Welcome into The Reading Lounge. Sarah and Cynthia discuss Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan. Big Girl is a coming of age story of an obese young woman growing up in Harlem and discovering who she is and through the complex relationships in her world. Did we like it? Hint: One of us gave it a coveted five star rating!

Enjoy the read along with this month's cocktail: Starving Artist.

Starving Artist

1 oz vodka

1/2 oz Campari

1/2 oz pineapple juice

2 oz proseco

In a shaker with ice, combine vodka, Campari, and pineapple juice. Shake briefly and strain into a flute or couple. Top with proseco and serve chilled.

Other books mentioned in this episode:

1. The Hollow Half by Sarah Aziza
2. You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue
3. Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
4. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Sarah and Cynthia talk about the Booker Fiction Prize long list of finalists. Which are we adding to our TBR list!

Check out https://thebookerprizes.com/ for more information and details on the 13 books long listed for the fiction prize.

We'll see you in The Reading Lounge!

Cynthia and Sarah discuss Typewriter Beach by Meg Waite Clayton. With dual timelines set in 1950s and modern day Hollywood, themes of loss, found families, and inequality are explored.

Hear about the other books we've read including:

• Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky
• The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen
• Who is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon
• They're Going to Love You by Meg Howrey
• Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

This month's cocktail should be an award winner - delicious!

The Starlet

4 mint leaves

3/4 oz silver tequila

1/2 oz elderflower liqueur

1/2 oz simple syrup

1/2 oz lime juice

3 oz champagne

Starfruit for garnish (very optional)

In a cocktail shaker combine simple syrup, lime juice, and mint leaves. Use a muddler or wooden spoon to muddle the mint. Add tequila and elderflower liqueur and fill shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a glass and top with champagne.

Shake up a cocktail and join us in The Reading Lounge.

What are Sarah and Cynthia reading this summer? Find out in this bonus episode of The Reading Lounge. Learn about six books you may want to pack into your summer tote bag. And don't forget the summer beverage. Sarah shares her recipe for homemade Limoncello. We used this beautiful liquor to make a Limoncello Spritz.

3 oz Prosecco

2 oz Limoncello

1 oz Club Soda

Sprig of Mint (optional)

Meet us in The Reading Lounge!

Sarah and Cynthia discuss the novel The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick. It is the early 1960's and four very different women in a DC suburb come together to discuss The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. Perhaps "The Bettys" as they come to call themselves will take some of the books messages to heart and life. Listen in and decide if you want to add it to your summer reading list.

Along with their discussions, "The Bettys" enjoy a cocktail - or two. We tried one of their favorites: The Vodka Stinger.

2 parts vodka

1 part Creme de Menthe

(we added a drop or two of green food coloring)

Mix over ice in a cocktail shaker and serve in a chilled martini glass.

Listen in to the episode to get the mocktail recipe.

Other books we mention in this episode:

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Sarah and Cynthia discuss historical fiction novel, The Swan's Nest, by Laura McNeal and dive into the love story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning framed by the backdrop of industrial London, tainted wealth, and limited choices from their families and society.

This episode's cocktail is fittingly called, The Poet.

2 oz rye whiskey

1/4 oz simple syrup or honey

1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled

1 lemon wedge

2 sprigs mint

splash of soda water (we used more than a splash)

Muddle the ginger, lemon, and one sprig of mint in the simple syrup. Add ice, whiskey, and soda then mix well. Add the second sprig of mint as a garnish if you are feeling fancy. Who doesn't want to feel fancy! We added the second sprig.

Welcome to The Reading Lounge! This month Cynthia and Sarah discuss Hum by Helen Phillips. A work of speculative fiction that leaves a long-lasting impact. In the novel, we follow one woman as she makes a variety of choices tobring her family closer together while living in a not-to-distant future world of AI. We had much to say about this novel and we think you will, too.

Here are the others books mentioned :

Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

The Story Collector by Evie Woods

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino

This month’s cocktail and mocktail is called BotanicalGarden. Read the book and it will all make sense!

Botanic Garden – original recipe

50 ml Pineapple Tequila

20 ml Lime juice

20 ml Basil syrup

25 ml Pineapple juice

Basil leaves

Top with prosecco

Mix first five ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain intoa cocktail glass. Top with prosecco and gently stir. Garnish with a basil leaf.

Our Mocktail Botanic Garden

Same ingredients minus the tequila and adding club soda.

Mix lime juice, pineapple juice and basic syrup in shakerwith ice. Pour into glass and top with club soda and mix. Garnish with basil.

Enjoy!

We each highlight a few new books that we're adding to our TBR list. Plus, we have a Spring cocktail you may enjoy whenever you find some reading time in this new season.

Vodka Thyme Lemonade

1 C sparkling lemonade

3 oz vodka

1 sprig thyme

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and pour over ice!

In this episode of The Reading Lounge Sarah and Cynthia discuss West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Inspired by a true story, Rutledge takes us on a journey with a pair of giraffes, their caretaker, and our storyteller across the country headed for the San Diego Zoo. A tale told against the backdrop of The Great Depression makes for great discussion. Join us while sipping on this month's cocktail, a Giraffe's Print!

2 oz spicy golden rum

1 oz Amaretto

1 oz fresh lemon juice

1 oz simple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 egg white

Ice

Orange peel (we used lemon peel) for garnish

Add rum through bitters into shaker with ice and pour into your favorite cocktail glass. Whip up egg white and add a dollop to top. Garnish with citrus peel.

Enjoy!

Welcome to The Reading Lounge! Sarah and Cynthia discuss Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford. Perhaps not many find fame in the sunset of their lives but Mrs. Quinn's love of baking puts her front and center. The unexpected fame also illuminates the cost of keeping secrets in a nearly 60-year long marriage. If you enjoy The Great British Baking Show as much as we do, the setting for this fun and engaging novel will make you smile and keep turning page after page.

Let's not forget this episode's cocktail - A Sticky Toffee Fizz!

You'll need:

1 oz. Spiced Rum

1/2 oz. Butterscotch liqueur

1/2 oz Caramel Toffee liqueur

1 2/3 oz Brut Champagne/sparkling wine

We made a few modifications - listen in to find out what to do when you can't find Caramel Toffee liqueur!

Thank you for joining us in The Reading Lounge.