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 Madalyn from Novel Ink!
Name & Blog Name: Madalyn // Novel Ink
Tell us a little about your blog! Novel Ink is the brain child of three wonderful ladies: Christy, Erica, and myself. We post all kinds of bookish content, from reviews and discussions, to meme posts, to original content. The three of us have a shared love of reading (of course) and Netflix, but our tastes vary widely, so there’s something there for everyone! I just joined the blog last summer, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
What’s been your favorite post you’ve written so far? I really love writing my Tea Talk Thursdaydiscussion posts, and I hope to do more in the future. So far, my favorite has maybe been my discussion on rereading.
Got anything special coming up we should know about? The three of us definitely have some tricks up our sleeve to keep the blog fresh in 2017. We’ve all committed to reading primarily diverse and #ownvoices books this year, so look out for lots of posts and reviews revolving around books by marginalized authors about marginalized people. I’d also love to do some posts that incorporate music in some way, since I am studying music at my university!
Whatcha reading? Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
Where did it come from? (Library, purchased, publisher, etc) Purchased on my e-reader.
Any special reason you chose to feature this book? Other than the fact that it happens to be my current read, I think Tiny Pretty Things is severely underhyped! It’s written by two women of color, and 2/3 of the protagonists are of color, as well. The representation is A+, and it tackles so many important issues while also managing to be compulsively readable and entertaining.
What’s important that we should know about this book? Would you recommend it? It’s about ballerinas at an elite ballet school in NYC who will stop at nothing to get to the top (YES to ambitious girl protagonists in YA, am I right?), and it’s told through multiple perspectives. There are some romance elements, some mystery elements, and like I mentioned before, it also tackles serious issues like bullying, prescription drug addiction, eating disorders, and sexuality. Please take care if any of those topics are triggering for you! Oh, and also, it’s book one in a duology, and book two is already out. Basically, you have no reason NOT to read it. 😉
Whatcha drinking? I mixed some loose leaf earl grey with lavender today. I work part-time at a tea shop, so I love experimenting with different tea/herb combinations both in the shop and at home.
What’s your favorite thing to drink while reading? Literally any kind of hot beverage! Tea (all kinds), coffee (also all kinds), hot chocolate, cider… I don’t discriminate as long as I have a warm mug of something good in hand. Winter or summer, rain or shine, I obsessively drink hot drinks.
Favorite beverage of all time. Go! SUCH A DIFFICULT QUESTION. Hmm… my go-to at coffee shops is usually a London Fog (an earl grey latte with a bit of vanilla). I also will always be partial to the coffee my Brazilian family in Sao Paolo makes. I just love the coffee culture in Brazil in general.
What are your top three books you would recommend to other people? Oh man! Another hard one. Maybe the Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (or any other Sanderson book– I’m sure Brittany will agree, haha), the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray, and the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. I love fantasy and historical fiction!
What’s your proudest blogging/reading/writing moment? I have so many lovely little moments, but I really love that everyone at the School of Music at my university comes to me for book recommendations. It’s immensely validating to have your IRL friends and colleagues (some of whom don’t read often) trust you to rec them something they’ll enjoy, haha.
Anything else you’d like to share? Just want to say thanks to Brittany for featuring me on Book and a Beverage, and thanks to you guys for reading! <3
Thanks, Madalyn! Heck YES for Sanderson and Bardugo! Those are always some of my top fantasy recommendations too! Your tea blends sound so interesting too!!
1 thought on “Book and a Beverage [168] – Madalyn from Novel Ink”
Tiny Pretty Things has been on my TBR forever! Any book that has dancing or ballet will automatically top my TBR List. I was waiting for the second book to come out (so I didnt have to wait. Impatient), but now I have no excuse!