Season 1 Episode 11 of Half Read. Season 1 is officially wrapped, but before we turn the page and close the chapter we never read, we thought it would be fun to look back at the books, drinks, and mainly the conversations and of course the unexpected moments that shaped our first season. In this epilogue, we talk about what surprised us about our adventure to start a podcast and what Season 1 became once the conversations started to move. We will also discuss what to expect for Season 2.

Cocktail: Lemon Creamy Margarita

Theme: S1 Rewind / Epilogue

Season 1, Episode 10 of Half Read. In this episode, we pull a theme from Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and explore survival, grit, and glamour. How do we navigate chaos; motherhood, career shifts, relationships, identity, while still trying to hold onto a sense of beauty, pride, and self? We talk about what we cling to, what life forces us to release, and how we rebuild with fire, ambition, and just a touch of elegance (because survival can be both messy and glamorous). All paired with this week’s cocktail: red or white wine, your choice. (elegant, graceful, resilient)

Theme: Survival, grit & glamour

Cocktail: Red or white wine (your choice)

Season 1, Episode 9 of Half Read. In this episode, we pull a theme from The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks and explore memory, love, and lasting commitment. How do we sustain relationships over decades, especially when faced with change, illness, or fading memory? And what does devotion look like when life forces us to love someone through their evolution their disappearance? All paired with this week’s cocktail: The No Julep, a classic mint julep (romantic, southern, timeless)

Theme: Memory, love & lasting commitment

Cocktail: The No-Julep: Classic Mint Julep

Season 1, Episode 8 of Half Read. In this episode, we pull a theme from Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James and explore power, fantasy, and the blurred lines between empowerment and cliché. How do we own our ambition, embrace desire, and redefine success and sexuality on our own terms? And what does it look like to feel powerful without performing power? All paired with this week’s cocktail: The Silver Tie Spritz — (sleek, elevated, sexy, approachable)

Theme: Power, fantasy & blurred lines

Cocktail: Fifty Shades of Slay: The Silver Tie Spritz

Season 1, Episode 7 of Half Read. In this episode, we pull a theme from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and explore passion, conflict, and generational divides. What happens when love, work, identity, or big life choices clash with family expectations, culture, or tradition? And how do we navigate loyalty, independence, and the desire to be fully seen? All paired with this week’s cocktail: Rosé-o & Juliet — a sparkling rosé with strawberries (romantic, bright, sparkling)

Theme: Passion, conflict, & generational divides

Cocktail: Rosé-o & Juliet

Season 1, Episode 6 of Half Read. In this episode, we pull a theme from Beloved by Toni Morrison and explore memory, trauma, and healing. How do the experiences we carry — spoken or unspoken — shape who we become? And what does it take to truly let go, forgive, or finally move forward? All paired with this week’s cocktail: the Be Loved Mule — a Moscow Mule with. blackberries (sweet, sharp, layered)

Theme: Memory, trauma, & healing

Cocktail: Be Loved Mule: Moscow Mule with blackberries

Season 1, Episode 5 of Half Read. In this episode, we pull a theme from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen and explore first impressions and assumptions. How often do our snap judgments — in love, work, parenting, friendships, or first encounters — shape outcomes? And can we unlearn them? We talk about how our assumptions can blind us, mislead us, or hold us back, and how seeing someone clearly often starts with seeing ourselves more honestly. All paired with this week’s cocktail: Pride & Prosecco — a Prosecco spritz with a twist of lemon.(witty, refined, effervescent)

Theme: First impressions & assumptions

Cocktail: Prosecco Spritz with a twist of lemon

Season 1, Episode 4 of Half Read. In this episode, we pull a theme from The Color Purple by Alice Walker and explore voice, resilience, and sisterhood. How do women empower each other to find their voices, reclaim their stories, and rise through the hardest chapters of their lives? All paired with this week’s cocktail: The Purple Haze — vodka with crème de Violette and lemonade (bold, vibrant, unapologetic)

Theme: Voice, resilience, & sisterhood

Cocktail: Vodka with Crème de Violette and lemonade

Season 1, Episode 3 of Half Read. In this episode, we pull a theme from Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and explore reinvention and self-discovery — especially what it takes to start over in your 40s. How do you make decisions without a map, embrace risk, and step into a whole new world, whether it’s travel, career, or even launching a podcast? We talk balance, boundaries, and breakthroughs while juggling all the roles we carry — mom, boss, employee, friend, sibling, daughter. All paired with this week’s cocktail: Eat, Pray, Love on the Rocks — a coconut margarita with lime (fresh, adventurous, bold).

Theme: Reinvention & self-discovery

Cocktail: Coconut Margarita with a fresh lime

Season 1, Episode 2 of Half Read. In this episode, we pull a theme from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and explore creation and responsibility — in relationships, aging, parenting, and even modern-day AI. When we create something, where does our responsibility begin and end? And when things spin out of control, how do we try to regain it… or do we? All paired with this week’s cocktail: the Franken-Wine — a red wine sangria with a dark berry base (moody, rich, and conversation-worthy)

Theme: Creation & Responsibility

Cocktail: Red Wine Sangria with a dark berry base