Hype or Like Friday is a Goodreads group created by Jill at Rant and Rave About Books, Larkin at Wonderfilled Reads, and Britt at Geronimo Reads.
This week’s prompt is about the holidays and books. Specifically holiday drinks, and today I’ll try to pair some great drinks with great books. I didn’t intend for all of these books to be mysteries, but that’s the way the wind took me today! Grab some hot apple cider and let’s go! Clicking on the book’s title will take you to its Goodreads page.
Hot Apple Cider. Hot apple cider is a tradition in my family. We always put some apple cider, along with orange wedges, cinnamon sticks, a dash of allspice and nutmeg, and some cloves in a crockpot and let it heat all day long, which makes the house smell amazing. The book I want to pair with the hot apple cider is Aunt Dimity’s Death by Nancy Atherton. It’s the first book in a cute cozy mystery series that involves the unlikely character of a deceased Aunt Dimity who “speaks” to her friend’s daughter through a magical diary. Sounds a bit bizarre, but I assure you it is very sweet and cute, and is set in England, and the settings of each book are absolutely adorable, and it’s a great book and cozy mystery series to read during the holidays.
Cranberry Margarita. Cranberry margaritas are my favorite, and are generally only 
available in restaurants during the holidays. I’ll pair a cranberry margarita with Crocodile on the Sandbank, the first of the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters. This series is set in Victorian England and Egypt, and Amelia Peabody is a character that’s a little sweet, a little sour, and definitely packs a punch, especially with her handy umbrella! Amelia Peabody loves Egyptology, and heads off to Egypt and meets a hardheaded archaeologist named Radcliffe Emerson. Sparks and tensions fly, and Crocodile on the Sandbank is a delight.
Old Fashioned. My dad makes the best Old Fashioned around! It isn’t a holiday or family gathering without dad back in the kitchen mixing drinks. I like to order these in restaurants to compare to my dad’s, and they are never as good! I figure Maisie Dobbs is a great book and series to pair with an Old Fashioned. Steady, reliable, and calming, Maisie is a private investigator in London, and the book is set after WWI, and involves Maisie’s time as a nurse in the war, and her start as a private investigator afterwards. More of a historical mystery, with a heavy focus on WWI and the aftermath; this is a powerful series and is recommended for those who love historical fiction.
What are your favorite holiday drinks? Have you ever tried to make your own eggnog? I’ve always wanted to try making it!
luvtoread 
Wow I love your picks! Your whole post feels cosy and festive! I found this week’s theme to complicated for me, I couldn’t find what book to pair with a Sex on the Beach, hahaha!
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Thanks! 🙂 I got lucky when I thought of these mysteries!
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Great choices! I’ve always been a little hesitant to try an old fashioned but I think I might have to now!
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Thanks! You definitely should try one! They’re pretty good 🙂
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I’ll do it then and let you know how it goes! 😊
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What a fun bunch of pairings! I have read each of the books, but may have to reread with glass in hand. 😋🍷
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ha ha! yes! Me too 🙂
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There’s got to be some hot chocolate with a tiny candy cane melting into it… and a bit of whipped cream and Christmas-colored sprinkles…perhaps going back to the past with a favorite classic…:)
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ooh yes! Maybe A Christmas Carol or some other Christmas-y classic novel. Little Women always reminds me of Christmas.
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I love hot apple cider. Larkin chose hot wine for her post. I had never even heard of that before. 🙂 I’m so glad to see some of these posts. I used to love hot apple cider when I went for haunted hayrides. That was the best!
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Ooh hot wine! Yum! I’ve only had that once or twice, but it’s good! This post helped get me in a holiday spirit 🙂
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Okay, now I’m craving both apple cider and a cozy mystery. Just in time, too; the weather finally dipped down into the 60s here! I can’t tell you how excited I am to step outside and feel a slight chill rather than DEATH BY HEAT.
Thanks for the pairing suggestions! =)
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You’re welcome! 🙂
I’m craving hot apple cider too but am currently drinking a nice decaf coffee which just isn’t the same.
It’s hard to get into the holiday spirit when the weather is warm!
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Why must you make me crave all the delicious drinks?? Oh man, coffee sounds amazing right now, even if it is decaf (which I don’t keep in the house because I need to show SOME restraint). Sigh. You better enjoy that coffee for me. 🙂
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🙂 will do 🙂
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