Hot Chocolate in August?

This morning my daughters requested this with breakfast. Yup. Hot chocolate. It's August. Does this seem strange to anyone but me? I mean, I drink coffee and tea (not iced but hot) all year round, but for some reason I associate hot chocolate with winter. I understand completely why they requested it. This is our third day of rain and it's in the 60s. Hardly summerlike weather.

It lead me to think of things I associate with books I've read. Powerful images that have stuck in my brain and take me back to a favorite story. When I smell peppermint, for example, I'm reminded of Basta from Inkheart who chewed mint leaves and was often identified by its scent on his breath. Roses will forever remind me of President Snow from the Hunger Games trilogy. I can't look at a snake without thinking of Voldemort.

Authors create characters who become alive and memorable through the careful and deliberate images they use to describe them. These descriptions often appeal to our senses and are usually the ones that linger long after we're finished reading. A tinkling bell has me looking over my shoulder for a certain thistle-down haired fairy from Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and the mention of whiskey? I'm back in Scotland with Jamie Fraser. I think I'll ponder that last association a little while longer....hmmmm

What sounds, scents, objects do you associate with your favorite books or characters?