Literature & Libations

Kayla and Taylor discuss Kelly Barnhill’s 2022 novel When Women Were Dragons. Topics include societal restrictions for women, unabashed feminism, and the awesome power of libraries. Also, a wee tangent on the 2012 election…This week’s drink: Tom Collins via liquor.comINGREDIENTS:2 ounces London dry gin1 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed1/2 ounce simple syrupClub soda, to topGarnish: lemon wheelGarnish: maraschino cherryINSTRUCTIONS:Add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to a Collins glass.Fill with ice, top with club soda and stir.Garnish with a lemon wheel and maraschino cherry (optional).Current Reads and Recommendations: Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age by Reid MitenbulerFollow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next time as we discuss The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn JoukhadarHere is the beverage recipe for the upcoming episode if you want to drink along with us!City of Stars via BevvyINGREDIENTS:1 oz Gin1 oz Sweet Vermouth1 oz Campari1 barspoon St. Elizabeth Allspice DramOrange twist, star anise, or cinnamon stick for garnishINSTRUCTIONS:Add all ingredients except garnish to a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled.Strain into an Old-Fashioned glass over fresh ice.Garnish with an orange twist, star anise, or cinnamon stick and serve.

Kayla and Taylor continue discussing the themes and major beats in the second part of Mieko Kawakami’s 2008 novel Breasts and Eggs. Topics include the inevitable end of the human race, the vastness of space, and the tragedy of being born. It’s a really fun episode!This week’s drink: Ume Highball via DiversivoreINGREDIENTS:1 oz whisky1 oz umeshu1 tsp ginger juice (from crushed or grated fresh ginger)3.5 oz soda chillediceginger thinly sliced, to garnishINSTRUCTIONS:Prepare the ginger juice by grating a portion of fresh ginger and squeezing/straining out the juice.Fill a tall glass with ice (I like a nice crushed ice here, but it does tend to melt fast - use large pieces if you're looking for a slow sipper).  Combine the whisky, umeshu, and ginger in a small glass or cocktail shaker and pour down the side of the glass (rather than over the ice itself).Top with soda, once again pouring down the side of the glass.  Stir gently and garnish with a ribbon of thinly sliced ginger.  Serve immediately.Current Reads and Recommendations (and fun links!): All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick BringleyThe Cold Dish: A Longmire Mystery (#1) by Craig JohnsonEileen by Ottessa MoshfeghThe Self-Esteem (CBT) Workbook for Adults by Marcee A. MartinThe Interstellar Age: The Story of the NASA Men and Women Who Flew the Forty-Year Voyager Mission by Jim BellTranslating Myself and Others by Jhumpa LahiriBabel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. KuangStrange Beasts of China by Yan Ge (translated from the Chinese by Jeremy Tiang)I am the Brother of XX by Fleur Jaeggy (translated from the Italian by Gini Alhadeff)On Lighthouses and Linea Nigra: An Essay on Pregnancy and Earthquakes by Jazmina Barrera (translated from the Spanish by Christina Macsweeney)Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk (translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

Kayla and Taylor discuss the themes and major beats in the first part of Mieko Kawakami’s 2008 novel Breasts and Eggs. Topics include (titular) titties, the existential crises of 12 year olds, and the badass that is Mieko Kawakami. This week’s drink: Grapefruit Sake Cocktail via I Heart UmamiINGREDIENTS:3 oz Junmai sake (Nigori or Daiginjo or Ginjo Sake)2.5 oz gin (pure, distilled)3 oz grapefruit juice⅛ tsp grated fresh ginger rootTiny pinch ground nutmeg (optional)4-5 medium size ice cubes (plus extra for serving)Splash grapefruit sparkling water (chilled)2 sprigs fresh rosemary (garnish, optional)2 slices fresh grapefruit (garnish, optional)INSTRUCTIONS:In a shaker, add the sake, gin, grapefruit juice, ginger, a tiny dash of ground nutmeg powder, if using, and 4-5 medium size ice cubes. Shake 30-40 seconds.Pour the cocktail through a strainer filter into two cocktail glasses.Add a splash of grapefruit sparkling water. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and grapefruit slice, if using.Current Reads and Recommendations: Hell and Back by Craig JohnsonCrazy Mountain by Elise AtchisonFollow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next time as we discuss Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (part 2: chapter 12 to the end)

In this week’s bonus episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss contemporary books by Black/African-American authors to add to your TBR.Books, etc. discussed in this episode:The Underground Railroad by Colson WhiteheadBeloved by Toni MorrisonThe Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. JemisinThe Black Flamingo by Dean AttaAn American Marriage by Tayari JonesThe Sweetness of Water by Nathan HarrisMore authors to check out:Angie Thomas, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jesmyn Ward, Zadie Smith, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jacqueline Woodson, Helen Oyeyemi, Nnedi OkoraforFollow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next week as we discuss Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (part 1, up t chapter 12)Here is the cocktail recipe for next week’s episode if you want to drink along with us!Grapefruit Sake Cocktail via I Heart UmamiINGREDIENTS:3 oz Junmai sake (Nigori or Daiginjo or Ginjo Sake)2.5 oz gin (pure, distilled)3 oz grapefruit juice⅛ tsp grated fresh ginger rootTiny pinch ground nutmeg (optional)4-5 medium size ice cubes (plus extra for serving)Splash grapefruit sparkling water (chilled)2 sprigs fresh rosemary (garnish, optional)2 slices fresh grapefruit (garnish, optional)INSTRUCTIONS:In a shaker, add the sake, gin, grapefruit juice, ginger, a tiny dash of ground nutmeg powder, if using, and 4-5 medium size ice cubes. Shake 30-40 seconds.Pour the cocktail through a strainer filter into two cocktail glasses.Add a splash of grapefruit sparkling water. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and grapefruit slice, if using.

Kayla and Taylor discuss the themes and major beats of Morgan Rogers’s 2021 novel Honey Girl. Topics include Millennials, radio shows, and how we feel So Old when we read about young people.This week’s drink: Honey Rose Old Fashioned via Cocktail ContessaINGREDIENTS:0.75 oz honey-rose simple syrup2 oz bourbon2 dashes apple bittersGarnish: long orange peel rolled into an orange rose, a few dried rose budsINSTRUCTIONS:In a mixing glass, combine rose-honey simple, bourbon and bitters. Add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with large cubes of ice. Garnish with the orange rose and rose buds.For the Rose-Honey simple syrup:1 tablespoon dried rose buds1 cup water3/4 cup honeyBrew the rose buds in boiling water for 8 minutes like you would a tea (I used my teapot). Strain 1/2 cup of the tea into a glass measuring cup. While still hot, add 3/4 cup honey and stir well to combine. Let cool completely and keep in the fridge. It will keep for a couple of weeks, and a little longer if you add a bit of vodka to it before storing it. You can drink the remaining tea on its own, or make some of it into a rose simple syrup by adding 1/2 cup sugar to it.Current Reads and Recommendations: Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus MotumThe Disordered Cosmos: A Journey Into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-WeinsteinFriends of Shakespeare and Company Read Ulysses (podcast)The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie FordArticle about millennial novels: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/aug/17/what-makes-a-millennial-novel-olivia-sudjic Follow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next time as we discuss Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (part 1, stop at chapter 12)

In this week’s bonus episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss the life and legacy of Zora Neale Hurston, and offer up suggestions for more classics by African American/Black authors.Books, etc. discussed in this episode:The Weary Blues by Langston HughesInvisible Man by Ralph Ellison Giovanni’s Room by James BaldwinKindred by Octavia E. Butler Native Son by Richard Wright Quicksand by Nella Larsen The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story1619 podcastFollow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next week as we discuss Honey Girl by Morgan RogersHere is the cocktail recipe for next week’s episode if you want to drink along with us!Honey Rose Old Fashioned via Cocktail ContessaINGREDIENTS:0.75 oz honey-rose simple syrup2 oz bourbon2 dashes apple bittersGarnish: long orange peel rolled into an orange rose, a few dried rose budsINSTRUCTIONS:In a mixing glass, combine rose-honey simple, bourbon and bitters. Add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with large cubes of ice. Garnish with the orange rose and rose buds.For the Rose-Honey simple syrup:1 tablespoon dried rose buds1 cup water3/4 cup honeyBrew the rose buds in boiling water for 8 minutes like you would a tea (I used my teapot). Strain 1/2 cup of the tea into a glass measuring cup. While still hot, add 3/4 cup honey and stir well to combine. Let cool completely and keep in the fridge. It will keep for a couple of weeks, and a little longer if you add a bit of vodka to it before storing it. You can drink the remaining tea on its own, or make some of it into a rose simple syrup by adding 1/2 cup sugar to it.

Kayla and Taylor discuss the themes and major beats of Zora Neale Hurston’s classic 1937 novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Topics include The Audacity of Men, surviving a hurricane, and the realism of the characters.This week’s drink: Lemonade with Vanilla, Mint and Rosemary via Valerie Stivers at The Paris ReviewINGREDIENTS:8 cups cold water8 large lemons1 1/4 cups granulated sugar10 sprigs fresh mint1/2 vanilla bean, scraped seeds and pod1 sprig fresh rosemaryINSTRUCTIONS:Pour the water in a large pot and bring to a boil.While the water is coming to a boil, halve the lemons, juice them, and put both lemon juice and juiced lemon halves in a very large nonreactive bowl that can take heat and won’t be too full to stir.Add the sugar, two sprigs of the mint, the rosemary and the vanilla seeds and pod.Pour the boiling water over the mixture. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then let sit for 20 minutes.Stir again and strain.Discard the solids and pour the strained lemonade into mason jars to chill.Serve over ice, garnished with the extra sprigs of mint.Current Reads and Recommendations: Home Cooking podcastFollow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. 

You heard it right! We're havin' ourselves a giveaway! The goal of this giveaway is to expand our listenership by obtaining more ratings and reviews by you fine people! We will reward you with fun prizes, don't worry!TO BE ENTERED YOU MUST SCREENSHOT YOUR RATING OR REVIEW!Send that screen shot to literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com, or send it so us via DM on our IG page, @literatureandlibationspod!*IF YOU DO NOT SEND A SCREENSHOT, YOU WILL NOT BE ENTERED*You can obtain more entries by:1. Following us on IG @literatureandlibationspod (1 Entry)2. Tag a friend on our Giveaway Post on IG (1 Entry)3. Share our Giveaway Post on your IG story (1 Entry)The prize is a Literature & Libations tote bag, a book from a list of our future reads for the pod, and some other small goodies!Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has been listening to our lil pod and thank you to everyone who participates in the giveaway!

In this week’s bonus episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss more debut novels that you should add to your TBR! Plus, Taylor reveals her criminal past…Books, etc. discussed in this episode:Sense and Sensibility by Jane AustenEileen by Ottessa MoshfeghLincoln in the Bardo by George SaundersThe Tiger’s Wife by Tea ObrehtNightbitch by Rachel YoderThe Secret History by Donna TarttThere There by Tommy OrangeThe Night Circus by Erin MorgensternI Capture the Castle by Dodie SmithThe Song of Achilles by Madeline MillerA Place for Us by Fatima Farheen MirzaThe Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn HuynhA Woman is No Man by Etaf RumFollow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next week as we discuss  Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale HurstonLemonade with Vanilla, Mint and Rosemary via Valerie Stivers at The Paris Review

Kayla and Taylor discuss the themes and major beats of Parini Shroff’s debut novel, The Bandit Queens. Topics include dark humor, the realness of the women in the book, and the genius of Parini Shroff.This week’s drink: Spicy Mango Moscow Mule via Fresh FlavorfulINGREDIENTS:3 oz ginger beer1.5 oz vodka (jalapeno or habanero infused, optional)1 oz mango puree.5 oz lime juice (½ lime)1 ¼ inch jalapeno roundINSTRUCTIONS:Make mango puree. Peel mango and add flesh to a blender or food processor, reserving a few spears for garnish. Add the juice of ½ a lime and enough water to process the fruit and turn it into a pourable puree. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days.In a large shaker add 1 jalapeño round (de-seeded if desired). Press down with the back of a wooden spoon or a muddler to crush, releasing the oils.Add mango puree, vodka and lime juice. Fill shaker with ice and shake to combine.Strain mixture over ice in a copper mug or tall glass. There's no need to strain over ice if omitting the jalapeño, simply pour it all in a mug instead.Top with Ginger Beer and garnish with a chili-dipped mango spear.Follow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next time as we discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston