Book and a Beer

A couple years ago I came across a Tumbler page called BookandBeer. The page is pretty simple. Every week the guy who runs the page (I think it’s a guy) posts a picture of, wait for it…, a book and a beer submitted from readers. Simple. Here’s the entire premise lifted from their page:

What book are you reading this week? What beer are you drinking tonight? Every week, these questions will be answered. Please feel free to send me your submission–one photo of your book and beer together. Thank you.

There are a lot of submissions! The pictures are purely book and beer, no people (though the occasional pet sneaks in). Sometimes the tableaux is well-thought out, sometimes not. Sometimes the beer can/bottle resembles the book cover. Sometimes the beer is a joke on the book or book title (Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale with The Chosen One Ale. Funny stuff for the literary set.). The books can be kindle books (scrolled to the book cover). All the pictures I looked at were taken inside (I can’t believe there isn’t a beach/beer/book picture in the archives) and many seemed to be from the same contributors (or there’s a trend in red coasters that has passed me by). The beers tend to be small brewery, craft beers.

What I like about the site is that it gives suggestions (not endorsements) on books and beers simply from having the images posted. The variety of books is extensive and random. Same with the beers. True or not, I trust the book and the beer tastes of the people who post on this page. They seem like a trustworthy demographic. (Probably because these are my people!)

Since I got a kick out of scrolling through the books and beers of strangers, I stole the concept for my Facebook Page where my friends who are forever asking me for book suggestions can get a fairly frequent idea of what I’m reading. They also get to see where I am since I almost always take the picture at a local bar.

Oh, Hey. I also have this here blog to fill up.

Welcome to the first of the semi-frequent series, Book and a Beer! It’s a little bit more fleshed out than what’s going on on Facebook, but still a quick hit.

Book and a Beer –

Black Seconds by Karen Fossum
Strada by A Tavola (House Pilsner from Moerlein Brewery)

BOOK: I promised my book club I’d read this Black Seconds. Last month we read the previous book in the series, Indian Bride, and the ending felt too incomplete even for a series. Plus, we had some questions about the competency of the lead detective on whom the entire series is based. It’s my job to see what clues the next installment can tell us about why we were so disappointed in such an acclaimed mystery book. [Look for the review on my book tab in the coming weeks.]

BEER: The beer is the house pilsner Strada, brewed by the local brewery Moerlein. The bar is A Tavola in Cincinnati’s Over the Rhine. A Tavola specializes in wood fired pizzas though I ‘m a huge fan of their chicken and Wagyu beef meatballs.The beer pairs well with the menu.