Books and Wine by Holly Kerr

Ask any writer and they’ll tell you they have always wrote and Holly Kerr is no exception. She’s written stories about bunnies dodging cars and sisters dying, distracting the cute boy in class and dark plots to kill your best friend’s husband.  Coming Home is her latest novel, a story about sisters who can’t get along and living in a small town, two things she knows more than a little about!  A self-professed geek, she loves anything to do with Star Wars, super heroes, Joss Whedon and Harry Potter. She also enjoys running, playing in the dirt and sharing a glass of wine with friends.

Her latest book is the women’s fiction, Coming Home.

She’d love you to visit her website at http://hollykerr.ca/.

Books and Wine
By Holly Kerr

I was tidying up my basement last week.  How is that exciting, you ask?  Well, my basement is where I keep my bookshelves, and also my wine.  These are two of my favourite things, so I got to thinking – has anyone ever tried to compare the two?

Looking at my shelves, I seem to have to a wide, variety of taste in books from Nora Roberts to Stephen King, Ami MacKay to Nelson DeMille.  When I looked at the smooth bottles resting on their racks, I noticed I have accumulated a diverse selection of wine as well.  What do I like best?  Well, that depends on my mood, where I’m reading and what I’ve read before.  Same as the kind of wine I like to drink.

Consider historical fiction, one of my favourite genres to read.  I’ve always been a history buff, and it’s either go back to school and get a graduate degree in the

subject (which unless I want to teach, not sure I’m ever going to use) or read historical fiction to get my fix.  For me, reading about Tudor England or the life of Marie Antoinette is like a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.  I’ve heard good things about the bio of Cleopatra in my pile, so let’s hope that’s like a smooth, full-bodied Amarone for me to enjoy.

I used to read a lot of romance novels when I was younger and I still have a few of them in my collection.  They were easy to read, quick to get through.  I call this my white zinfandel phase.  Sugary sweet and easy to drink – just like the latest Nora Roberts or Danielle Steele.  Actually, I will still pick up a Nora Roberts novel now and again, so we’ll say she’s like a Pinot Grigio – light and refreshing and great for summer.

I also used to read quite a bit of chick-lit.  My first novel, Baby! Baby? Baby?! is chick-lit and while I love it with all my heart, I know it’s not for everyone. Kind of like a bottle of Gewurztraminer, or a sweet Riesling.  The new Emily Giffen I’m reading now – I’ll compare that to an off-dry Ontario Riesling – not as sweet and with a little more body.

I’m reading more and more women’s fiction these days; not surprising since Coming Home is women’s fiction! And like my taste in books, my taste in wine has evolved too.  I’ll reach for a glass of New Zealand Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc or a Bonterra Chardonnay along with my women’s fiction novel now.  Another genre of go-to books; same for the wine.

I also like Young Adult novels these days.  They are easy to read and entertaining – sort of like a bottle of Beaujolais; it’s not always a great wine but you can always get it down.

My pile of thrillers, suspense and Star Wars sci-fi?  Let’s put that in the Argentinean Malbec or an ItalianValpolicella – always a good choice for me but not for everyday and not for everyone.
Also, I don’t drink a great deal of shiraz.  It’s too full-bodied for me – sort of like how I tend to stay away from serious literary fiction, especially the kind where the protagonist has insurmountable issues and the book never ends well for them.  Too heavy for me, unless it comes highly recommended!

I’ll finish with what I consider the perfection comparison – sparkling wine and erotic.  You can get some cheap stuff where the bubbles don’t amount to much, but you can also get a champagne-style read – when it’s good, it’s really good! 

What do you think?  Do you favourite reads have a favourite drink to go along with them?