There are two kinds of people in this world: those who like to snack on certain foods while reading, and people who don’t (AKA PEOPLE WITHOUT SOULS. Or maybe just without an appetite). Personally, I love to eat sweet food while reading, even though I consider myself as more of a savoury person. WHY AM I WEIRD? Well… there are a lot of reasons.

ANYWAY. For me, there’s nothing better than snuggling up with a book and a cup of chai with a block of chocolate. Not a piece – a block. That specificity is very important to acknowledge. I’m also partial to raspberries and underripe bananas. Just in case you ever wanted to surprise me with food. To be honest, I’d be happy with any kind of food you buy me. I’m not that fussy.

But as well as loving to eat while reading, I’ve found that certain books make me crave certain foods or drinks. We always talk about how reading fosters empathy, but you know what isn’t mentioned enough? THAT READING FOSTERS APPETITE. Uh huh. I’m not kidding. If a book has never made you hungry while reading it because of what the characters are eating, you’d have to be some kind of superhero. Honestly, I commend you.

So these are the books that you need to be wary of when picking up, because you’ll have to have the appropriate food / drinks on hand to fend off those annoying cravings that seem to keep poking at your stomach until you finally indulge in them. You’re welcome.

The Color Project

I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together, but all of the week I was reading The Color Project, I found myself craving cinnamon donuts. This was the first book I read that had such a big effect on me in terms of craving a food. Sure, I might be reading a book and it mentions a food and I get hungry — who wouldn’t? — but I’ve never been willing to get on my bike and ride for half an hour to get to a bakery in search of donuts. And I didn’t even know it was all because of the novel at first! GAH — this book was just so delicious! So if The Color Project were to be reincarnated as food, it’d be a donut.

Harry Potter

I don’t believe it’s possible to read, or watch, Harry Potter without wanting to try butterbeer. I was lucky enough to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter when I was in Japan earlier this season and I got to try butterbeer and my world hasn’t been the same since. Because it was summer over there, it was actually frozen butterbeer, and it tasted like a caramel slurpie — AKA HEAVEN IN DRINK FORM. Absolutely delish. Harry Potter would definitely be butterbeer. Even if it’s not a food and rather a drink but SHH.

When Dimple Met Rishi

If you’ve read When Dimple Met Rishi, you’ll know that it’s practically an ode to everyone who loves Starbucks. I mean, it even has an iced latte on the front cover! I am such Starbucks trash, so this was so satisfying to read. And not only are iced lattes practically the muggle version of butterbeer, but you can also use it to blind your enemies. WIN-WIN. I swear, if you put this book in a blender, it’d come out as an iced latte. But I mean, please don’t try that. This book is too precious.

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

I honestly don’t think there’s a more iconic food-book combination out there, at least for YA. Oreos, surprisingly, play such a bit role in the narrative, like YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE how much this book talks about Oreos. Honestly, it would be a sin to not have a few packets on hand while reading this book. Bonus points if they’re Oreos with cool flavours — some of which I’ve come across are birthday cake flavour and banana flavour. Much like Oroes, Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda is both addictive and delicious.

Bone Gap

Never before had I come across a book with paragraphs that flowed like honey and with words that tasted just as sweet. Bone Gap is one of the most poetic, enthralling books I’ve read, and I think being represented by honey suits it quite well. I really enjoyed reading about the girl who has a bee farm and her relationship with the central protagonist. And how they would go to bee farms and taste honey! AH… IT WAS ADORABLE.

Caramel Hearts

If you’re looking for an under-appreciated contemporary novel with a generous serving of baking references, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. If you don’t want to have to have a plate of different desserts with you while reading, THIS BOOK ISN’T FOR YOU. What I loved most about this gem was that it included recipes at the end of each chapter so you could make what was being referenced in that part of the book. How delightful! Caramel Hearts is such a sweet book, and perfect for everyone that loves baking.

Heartless

Oh goodness. Even though I didn’t particularly enjoy this book, WOW, IT MADE ME HUNGRY. There was so much talk of lemon tarts and cakes and every kind of dessert imaginable, and I’ve never wanted to be good at baking in my whole life before. I’M TERRIBLE AT EVERYTHING THAT INVOLVES FOOD EXCEPT EATING. This book dripped with delicious descriptions of everything sugary. Great. Now I’m going to have to go out and by myself a lemon tart. And maybe a cheesecake. And maybe the whole bakery.

The Hunger Games

Berries! Don’t you just crave some nice, juicy berries while reading this… I’ll leave.

What books make you hungry? Have you read any of the ones I’ve mentioned? Does a particular book remind you of a certain food or drink? What do you like to eat or drink while reading? I’d love to know!

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Images used in header purchased from Winged Graphics.

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