WHAT YOUR FAVOURITE TIPPLE SAYS ABOUT YOUR READING HABITS
YOUR favourite tipple may provide a clue to your reading habits, indicating the style of book you reach for first from the library shelf, according to a new study.
Whether you’re a beer drinker or prefer a sophisticated glass of white, your choice of poison may now be a way to tell which great read you should pick up next.
Like a nice glass of red? You’re likely to be working out whodunit in a crime thriller like Robert Galbraith’s The Cuckoo’s Calling. If gin is more your thing you’ll probably be mixing it with a mystery such as Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. And if you possess a well-thumbed copy of Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James then there’s nothing you like better than a flute of Prosecco to add a bit more fizz to your erotica.
History lovers prefer to keep a clear head with fans of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall opting for a nice cup of tea or coffee to help them keep track of events while followers of Fantasy titles rely on energy drinks to get them through marathon stints of multi-volume blockbusters like J R R Martin’s Game of Thrones.
In total 16 drinks and reading genres were matched by the study, which was undertaken for the launch of Trouble Brewing, a light-hearted comedy that follows the fortunes of a down on his luck celebrity chef trying to save a small Yorkshire brewery.
Leading UK psychologist David Holmes said of the study: “Our personal preference when it comes to beverage choice, whether alcoholic or not, is a signature of our personal tastes – how we identify ourselves or wish to be seen. It’s also indicative of our choice in literature, which is for most a form of escapism, such as living another life, either akin to our own or totally the opposite.
“If we take gin, for example, it is a simple spirit flavoured with juniper. Yet behind the façade is a complex spirit with a rich history. Therefore, if you’re a gin drinker one would expect an inquisitive and logical person at heart, so Mystery should be top of your best-seller list. Those that prefer a classic cup of tea, in contrast, tend to be more reserved and conservative in their choices, so History is the genre for you.”
Paul says: “The pairings are intriguing and I’m happy to be at the saloon bar end of it. A reminder though that people should remember to read responsibly as it’s well known that one page can lead to another.”