Drinks in the Library

Hello Libration Nation! This week I am talking with writer, library worker and avid reader Heather Knapp about a book that had a big impact on her as a child and kicked-off her love of reading: The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick. One of the characters in this story LOVES Chocolate, so Heather and I paired it with a Chocolate Martini Mocktail! Chocolate Martini Mocktail 3/4 cups milk...

But I gotta know what’s your Romanta-ta-cy? If you are Hannah “H Bomb” Hauck the answer to this is Fourth Wing and everything else that is coming next from Rebecca Yarros. This is a fun romp with my BFF as we discuss Fourth Wing and everything around the creation of this story, deep diving into both the smut and the publishing industry. Seriously, where else are you going to find this kind of cont...

This week I am talking with librarian James Hudson about The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, an American classic and a book that had a huge impact on James as a teenager. We recorded this episode on St. Patrick’s Day, and decided to celebrate with a Guinness Beer , probably the least phony beer out there and hopefully a choice Holden would respect. In this episode The Catcher in the Rye by JD S...

Giddy-up folks, we are talking about everyone’s favorite topic: DEATH. I loved talking with Kierston about all things death, funeral practices from around the world, grief, and love. Kierston is a library customer services supervisor and loves to read, especially books that teach her something new. You can follow her beautifully curated Instagram: @ oursharedshelves For our discussion Kierston cho...

This week I am joined by Dr. Stephanie Lau, she is research faculty in the School of Education at VCU, she has a Masters of Arts in Teaching as well as a PhD in Public Policy and Administration. She is also a wife and mom of two young boys, and on top of all this she has co-run our neighborhood bookclub with me since 2021! Stephanie picked one of the many books we have read for bookclub, Olga Dies...

Did you read the Anne of Green Gables series as a young girl and then walk through the woods pretending to be Anne and Diana? Yes? So did I and so did my friend Deanna! Talking with Deanna about this book was so much fun, celebrating Anne and the cultural impact this story has had. A famous Anne quote is: “I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”. Well, I’m so glad I live in a w...

Hello Libration Nation! This week I talk with realtor and small business owner Allison Schwalm about the book Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. This book is about all things hospitality and customer service and Allison expands on how it inspires her own business practices. It’s a great book for anyone who is aiming to grow their business, or is interested in showing caring and respect thro...

Hello Libration Nation! This week I’m joined by Haley Houghton, an educator and book enthusiast. The book we discuss is “ Lessons in Chemistry ” by Bonnie Garmus . For our drink we chose coffee (this was recorded in the morning and as busy moms we weren’t quite ready to get at it), and Haley added a little chemistry twist by making it in an Aeropress . In this episode we discuss turning 40, our tw...

Hello Libration Nation! This week’s episode features librarian Beka Castagna as we discuss her latest fantasy obsession, the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson . Beka walks me through the premise of the book, its characters, and the series role as one of the biggest-name fantasy series on the market. We also discuss this Wired article , which was my entree into the insanely complicated world of...

Hello Libration Nation! This week horror film enthusiast Matthew Knotts is here to talk about one of his favorite books and films “ The Exorcist ” by William Peter Blatty. The episode touches equally with the film side of the story as well as the book and was delightful and hilarious to record. For our drink we went with the Exorcist Cocktail from this website. The ingredients are: 3/4 oz of Lime...

I could not pick a better first guest than my life-partner, Bill! We discuss one of his favorite books Hyperion, land some pretty decent jokes, and consider the potential that we get cancelled on this very first podcast episode. Kidding (I hope!) The book is Hyperion by Dan Simmons , and Bill choose to pair our household beverage, a Gin & Fresca, or as we call them “A Girlfriend” (GF, get it?!...

Drinks in the Library is thinly library where drinks aren’t just allowed, they are required! Each episode librarian Gigi Howard interviews a guest about a much loved book and we pair it with a drink! Instagram: @DrinksintheLibrary www.drinksinthelibrary.com