Book and a Beverage [102] – Amanda & Holly from Gun in Act One

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!

Give a big welcome to Amanda & Holly from Gun in Act One!

Name & Blog Name: Amanda & Holly
Tell us a little about your blog! Amanda: We’re sisters and have been blogging almost a year and a half. When visiting Holly almost 2 years ago I told her we should start a book blog because we like to read a lot of the same books and basically because I was fascinated by getting ARCs. Mostly because we find ourselves hilarious even when no one else does. This has become the most fun hobby! Even if we’re reading totally different books and we’re miles and miles apart we are talking constantly and that’s the best part.
What’s been your favorite post you’ve written so far? (Link us up!) Amanda: I think it has to be this post we did about my never ending struggle to read Game of Thrones. I love fantasy and I love long series of books typically. For some reason GoT was just not for me. My sister feels differently. I enjoyed reading this book mostly because I texted Holly constantly to comment and she cracks me up. People have very strong opinions about this series so its always fun to talk about.
Got anything special coming up we should know about? Amanda: I have a slight book pushing habit. So I may have begged my sister to read The Queen of the Tearling and I may have bought it for her so that she’ll do it. I am DYYYYYYYYYYYYYING to start reading the sequel, the Invasion of the Tearling very soon and we’ll be posting about that together.

Whatcha reading? Lauren Willig’s The Garden Intrigue, aka The Secret History of the Pink Carnation number-who-knows because the ordering of those books is kind of jacked up — but they are fun and we’ll be sharing about this book for the month of May over at The Bubble Bath Reader!
Where did it come from? (Library, purchased, publisher, etc) Holly: Bought for Kindle, Amanda: bought a hardcover
Any special reason you chose to feature this book? We’re posting several times in May on the Bubble Bath Reader about this book — you should join us! There are giveaways and Lauren Willig always does a Q&A about the books. The series is ending later this year sadly, but this is one of those smart series that is quitting while it’s still good so get on it!
What’s important that we should know about this book? Would you recommend it? Basically there are spies and romance and the Brits are constantly trying to best Napoleon. Its such a fun series! Mostly historically accurate, yet doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Whatcha drinking? Holly: Coffee | Amanda: I’m drinking local! Daisy Cutter Pale Ale from Half Acre Brewery. Always better in a fancy glass.
What’s your favorite thing to drink while reading? Holly: Coffee | Amanda: This is totally dependent on the time of day. Lots of coffee or lots of red wine.
Favorite beverage of all time. Go! Holly: Coffee | Amanda: Very dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. Not the most conducive to reading.

What are your top three books you would recommend to other people? It’s fair to say we are obsessed with the Lumatere Chronicles. We also have a healthy fascination with Robert Galbraith’s (meaning JK Rowling’s) Comoran Strike series. (Start here) And The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. I’ll keep reading everything she writes but her older stuff is the best!
What’s your proudest blogging/reading/writing moment? Holly: Finishing this book after FORever. Can one be proud of something that took nearly two decades to get around to? Don’t answer that | Amanda: I just love finding books that I know Holly and I will both love. We’ve had a thing for Indian weddings for years and then I came across A Bollywood Affair. Of course I demanded that we both read it ASAP and we both fell in love. There’s a book for every situation and every mood and I love finding the perfect fit! And I love blogging so I can talk to other readers.
Anything else you’d like to share? Holly: Amanda keeps this place up and running. I just show up and cause trouble. | Amanda: Thanks Brittany for having us! Someone come talk Tearling with me before I drive my sister crazy!

Thanks so much ladies! That was so much fun. I love Holly’s affection for coffee and hooray for drinking local! I do love Daisy Cutter. Yum!
I REALLY need to read the Lumatere Chronicles! I think there would be many happy people!