Literary Elixirs

This episode I am joined by historical fiction author Robert Gott.

Robert is the author of The Holiday Murders, The Port Fairy Murders and in 2019 The Autumn Murders a series of hard-boiled historical whodunits set in 1940’s Australia. He has also written the William Power series of crime-caper novels also set in 1940s Australia.

We discuss book fatigue, writing an unlikeable character, the uselessness of history and Jane Austen!

The pairings:

Jeeves and Wooster Omnibus by PG Wodehouse

Bertie is embroiled in plot and counterplot in these three glorious Jeeves and Wooster novels. In The Mating Season, Bertie pretends he is his old pal Gussie Fink-Nottle to ensure Gussie's engagement to the soppy Madeline Bassett comes to no harm. The Code of the Woosters finds Bertie in an even worse mess. His fearsome Aunt Dahlia has blackmailed him into purloining a particularly hideous cow-creamer from the home of Sir Watkyn Bassett. Unfortunately, other parties have their own plans for the unsavoury item, and for Bertie too. In Right Ho, Jeeves, Bertie takes matters in hand when Jeeves suggests Bertie's friend Gussie Fink-Nottle puts on scarlet tights and a false beard to achieve the object of his desire. As usual, only Jeeves can sort out the ensuing chaos.

Robert chose to pair a very, very, very dry martini with this series as it is elegant and graceful whilst being totally unrealistic and removed from reality!

The postman always rings twice by James M Cain

Cain’s first novel–the subject of an obscenity trial in Boston, the inspiration for Camus’s The Stranger–is the fever-pitched tale of a drifter who stumbles into a job, into an erotic obsession, and into a murder. Double Indemnity–which followed Postman so quickly, Cain’s readers hardly had a chance to catch their breath–is a tersely narrated story of blind passion, duplicity, and, of course, murder. Mildred Pierce, a work of acute psychological observation and devastating emotional violence, is the tale of a woman with a taste for shiftless men and an unreasoned devotion to her monstrous daughter.

Robert enjoys the spare writing and would suggest a bourbon to pair with this author. The only bourbon he had on hand was a honey and ghost pepper bourbon with a sweet heat to go with these grim and somewhat violent stories. 

Space Opera by Catherynne Valente

Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix - part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete.

Eurovision in space could only be paired with a drink inspired by Eurovision itself!

Justine recommends a Rocket To The Stars, inspired by Eurovision contestant - SLAVKO KALEZIĆ from Montenegro Who sang ‘SPACE’ in 2017.

The cocktail involves watermelon, basil, sugar syrup and gin. It’s super sweet, yet super dry and will leave you mildly confused as to what just happened!

This episode I am joined by author Mirandi Riwoe.

Mirandi is the author of the novella The Fish Girl, which won Seizure’s Viva la Novella Prize and was shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize and the Queensland Literary Award’s UQ Fiction Prize. Her work has appeared in Best Australian Stories, Meanjin, Review of Australian Fiction, Griffith Review and Best Summer Stories. Mirandi has a PhD in Creative Writing and Literary Studies and lives in Brisbane. She also writes the Heloise Chancey historical crime series under a pseudonym MJ Tjia. Her latest novel is Stone Sky Gold Mountain.

The pairings:

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant--and that her lover is married--she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations.

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.

Mirandi paired this beautiful story with a delicious and spicy Korean beef soup.

The Singapore Grip (Empire Trilogy #3) by J.G. Farrell

Singapore, 1939: life on the eve of World War II just isn't what it used to be for Walter Blackett, head of British Singapore's oldest and most powerful firm. No matter how forcefully the police break one strike, the natives go on strike somewhere else. His daughter keeps entangling herself with the most unsuitable beaus, while her intended match, the son of Blackett's partner, is an idealistic sympathizer with the League of Nations and a vegetarian. Business may be booming—what with the war in Europe, the Allies are desperate for rubber and helpless to resist Blackett's price-fixing and market manipulation—but something is wrong. No one suspects that the world of the British Empire, of fixed boundaries between classes and nations, is about to come to a terrible end.

A love story and a war story, a tragicomic tale of a city under siege and a dying way of life, Mirandi pairs this beautiful book with the Stengah, a drink made from equal measures whiskey and soda - refreshing yet strong, simple and elegant.

This episode I am joined by Emma White, Children and Youth Coordinator at Hobsons Bay Libraries and the current Convenor of the Public Libraries Victoria, Children’s and Youth Services Special Interest Group!

Emma has worked in public libraries for over 10 years, and is a passionate advocate for children and young people in library spaces. Emma has spent lockdown moving her cat off her keyboard during Zoom meetings, continuing home renovations with her partner and learning to make her own polymer clay earrings.

This episode we are talking about finding the best resources for kids in lockdown, plugging local libraries (of course!), our favourite children's books and just what we would pair with them for a fabulous reading experience!

The Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin Kristy's Great Idea      Book #1

Kristy thinks the Baby-sitters Club is a great idea. She and her friends Claudia, Stacey, and Mary Anne all love taking care of kids. A club will give them the chance to have lots of fun - and make tons of money. But nobody counted on crank calls, uncontrollable two-year-olds, wild pets, and parents who don't always tell the truth. And then there's Stacey, who's acting more and more mysterious. Having a baby-sitters club isn't easy, but Kristy and her friends aren't giving up until they get it right!

Emma loves this series for its wonderful portrayal of young girls beginning to find their way as young women, its focus on friendship and community and for how good the tv series adaptation has been!

She pairs this series with a Jellybean cocktail - a nostalgic classic, sweet but not too sweet, with enough colour, brightness and freshness and oomph for the whole club!

Jellybeans only for the tweens of course ;)

Amazing Australian Women: Twelve Women Who Shaped History by Pamela Freeman and Sophie Beer

Meet twelve amazing Australian women who have changed the world, in small ways and large. Some of them are world famous, like Annette Kellerman and Nellie Melba. Some of them are famous in Australia, like Mary Reibey and Edith Cowan. All of them deserve to be famous and admired. These women are the warriors who paved the way for the artists, business owners, scientists, singers, politicians, actors, sports champions, adventurers, activists and innovators of Australia today.

Emma loves how inspiring and informative this book is. Whilst it is a junior non fiction book it is told in a wonderfully readable narrative way which makes you want to find out more about each of these amazing women.

She paired this amazing Australian book with an amazing Australian gin! The Kangaroo Island Spirits Mulberry Gin makes for a pretty darn delicious gin and tonic, punchy, sweet and tart and quintessentially Australian.

It’s an interesting time to be in Melbourne right now, for me the current vibe is quite different from the first lockdown. Then there was an almost frenetic energy about needing to isolate. Now, at least what I am feeling, is a bit more of a malaise, you know? That general feeling of discomfort, unease and it’s also a little bit heavy, like there’s a weighted blanket on you and staying in bed is just the best you can do right now. And that’s okay if so.

I really struggle to read books in times like these. Where I would normally read a few books a week, right now I'm lucky to get through one. And trying to read a new book, even one I am super interested in, is quite tough. There are days I manage it, and there are days when I reach for my comfort reads.

So today I wanted to share these with you, these favourite comforting, gentle and sometimes not so gentle reads and perhaps they can help you get some reading in too.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer is a favourite which I paired with a delicious La Sirene wild ale - the Praline - in episode 2.

In episode 9 whilst chatting with the lovely Australian speculative fiction writer Samantha Marshall I recommended The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and paired it with a delicious warming coconut turmeric latte.

I spoke about I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith in episode 12 with the lovely librarian and youth advocate Adele Walsh and paired a wholesome chicken soup or chamomile tea with it for a warm and relaxing reading experience.

To Ride Pegasus (#1 in the Talents Saga) by Anne McCaffrey is the first in a series which I love to re-read all 8 books of when times are a little bit more difficult. Futuristic yet Old Fashioned I paired this with a warming Cocoa Old-Fashioned cocktail.

The Elenium and The Tamuli series by David Eddings. Knights on quests, Gods and magic, handsome men and strong women. Read with an Imperial IPA for a hearty, warming time!

American Hippo by Sarah Gailey. 1890s Louisiana, with hippos. Feral hippos. Hippo ranchers and outlaw hippo wranglers. Queer misfits on a quest. Paired with a Tequila Honeysuckle for a lip-smacking lime and alcohol hit.

The Babysitters Club on Netflix - fresh take on a classic, light and lovely, diverse and fun! Made me want a spider (ice cream soda) for the first time in years!

This episode I am joined by librarian Andrew Kelly.

Andrew is a library professional from Perth who has worked in both public and special libraries. He has spent the last few years earning a name for himself in the world of library makerspaces and 3D printing. In 2017 he helped set up the Perth branch of newCardigan - a group for Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museum workers, and is currently newCardigan Treasurer.

This episode we did something a little different … a few weeks ago I posted a pairing of a favourite read of mine, The Rook by Daniel O’Malley. Andrew saw my post on Twitter and we started chatting about the fact that he had not read the book, but had watched the TV series and loved it and was nervous about reading the book, and I had not watched the TV series as I didn’t want it to ruin the book!

So we made a pact to each read or watch the other format of this story and report back.

We will be doing some pairings but first, a rant!

The pairings:

The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the ageing Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. But it's about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunnelling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other.

Andrew paired this book with a classic Daiquiri cocktail, refreshing and delicious! 

All Systems Red (Book 1 in the Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. However, in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighbouring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

This is a delightfully snarky, fun, fast-paced page-turner. I love the main character of Murderbot, it is so darkly, drily sardonic. I would pair this with something really salty but really fun to drink. When I was looking at what cocktails that might be I stumbled across this delicious sounding drink, the Ponche de Champagne which is a punch (yes, that is a mild reference to Murderbot’s capabilities)  that includes salt - roasted plantain syrup, banana, passion-fruit, star- anise and cinnamon with champagne floated on top.

This episode I am joined by award-winning horror writer Kaaron Warren.

Kaaron is a Shirley Jackson award-winning Australian author who published her first short story in 1993.

Her short stories and novels have won Australian Shadows Awards, Ditmar Awards and Aurealis Awards. She has published 5 multi-award winning novels, her debut Slights, Walking the Tree, Mistification, The Grief Hole and Tide of Stone. Her most recent novella is a gothic-styled ghost story, Into Bones Like Oil, which has been shortlisted for a Shirley Jackson Award, the Bram Stoker Award and the Aurealis Award.

Kaaron chatted with me about writing across genres, finding the humour in horror, embodying characters and being inspired by the stories behind an object. And she recommended some pretty awesome books too!

The pairings:

Mapp and Lucia by E. F. Benson

A series of novels about Emmeline "Lucia" Lucas and Elizabeth Mapp, the stories are a subtly brilliant comedy of social rivalry between the wars, featuring humorous incidents in the lives of (mainly) upper-middle-class British people in the 1920s and 1930s, vying for social prestige and one-upmanship in an atmosphere of extreme cultural snobbery. Emmeline Lucas (known universally to her friends as Lucia) is an arch-snob of the highest order. In Miss Elizabeth Mapp of Mallards Lucia meets her match. Ostensibly the most civil and genteel of society ladies, there is no plan too devious, no plot too cunning, no depths to which they would not sink, in order to win the battle for social supremacy. Using as their deadly weapons garden parties, bridge evenings and charming teas, the two combatants strive to outcharm each other - and the whole of Tilling society - as they vie for the position of doyenne of the town.

Kaaron loves this series but particularly this story (#4) as it is full of funny, beautiful and yet somewhat nasty characters! She would pair it with Lobster a la Riseholme - a secret recipe known only to the character Lucia - and a nice glass of sherry :)

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley

Set in a bleak strip of coastline in the north west of England in the 1970s, it’s the story of two brothers who accompany their parents and members of their parish on a pilgrimage one Easter. The novel is narrated by one of the brothers from a point in the far future. He recalls the pilgrimage of that Easter in the 1970s and wants to record what happened because a body has recently been found in the area that they visited. He feels a fierce sense of protection over his brother who he nicknames Hanny. As boys they were incredibly close because Hanny was mute up until that Easter and they shared a special communication. However, the boys' mother Esther (who the narrator refers to as Mummer) is determined to cure Hanny's muteness by appealing to God and puts him through a series of ardent prayers and rituals to cure him.

Kaaron couldn't recommend this tense, gloomy yet, according to her, hilarious, novel and the compelling questions it raises about faith, life's meaning and family. She suggests pairing it with a slow-cooked stew and buckets of tea. When questioned she confirmed no human bits are to be used in the stew!

Joining me for this episode’s online chat is award-winning Melbourne writer, Angela Savage!

Angela always wanted to be a writer, but figured she needed to live an interesting life first in order to have something worth writing about. She spent most of the 1990s living and working on HIV projects in Southeast Asia, before returning to Australia, where she alternated between writing fiction and working in the community sector. Her debut novel, 'Behind the Night Bazaar', won the 2004 Victorian Premier's Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, and she won the 2011 Scarlet Stiletto Award for short fiction. Angela holds a PhD in Creative Writing, giving her the Bond villain-like title of Doctor Savage. Her new novel 'Mother of Pearl' was published in 2019 and she is currently the Director of Writers Victoria.

Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe

Family circumstances force siblings Ying and Lai Yue to flee their home in China to seek their fortunes in Australia. Life on the gold fields is hard, and they soon abandon the diggings and head to nearby Maytown. Once there, Lai Yue finds a job as a carrier on an overland expedition, while Ying finds work in a local store and strikes up a friendship with Meriem, a young white woman with her own troubled past. When a serious crime is committed, suspicion falls on all those who are considered outsiders.

Evoking the rich, unfolding tapestry of Australian life in the late nineteenth century, Stone Sky Gold Mountain is a heartbreaking and universal story about the exiled and displaced, about those who encounter discrimination yet yearn for acceptance.

Angela loved the description in the book of a dried plum - sometimes called a dried prune - and thought that nothing would pair better with this book than this particular bittersweet delicacy. 

Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch

In 2006, Tara June Winch’s startling debut Swallow the Air was published to acclaim. Its poetic yet visceral style announced the arrival afresh and exciting new talent. This 10th anniversary edition celebrates its important contribution to Australian literature.

When May's mother dies suddenly, she and her brother Billy are taken in by Aunty. However, their loss leaves them both searching for their place in a world that doesn't seem to want them. While Billy takes his own destructive path, May sets off to find her father and her Aboriginal identity.

Her journey leads her from the Australian east coast to the far north, but it is the people she meets, not the destinations, that teach her what it is to belong.

Angela loves road trips and suggested that the best pairing for this story is your favourite road trip food, her pick was pies and boy does she know her pie shops!

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

In a London flat, two young boys face the unbearable sadness of their mother's sudden death. Their father, a Ted Hughes scholar and scruffy romantic, imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness.

In this moment of despair they are visited by Crow - antagonist, trickster, healer, babysitter. This self-described sentimental bird is attracted to the grieving family and threatens to stay until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and physical pain of loss gives way to memories, this little unit of three begin to heal.

Justine loved this haunting, heartbreaking evocation of grief and of healing. She suggested a chocolate martini as the perfect soothing, creamy pairing needed to help you through it. 

My recommendation for you today was also published in 2012, like my last one and is also by an Australian author, but there I think the similarities end - except for the fact that they are both cracking good reads of course!

The Rook by Daniel O’Malley open with Myfanwy Thomas waking up in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves and holding a letter with the opening line:

"The body you are wearing used to be mine."

With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.

In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.

This is a richly imagined world, a creative and complex urban fantasy with British Spies, monsters and a super dry, badass female protagonist, it is richly inventive, suspenseful and it’s an absolute page turner!

I’d pair this book with a rich and intense red wine, something with depth that is fruit-driven, acidic and has a jammy-ness to it, a moreish-ness. Probably a Shiraz from the Heathcote area in Victoria. And much like drinking a good shiraz, you won’t want to stop reading this book once you start!

Today I am here to let you know that I am going to be taking a two week break in order to do a bit of planning. Never fear, I do have a book recommendation and pairing for you and will have one for next week also.

I wanted to take this opportunity to ask you, the Literary Elixirs community, what you have enjoyed most over these last 18 episodes? What would you like to hear more of? Feel free to comment on the Literary Elixirs facebook, twitter or instagram posts or msg me with any of your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

So, my recommendation for you today is The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina, book one in The Tribe series.

Three hundred years into the future our world is destroyed by an environmental crisis called The Reckoning. During The Reckoning the tectonic plates shifted resulting in one large landmass which emerged from the flood waters. This landmass is divided into cities and is heavily governed to keep The Balance in order.

People start being born with unusual abilities called Firestarters, Menders, Sleepwalkers and many more. The new government calls them Illegals and sees them as a threat. Ashala and some fellow illegals have taken refuge in the Firstwood where they form a Tribe and are hidden and free and can develop their abilities and try to save others.

But when she is betrayed by a friend and captured by an enemy, Ashala is forced to succumb to a machine that will pull secrets from her mind. Will the Tribe survive the interrogation of Ashala Wolf?

This is a typical dystopian novel … at first … but there is a twist and suddenly you are on a very different journey than what you thought. I also love love love how the author weaves in Dreamtime stories seamlessly and creates a wonderful fully-realised world.

Though it is the first in a series, the novel reads like a stand-alone, tying up enough loose ends to satisfy, while still leaving you wanting more. This is one of the few series I have ever read where each book is as good as the rest! And they are not just good, they are pretty great actually!

So, what do i suggest you pair with this book? Well, for this original, unpredictable #OwnVoices story I suggest something a little bit different.

Have you ever heard of a Reunion Cocktail

This is a layered cocktail with the bottom layer grenadine, aperol, gin and lemon myrtle syrup, the middle layer grapefruit juice and then Australian malbec is floated on top.

I’d use a Sunburnt Country Larrikin Bush Tucker Gin from Ballarat which includes a number of Australian botanicals which - with the Aussie malbec and lemon myrtle - link us back to the rich cultural references in this book, the aperol and grapefruit give a bitterness, a sharpness and a punch - this is a bit of a thriller so that works! -  this is then tempered somewhat by the grenadine which is tartly sweet and i think that references the love storyline which develops throughout this story.

There may also be a clue in the name of the cocktail about the twist in the book … but I won’t say anything more!

Enjoy!

This episode I am joined by Leonee Derr, who, for the last 20 years has dedicated her work-life to serving and supporting community - particularly those under-served, under-represented and those most experiencing marginalisation. She has worked in public libraries for the last 14 years with the majority of her advocacy focussed on amplifying voices of youth and young adults. In 2012 she received a scholarship to travel the world gathering evidence, doing research and participating in work placements. Her research explored how physical space and place, architecture and its design, create an atmosphere that signifies inclusion or exclusion to young people.

Leonee has used her passion and voice to share important and crucial ideas about radical librarianship, social justice having a place in libraries, the myth of neutrality and safety amongst many other topics around the world presenting at conferences and publishing papers. Most recently, she and 4 other library leaders wrote the paper Who Do We Think We Are? Understanding Diversity in the Victorian Public Library Workforce.

Leonee is currently on a sabbatical from public libraries focussing on writing and storytelling to build community in her role as a content producer for a fortune 500 company.

Leonee and I talk about issues such as stigma, breaking down barriers and amplifying voices of marginalised groups, uplifiting humanity and reading to understand our past, inform our present and support our future. 

There is a little passionate swearing involved ...!

The pairings:

One Hundred Years Of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

A landmark 1967 novel that tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family, whose patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founded the town of Macondo, a fictitious town in the country of Colombia. It chronicles the irreconcilable conflict between the desire for solitude and the need for love—in rich, imaginative prose that has come to define an entire genre known as "magical realism."

The Yield by Tara June Winch

Knowing that he will soon die, Albert ‘Poppy’ Gondiwindi takes pen to paper. His life has been spent on the banks of the Murrumby River at Prosperous House, on Massacre Plains. Albert is determined to pass on the language of his people and everything that was ever remembered. He finds the words on the wind.

August Gondiwindi has been living on the other side of the world for ten years when she learns of her grandfather’s death. She returns home for his burial, wracked with grief and burdened with all she tried to leave behind. Her homecoming is bittersweet as she confronts the love of her kin and news that Prosperous is to be repossessed by a mining company. Determined to make amends she endeavours to save their land – a quest that leads her to the voice of her grandfather and into the past, the stories of her people, the secrets of the river.

Profoundly moving and exquisitely written, Tara June Winch’s The Yield is the story of a people and a culture dispossessed. But it is as much a celebration of what was and what endures, and a powerful reclaiming of Indigenous language, storytelling and identity.