The ultimate fireside book guide
We love a good gas fireplace, particularly on a cold winter’s day. Efficient gas fireplaces keep you warm, provide beautiful ambience, and make any room feel warm and cosy.
A cold winter night wrapped up by the fire with a good book and a glass of your favourite tipple sounds like the perfect match to us. But have you ever paired books and drinks? We’ve made a list of some great books to get lost in, accompanied by a drink to match.
A cold winter night wrapped up by the fire with a good book and a glass of your favourite tipple sounds like the perfect match to us. But have you ever paired books and drinks? We’ve made a list of some great books to get lost in, accompanied by a drink to match.
Perfect match #1: A homegrown read
Book: Auē by Becky Manawatu
Drink match: Kawakawa tea or perhaps try a Kawakawa and pink peppercorn gin cocktail
Described by Bookety Book Books as a compelling new voice in New Zealand fiction, Becky Manawatu’s latest book “Auē” is both raw and sublime.
Auē journeys you through the sound of sorrow and memories. Seen through the lens of multiple characters, it’s a story of a family consumed by, and trying to escape violence, shame and hurt.
We’ve matched this book with a cup of Kawakawa tea, but if you’re after something a little stronger why not try a Kawakawa and pink peppercorn gin cocktail.
Trigger warning: Violence
Perfect Match #2: Solve a mystery
Book: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard OsmanDrink match: A buttery chardonnay or dry white wine
Four unlikely friends gather weekly to investigate unsolved murders. But when one happens right on their doorstep, they’re suddenly in their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron may be nearing eighty but they’ve learned a lot. Can they catch the killer?
Join the gang in a drink and enjoy a glass of buttery chardonnay like Ron or a dry white wine to match Joyce’s whit. If you end up falling in love with the Thursday Murder Club crew like we did you’ll be happy to know there are a series of books for you to devour after this one.
Perfect Match #3: A Classic
Book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldDrink match: Champagne and a string of pearls
Forget about the weather outside with the classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby tells the rags to riches story of Jay Gatsby and his love for Daisy Buchanan, lavish parties and America in a time gone by. With only 180 pages you’ll be tempted to finish it in one sitting.
Add a bit of class to your cosy winter garb with a glass of Champagne and string of pearls, while Fitzgerald takes you back to the glitz and glamour of the Jazz Age.
Perfect Match #4: On trend
Book: Good Material by Dolly AldertonDrink match: Rosé
A story of heartbreak and friendship. Follow Andy’s story as he struggles to process the heartbreaking end of his first true love.
While Andy seems to prefer a pint in his local pub, we recommend something a bit cheerier! Sip on a glass of Rosé while Andy learns there’s more than one side to the story.
Perfect match #5: Tear jerker
Book: A little life by Hanya YanagiharaDrink match: Something strong
Recommended: A box of tissues!
Be ready… this one requires a box of tissues! Journey with four classmates as they move to New York together. With each young man so different, read as over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, moving through different challenges of life. Their greatest challenge though, comes to be one of the young men, Jude, himself. An incredibly talented litigator, yet very broken man, he’s haunted by trauma he’s afraid will overtake him.
If you love a good cry then this book is for you, match it with something strong, such as gin, whisky, rum or vodka and don’t forget the box of tissues.
Trigger warning: Sexual abuse, violence, and drug use.
Perfect match #6: Smart thinking
Book: Atomic Habits by James ClearDrink match: Long black
Atomic Habits helps you improve every day. James Clear is a leading expert on habit formation and shares insight on how to create good habits, break unhelpful ones and work little by little towards results.
You’ll need a clear head for this one so make yourself a long black and settle in while you learn how to rise to goals and make change.
Perfect Match #7: A childhood fave
Book: Something nostalgicDrink match: Hot chocolate
Enjoy the bliss of nostalgia and grab one of your childhood favourites and cosy up by the fire while you stroll down memory lane. You may be surprised how much you remember! For us Childhood faves take us back to reading The Chronicles of Narnia, The Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables etc.
There’s something about a sweet hot chocolate, that takes you back to childhood, matched with your favourite book, you’ll feel like a kid again.
Perfect Match #8: Your home and gas appliances
Hear us out… cosying up by the fire is only possible with, well, a fireplace. And we truly believe gas fireplaces and other gas appliances are a great option for our Kiwi homes. With their efficiency, reliability, endless hot water and instant heat, you may be pressed for reasons you didn’t switch earlier! Not to mention, your precision of cooking will transform any novice into a MasterChef.If you’re considering connecting to gas at your place, make sure to learn about the benefits of natural gas and give our team a call to find out more.
If you like today’s gas, you’ll love the gas of tomorrow. Check out our Future Zone for more information on the future of gas in New Zealand. And with gas flowing well into the future, you can continue curling up you’re your favourite book fireside for years to come.
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