Welcome back to BOOK AND A BEVERAGE!
In case you don’t know the deal about Book and a Beverage, it’s a very simple yet fun feature: We read books, we drink beverages, we take pictures of them and then I share your photos and a little about you to the blogging world!
Let’s all say hello to Molly from Wrapped Up In Books!
Name & Blog Name: Molly @ Wrapped Up in Books
Tell us a little about your blog! I review a books of all kinds, including picture books, middle grade, adult fiction, nonfiction, but mostly YA because I’m an MLIS student who works in a high school library and as a YA librarian assistant at my local public library. I also occasionally share posts about library programs and displays. On most Fridays I write about feminist issues for my Feminist Fridays feature.
What’s been your favorite post you’ve written so far? (Link us up!) The most popular post on my blog (by an embarrassingly wide margin) is this one about the final installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series and my reaction to completing a series that had so fundamentally changed my reading habits. But perhaps my favorite post is the one that made Heidi at Bunbury in the Stacks tear up. I wrote about Firsts and Lasts and Poison by Bridget Zinn. It’s the most personal post I’ve written, and I was a bit nervous to put it out there, but am glad I did. It was very cathartic.
Got anything special coming up we should know about? I’m participating in the Classics Retold project in September. I’ve been focusing on Norse Mythology, which has nothing to do with my interest in a certain Viking vampire Eric Northman or the actor who plays him on television, Alexander Skarsgard.
Whatcha reading? All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry
Where did it come from? (Library, purchased, publisher, etc) The library! I try to maintain a balance between reading ARCs and books from the library. And someday I’ll get around to reading all the books I actually buy…
Any special reason you chose to feature this book? My hold at the library came in today! This book was just published and was one I didn’t get as an ARC. I couldn’t wait to dive in, as it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year!
What’s important that we should know about this book? Would you recommend it? I’ve just started it, but I already am in love with the writing. I was a lurker on The Rejectionist, Sarah’s blog, way back when, so I was so excited to read this book. So far, it’s not disappointing me! It’s about two friends, rock and roll, and a mysterious musician who threatens to come between them (oh, and he might unleash evil on the world). If you’re into myth-based YA, lyrical writing with a paranormal twist, or stories with musical elements, you should check it out.
Whatcha drinking? I’m drinking a light, refreshing Chardonnay. It’s actually Bota Box! Before I quit my (much more lucrative) job to go back to library school, work at the public library, and write a novel, I was in a lot of monthly wine clubs and drank much fancier wine…but this summer I’ve been happy with a convenient box chilling in the fridge! I used to be skeptical of box wine…but this one I wholeheartedly endorse.
What’s your favorite thing to drink while reading? It depends on the time of day! In the morning it has to be coffee. I love lattes from my favorite coffeeshop, Henry’s, especially when my favorite barista is working. In the evenings I most often drink wine or Tanqueray and tonic with lime. My famous mango margaritas are for special occasions. I never drink tea and as much as I’ve tried to find a beer I like, the closest I’ve come is hard cider. Angry Orchard is my favorite.
Favorite beverage of all time. Go! On my honeymoon, Mister BS and I visited several wineries in the Santa Cruz mountains just south of Half Moon Bay. Our favorite was Savannah Chanelle, where we met the most charming elderly Italian winemaker you could ever imagine. He told us stories about falling in love and moving to America and making wine and it was such a lovely afternoon. We bought a lot of wine at that winery, including the last case of the 2002 Armagh Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir. And it was the most delicious wine I’ve ever had, to this date.
What are your top three books you would recommend to other people? Oh, how hard is this question!?! A huge part of my job is reader’s advisory, so for me, that question all depends on the tastes and interests of the person I’m recommending books to. So since this is just general, I’ll list the books that I recommend for myself. The first is Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins, but it must be read aloud with a group of friends, preferably during a snowstorm, like I did my senior year of high school. I cannot stress enough the importance of learning the difference between criminals and outlaws (and the purpose of the moon). The second is The Sharp Time by Mary O’Connell, which sometimes I think was written just for me. It’s a whirlwind of vintage fashion, subversive bakeries, pawn shops, monks, and grief. The first YA novel I ever fell in love with was Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger. It introduced me to zine culture and Ani Difranco and I felt less alone for being hopelessly in love with a gay guy when I was 16.
What’s your proudest blogging/reading/writing moment? I’m really proud of this piece I wrote for YALSA’s The Hub (where I am a regular contributor) titled “What We Talk about When We Talk about Strong Heroines in YA Fiction.” I’m also very proud that I finished Infinite Jest this spring, and that my library director emailed me personally to tell me not only how much he loved that book and the story of how he bought it on the day of its release, but how much he loved my “How to Read Infinite Jest” post I wrote for our library’s blog.
Anything else you’d like to share? Books and beverages are pretty much my two favorite things (besides irony) so I really enjoy this feature! I’ve loved discovering new bloggers through it. Thanks for having me.
Thanks so much, Molly!! It’s so wonderful to hear you’ve found a few new bloggers through the feature! And hey… Nothing wrong with a good boxed wine! 🙂
