Is there any better combination in the fall than a great book and a steaming cup of tea? I’m a coffee lover, especially in the morning, but in the afternoon, there’s nothing I love more than a cup of tea. 

So I got to thinking: What kinds of tea go best with which genre of books?

I thought surely there’s a science to this, and after some research I compiled a list of different types of teas and what sort of books fit best with them. So without further ado, here is a Book Reader’s Guide to Tea Blends (based on twenty minutes of Google searching):

NON-FICTION 

We all need a little non-fiction in our lives, whether it’s travel guides, recipe books, instruction manuals, biographies, or historical works.

If you’re a fan of non-fiction, you probably enjoy high-quality research (why are you reading this then? Lol), and you likely have an eye and an appreciation for detail. With that in mind, a tea for you to consider is Pu-erh. Pu-erh tea has a pretty strong flavor. It’s traditionally made in Yunnan Province in China, and it’s unusual because it’s buried, fermented, and then sometimes smoked before it’s brewed. 

HISTORICAL FICTION

Historical fiction is such a fun genre with a lot of really vibrant stories and characters. This genre brings ancient times to life and breathes new perspectives into dusty old manor houses and chateaus. 

If historical fiction is your vibe, try brewing up a cup of green tea. Regular old green tea is actually the oldest recorded tea in history, having been discovered fossilized in a 2,100-year-old Chinese tomb. Green tea is really healthy too, loaded with antioxidants. That being said, it is a bit of an acquired taste.

Side note: If you are reading any kind of story with samurai in it, you really ought to try the powdered version of green tea, matcha. It’s fantastic.

DRAMA 

A popular genre of fiction that lines literary shelves is drama. It’s a fairly wide genre that spans different aspects of storytelling, but drama by itself is actually it’s own thing with its own characteristics. 

And since dramatic storylines tend to be highly emotional, a really great tea option for this genre is chamomile tea. Chamomile is an herbal tea made from the chamomile flower, and it is mostly known for its calming effects. So it’s a great option for those big emotional character arcs. 

COZIES

A new-ish genre that has been gaining popularity in recent years is the Cozy genre, which extends to mysteries, fantasies, and other subgenres. It features lower stakes than traditional high-tension stories, not as much focus on action, and most violent scenes take place off the page. 

A tea blend to consider for this genre would be a white tea, specifically one like jasmine. White teas are simple but sophisticated, kind of like cozy stories, and a floral flavored white tea just feels like it matches the cozy vibes of a cute little cottage.

ROMANCE

Of course, we can’t have a list of genres without mentioning the highest-selling genre of all time: Romance. No matter what variety of romance book you enjoy reading, there is always an option for any kind of reader. 

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And the best tea blend for romance readers is chai. Hands down. Traditional chai is made from black tea mixed with spices like cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black pepper. It’s usually served with sugar and milk, so it’s a great option whether you like your romance sweet or a little spicy. 

ROMANTIC COMEDY

Yes, technically, this fits in the romance genre category, but rom-coms are truly their own kind of thing with their own characteristics and genre expectations. Funny, sweet, and unexpected, romantic comedies are always great. 

And a tea blend to match a romantic comedy would be rooibos. If you haven’t ever tried rooibos, you’re missing out. It’s a red herbal tea, made from the fermented leaves of a shrub from South Africa. It has a natural vanilla flavor, and trying to pronounce it is a comedy all on its own!

MYSTERIES

One of the bestselling genres in the market is mysteries, whether you love the newer ones or the old classics like Agatha Christie. A clever whodunit with a truckload of puzzles and red herrings is a fantastic way to spend an evening. 

A great tea pairing with a mystery book is mint tea. Herbal mint tea is made from the leaves of the mint plant, and it has a soothing aroma and a flavor that wakes up your brain cells, which is exactly what you need when you’re trying to suss out if the butler really did it or not.

FANTASY 

Everybody loves a good fantasy story, and in recent years, fantasy has grown to be more popular than ever. In fantasy, you can find just about anything. Dragons, talking animals, fantastic worlds, the limits are only restricted by the author’s imagination. 

So, a great tea pairing for fantasy, in my opinion, is boba tea. Sometimes it’s called bubble tea. If you’ve never tried boba, it’s a taste and texture experience. It’s usually iced black tea, milk, sugar, and chewy tapioca pearls, but the combinations are endless—just like the fantasy genre!

SCIENCE FICTION 

And finally, we have my personal favorite genre, sci-fi. I’m a nerd at heart. Spaceships, distant stars, cool tech, and moral conundrums are my default setting. If any of you are fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation, you can probably guess the tea I’m going to recommend here. 

Earl Gray. (“Tea. Earl Gray. Hot.”) This is a classic black tea, sometimes mixed with either assam or ceylon, and flavored with bergamot oil. Give it a try with a splash of milk. You’ll make Captain Picard proud.

What is your favorite tea to drink while you are reading? Shout it out so the rest of us can give it a try!