April 2025 Mood Reads

There’s a special kind of magic in curling up with a good book and a warm cup of coffee. The soft glow of a reading lamp, the gentle hiss of a brewing pot, and the inviting weight of a favorite novel create a world where time stretches sweetly. Coffee, with its rich aroma and soothing warmth, becomes more than a drink—it’s a quiet companion, wrapping each chapter in comfort. As pages turn and stories unfold, the simple act of sipping and reading weaves a feeling of home, no matter where you are. In this small, perfect pairing, we find a haven from the rush of the world—a cozy corner where imagination and contentment meet.

Every month, we ask our customers to share their favorite books from the month along with their favorite way to enjoy coffee. These are their picks for April 2025!

1. Paris Red by Maureen Gibbons
   
   1. Summary: Paris, 1862. A young girl in a threadbare dress and green boots, hungry for experience, meets the mysterious and wealthy artist Édouard Manet. The encounter will change her―and the art world―forever.
   2. Our Suggested Coffee Pairing: Set in the elegance and edge of 1860s Paris, this story of art, ambition, and transformation pairs beautifully with our Costa Rica | San Isidro. Its subtle chocolate and nutmeg notes offer a comforting, robust cup that mirrors the richness and complexity of the world the novel paints.
2. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Marquez
   
   1. Summary: One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendiá family.
   2. Our Suggested Coffee Pairing: The sweeping, multi-generational tale of Macondo in One Hundred Years of Solitude is best savored alongside our Guatemala | Huehuetenango, with notes of bitter chocolate, marshmallow, brown butter, orange, and chardonnay that echo the novel’s layers of sweetness, sorrow, and surreal beauty.
3. Atlas Furtivo by Alfredo Bosch
   
   1. Summary: Mallorca, 14th century. Two Jewish cartographers receive a very special commission: to create the most beautiful and complete map of the world ever made: a masterpiece that faithfully reflects the known world.
   2. Our Suggested Coffee Pairing: The rich historical intrigue of Atlas Furtivo, set in 14th-century Mallorca and centered on a quest to map the known world, pairs perfectly with our Nettuno Espresso. With notes of dark chocolate, brown sugar, and orange zest, it offers a harmonious balance of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness, echoing the precision and depth of a cartographer’s finest work.
4. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
   
   1. Summary: France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
   2. Our Suggested Coffee Pairing: Ethereal and bittersweet, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue spans time and memory, much like our Mexico | Oaxaca Eloxochitlán. With its balanced sweetness, medium body, and delicate notes of caramel, honey, Earl Grey tea, and peach, this cup mirrors Addie’s quiet strength and the lingering beauty of a story not easily forgotten.
5. A Sorceress Come To Call by T. Kingfisher
   
   1. Summary: Cordelia has always known her mother is different, but behind the strange rules and isolation lies a darker truth: her mother is a powerful and dangerous sorcerer. When they move into the home of a kind squire and his perceptive sister, Cordelia finally finds a sense of belonging. But as her mother’s sinister intentions unfold, Cordelia must choose between loyalty and courage to protect the people who’ve become her true family.
   2. Our Suggested Coffee Pairing: In A Sorceress Come To Call, Cordelia navigates the tension between love, fear, and bravery as she faces her mother's dark powers. Our Costa Rica | San Isidro is the perfect match—its smooth, well-balanced flavor profile with hints of cinnamon, raisin, and wild sugar cane offers a comforting complexity, much like Cordelia’s own journey of discovery and courage.
6. The Physician by Noah Gordon
   
   1. Summary: Orphaned in Dark Ages London, Rob Cole is taken in by a barber-surgeon and grows up with a gift for sensing death. Determined to become a healer, he travels to Persia to study under the famous physician Avicenna. Pretending to be Jewish to enter the medical school, Rob faces not only the challenges of his studies but also the love of a woman who sees medicine as his greatest rival.
   2. Our Suggested Coffee Pairing: In The Physician, Rob Cole’s journey from orphan to healer is filled with complex choices, intense passion, and the pursuit of knowledge. Our Ethiopia | Bekele Belacho Bombe is the perfect companion: its distinctive, creamy body and complex flavor profile of blackberry, desert wine, green melon, honey, raspberry, and jasmine aroma mirror Rob’s rich, transformative journey as he navigates the challenges of medicine, love, and identity.

Thank you all for participating in our first Mood Reads! We’re so excited to see what you’ll be reading next month. Stay tuned for more book recommendations! and coffee pairings!