Drinks in the Library

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi is about an 86-year-old Portuguese widower who arrives in a small Southern town in Georgia. He spends his year there buying local pencil portraits from a coffee shop wall and gifting them back to the people they depict. Through these quiet meetings, his deep kindness and close attention change the lives of the townspeople.

MaryCatherine Price is the Digital Streaming Executive Producer at Channel 8News in Richmond, where she also hosts a behind-the-scenes podcast called The Rundown. She’s happily married to her comic-book-loving, jambalaya-making husband Alfred. She loves reading books that wreck her, drinking iced coffees and playing fetch with her sweet pup Percy. 

An opening scene in the book depicts Theo raving about a local coffee-shop’s Espresso, so that’s what we sipped on. I am not a Barista but they turned out pretty well!

I wanted to mention a group for those of you in the Richmond Area might be interested, it’s called RVA Book Professionals and Students on Facebook, for networking with others who make the RVA bookish community happen.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/drinks-in-the-library/donations

The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor is a folk horror and mystery novel about Reverend Jack Brooks and her teenage daughter, Flo, who move to a remote English village seeking a fresh start. The village of Chapel Croft carries a dark history of past martyrdoms, missing teenagers, and the recent suicide of the previous vicar. As Jack investigates these intertwined tragedies, Flo begins seeing frightening apparitions of burning girls linked to the town's buried secrets.

Erin Palmer hosts a podcast called Did You Read The Book? Along with her friends, Erin dissects movie adaptations—from cinematic masterpieces to films that apparently treated the source material like a La Croix tastes; fruit flavors screaming in another room. She celebrates the rare times Hollywood gets it right, lovingly roasts the times it absolutely doesn't, and argues over whether cutting your favorite character was "necessary" or just a personal attack. Expect hot takes, behind-the-scenes trivia, and unapologetic opinions dripping with sarcasm. So grab your popcorn, dust off that novel you've been meaning to reread, and join Erin and her guests as they compare the book, the movie, and the creative decisions that keep therapists employed.

Smoked Rosemary Bourbon Sour Cocktail
Ingredients
 2 ounces Bourbon
 3 ounces lemonade
 Dash bitters
 Rosemary sprig

Directions
Carefully light rosemary on fire, letting burn until some of the leaves are ash. Place into a glass.
Combine bourbon, lemonade, and bitters in a shaker half-filled with ice and shake well.
Strain into glass over the smoked rosemary.

First ever Patreon-only episode is now live! Find me on Patreon.com/Drinksinthelibrary to listen to Bill’s fifth episode of the pod and hear us discuss how much we did not enjoy the drink pairing - a Dirty Shirley
Thank you for being a part of Libration Nation!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/drinks-in-the-library/donations

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historical narrative that chronicles the Great Migration, the decades-long exodus of nearly six million Black Americans fleeing the oppressive Jim Crow South for Northern and Western cities. Wilkerson captures the immense scale of this demographic shift through intimate, intertwined biographies of three individuals—Ida Mae Gladney, George Starling, and Robert Foster—who relocated during different eras and to different destinations. Their personal journeys of hardship, perseverance, and triumph serve as a microcosm for the millions who reshaped American culture, politics, and urban life.

My guest this week is Adriana from Bring Me Books! Adriana is the creator behind Bring Me Books, a literary platform dedicated to amplifying Black literature, nonfiction, and stories that challenge the way we think. She has built a community of more than 45,000 readers who believe that books are more than entertainment, they’re tools for liberation, critical thinking, and meaningful conversation. 

As the founder of Truth Club, her signature nonfiction book recommendation series, Adriana curates thought-provoking recommendations that encourage readers to think more critically about history, culture, politics, identity, and the world around them. She has interviewed acclaimed authors and entertainers, been featured in Fox 2 News, Sirius XM Radio and partnered with major publishers and literary organizations that center Black voices, history, and culture. 

Known for her signature blend of humor, honesty, and intellectual curiosity, Adriana has become a trusted voice in the book community, helping readers discover works that educate, challenge, and inspire.

Sun Tea
Ingredients
4–6 tea bags (black tea, green tea, or your favorite herbal tea)
1 gallon cold water
Lemon slices, fresh mint, or fruit (optional, for serving)
Ice
Sweetener, such as sugar or honey (optional)
Directions
Place the tea bags in a clean 1-gallon glass jar or pitcher and fill with cold water.
Cover the container and set it in a sunny spot outdoors for 2–4 hours, depending on how strong you like your tea. Avoid steeping longer than 4 hours.
Remove the tea bags. Refrigerate the tea until thoroughly chilled.
Serve over ice with lemon, mint, or fresh fruit if desired. Sweeten to taste, stirring well until dissolved.
Note: Be very careful when brewing Sun Tea. For food safety, use clean equipment and refrigerate the tea promptly after brewing. Discard any tea that becomes cloudy, slimy, or develops an off smell.
First ever Patreon-only episode is now live! Find me on Patreon.com/Drinksinthelibrary to listen to Bill’s fifth episode of the pod and hear us discuss how much we did not enjoy this week’s drink - a Dirty Shirley!
Thank you for being a part of Libration Nation!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/drinks-in-the-library/donations

The Half Life by Rachel Beanland is a novel set on a remote Italian island, about a navy wife’s reckoning with power, love, and the price of staying silent in the Atomic Age. I loved this book and reached out to Rachel and her team to see if we could do a special Drinks in the Library episode, I was thrilled when she said yes!

Rachel Beanland is the author of the novels, The House Is On Fire and Florence Adler Swims Forever. Her latest novel The Half Life, is coming out July 14, 2026, which is also the date this episode is airing, so if you are listening to this - go out and get a copy now!

Our drink this week is an Aperol Spritz, there is just nothing else that says perfect Italian summer at the beach!
Aperol Spritz
Ingredients
3 oz Prosecco
2 oz Aperol
1 oz club soda
Ice
Orange slice, for garnish
Directions
Fill a wine glass with ice.
Pour in the Prosecco, followed by the Aperol.
Top with the club soda.
Gently stir to combine.
Garnish with an orange slice and serve immediately.

Announcing a Patreon subscribers only episode coming out this week over at Patreon.com/DrinksintheLibrary, we will be discussing Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, so if you have been thinking about joining us over there, this is the time to do it!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/drinks-in-the-library/donations

To support Drinks in the Library and listen to ad-free episode and additional bonus content, subscribe on Patreon

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien is a timeless adventure novel, tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. Can a simple hobbit resist the corrupting power of the One Ring and succeed where great warriors have failed?

My guest this week is Salaam Bhatti, a public-interest lawyer, husband, and father of two boys, and is running as a Democrat for Congress to fight for families across Virginia’s 1st District.
Salaam is a child of immigrants who came to America to pursue the American dream. While at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, he led bipartisan efforts to expand SNAP food assistance for 25,000+ families, helped secure free school meals for tens of thousands of children, and increased cash assistance for families by historic amounts. You can find out more about him at salaamforva.com

Evenstar Elixer

Ingredients

2 oz tart cherry juice
1 oz white grape juice
½ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz rosemary simple syrup (or honey syrup for a warmer flavor)
2–3 oz sparkling water
Ice

Directions

Fill a glass with ice.
Add the tart cherry juice, white grape juice, lemon juice, and rosemary syrup.
Stir well.
Top with sparkling water.
• 5. Garnish with the rosemary sprig and cherries.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/drinks-in-the-library/donations