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I’m not sure why I had never thought of this before. Now that I have, I’ve rightly concluded I’m a genius.

Here’s the big brain move that millions of readers have probably already figured out:

Reading a book while listening to a playlist specifically chosen for that book.

Not just music. Any plebeian can spool up music for a night of easy listening. I’m talking specific playlists. You want to set the mood and create a little atmosphere. Spotify’s Discover Weekly won’t cut it.

For example: I reread Lonesome Dove last month. During the last 200 pages or so, I listened to the miniseries soundtrack. Being an avid fan of both the book and the movie, the soundtrack had the familiarity of a good friend. I needed that comfortable familiarity at the time because life was lifing hard, and it ended up being a cathartic experience. That was the first light bulb moment.

But wait, there’s more.

This past date night, when grandparents had the boys, I made a cocktail inspired by the current book I was reading. Nothing special; I’m no mixologist, and my tastes run simple with things like that. But it added an interactive layer to my already lovely evening that I can’t wait to repeat.

Here are five books I’ve recently read, along with the playlist and drink I’d pair with each one.

Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry

You know it and love it. This is how you can pretend you’re riding herd with the boys from the Hat Creek Cattle Company.

Playlist: The soundtrack, obviously.

The lows and highs, the triumphant horns, the timid woodwinds, the joy of the ride and the sorrow of the ending are all made real by listening to the original soundtrack.

Drink: “Rye or what’ll be, old timer?”

Surly bartenders notwithstanding, a good pour of rye whiskey is the best and most immersive choice for this title. It fits the bill whether you’re reading about Jake being a scoundrel, Gus chasing outlaws, or any of the cowboys yearning for a poke from Lorrie.

Master and Commander, by Patrick O’Brian

This is the first in a 20+ book series that was the basis for the 2003 Russell Crowe movie. It’s about a new captain in the British Royal Navy in the time of Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars. Since reading it, I’ve used the term “quarterdeck” and “bosun’s mate” in everyday conversation several times.

Playlist: The Master and Commander soundtrack.

You need Regency-era period pieces to really set the mood here. You could make do with the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack in a pinch, but the feel of O’Brian’s prose is much more Jane Austen than Johnny Depp. I recommend this playlist.

Drink: Rum is the only appropriate drink for a story filled to the gunwales with mizzenmasts, firing broadsides, and ships of the line. I recommend a fine sipping rum such as Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, but any rum-based drink will do.

The Lady in the Lake, by Raymond Chandler

This is probably my favorite of Chandler’s books featuring private detective Philip Marlowe. Chandler practically defined the noir genre, yet his books are set in sunny L.A. rather than foggy San Francisco. This one even had some western elements, which probably explains why it appealed to me more than some of his other Marlowe stories.

Playlist: The book is set after Pearl Harbor, so this 1940s Wartime Radio playlist would make a great backdrop.

Drink: Marlowe is famous for having liquid lunches and taking slugs from the office bottle. So you can’t go wrong with whiskey or a martini.

However, I chose a martini for the next book, so in honor of the sunny-noir vibes, I’d go with a gin and tonic. Maybe even a gimlet. Make it strong like Marlowe’s jaw.

Leave it to Psmith, by P.G. Wodehouse

When both Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, two of the four faces on my Mt. Rushmore of British wit (alongside John Cleese and Rowan Atkinson), endorse a book, you know it’s going to be hilarious.

The main character, Psmith—”the p is silent as in pshrimp”—is the definition of a rake. Charming, debonair, and also ok with some light crime. If wit is your thing, then read Wodehouse.

Playlist: The story is set in 1923, so something from the roaring 20s/Jazz Age is appropriate. I recommend anything with Fats Waller. Since the story revolves around a noble’s estate, Downton Abbey‘s soundtrack could work too.

Drink: With all due respect to 007, martinis are best with gin. I like a standard martini: three parts gin, one part dry vermouth, garnished with a lemon twist or olives. Here are how Churchill, Hemingway, Flemming and others preferred theirs.

Beware: depending on the amount of gin used, you’ll either have enough liquid courage to invade France or wake up feeling like you barely survived the Blitz. Prepare accordingly.

Riders of the Purple Sage, by Zane Grey

Along with Owen Wister’s The Virginian, Grey’s Riders is a defining classic of the western genre. It’s about a Texas gunfighter and a Mormon cattle queen, romance, and intimidation.

Playlist: The soundtrack to Netflix’s American Primeval.

I know it’s the third soundtrack listed here, but I can’t help it if someone already did the work for me. Plus, it was written and performed by Explosions in the Sky, and that’s a cheat code if I’ve ever heard one.

Drink: The Revolver. Two ounces of bourbon (try Bulleit or Buffalo Trace to be thematic), 1/2 ounce of coffee liqueur, and a dash or two of orange bitters. It’s like a cowboy Manhattan. Drink it while spinning a single-action revolver on your finger.

Give it a shot: pick a book, curate a playlist, make a drink. Let me know how it goes. I bet you’ll be surprised you didn’t think of it sooner.

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