The Last Ranger by Peter Heller with Sarah Glenn Marsh
Hello Libration Nation! I’m thrilled to welcome Sarah Glenn Marsh to this week's episode as we uncover the wonders of "The Last Ranger" by Peter Heller. A thrilling exploration of nature's beauty and human empathy, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat. And we've paired it with the citrusy and daring Lone Ranger cocktail—tequila, lemon, and a hint of rose—capturing the essence of adventure.
Sarah Glenn Marsh has been an avid fantasy reader since the day her dad handed her a copy of The Hobbit and promised it would change her life. She believes we all deserve happy endings and is an author of books for everyone, including many young adult, middle grade, and picture book titles. She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family, including one sweet daughter, one slightly dull sword, and the chaos of many pets, like a turtle named Muffin who she definitely did not bring back from any haunted swamp. We Could Be (Anti)heroes is her first adult novel and will be coming out Spring 2026.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler with Gretchen Gales
Hello, Libration Nation! 📚✨ This week, we’re diving into Parable of the Sower by the legendary Octavia Butler. If you haven’t read it yet, get ready—it’s a powerful, thought-provoking novel that feels more relevant than ever.
My guest this week is the lovely Gretchen Gales, a writer, teacher, editor, and occasional artist. Her first poetry chapbook Agora Alien Buddha Press, 2023) is available now. Gretchen's work has also appeared in Ms., HuffPost, Next Avenue, YourTango, Well + Good, and others. See more of her work at www.writinggales.com.
Our drink this week is a green tea highball, which pairs with the Earthseed, which if you have read the book you know is a major part of the story, and if you haven't read the book yet, now is your chance!
Now one last thing, if you love this podcast, do me a favor—take a moment to review, give us a star rating, and most importantly, tell two friends about Drinks in the Library this week. It makes a huge difference!
Green Tea Highball
2 oz. Whisky
2½ oz. Tea
½ oz. Simple syrup
½ oz. Lemon juice
Top up with Soda
Pour over ice in a highball glass, garnish with a lemon wheel.
In this Episode
Parable of the Sower Graphic Novel
John Green's take on Parable of the Sower
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten with Mair Downing
Hello, Libration Nation! 📚✨ This week, we're diving into Be Ready When the Luck Happens by none other than Ina Garten. And joining me is the fabulous Mair Downing!
Our drink this week is a classic Cosmopolitan because Ina Garten has a hilarious video she made at the beginning of the pandemic where she makes a giant, I mean GIANT cosmopolitan, Mair even brought over a giant martini glass for us to replicate it!
A little bit about Mair:
Mair transitioned into real estate from a Fortune 200 company because she wanted a career where she could make a real difference in people’s lives. Whether working with buyers, sellers, or investors—helping clients right-size or find that perfect river getaway—she believes in the energy that comes from realizing goals are within reach. And with Mair’s guidance, they are.
WHY MAIR?
Everything Mair does is focused on minimizing stress and maximizing joy. She is trained in developing strategies that enhance her clients' strengths, setting them up for early success. She values honesty and transparency and runs an accountable, process-centric business. Behind every seamless transaction is a great deal of preparation—she ensures that everything is in place to make the process feel effortless.
FREE TIME
When Mair isn’t showing homes or preparing listings, she’s cheering on her teen daughters in their various activities—soccer, volleyball, and basketball—or snuggling with her Havanese, Odie (and, of course, her husband, too!). She loves to travel, enjoy great food, and soak in all that life has to offer. For quiet moments, she finds peace sitting on a dock, watching the water glimmer with a good book. Favorite right now: Demon Copperhead.
So, grab your Cosmo and settle in for a great conversation! And before we dive in, I have a quick favor to ask—if you love this podcast, take a moment to review, give us a star rating, and most importantly, tell two friends about Drinks in the Library this week. It really helps us grow!
In this Episode
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë with Carrie Pruett
Our book this week is the classic love, revenge, and ghost story, Withering Heights by Emily Brontë, and my guest this week is Carrie Pruett.
Carrie is a power user of the Henrico County, Virginia library. She loves books, movies, and also loves podcasts about books and movies. She frequently appears on the podcast 'Worst Bestsellers' to talk about teenage vampires and horse girls. When she was 13, she accidentally read 'Wuthering Heights' because her mom told her it was 'like Pride and Prejudice.' (It wasn't). Ever since then, she has enjoyed stories about terrible people who make bad decisions, especially if they do it in English country houses.
Our drink this week is a Sam Smith beer from Yorkshire England, near the moors where Wuthering Heights is set. Sam Smith is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery, it even predates the Brontë sisters and was is a great drink to enjoy while reading this dark, brooding ghost story.
If you enjoy the show, please either head over to where you get your podcast and give me 5 stars and a review, or tell two people about it this week. This helps me grow the show and keep it going, as always, I appreciate your support!
Drinks in the Library Turns One Year Old!
Happy One Year Anniversary, Libration Nation! 🥳 One year ago, February 20, 2024 the very first episode of Drinks of the Library came into this world. I have so many thoughts on what this year has been like, but today I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way.
To celebrate I’ve put together a “clip” episode 🎬, on sitcoms they would call it a “flashback” episode which sounds much more mysterious than clip, but makes far less sense for a podcast, so here we are.
I wish I could have gotten a part of every single episode because I’ve loved them all in different ways, but my apologies this was not possible (also clips from 50 episodes would have been like 3 hours long and none of y’all are listening to that).
I love you so much, thank you for supporting your local library, & me ❤️ Gigi
In this Episode
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger with James Hudson
Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel with Valerie Adachi
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros with Hannah Hauck
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl Gonzalez with Stephanie Lau
Four Thousand weeks by Oliver Burkeman with Rebecca Schinsky
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume with Jess Harshbarger
Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas with Joyce Miller
A Doubter’s Almanac by Ethan Canin with Marty Mooradian
Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! By Kate Bowler with Lisa Varga
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson with Beka Castagna
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara with Allison Schwalm
The Friday Night Club by Sofia Lundberg, Alyson Richman, and MJ Rose with Izzie Call
Dog Songs by Mary Oliver with Amanda Sue Creasey
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang with Mary Jane French
Generation X by Douglas Coupland with David How
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and the Chronicles of Narnia Series by CS Lewis with Erin Surber
The Detective Josie Quinn Series by Lisa Regan with Kristin Miller
This week’s episode covers the Detective Josie Quinn series by Lisa Regan, a police procedural in a small town in Pennsylvania, and my guest this week is Kristin Miller. Kristin is an 80s baby who is an explorer at heart. She is a lifelong reader who recently returned to the US after living abroad in five different countries over nine years. She is now an elementary ESL teacher here in Virginia
Josie Quinn is a coffee fanatic getting drinks at her local coffee shop, so Kristin and I grabbed coffees from one of my favorite local coffee shops: Coco And Hazel!
In this Episode
The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan with Madison Schmidt
When I was a baby librarian there was not a book requested more than The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, and all the books that came after it in the series. I was so excited when this week’s guest wanted to talk about it!
Madison is a lover of history that hosts the history podcast It's a History Podcast that covers all things history. When she is not working on researching, recording, or editing, she has her nose in a book. While currently immersed in the “Romantasy” series of ACOTAR and Fourth Wing, Madison's love for fantasy started with the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series.
Having read the series all in one go, Madison has reread these books a number of times. They were an important part of her finding her love for fantasy, as well as furthering her love for reading.
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks with Nancy Houser-Bluhm
This week we are discussing The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and take life to the next level level by Gay Hendricks. This book encourages readers to go beyond their internal limits, release outdated fears and learn a whole new set of powerful skills and habits to liberate authentic greatness. I am joined this week with author Nancy Houser-Bluhm.
Nancy Houser-Bluhm lived in the foothills west of Denver, Colorado for over 25 years with her husband and menagerie of pets. She hailed from Michigan but growing up watching Bonanza, led to a longing to go west.. They have journeyed back to Michigan and are creating a new “Bluhmerosa”. Years of rock climbing and skiing shifted to biking, skiing, yoga, breathing in nature; and daily doses of writing with a variety of groups. Her most recent novel, The Nickel Loop was released July 22, 2024
Drink
In Nancy’s latest book the character enjoys the classic Four Roses Bourbon so Nancy and I sipped on that as we talked!
In this Episode
Dramione Fanfiction with Jaclyn Wilkins
’m so excited to bring you something a little different—not a book, but a genre that’s new to me: FanFiction. Specifically, Dramione Fanfiction, which features stories pairing Harry Potter villain Draco Malfoy with Hermione Granger, the series’ female lead, heroine, and Harry’s BFF. In this episode, I’m joined by a fellow RVA book-lover, Jaclyn Wilkins, who explains to me (and you!) the ins and outs of the Dramione Fanfiction world.
Jaclyn is the owner of The Bookmark, RVA's online mobile bookstore! She’s a stay-at-home mom whose favorite hobby—reading—turned into her dream job. She loves fantasy and world-building books the most and is always happy to recommend them to her customers. In her store, you’ll find new releases, pre-loved books, and bookish merchandise, all available at local markets in Richmond, VA. You can find details about her next stop on her Instagram, @thebookmarkbox. She’s eager to meet more book besties, so be sure to stop by and chat with her about your favorite books!
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut with Kat McCleese
Today we’re stepping into the surreal, tragic, and darkly comedic world of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five—a story about war, time travel, and what it means to say, 'So it goes.'
My guest this week is Kat McClesse. Kat is an Archaeologist with her M.A. in Bioarchaeology and an amateur photographer. Slaughterhouse Five has been one of her favorite books since childhood and sparked a lifelong interest in activism and human rights. She's has a passion for horror and has driven her fiance insane with "too many books" (his words). They live in Tuckahoe, Virginia with their 2 cats.
The protagonist of this story is Billy Pilgrim, a veteran of WWII who becomes unstuck in time. An important moment in the story is where time is explained as a bug caught in amber, so we paired it with an “Amber Old Fashioned”
Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finley with Julia Marshel
Artist and author Julia Marshel is someone who sees the world through a lens of wonder and joy. From a young age, Julia discovered that if you look closely, the world reveals an infinite variety of amazing things. That same sense of discovery became a gift she and her wife, Claudia, shared with their three daughters, raising them to see and celebrate the beauty in nature. Her books How Many Will We Find? and My Friend the Maple Tree illustrate this love and her desire to pass it on to others.
Our drink this week is a Boulevardier, which I chose because of its beautiful red color. Interestingly enough, the red in Campari originally came from Carmine, which is one of the colors Julia talks about in the episode, yes - bug blood!
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown with Sonya Durney
Join us on this week’s library advocacy podcast as we discuss Daring Greatly by Brené Brown with Sonya Durney, librarian and champion for open educational resources. We explore the challenges in libraries today, from combating book bans to equitable access, and draw Brené Brown library inspiration from Sonya’s journey. Support local libraries at UniteAgainstBookBans.org.
Animorphs by KA Applegate with Fiona Fenn
Hello Libration Nation! This week we are discussing the classic series Animorphs by K.A. Applegate. Animorphs is a collection of 54 middle-grade books in which five young adults are gifted the power to morph into animals. It was a bit of a cult phenomenon when it was originally published in the late '90s and has recently seen a resurgence online.
My guest is Fiona Fenn. Fiona is an author of fantasy novels that put complicated “heroes” front and center. A fan of villains, redemption arcs, and intense explorations of healing in all its forms, her debut novel, The Crack at the Heart of Everything, is a love letter to every villain who wanted to do better but never got the chance.
I so enjoyed this conversation with Fiona, talking about the Animorphs series and her love for it, as well as her experience writing and publishing her first novel and everything that goes into this process.
Our drink this week is a Flying Saucer, as the Animorphs series begins with the kids meeting an alien who has flown to Earth.
The Good Life by Robert J. Waldinger and Marc S. Schulz with David Crowley
Hello Libration Nation! In this week’s episode I’m chatting with David Crowley, nonprofit leader and podcaster, about The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Mark Schultz. Over a glass of Longevity Cabernet Sauvignon, we explored the Harvard study’s core finding: strong, meaningful relationships are key to happiness and health. David shared insights from his work with Social Capital Inc., which combats social isolation, and his personal journey maintaining relationships throughout various phases of life. Together, we reflected on building deeper connections in a digital age.
David Crowley founded Social Capital Inc. (SCI) over 20 years ago in his hometown of Woburn, Massachusetts. Under his leadership, SCI has grown to serve communities across the region while continuing to make a difference in Woburn. Prior to SCI, David was the Executive Director of Boston-based Generations Inc. (now Literations). He has been involved in AmeriCorps since the program began in 1993, and served as the founding Director of the Kentucky Community Service Commission, which oversees the program for the state. David graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Government. Unsure of his long term plans, and after many service activities in college, David set out to do a year of service in rural Kentucky, which began his career serving his community! In his free time, he enjoys cooking for his family, reading and walking nearby Horn Pond. He also shares his kitchen creations on his food & wine blog, Cooking Chat. He also hosts two podcasts: Cook Local, Eat Local and SCI's Cultivating Connections podcasts.
Drink
In this Episode
Cooking Chat (David’s Food & Wine Blog)
SCI’s Cultivating Connections Podcast
Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam
Recent NYT interview with Robert Putnam (not mentioned in the episode but really interesting read on loneliness)
Bird by Bird By Anne Lamott with Gigi Howard (Re-Release)
Librarian Gigi Howard gives her book recommendation of Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott’s book on writing.
Dog Songs by Mary Oliver with Amanda Sue Creasey
Dive into this week's Drinks in the Library as we explore Dog Songs by Mary Oliver with Amanda Sue Creasey, author, poet, and outdoor writer. Discover the meditative beauty of dogs, nature, and poetry, paired with Choice Organics Peppermint Tea—a soothing sip for a reflective journey. Perfect for dog lovers, poetry enthusiasts, and those seeking heartfelt inspiration. #BookPodcast
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy with Laura (LM) Elliott
Welcome back, Libration Nation! This week, join us as we dive into The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy, featuring award-winning author Laura Elliott, who shares insights from her historical novel Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves. Recorded at the Virginia Library Association Conference, Laura discusses Conroy's impact on her writing, and even shares his Iced Fruit Tea recipe! Tune in for a rich conversation on Southern storytelling, healing narratives, and Laura's latest work, Truth, Lies, and Questions in Between. If you loved this episode, please share, subscribe, and join us again!
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughn with Mary Jane French
Hello, Libration Nation! This week, we're diving into the vibrant world of "Paper Girls," an imaginative comic series by Brian K. Vaughn with artwork by Cliff Chiang. This series, which intertwines coming-of-age narratives with sci-fi elements, is a thrilling ride that takes us through time travel and interwoven destinies.
Joining me this week is comedian and bookseller Mary Jane French. Mary Jane has been performing Stand-up since she was 18-years-old. After starting her gender transition, she began cultivating material that captured her early experiences with transition and recorded it in a home-made special entitled Mary Jane French: Bearded Woman. Currently Mary Jane is producing comedy shows in Richmond, VA with Traverse Comedy.
This week, we indulged in a delightful drink choice: a warm, soothing apple cider, which is perfect as we slip further in our fall season, it’s a bit of a play on words, as Mary Jane explains, Apple products play a quirky role in the series. While ours was the classic non-alcoholic version, we can't forget to mention that apple ciders can be easily personalized with a splash of your favorite spirit, or simply enjoyed with a cinnamon stick for a spicy twist.
As always, if you enjoyed our lively discussion and want to help us grow our community, please share, like, review, and subscribe wherever you tune into our episodes. We appreciate your support and look forward to bringing more exciting conversations your way!
In this Episode
Garden Grove Brewing in Carytown
Bottoms Up Pizza in Shockoe Bottom
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series
Saga Series by Brian K Vaughn
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson with Grace Todd
Join us this Spooky Season on Libration Nation! In this chilling episode, host Grace Todd and I explore Shirley Jackson's classic, The Haunting of Hill House. Over Dark Manhattans, we dive into its eerie atmosphere, unsettling characters, and ghostly legacies. Perfect for horror fans, we blend humor with deep insights on female empowerment and family dynamics. Cheers to a frightfully good time!