Spilling the Tea: An exclusive Guest Post from Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Author of Ace of Spades, Our July Young Adult Pick 

As a lover and collector of strange mugs; a drinker of copious amounts of boiling leaf-steeped beverages; and the author of Ace of Spades, a book about an anonymous gossip girl-esque entity who “spills the tea” on my main characters Chiamaka and Devon — I feel like I was born to write this very blog post. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite books paired with a mug of my choosing from my ridiculously large mug collection. 

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating is a book set in Ireland and follows the love story of the two main characters. It is sapphic, witty and incredibly compelling, and I have matched it with this mug I got while I was in Dublin earlier this year, and the quote on the mug “I drink tae and I know things” is very much something the main character Ishu would say. 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is without a doubt the scariest book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. On the surface, the book is about a couple who go on a road trip and the debate about whether or not to end their relationship. Without giving any major spoilers away, this Fleabag mug feels very fitting for this story about an unreliable protagonist’s slow descent into chaos. 

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman is known for his stunning, deeply human narratives, and Anxious People is no different. A story about a bank robbery and a hostage situation, but also about none of those things at all, this mug choice pairs perfectly with this narrative about how incredibly hard it is to be a fully functioning adult. 

Small Island by Andrea Levy

Small Island is a twisty historical novel set between Jamaica and England, and spotlights the Windrush generation in post-World War II Britain. This mug has the best quote ever written in Jamaican Patois “Never let anybody tek yuh fi eediat” which feels very suited to the characters in the story who have to stand up in the face of adversity when met with a very racist and unwelcoming new world.   

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

This retelling of The Iliad is a staple in queer fiction, making it a modern classic and also one of my favorite books. I think this mug speaks for itself, depicting the main characters Patroclus and Achilles looking cool as ever.