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 Jessica from A Midsummer Night’s Read!
Name & Blog Name: Jessica & A Midsummer Night’s Read
Tell us a little about your blog! I started Midsummer back when I was getting my Master’s Degree in English Literature back in January 2012. It basically was an outlet for me to have to express my enjoyment and love of Young Adult literature, since most of Graduate School was studying classic literature and contemporary classics, Midsummer gave me the little bit of freedom to read what I wanted to study. I ended up doing my Master’s thesis on Young Adult Dystopian literature (In 2012 it was still a hot commodity), further cementing my love for the genre. Midsummer grew from there and I’ve had a few fabulous collaborators take part over the years, Missy was the first person to join Team Midsummer, and now Olyvia has joined with me to make the blog what it is now!
What’s been your favorite post you’ve written so far? I think my favorite posts are the following: The first one I chose is specifically for one of the best books I’ve ever read, UPRISING by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Why is this post a favorite? Because it includes historical facts and educational information as well as the review.
The other post I was particularly proud of was my review of RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard because it made me have so many Marxist feels, which took me back to my thesis.
Got anything special coming up we should know about? I am on the blog tour for WINTERSONG, and I cannot wait to share my review with the world. I’m obsessed with Labyrinth and this Labyrinth inspired retelling is wonderful. Go preorder it now!
Whatcha reading? The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Where did it come from? (Library, purchased, publisher, etc) Two of the copies I’ve had since I was in High School and Undergrad, respectively. The hardcover copy was a gift from a friend.
Any special reason you chose to feature this book? Not only is The Awakening one of my all time favorite reads, but I am the host of a feminist book club, and the reading choice for February 2017 is The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Plus, the more people I can convince to read this amazing novel, the better!
What’s important that we should know about this book? Would you recommend it? Kate Chopin’s novel was banned in a number of states because of its dangerous message of female empowerment and individuality. It’s beautifully written and tackles a number of hard topics for current authors, much less a woman writing in 1899.
Whatcha drinking? A wonderful, dry Tempranillo.
What’s your favorite thing to drink while reading? Honestly, I love drinking wine while I read. I used to work at a wine bar and really enjoy having a glass while reading an old classic or a new favorite.
Favorite beverage of all time. Go! Oh jeez, probably a Montford Gin Sour from a local place here in Charlotte called Good Food on Montford. It has a raw egg white in it, but it makes it frothy and delicious! The only other thing I swear by is water, and that sounds dull.
What are your top three books you would recommend to other people? I always recommend Sarah J Maas, both Throne of Glass and the ACOTAR series, UPRISING by Margaret Peterson Haddix, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, The Splintered Trilogy by A.G. Howard, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Anything by Joan Didion, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and so many more!
What’s your proudest blogging/reading/writing moment? I think that my proudest moment is definitely finishing my Thesis and having it published by the English Department. As for blogging, any time an author reads one of my reviews and comments on it, well, that feeling can’t be matched.
Anything else you’d like to share? Well, I’d like to thank you, Brittany, for hosting me. I want to express how thankful I am to the book community after all of the crap that 2017 has already brought upon us, and that I hope we can all continue to lean on one another in such a tumultuous time. I also want to extend my (virtual) hand in a wave and in the hope that we can be friends! Oh, and spay and neuter your pets. No wait, that’s from The Price is Right. How about…Love each other and do good.
Thanks, Jessica! Oooh a yummy tempranillo! I still need to read the Splintered series and some of your other top recs!! Thanks so much for being on Book and a Beverage!