Still, it’s been a while since most of us planned anything bigger than a small, distanced, BYOB gathering on the patio. Whom do we invite? What should we serve? What will we do? Is it worth the trouble? If you find the idea of hosting family and friends pre-pandemic style overwhelming, we’ve rounded up 13 books to help you seamlessly transition into post-pandemic entertaining. Best of all? You don’t have to give up your much beloved excuse to spend more time with books.
Post-Pandemic Entertaining: Books to Inspire Your Guest List
Whether you thrive on the company of 50 of your closest friends or you crave more time with just enough people to fit around your table, you’ll want to put some thought into your guest list. If you’ve found yourself rethinking the company you keep over the past year, consider the perspective of someone who went through just the same thing before the pandemic: Once you’ve sent out the invitations, make sure to keep your guests top of mind while planning the event logistics. This book has a few ideas about how to do it:
Post-Pandemic Entertaining: Books to Inspire Your Party Space
Perhaps you’re not quite ready for a full-blown party indoors. Or maybe, after a year of outdoor, distanced get-togethers, you’ve rediscovered your love for nature. Either way, now that the weather is warming up, an outdoor gathering is a great option. Whether you’re taking the celebration to the park, the beach, a campsite, or you’re staying in your own yard, this book has you covered: If your perfect party revolves around the kitchen, but you want to move the whole thing outside, Linda Ly’s latest cookbook will become your go-to guide: Once your space is ready to receive guests, it’s time to think about maximizing the fun with this time-tested book: Don’t want to limit your celebrations to the outdoors? Here’s a book to help you get every inch of your home party-ready: Indoors or outdoors, your party deserves the very best food and beverage pairings, whether your guests are enjoying wine, beer, spirits, or non-alcoholic drinks. Get expert advice on all of it from America’s best sommeliers:
Post-Pandemic Entertaining: Books to Inspire Party Themes
There’s nothing wrong with having a get-together just because. But it’s nice to have a unifying idea to build your party around. Whether you’re celebrating a life milestone, a seasonal event, or a shared passion, these books will help get your creative juices flowing. As the title suggests, this book is chock-full of ideas for celebrating almost anything: No list like this would be complete without a book dedicated to holiday entertaining. Of course, there are a plethora of cookbooks filled with holiday recipes — including Allison Walsh’s A Literary Holiday Cookbook: Festive Meals for the Snow Queen, Gandalf, Sherlock, Scrooge, and Book Lovers Everywhere. But we all know that most of the stress around that time of year stems from our efforts to stay organized. And because your first foray into post-pandemic entertaining may come during the 2021 holiday season, we’ve found a book that will help: But before the holidays, there’s football season—a time of year filled with a different kind of cheer. Not ready to venture out into stadium parking lots to tailgate? This book helps you enjoy all of it without leaving home:
Post-Pandemic Entertaining: Books to Inspire the Host
What else do you need besides a guest list, a location, a theme, and a menu? You. The key to any good party is the host. If all the planning has sent you into a tailspin, you’ll appreciate this out-of-the-box approach from Whoopi Goldberg: Then again, maybe for you, the best hosting inspiration comes from literature. After all, some of the most spectacular — and interesting — celebrations are fictional. So, before your next party, get pumped up by rereading your favorite literary party scene. If you’re looking for inspiration beyond the definitive party book, The Great Gatsby, here are a couple novels to check out. Your gathering might just spark a bit of romance the way it did in this story: Expecting guests with a flare for the histrionic? Get ready by reading a few scenes from this novel: Now that you’re armed with all the books you need for post-pandemic entertaining, life is about to get a lot more fun — and maybe even a little more literary. Here’s to unforgettable parties and the stories they bring! Looking for more cookbooks to perfect your party menu? Make this your next stop.
