wine or cocktail for a literary and libational experience to remember. Try these tastings to add a fun, new element to your next book club meeting or just as a quiet way to unwind at the end of the day.

Borrow any of these titles on the Libby reading app anytime, because ebooks and audiobooks are always on tap from your library.

Book & wine pairings

Book: The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias

Drink pairing: Pinot noir

Book: Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory

Drink pairing: Rosé

Book: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

Drink pairing: Chardonnay

Book: This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

Drink pairing: Champagne

Book: Laid Out to Rest by J.C. Eaton

Drink pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon

Book: The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

Drink pairing: Moscato

Book & beer pairings

Book: The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

Drink pairing: Belgian

Book: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Drink pairing: IPA

Book: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Drink pairing: Stout

Book: To Brew or Not To Brew by Joyce Tremel

Drink pairing: Pilsner

Book: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Drink pairing: Wheat ale

Book: You by Caroline Kepnes

Drink pairing: Sour ale

Book: The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk

Drink pairing: Porter

Book: Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman

Drink pairing: Lager

Book & cocktail pairings

Book: Too Bad to Die by Francine Mathews

Drink pairing: Dirty martini

Book: Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola

Drink pairing: Margarita

Book: Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

Drink pairing: White Russian

Book: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

Drink pairing: Long Island iced tea

Book: A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña

Drink pairing: Manhattan

Book: The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

Drink pairing: Espresso martini

Book:The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Drink pairing: Hot toddy

Cheers!