Everybody’s willing to talk about cigar pairings with liquor, wine, beer, food, desserts, and the like. We also know that everyone’s got a different way of unwinding with cigars by pairing with some form of media, be it movies, television, music, or just the sounds of nature.
But there just aren’t enough people talking about book and cigar pairings!
If you really want to escape and chill the eff out, there’s nothing quite like a book (bonus points for the ultra-mellow paper and ink version) to sink into while you enjoy your cigar.
Now, naturally, there are some
uber classics you could pull out. We won’t bother listing those here. We assume you could find those one your own. Below you’ll find highly-rated books that are on the newer side from a few cigar-friendly genres.
Biography
Blood Makes the Grass Grow: A Norwegian Volunteer's War Against the Islamic State
Norway’s military leaders decided not to send troops to battle ISIS, but this Norwegian soldier didn’t get the memo. Or rather, he
did and disagreed with the decision. So, he headed off on his own to go fight ISIS.
No,
really.
From the book description, “Armed only with gear he purchased himself and the name of a Kurdish contact, Mike is thrust into a military culture completely foreign to Westerners; where soldiers work without pay, adequate food, and even ammunition, and their revered leader is a former hitman.”
Good lord. This is a must-read.
Pair with: Man O’ War - Ruination
Crime
I Will Find You: Solving Killer Cases from My Life-Fighting Crime (Homicide Hunter)
Homicide detective Lt. Joe Kenda investigated 387 murder cases during his 23 years with the Colorado Springs Police Department and solved almost all of them. Some were too gnarly to make it onto television in
Homicide Hunter, but you’ll find them here. If you’re a crime junkie, this title is right up your alley. Don’t pick it up, however, unless you’re ready to learn some things that can’t be unlearned. Once you go down the true crime rabbit hole, you’ll never be able to see things the same way again.
Geez, this isn’t much of a relaxing list! But gripping reads often deal with powerful topics.
Pair with: Caldwell King is Dead
Rescue
The Boys in the Cave: Deep Inside the Impossible Rescue in Thailand
Twelve boys and their soccer coach were trapped in a flooded cave, miles underground in Thailand for nearly three weeks. The fact that they are alive and free today is something of a miracle and a testament to the fact that when skilled people want something done – they can do astounding things.
If you’re not familiar with cave diving, take a moment to consider this: dives are all temporary. Sooner or later, you have to come up for air. In the ocean, if you can find “up,” you’re generally ok. Of course, finding “up” is not always that easy.
But in a cave, things are different.
Kick up silt and mud with your fins or hands and the next thing you know, visibility is zero, you don’t know the way out, and your oxygen is rapidly depleting because you’re freaking the hell out.
The divers in this story did
that while pulling children along through ridiculously tight spaces.
There isn’t enough admiration in the world to properly shower these divers with, one of whom lost his life in the effort.
Pair with: Water Proof Cigar Caddy (fits ten)
History
America Before: The Key to Earth's Lost Civilization
We all know that human beings first made it into North America by crossing the then-dry Bering Strait, walking from modern-day Russia to Alaska. This was about 13,000 years ago, give or take. Native Americans then went on to flourish and populate North and South America, giving rise to extraordinary civilizations and empires. There’s only one problem.
This author’s research shows that people may have been here
130,000 years ago. Bit of a disagreement in the numbers there.
Want to learn American history? Well, this may be your new starting point.
Pair with: Indian Tabac
Fantasy
Name of the Wind
The damn thing has sold a million copies. Do you know how hard that is nowadays? We live with a phone in hand, laptop on lap, and TV on the wall, and still, this guy has readers. If you haven’t checked in to epic fantasy since the Lord of the Rings, this is an excellent series to start.
Stray from the crowd’s obsession with George R.R. Martin’s
A Song of Ice and Fire (aka Game of Thrones) - an epic journey awaits. Turn the first page and open the door to an adventure that may change your life.
Pair with: Montecristo Epic
Science Fiction
Leviathan Wakes
Every single human being that has ever lived has wondered why we are here. And some people have gotten quite confident that they know the answer. The rest of us are still working away on the problem. Fiction authors, in particular, allow us to explore “what ifs.” Well, here’s one for you:
What if Earth was seeded with life by an alien race long ago?
What if the account given in Genesis of humanity’s creation wasn’t just a myth? What if we were intentionally put here by something way more powerful than we are?
Would you want to contact that being?
Would you be scared?
Would you try to protect yourself from such a being?
Most importantly, would you like to smoke a cigar while you pondered?
We know we would.
Pair with: Arturo Fuente – Fuente Aged Selection – Tauros the Bull Heaven and Earth
