Or at least it is for me. It combines my two favorite
things—the only way it could be better would be if I could somehow sleep at the
same time. (Yes, I’m a grown-ass adult and sleep is still one of my favorite things.
Don’t you be messing with my sleep.)
Anyway, I’ve started thinking about what makes reading and
eating at the same time so enjoyable, other than the straight facts of FOOD and
BOOKS. Combining two of life’s greatest pleasures certainly is a factor, but
for me personally, I think there’s something else there as well.
A lot of it for me is the comfort aspect, I think. Both food
and books have always been my top sources of comfort (one of the many reasons
it’s so hard for me to ever lose weight—I love food and I’d rather read than
exercise) and the combination of the two is just utterly heavenly. I’ve gotten
away a little bit from rereading as much as I used to, thanks to blogging and
wanting to have a good amount of new content for reviews (and BEA, can’t forget
BEA), but back in the day I would read the same books pretty much over and
over.
This constant rereading was due to a few factors: first, I
had no money of my own to purchase
new books (or the means to get to the bookstore on my own), and when I did
(i.e., college), I had very limited space to store them; second, I’ve always
been a pretty quick reader, so even when my parents or grandparents did treat
me to half a dozen books at Borders, I’d finish them within two weeks and then
feel too guilty to ask to go back again; and third, I know what I like and I like what I know, and I’ve always been
that way—so I never really had any problem rereading my books, and in some
cases preferred rereading old favorites to trying anything new. In fact, I remember
finding it quite shocking that some of my friends never reread books. How do you know which book is your favorite,
then, if it’s not the one you’ve read the most??? Honestly, some people.
Food, too, has always been a comfort thing for me. This
frustrates my husband to no end—he’s all about the variety in foods, and I’m
all about consistency. I could eat the same thing for dinner all week and be
perfectly content (as long as it’s delicious, of course) whereas he would
rather eat something mediocre all week as long as it was different each time. I’m
pretty picky, and nothing devastates me like ordering something that sounds
amazing at a restaurant and finding that I don’t like it. To me, food
disappointment is the absolute worst kind of disappointment, because food is so
important to me. It sounds silly, but it’s true!
So really, combining food and books is a no-brainer for me!
But what I’m wondering is: is it the same for you all? Do you have a favorite reading snack (or perhaps a drink)? I took
to Facebook and Reddit while writing this post to see what my friends and some
internet strangers would say. Here are some preliminary answers:
Anonymous
Facebook friend: Tea.
For everything there is a season, and there is also a tea. Mystery book?
Jasmine tea. Sad book? Green tea. Comedy? Light black tea.
Anonymous Reddit commenter: I
enjoy tea or coffee while I read. Though not fully snack, in the fall and
winter I enjoy a pipe and mulled wine by the fireplace while I read, it's quite
a relaxing thing to do.
Anonymous Facebook friend: Fruit juice is good. Like those bolthouse juices.
Then you feel healthy and well-read.
Anonymous Reddit commenter: Always tea. Made with organic tea leaves and a dash of
milk. And always in a matching teapot and teacup.
What’s your answer? I’ll
update this post as I get more answers from friends and strangers alike, but
tea seems to be a big one! I’ve never been a tea person so I don’t really get
this, but to each their own!
Edit, 6:35pm
Based on the comments I've gotten here and elsewhere, tea is the number one reading accompaniment. I'm not all that surprised, honestly. Coffee, wine, and cocoa are also popular, particularly on rainy/snowy/cold days. Popcorn has also been making much more of an appearance than I would have expected.
Anonymous Facebook friend: English tea with the Brontë sisters; cocoa or a chai latte and pumpkin cookies (fall only) with Harry Potter.
Anonymous Reddit commenter: Popcorn, made in a big pot on the stove, is my favorite reading snack. I'll have water and either coffee or yerba mate nearby when reading during the day, substitute wine for the caffeine in the evenings.
Anonymous Facebook friend: Lately I've been eating popcorn while reading a book. I also often eat lunch while reading a book, so that is a variety of things. Coffee goes with everything. Wine is a favorite too.
Anonymous Reddit commenter: Coffee and either nuts (almost any easy kind) or dried cranberries. Mmmm.
Anonymous Facebook friend: It depends more on the weather than the book, coffee or tea if it's cold/winter/raining, iced tea or soda if its warm/summer. As for food - sweets or basically any munchies.
Tell me in the comments
what your favorite reading snack or drink is!
