As finals season approaches, I motivate myself to study by going to my favorite Tallahassee coffee shops. The environment of these places helps me stay productive; however, to avoid academic burnout, I’ll usually take a break and read a book. Each book, like every coffee shop, has its own aesthetic, so I’ve curated a list of book recommendations based on your favorite Tallahassee coffee shop!
- CATALINA CAFE: Two-step Devil by Jamie Quatro
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Catalina Cafe is a unique shop that makes you feel like you’re in a reconfigured warehouse. The art on the walls creates an eccentric vibe, which is why I would recommend Two-Step Devil by Jamie Quatro for those who favor this place.
Quatro’s novel is one of the most daring pieces of contemporary literature I’ve read. It follows “The Prophet,” a 70-year-old man living off the grid in Alabama. He believes he’s receiving divine messages from God, messages that play on a movie screen that rolls down in front of him.
One day, he discovers a young girl named Michael who’s being human-trafficked. At this point, he believes he has been divinely tasked to save her so she can deliver his messages from God to the President.
The writing is empathetic toward the prophet, crafting him with humanity first and making the audience care for him. His relationship with Michael is sweet, and they create a unique bond that is beautiful to read.
The most interesting aspect of this book is its structure. The first act is written with a third-person narrator psychologically linked to the prophet. The second act is Michael’s stream of consciousness. The third act is written as a play, where the title character, Two-Step Devil, crafts a performance. Until we inevitably reach the fourth act, which is a curation of imaginary futures juxtaposed with reality.
Overall, this story approaches topical issues of conspiratorial thinking and human trafficking in a way that feels empathetic. Quatro never judges her characters, which allows the reader to fall truly in love with them. All of this is used to create a unique set of circumstances and relationships.
This book is just as eccentric as Catalina Cafe and would be perfect to read before the semester ends.
- BLACK DOG: Pink by Sylvie Baumgartel
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Black Dog is located next to Lake Ella. It has a beautiful wood porch and a warmly lit interior, creating an intimate experience, while the black chalkboard and unique art pieces add an artsy edge. For this reason, I recommend Pink by Sylvie Baumgartel.
Pink is one of the most fascinating poetry collections I have read. It finds ways to incorporate art, history, and personal anecdotes to reflect the way one’s inner mind functions.
Most of the language is direct and blunt. Baumgartel focuses on sound rather than figurative language to relay the feeling she is attempting to evoke. Furthermore, the evocative word choices manage to make the poems feel unique.
I particularly enjoy the lack of transitions within her poems. It often feels like Baumgartel is transitioning through word association, which allows the poems to feel more complex and raw, as though we are simply following her train of thought.
Baumgartel also finds interesting ways to parallel words and images, allowing for multiple interpretations of the same piece. This poetry collection is fantastic and perfect to read at the Black Dog Cafe.
- The FROTHER’S DAUGHTER: John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Bellflower
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The Frother’s Daughter began serving coffee from a trailer and grew in popularity among FSU students due to its prime location near the College of Music.
Their unique drink combinations helped them grow in popularity, recently leading to the opening of a storefront in Midtown. The coffee shop feels light and airy, so I think John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Bellflower is the perfect play to read there.
The provocative title, alluding to The Crucible, creates an immediate sense of intrigue. The play is set at a rural Georgia high school during the peak of the #MeToo movement, focusing on a group of students reading The Crucible in class.
As they read the play, it is revealed that one of the girl’s fathers has been accused of sexual assault. Each character reacts differently, trying to grapple with the idea that any of their parents could have committed such an act. This forces them to reflect on their own biases in determining who they will choose to believe.
The Crucible allows for interesting commentary on who has the privilege to be believed. This alludes to Woody Allen’s assertion that the #MeToo movement could lead to a “witch hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself.”
Not only does Allen’s comparison neglect the inherent patriarchal values that perpetuated the Salem Witch Trials, but it is also an inaccurate way of depicting the power struggles between the accused and the accuser. However, it doesn’t stop the students from finding parallels between their current situation and the plot of The Crucible.
This play has also recently opened on Broadway, which makes now the perfect time to read it!
- CALVIN’S: The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis
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Calvin’s is one of the most comforting coffee shops in Tallahassee. Its dimly lit atmosphere and array of couches create a cozy setting. This is why I would recommend The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis.
This work is primarily composed of flash fiction and short stories. Davis uses these modes of storytelling to create interesting bursts of life, each story unique in how it presents the world.
The thing I found most fascinating about this collection is the way she plays around with language, changing perspectives and the tense of her words to shift the emotional impact of the stories. She moves from objective accounts to emotionally driven moments.
One story I found particularly interesting in this collection is entitled “From Below, As a Neighbor.” The central character imagines how someone would react if they overheard the way she spoke about her relationship with the unnamed “him” character. In this story, she uses language to show the parallels between her and the imagined neighbor to encapsulate the subconscious feelings she holds toward this relationship.
The collection juxtaposes bits of humor with stories of deteriorating relationships, humorous fantasies, and moments of love. As you read through the collection, you are in a constant state of whiplash that mirrors life, making it a perfect book to read casually before finals.
Each coffee shop in Tallahassee holds a distinct personality, as does every book on this list. As finals season ramps up, reading a book can offer a moment of escape.
So the next time you grab a latte, consider pairing it with a book that matches the aesthetic of your favorite study spot — you might just find a new favorite book in the process!
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