Drinks in the Library – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens follows Pip, an orphan who rises from humble beginnings after receiving a mysterious fortune, believing it will transform him into a gentleman worthy of love. As he navigates London society, Pip becomes entangled with the eccentric Miss Havisham and her cold ward Estella, while slowly uncovering the true source of his wealth. 

Francine Prose is the author of twenty-two works of fiction, including The Vixen, Mister Monkey, the New York Times bestseller Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, A Changed Man, and Blue Angel, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her nonfiction includes the modern classic Reading Like a Writer and the acclaimed memoir 1974: A Personal History. A former president of PEN America and a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is widely regarded as one of our most insightful and versatile contemporary writers. Her latest book, Five Weeks in the Country explores a fascinating moment which Francine describes as this: “In 1857, Hans Christian Andersen visited Charles Dickens, his wife and nine children in the British countryside for five comically and heartbreakingly awkward weeks. Telling their story seemed like the perfect way to talk about writing, love, marriage, children and two brilliant authors: a public figure in crisis and a houseguest, more at home in his fairy tales than in life, who overstays his welcome.”

Valentine’s Claret Punch is our drink pairing, and is what Dickens and Anderson were drinking the night they met and led to the misunderstanding that led Anderson to believe he should visit the Dickens family for an extended stay!

In this Episode

Great Expectations - John Mills Film

Great Expectations -  1998 Version

In Sole Survivor  by Derek Hansen, Rosie Trethewey leaves her unhappy city life after inheriting a remote shack on New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island, hoping for a fresh start. There, she meets two isolated and troubled neighbors, Red O’Hara, a traumatized former prisoner of war, and Angus McLeod, a bitter retired policeman, whose lives she gradually changes. As outside forces threaten their island home, the three form an unlikely bond and learn to heal from the pain of their pasts.

My guest this week is author Heather Morris. In 2003, Heather met Lale Sokolov, whose story inspired The Tattooist of Auschwitz, now one of the 21st century’s bestselling books and adapted in 2024 as a widely acclaimed Stan Original Series. It was followed by Cilka’s Journey and Three Sisters, completing the Tattooist trilogy.

Her first contemporary novel, The Wish, was inspired by her years working in a public hospital, alongside families facing the toughest of times with love and courage. The Wish’s US publication date is May 5, 2026. Her upcoming novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, releases in October 2026, and tells the story of French Resistance fighter Andrée Levallois, who risked her life to protect one of her students during the war. Heather’s books have sold over 19 million copies worldwide.

The drink this week is one Heather enjoys on vacation, and I enjoy most days: Chardonnay! I have to note that since Heather is in Australia and I am in the US, during the actual recording of this she was enjoying her morning coffee while I sipped a cold glass of wine.

In this Episode

Books by Heather Morris

Pākehā population New Zealand

Māori People

Crowded House Band

Neil Finn

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a sharp, witty exploration of love, class, and social expectation in Regency-era England, centered on the spirited Elizabeth Bennet and the enigmatic Mr. Darcy. As misunderstandings and first impressions give way to self-awareness, the novel reveals how pride and prejudice can obscure, and ultimately illuminate, the path to happiness.

Alexandra Potter always dreamed of becoming a writer. After graduating from the University of Liverpool with a degree in English Literature, she moved to London, where she worked for various magazines. A brief detour—sparked by redundancy—led her to travel to Sydney, where she secured a position at Vogue. It was during this time that a chance article about novelists under the age of thirty inspired her to finally take the leap and try her hand at writing a novel.

Her latest book, So I Met This Guy, is out now, and she will be embarking on a book tour in both the US and the UK Tickets Here!

Nothing pairs more with English sensibility than a cuppa tea, which Alex and I both enjoyed during our conversation across the pond!

In This Episode

Brontë Parsonage

Lizzy Bennett Diaries - web series

Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter

Chawton House

Pride and Prejudice BBC

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding

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 of your choice

1 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

3 tbsp chocolate syrup

Whipped Cream (optional)

1 teaspoon flaked chocolate for garnish (optional)

In this episode

Brave New World

Famous People with Epilepsy

Ready Player One

Percy Jackson Series

Bluey TV Show

A Clockwork Orange

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 content?! Hannah also made her own cocktail for this episode, “The Wingleader”, a light twist on a Margarita!

The Wingleader

1.5 oz Tequila

1 oz Triple Sec

.5 oz Lime Juice

2 oz Orange Juice

1 oz Club Soda

.5 oz Agave

In this episode

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Elhors Danlos syndrome

Red Tower Books

Rebecca Yarros Romance Novels

Ranganthan’s Five Laws of Library Science

Book Riot Podcast - First Edition

Rebecca Yarros Non-Profit One October

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 Salinger

Various Catcher in the Rye covers

Papyrus SNL skit

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Coming thro’ the Rye poem by Robert Burns

Rushmore film by Wes Anderson

The Royal Tenenbaums film by Wes Anderson

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 chose From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty, a mortician who is fascinated by death. There are so many different funeral and burial practices around the world and this book explores many of them.

For our drink we went witha beer: the Rogue Dead Guy Ale, which is delicious and a great choice to go along with the title.

In this episode:

Ask a Mortician - Caitlin Doughty’s YouTube

Human Remains Project in Cullowhee NC (Correction: In the pod I misremembered this program being at UNC Pembroke - It’s at Western Carolina University. Apologies to the entire UNC school system!)

Congratulations! The Best is Over by R. Eric Thomas

Celebrating Dia de los Muertos in Mexico

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 Dreaming Xóchitl González. Olga is a wedding planner in Brooklyn trying to find her way, but will her mother-turned-Puerto-Rico-revolutionary ruin all her plans? This book is LAY-ERED, there is so much about family, parenthood, Puerto Rican history, love, loss, and maybe everything else in-between. We had a great time talking about this book and I loved the thoughtfulness Stephanie came to this conversation with, and how much of the nuance from the novel she was able to cipher out and demonstrate what a tremendous book this is.

For the drink we chose a Caipinhara, which is the national drink of Brazil and absolutely delicious. Why did we choose a Brazilian drink to discuss a book largely about Puerto Rico? You will just have to listen to the episode to find out!

Caipinhara Recipe

½ lime, quartered

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 ½ fluid ounces cachaça (Brazilian rum)

1 cup ice cubes

Squeeze and drop lime wedges into a large rocks glass. Add sugar and muddle until juices release.

Pour in cachaça and ice. Stir well.

Although I was not able to find a Zero-proof cachaça, using a Ritual Rum will work to make a refreshing alcohol free option!

In this episode:

Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA)

Caipinhara

Anita de Monte Laughs Last - Xóchitl González latest book!

Vote for DITL for Best Podcast at Richmond Magazine (voting is going until April 26th!)

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 world where there is an Anne of Green Gables.

Spoiler alert (Not really this is an iconic scene at this point): In the first book Anne accidentally gets her bestie Diana drunk on current wine, which she believes is raspberry cordial. Current wine apparently takes months, so we decided to make Raspberry Cordial Mules, which can be enjoyed with or without alcohol by making it with zero-proof vodka. I got the recipe from this lovely website and made the cordial myself in less than an hour!

Raspberry Cordial Mule

12 oz. Frozen Raspberries

3 cups Water

¾ cup Sugar

2 tsp. Lime Juice plus more for cocktails

Vodka

Ginger Beer

Fresh Raspberries (for garnish)

In this episode:

Deanna’s Instagram

Anne of Green Gables 2 part special (Megan Fellows version is cannon)

LM Montgomery

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 through service. Also, this is the book Richie is reading during season one of The Bear! I have never felt cooler.

For our drink Allison chose a Paloma, which is a favorite of both of ours and I think feels very “restauranty” and fancy. We recorded while Allison was doing dry January, so we made it non-alcoholic by using Ritual Tequila which I bought at Ceremony, an adorable and very hip shop in the Fan RVA, check it out!

You can find Allison on Instagram: Allison Schwalm and Allison Schwalm Summit Properties

Paloma Recipe (Non-Alcoholic)

3 ounces Ritual tequila (2 oz if using alcoholic tequila)

2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice, plus wedges for garnish

2 ounces club soda

½ ounce lime juice

¼ ounce simple syrup

Lastly a shameless plug for you to vote for Drinks in the Library as the Best Podcast for Richmond Magazine’s Best & Worst list. I also endorse Allison Schwalm as Best Entrepreneur for this list, please include us in your voting activities!

Here is a list of things discussed in this podcast:

Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

Summit Properties Allison’s Realty Company

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Ceremony Dry Bottle Shop

Ritual Tequila (Non- alcoholic)

Young Mother in Richmond

11 Madison Park NYC

The Big Brunch Cooking Show

The Bear TV Show

Brené Brown Books