99. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

In this week’s episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss Gabrielle Zevin’s 2014 novel The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Topics include a seemingly lackluster movie adaptation that we definitely will end up watching, the Hallmark movie premise that’s very well written, our desire to monologue in real life, reading short stories, literary fiction vs. genre fiction, chicken pox and shingles, what spices we would be, the elegance of picture books, the triumphs and perils of middle school/high school English classes (shout out to Mr. Solorio, the GOAT), the perfect amount of sentimentality in this book, and the dream of owning a bookstore.This week’s drink: Hot Buttered Rum via Friday Night CocktailsINGREDIENTS:2 oz gold rum1 TB buttered rum batter*Boiling water, to topCinnamon stick, for garnishINSTRUCTIONS:In a mug, add the rum and batter. Fill with boiling water and stir until the batter is dissolved. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.*For the buttered rum batter: In a large bowl, combine ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temp), ¼ cup honey, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ⅛ tsp ground cloves, and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge (or freezer).Current/recommended reads, links, etc.:Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan KennedyThe Henna Artist by Alka JoshiThe Art of Gluten-Free Bread by Aran GoyoagaFollow 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. Join us next time as we read If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio.