Drinks in the Library

How to Save Your Own Life by Erica Jong with Selene Castrovilla

In How to Save Your Own Life [https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-save-your-own-life-erica-jong/fc378b62ba7817d9?ean=9781585424993&next=t], Erica Jong follows novelist Isadora Wing as she grapples with fame, aging, marriage, and the search for personal freedom after the success of her earlier books. Blending sharp humor with emotional honesty, the novel explores identity, desire, and self-reinvention in the face of midlife uncertainty. Award-winning author and creator Selene Castrovilla explores the courage, conscience, and reinvention that shape both nations and ourselves. She has written historical books for children including George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles: the glasses that saved America [https://bookshop.org/p/books/george-washington-s-spectacular-spectacles-the-glasses-that-saved-america-selene-castrovilla/81e3c1b3cc3e8f85?ean=9781662680434&next=t].She has a book for adults called Love the Ones Your With [https://www.lovetheoneswomensfiction.com/] under the pen name SJ Perrault which will be coming out later this year. She also hosts a podcast Life in Jest [https://selenecastrovilla.com/podcast%3A-life-in-jest-1]with her best friend Pascale, which will feature me in an upcoming episode, I’m so excited! You can find out more at her website https://selenecastrovilla.com/ [https://selenecastrovilla.com/] and also under her SJ Perrault name on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/s.j.perraultauthor [https://www.instagram.com/s.j.perraultauthor] TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@s.j.perraultauthor Support Drinks In The Library by following on Patreon [https://patreon.com/DrinksInTheLibrary?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink], for just $5 a month you will get ad-free episodes, bonus content, and support my work and the podcast! Our drink this week needs no explanation: The Life Saver Cocktail Ingredients * 3 oz dry champagne * ½ oz triple sec * Squeeze of fresh lemon juice Directions 1. Pour the triple sec and fresh lemon juice into a champagne flute. 2. Top slowly with chilled dry champagne. 3. Give it a gentle stir and serve immediately.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah with Kara Infante

The Nightingale [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-nightingale-a-novel-kristin-hannah/f3b7fef8e667edad?ean=9781250080400&next=t] by Kristin Hannah follows two sisters in Nazi-occupied France as they navigate love, loss, resistance, and survival during World War II. Through their very different paths, the novel explores the courage of ordinary women and the sacrifices made in the face of war. My guest this week is Kara Infante, a mom, wife and host of the Bookish Flights Podcast [https://www.bookishflights.com/podcast] At Bookish Flights [https://www.bookishflights.com/], Kara Infante and her guests tell their stories through the books they love. Each episode features a book flight - three thoughtfully paired books connected by a theme, topic, or genre. Think of it like a wine flight…but for books. Kara and I are both on each other’s shows this week, so head over there to hear me talk about 3 books I love by Xochitl Gonzalez [https://www.bookishflights.com/podcast/episode215] Drink Options: Lyre’s Classico NA Sparkling Wine [https://lyres.com/products/classico-case-of-24?tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=23702588052&tw_kwdid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23702590458&gbraid=0AAAABDAQ3PCRqPrEzRHSESwP2o7SnippI&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2YDQBhD_ARIsAE1qeSet-dmcKutOvtbQeOqrDdpbyCMEqO4guAriyDIm8zQ1NfIDBTGb7A4aAnRKEALw_wcB] Lavender French 75 Ingredients * 1 ½ oz Empress gin  * ¾ oz fresh lemon juice * ½ oz lavender simple syrup * 3 oz chilled champagne or prosecco * Ice Optional garnish: * Lemon twist * Dried culinary lavender Directions 1. Add gin, lemon juice, and lavender simple syrup to cocktail shaker with ice. 2. Shake well until chilled. 3. Strain into a champagne flute or coupe. 4. Top with sparkling wine 5. Garnish with a lemon twist or a pinch of dried lavender.  In this episode Bookish Flight Episode [https://www.bookishflights.com/podcast/episode65] with Kristin Hannah Books by Tracy Lange [https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=tracy+lange] The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-borrowed-life-of-frederick-fife-a-novel-anna-johnston/65647f91f6b1ba7b?ean=9780063397309&next=t]by Anna  Johnston The Road to Tender Hearts [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-road-to-tender-hearts-annie-hartnett/b817c97e9a7047a4?ean=9780593873441&next=t] by Annie Hartnett The Vanishing Half [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-vanishing-half-a-gma-book-club-pick-a-novel-brit-bennett/216921d46a917406?ean=9780525536963&next=t]by Britt Bennett Books by Kate Quinn [https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=Kate+quinn] Books by Marie Benedict [https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=marie+Benedict]

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens with Francine Prose

Great Expectations [https://bookshop.org/p/books/great-expectations-charles-dickens/c38909a6c67c2c52?ean=9780141439563&next=t] by Charles Dickens follows Pip, an orphan who rises from humble beginnings after receiving a mysterious fortune, believing it will transform him into a gentleman worthy of love. As he navigates London society, Pip becomes entangled with the eccentric Miss Havisham and her cold ward Estella, while slowly uncovering the true source of his wealth.  Francine Prose is the author of twenty-two works of fiction, including The Vixen, Mister Monkey, the New York Times bestseller Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, A Changed Man, and Blue Angel, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her nonfiction includes the modern classic Reading Like a Writer and the acclaimed memoir 1974: A Personal History. A former president of PEN America and a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is widely regarded as one of our most insightful and versatile contemporary writers. Her latest book, Five Weeks in the Country [https://www.harpercollins.com/products/five-weeks-in-the-country-francine-prose?variant=44044841680930] explores a fascinating moment which Francine describes as this: “In 1857, Hans Christian Andersen visited Charles Dickens, his wife and nine children in the British countryside for five comically and heartbreakingly awkward weeks. Telling their story seemed like the perfect way to talk about writing, love, marriage, children and two brilliant authors: a public figure in crisis and a houseguest, more at home in his fairy tales than in life, who overstays his welcome.” Valentine’s Claret Punch [https://oldlineplate.com/valentines-claret-punch/?doing_wp_cron=1777831504.6655199527740478515625] is our drink pairing, and is what Dickens and Anderson were drinking the night they met and led to the misunderstanding that led Anderson to believe he should visit the Dickens family for an extended stay! In this Episode Great Expectations [http://imdb.com/title/tt0038574/] - John Mills Film Great Expectations [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119223/]-  1998 Version

Sole Survivor by Derek Hansen with Heather Morris

In Sole Survivor  [https://www.harpercollins.co.nz/9780732257477/sole-survivor/] by Derek Hansen, Rosie Trethewey leaves her unhappy city life after inheriting a remote shack on New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island, hoping for a fresh start. There, she meets two isolated and troubled neighbors, Red O’Hara, a traumatized former prisoner of war, and Angus McLeod, a bitter retired policeman, whose lives she gradually changes. As outside forces threaten their island home, the three form an unlikely bond and learn to heal from the pain of their pasts. My guest this week is author Heather Morris [https://heathermorrisauthor.com/]. In 2003, Heather met Lale Sokolov, whose story inspired The Tattooist of Auschwitz, now one of the 21st century’s bestselling books and adapted in 2024 as a widely acclaimed Stan Original Series. It was followed by Cilka’s Journey and Three Sisters, completing the Tattooist trilogy. Her first contemporary novel, The Wish, was inspired by her years working in a public hospital, alongside families facing the toughest of times with love and courage. The Wish’s US publication date is May 5, 2026. Her upcoming novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, releases in October 2026, and tells the story of French Resistance fighter Andrée Levallois, who risked her life to protect one of her students during the war. Heather’s books have sold over 19 million copies worldwide. The drink this week is one Heather enjoys on vacation, and I enjoy most days: Chardonnay! I have to note that since Heather is in Australia and I am in the US, during the actual recording of this she was enjoying her morning coffee while I sipped a cold glass of wine. In this Episode Books [https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=heather+morris] by Heather Morris Pākehā [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81keh%C4%81] population New Zealand Māori [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81ori_people] People Crowded House [https://www.crowdedhouse.com/]Band Neil Finn [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Finn]

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck with Ashley Hall

Shark Heart [https://bookshop.org/p/books/shark-heart-a-love-story-emily-habeck/7c9a701ce57b9950?ean=9781668006504&next=t] by Emily Habeck is a surreal love story about newlyweds Wren and Lewis, whose marriage is upended when Lewis is diagnosed with a rare condition that will slowly transform him into a great white shark. As they confront grief, change, and the limits of love, the novel uses magical realism to explore what it means to stay connected when life becomes unrecognizable. A nonprofit leader by day, Ashley spends her free time volunteering; chasing down Richmond’s best hikes and restaurants with her friends, family, and pup; and adventuring across the globe. A recovering English major, she’ll take any excuse to turn a good read into a great conversation. Ashley is the Executive Director of Communities in Schools Chesterfield, and on May 12th they are having their first ever Adult Spelling Bee Fundraiser! You should definitely come to raise some money for a great cause, also - I will be one of their “Celebrity Spellers” so come witness me failing horribly at spelling!  Spelling bee tickets: https://cisofchesterfield.networkforgood.com/events/96878-cis-c-adult-spelling-bee-extravaganza [https://cisofchesterfield.networkforgood.com/events/96878-cis-c-adult-spelling-bee-extravaganza] Searn more about CIS: www.cisofchesterfield.org [http://www.cisofchesterfield.org/]  Our drink this week is the Metamorphosis Cocktail, which I absolutely loved - it literally changes colors!  Metamorphosis Cocktail  Ingredients  2 oz gin 1 oz butterfly pea tea (cooled) ¾ oz fresh lemon juice ½ oz Simple Syrup Ice Optional flair: Edible glitter  Black sugar or salt rim Lemon twist or edible flower Directions: Brew butterfly pea tea by steeping 1–2 tsp dried flowers in ½ cup hot water for 5–7 minutes; strain and cool. Fill a glass with ice and add 2 oz gin + 1 oz cooled butterfly pea tea. Slowly pour in ¾ oz fresh lemon juice and watch the color change from blue to purple. Stir in ½ oz simple syrup to taste, then garnish if desired. In This Episode Shadowlands Film Quote  [https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/anthony_hopkins_109163] (I could not remember who to attribute this to while we were recording) Speculative Fiction [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculative_fiction]