Debbie Wiley | Pairing Binge Watching with Binge Reading

Chefs and other food connoisseurs spend a lot of time pairing just the right wine or drink with their food. And then there are folks like me who spend time pairing their binge watching with their binge reading. Instead of finding just the right wine for my meal, I’ll hunt down just the right book or series to go with the current tv series or movie I’m watching. It’s all about setting the right mood. So what have I been binge watching lately? It’s a mishmash of genres so here we go!

Some pairings are easy, and I’ll start with the easiest one of all. I’ve watched and rewatched the Reacher series more times than I care to admit. Alan Ritchson is exactly who I envisioned while reading the Lee Child books, unlike the previous movie with Tom Cruise. No offense to Tom Cruise at all, but Alan Ritchson has the height and size needed to make the Reacher series believable onscreen. Lee Child’s book series is amazing, and whether you are reading the first book, KILLING FLOOR, or the 27th book, NO PLAN B, the Jack Reacher series is engaging and entertaining. Even better, I imagined Alan Ritchson in every scene- something I usually don’t do with books, but this pairing is absolute perfection!

Similarly, the Will Trent tv series had me binge watching more than once. I even hooked my husband on this one. It’s different from the Karin Slaughter book series in a couple significant ways, but the character of Will Trent is dead on and thus the books pair phenomenally with the books. TRIPTYCH is the first book, and I wasn’t so sure I was going to find the pairing agreeable, but after that book, I was hooked! I do recommend you read the Grant County books first, as Karin Slaughter intertwines the events of both series. I’m even more intrigued by the tv series now, however, as I wonder which angle they will take considering the departures that were made in TRIPTYCH (no spoilers here- read for yourself LOL!). And can I just rave about AFTER THAT NIGHT for a minute? AFTER THAT NIGHT digs into some of Sara’s past and how it’s impacting the present- it definitely doesn’t tie into the tv series since Sara isn’t a character in the tv series but wow, it's intense and unputdownable!

A more complicated pairing has been rewatching The X-Files and pairing it. I’d forgotten how much I relished this FBI series that borders on horror at times! Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate odd cases involving possible UFOs, demons, or other creatures; Mulder searches for the paranormal angles while Scully looks to the science to debunk it. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have two series that mesh perfectly with The X-Files- their Nora Kelly and Agent Pendergast series are a mixture of horror and detective work that keeps me reading till way past my bedtime. In fact, DIABLO MESA takes place at the Roswell site and digs into all sorts of conspiracy theories! DEAD MOUNTAIN, their latest collaboration, is a fictional take on the mysterious death of Russian hikers that has been attributed to anything from Bigfoot to military involvement. DEAD MOUNTAIN takes place in the United States as Preston and Child skillfully create a fascinating story, one that also pairs very well with my binge watching of The X-Files!

Continuing with the horror theme is the movie Renfield. Those who know me personally know I have a very strong aversion to movies starring Nicholas Cage unless the movie meets certain criteria (I can’t name those criteria due to spoilers). Not only is Cage not the main actor, but the storyline revolves around a support group and narcissism mixed with the vampire life- how could I not love it? I must admit that finding the perfect book match took some time here (I still haven’t found one for the tv show, Shrinking, which is also fabulous) but UNLOVABLE by Cynthia St. Aubin features a paranormal psychologist and so I knew I had a winner with this one! Another Cynthia - Cynthia Eden - is always a favorite and her book, KEEP ME CLOSE, also pairs perfectly with Renfield and the counseling angle. KEEP ME CLOSE, and other books in this series are a mix of THE BOUNE IDENTITY meets FRANKENSTEIN. A group soldiers and potential soldiers were grossly manipulated and tinkered with. Chaos and destruction was the end result, but the actual soldiers in project Lazarus are a mixed bag. In KEEP ME CLOSE, Cynthia Eden plays with the dynamic between psychologist and patient, obsession, and a whole host of ethical questions – crammed into a fascinating story of suspense and eroticism.

What books do you pair with your binge watching? Or do you keep them totally separate?