18. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

It’s Spooky Season! Kayla and Taylor discuss the themes and major beats of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House. Topics include the eccentricities of Shirley Jackson, how Mrs. Montague is The Worst, and a quick dive into the Netflix adaptation. This week’s drink: The Nellie via Carla Davis at 1428elm.comINGREDIENTS2 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin1 oz honey simple syrup1 egg white½ oz lemon juice (or juice from 2 lemon wedges)INSTRUCTIONSCombine gin, honey simple syrup, and egg white in a shaker; shake dry (no ice) for 20-30 seconds, as hard as you can. You can add a blender ball to help create the frothy foam you are trying to achieve with the egg white.Add ice, remove blender ball (if using), and shake again 3-5 seconds, until the shaker starts to get cold. Do not over shake, as the foam will break and fall flat.Strain into your glass of choice. Immediately before drinking, add the lemon juice to the drink for the “ghostly apparition” to appear.For the honey simple syrup: heat ½ cup honey, ½ cup sugar, and 1 cup water and bring to a simmer. Let cook until desired thickness. Note: it will appear thin and runny in the pan, but when cooled, it will have a thicker syrup consistency.Current Reads and Recommendations:I Capture the Castle by Dodie SmithTune in next week for a bunch of spoooooky book/tv/movie recommendations!Follow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at [email protected] leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library.