Table of appetizers and snacks with tablets featuring the ebooks "Boards" and "Game of Edges."

Recommended Reads, Trends

10 book & food pairings based on your Super Bowl personality type

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Feb 07, 2024

Are you planning to watch the Big Game this weekend? You might be a football fan or maybe you’re just in it for the snacks or the commercials. Whatever your reason for tuning in this Sunday, we’ve got a book and some grub to go with it based on your Super Bowl personality type. Sample them all on the Libby app.

For the biggest football fans in the room

The Occasionally Accurate Annals of Football

The excitement of football season is almost over, but there’s still plenty to read. While you’re waiting for the biggest game of the season, check out this book of “players, plays, scandals and screw-ups.” Filled with contributions from various game-loving comedians, The Occasionally Accurate Annals of Football by Dan Patrick and Joel H. Cohen will inform and entertain. Perhaps listen to the audiobook while reviewing your home-gating playbook, Game Day Eats, written by NFL star and celebrity chef Eddie Jackson. My favorite part? An entire chapter devoted to wings and wing sauce. Yum.


For new football enthusiasts

The Football 100Just getting into football and its storied histories and culture? Brush up on your game day conversation with The Football 100, a countdown of the greatest players throughout football history, written by Mike Sando, Dan Pompei and the staff of The Athletic. And while you’re on your path of self-improvement, why not try to up your kitchen and cookery know-how, too? Start Here is a great new cookbook that aims to help improve your technique as well as provide you with recipes for delicious dishes.


For stat lovers and fantasy football organizers

Game of EdgesDo you love a good story behind the story? Do you like to organize and arrange things like fantasy leagues or say… charcuterie boards? Get snacky with some well-displayed finger foods in Boards from America’s Test Kitchen while reading Game Day Edges by Bruce Schoenfeld. It dives deep into the details behind sports franchises and how they’ve leaned into data to become hugely productive and profitable businesses.


For those with a little side bet on the game

Glory Be

Do you enjoy a little risk and reward to go with your game day fun? Cozy up to this new mystery about a small-time bookie unintentionally turned amateur sleuth in Danielle Arceneaux’s Glory Be. And you know what goes great with all those thrills? Bold and spicy foods like dumplings in chili crisp or spicy pineapple chaat are the perfect pairing for this book.


For half-time show fans

The Woman in Me

Sure, it’s been a few years since Britney Spears performed in the Super Bowl half-time show, but her bestselling memoir, The Woman in Me, is fresh, hot and delicious. In the spirit of the show, pair this entertaining read with some punny foods that sound like they’ve been named after dance moves, like sliders, grinders and more.


For fans of the commercials

What You Are Looking For Is In the LibraryDo you like to keep it short, sweet and entertaining? Try What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, an internationally bestselling book of short stories set in Tokyo. And you know watching all of those commercials will make you hungry for your favorite snack brands, so lean into the spirit of the Super Bowl with a table full of chips, crackers and bowls of Dips & Spreads.


For Swifties on Taylor Watch

Fake It Til You Bake ItIf someone asked me if I’d like to read a romance novel loosely based on the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce storyline, my answer would be a definite yes. And while I could provide an entire list of recommended sports romance novels, I’m going to stick to this satisfying celebrity + sports romance, Fake It Till You Bake It, by Jamie Wesley. To pair with this read, I recommend the cookbook Bake Your Heart Out, as it matches perfectly with the book and Taylor’s apparent love of baking cinnamon rolls for Travis.


For people who don’t watch the game, but are there for the gathering

The CelebrantsAre you hosting or headed to a watch party, but have no intention of watching much of anything? You’re probably there to catch up and hang out with your family and friends. If so, then you may enjoy The Celebrants by Steven Rowley, which is story-heavy with friendship and character development and is also witty and full of humor. Pair with a meal that can provide a little something for everyone, such as a build-your-own-tacos buffet.


For those having a SOUPer Bowl party

Legends and LattesThe subtitle to Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree says it all: “High fantasy. Low stakes. Good company.” A perfect title that complements soup, aka a hug in a bowl. So grab your comfiest sweater and your slow cooker and get snuggly this Souper Bowl Sunday.


For those who’d rather be at a Superb Owl party

Vampires of El NorteWould you rather be celebrating the creatures of the night instead of watching the game? Do you love a good horror novel, vampire story or perhaps something of the gothic literature persuasion? Try Vampires of El Norte, a supernatural western set on the Texas-Mexico border in the 1840s. Read with a glass of red wine and this red velvet midnight espresso cake from The Nightmare Before Dinner cookbook.


And finally, for those who say, “Oh, there’s a big sportsball game this weekend? Huh.”

The Murderbot DiariesClearly, you don’t pay much attention to pop culture outside of your own interests. Or maybe you just have kids. (Spoiler Alert: Both things are me. 😊) Either way, try my new favorite science fiction series, The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. This series of mostly short novels gives readers funny and snarky action-adventure and will also provide you with a new perspective on AI and personhood. Read while flipping your mealtime expectations and eating a kid-friendly breakfast for dinner.


Enjoy the game and these reads on the Libby app.

RELATED READ: Literary libations: 21 book & drink pairings for every taste

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About the Author

Liz Tousey has worked hither, tither and yon, and is currently settled at OverDrive, helping libraries with their digital collections. With three young kids, an elderly cat, and a middle-aged spouse, her hobbies are pretty much just aspirational, but she still finds time to read.

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