Page Pairings at M. Judson Booksellers
A week ago I had a great Galentine’s Day with a friend. I’ve been wanting to attend an event at M. Judson Booksellers since they’ve opened, and when my friend had an open invite to join her at a book and wine pairing. Of course, I had to say yes. In case you’ve never been to M. Judson, I highly recommend checking it out because it is an awesome bookstore located in the heart of downtown Greenville, SC.
Page Pairings
Upon arrival, we were given a program for the evening, which included the list of books, the wines being paired with each of them, and a ticket to a free book of our choosing from the evening. There were six book pairings in total, and each was set at a station around the store. Each station had an employee at it to describe the book and the reason it was paired with its wine. Two of the books’ authors were present for the evening.
Sycamore: A Novel
Sycamore: A Novel is by Bryn Chancellor who I was lucky to meet at this pairing. This book was paired with a Chenin Blanc, Cave de Saumur Les Pouches, and I was happy to start with a white wine. It was light and refreshing after a long day at the office, which helped me get in the right mind frame for a great evening. This is the book my friend went home with this evening.
The Pleasing Hour
The Pleasing Hour is by Lily King. It was one of the older books in the list for the evening, but I have already added it to my Goodreads list for a later reading. It was paired with a Les Violets Pinot Noir, which paired perfectly with the tone and cover of this novel.
Bobcat and Other Stories
Bobcat and Other Stories by Rebecca Lee was a compilation of short stories, and we visited this table to stick with our reds. It was paired with a Vermillion Rhone Blend, which was appropriately served in the cute little glasses on the table, which were short just like the stories in this book. My glass is the same one from the previous table though.
The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South
I actually looked at The Potlikker Papers by John T. Edge while I was waiting for my date to arrive, and I definitely be reading this at some point in time. It was the only non-fiction book on the list for the evening, and was paired with Petalos del Bierzo Mencia. I was shocked when the lady at this table told us most people didn’t like the wine because it was my favorite.
Rules of Civility: A Novel
Rules of Civility: A Novel by Amor Towles sounds like the kind of book that I could read in a day. It was paired with a champagne, Laurent Perrachon Cremant De Bourgogne, that was fitting due to the Great Gatsby-esque feel to the description of this book. This is on my to read later list as well.
Christmas in July
Christmas in July by Alan Michael Parker was the final pairing of our evening, and the second book whose author was in attendance. It was paired with a mimosa consisting of Los Monteros Cava and Krause Bros. Orange Juice. The drink was as fun as the author’s bubbly personality, and this is the book I went home with because I really enjoyed talking with the author. It is a book about the main character, Christmas, but told from many different perspectives. I have a feeling it is going to be a tear jerker, but also very well written if the author’s writing is anything like his personality.
I hope that they do more book pairings in the future because it was a perfect mix for my love of books and wine. I will definitely be keeping an eye on their events calendar in the future, so I can hopefully attend more of these. If you are local or visiting Greenville, I definitely recommend checking out M. Judson Booksellers for a unique book experience, and make sure to check out The Chocolate Moose while you’re there as well.
I can’t wait to attend more fun events at M. Judson in the future. What is the most fun alcohol pairing that you have ever attended? Chocolate and beer? Wine and christmas cookies? Have you ever read one of the books or drank one of the wines from my evening? What did you think? Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to subscribe via email or Bloglovin’ to never miss a post!