Reading Guide: Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

Book of the Month: SEPTEMBER

Last month we ventured into the deceiving world of TifAni FaNelli with "Luckiest Girl Alive", which we will be chatting about on our August Google Hangout linked below!

This month,with an overwhelming nomination response, we travel back in time to World War II Paris with our September book, All the Light We Cannot See 

As Always, you can find the book at your local bookstore, Amazon.com or Audible.com if you want to listen to it instead.



Add our Google Hangout date to your calendar by clicking the button below!
          

Tipsy Tuesday: Famous bars in Literature

Real places have inspired some of the the greatest literary works in history. From entire cities to restaurants and bars, setting some of our favorite fictional books in very non-fictional places.

Continuing our love for all things Books&Bubbly, we take a look at famous bars and restaurants in literature and first up in our series is a location that most of us have heard of through our childhood fictional bestie, Eloise.

PALM COURT AT THE PLAZA HOTEL

Where is it: Located in the heart of New York City, Midtown Manhattan

Why?: Most of us were first introduced to the Plaza Hotel as the home of our beloved Elementary school fictional character, Eloise. Through her extravagant lifestyle, we fell in love with the thought of living in a luxury hotel and going on adventures like her. 

However, the Palm Court is regarded as a symbol of the Roaring Twenties and hosted literary royalty, the Fantastic Fitzgeralds- F. Scott and Zelda. Fitzgerald frequented the Plaza Hotel so much that he even set a famous scene from The Great Gatsby there. 

What to drink there: Indulge in a glass of Champagne and take in the luxury and history that is encapsulated in the breathtaking hotel.

What else?: If you visit, be sure to take a photo in front of the hotel's massive fountain. Legend has it that F. Scott Fitzgerald once plunged in the fountain, fully clothed and fully inebriated as well! (I bet his Instagram photos would've been entertaining!)

Sunday Summaries

Another summer weekend has come and gone, leaving us an inch closer to Autumn temperatures. Am I the only one that prefers Spring/Autumn to Summer? 

Whilst we dream of pumpkin spice and everything nice, check out whats new around the web:

Infinite lessons from Harry Potter

A BRAND NEW Dr. Seuss book!  Maybe this should be our next book club choice

Straight out of a feel-good movie, a California teen collected a record amount of books during a drive

Have you bought our August book yet!? I'm so excited to read it and decided to buy a hard copy instead of relying on my kindle to read it.




Have a great week ahead!

Tipsy Tuesdays: What the Author drank

Writers have long been attributed to having a good cocktail to help them write. From the classics to our contemporary authors, each have a signature libation of choice to lubricate their literary process.

In our first installment of What the Author drank, we spotlight the creator of the eternal happy hour, Ernest Hemingway. 

Hemingway penned some of the greatest novels in literary history including The Old Man and The sea, The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable feast. 

His love for drinking, however, led him to write his memoir To Have and Have another in which he revealed that he never drank while writing and due to his diabetic condition, ordered his mojitos and absinthe without sugar.

Drink like Hemingway

Ernest enjoyed many libations in his time but, a dry martini rang supreme on his list. 

What you need

• Chilled martini glass ( the colder, the better)
• 3/4 oz Tanqueray gin
• 1/8 oz Noilly Prat Vermouth
• frozen Spanish onions or garlic onion for garnish

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."- Ernest Hemingway

My first question at any bar is "Do you have St Germain Liquor?" and a St. Germain Cocktail always does the trick for me. 

What is your favorite go-to drink? 

Sunday Summaries

I have had a long-standing love affair with Sundays. There's something about the stillness of the week's end that helps me clear my mind and gather my ammo for the upcoming week. Sundays are also my favorite day to catch up on my blogs. In case you need some light reading. . . 



This couple's proposal is super sweet.

Waterproof books for the beach, pool or just clumsy readers like myself.

How to Kill a Mockingbird sequel could have us re-thinking our views on Atticus Finch.

Hold on to your L.A Gears! Your beloved Goosebump series is coming back to screens near you! What was your scariest R. L Stein read?

I love the cinematography of Wes Anderson so, its no surprise that I love this supercut of his ode to books in all the movies he's made: 



Have a great week ahead!

Tipsy Tuesdays: Gadgets

Tuesdays; the first real day of the work week and potentially the first that makes you realize the weekend is still so far away. 

Putting the Bubbly in Books&Bubbly, each Tuesday will focus on the tipsy side of things whether it be a cocktail recipe, tool or fun fact to make you more savvy around the libations.

We start off our series with a non-alcoholic treat yet a necessary pairing when it comes to reading: tea. 

Nothing goes together better than a good book and warm mug of tea. 

Novel Teas feature quotes from your favorite novels and the authors who wrote them. 

What's your favorite tea to enjoy with a good read? 

BOOK OF THE MONTH: AUGUST 2015

We're back and ready to devour more books than ever! 

August signals the slow and blistering end of the summer months and with it comes last minute beach trips, sunny picnics and end of summer getaways perfect for getting lost in a book. 

If you're anyone like myself,last year you were sucked into the gripping world of Gone Girl and couldn't put the book down. This month's book, Luckiest Girl Alive, follows the same theme of reinvention with a story touted to be the 'next Gone Girl'

You can find the book at your local bookstore, public library or Amazon.com

Stay tuned for discussions and the monthly Google Hangout date!

The Return of Books&Bubbly!

Hello Readers,

It has been far too long since our last book and this year has been a whirlwind adventure. However, the days of engaging with fellow bibliophiles over drinks and books were sorely missed. Therefore, without further ado, Books&Bubbly is back in action!

Starting August 1st, our monthly book/cocktail society is back and more accessible than ever, thanks to the World Wide Web (cue the AOL dial up sound). 

Join the conversation from wherever you are via the blog, Google + community page or Facebook group. 

Want to meet in person? e-mail us at BooksnBubbly@gmail.com and we'll help set up in-person meet ups for our monthly Google Hangouts. 

Stay Tuned for the August book announcement and new posts on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays!

Book of the month: APRIL

A quarter of the year is done and quite possibly most of our New Year's resolutions remain unresolved but, it's never too late to start working on them. After a slow start to the Books&Bubbly blog, we are excited to announce that we will have a re-vamped site and a team of editors that will start pumping out fun articles very soon. Until then, however, check out the book we're reading for April : Let's pretend this never happened: A mostly true memoir by Jenny Lawson

Blogger turned author, Jenny Lawson, who describes herself as "Mother Theresa, only better" definitely fits in with the cool kids table of comedy writers Tina Fey, David Sedaris and Mindy Kaling. Her memoir, full of comedic punches at life's ups and downs is sure to have us laughing out loud in public like weirdos. The book's length is also dramatically shorter than the former two because if we've learned anything on this journey its that our books of the month shouldn't be more than 400 pages. 

You can buy it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon in paperback or Kindle or order it and get it delivered from your local library! 

Happy reading!

Book of the month : MARCH

Another month bites the dust and yet another month begins, March! Can you believe we are weeks away from Spring? This month, our book is : The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton.

The book, which Good Reads describes as "a brilliantly constructed, fiendishly clever ghost story and a gripping page-turner" Takes us back to 1866 in New Zealand and involves a Wealthy man, A drunk and a prostitute. It's sure to have us biting our nails. Fun fact: Eleanor Catton became the youngest author to win a Booker award for this novel! 

Contrary to last month's book, this one is available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle. 

Will you be reading along with us this month? comment down below!

Book of the month: FEBRUARY

2014 seems to be going at a jogging pace. Already February! The month of black history, chocolate hearts and the Oscars. Based on your votes in the Facebook group, we have two contenders for first place: The Night circus and the Sea of tranquility. However, since February is the shortest month of the year, a shorter book would be more reasonable and also allow everyone to read at a normal speed. Therefore, Our February book is...The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer!

The book, according to its Good Reads page is a "dazzling, panoramic novel about what becomes of early talent, and the roles that art, money, and even envy can play in close friendships."

Needless to say, it sounds 'interesting'

 You can find the books on Amazon, local book stores and the library! 

Stay tuned tomorrow for a recap on our first meet up which was a total success! 

Tipsy Tuesdays: Low-Cal Cocktails

January is synonymous with optimism, goals and motivation. Some (including myself) are resolving to eat healthier and lose unwanted weight.

Check out some tips on choosing  low calorie options to enjoy sparingly during your weight loss journey.

FIRST

Choose a liquor that is clear and not infused with sugar. In other words, veer clear from rum but sticking to Vodka or Gin works well.

NEXT

add a mixer that is not loaded with sugary syrups. If you are at a bar or restaurant, ask for soda water. At home, you have a better selection of choosing an non-sugary mixer such as St. Croix sparkling water.

FINALLY

Add some garnish! Muddle in some cucumber and mint or add plenty of lime.


Also, is it just me or is that Shakira/Rhianna colab a surefire song to get you dancing? I love it.



My preferred low-cal option while dieting is Vodka+Soda water or regular water + LOTS of limes. 
What's yours?

Literary Links

source: Mashable.com

2014 is finally upon us and with it comes an avalanche of resolutions, optimism and goals. So, even if for these next five minutes, let your mind wander around the web with these links I've been loving...

These quotes for the frustrated single make me laugh. Wasn't Jane Austen the ultimate frustrated single girl?

Just ordered these adorable earrings They'd make the best gift for a bibliophile or writer.

NPR interviewed this month's author, if you haven't heard it already, check it out!

In true Paulo Coelho wisdom, he posted the most beautifully written mantras for 2014. Which is your fave?

Netflix has added more movies for 2014! Including some faves: What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Apartment, American Psycho, Breakfast at Tiffanys and more! 

Have a cozy weekend!

Tipsy Tuesdays: Countdown with Champagne

Bubbly is known and loved in many languages. Whether you call it Champagne, Cava or Prosecco, the effervescent treat is the perfect way to celebrate any occasion.

Celebrate New Year's Eve by remixing your bubbly with these fun, one-ingredient combinations curated by some of the B&B book club members and fun song to get you dancing!

• Champagne+ Peach schnapps (suggested by Jonathan)
• Champagne+ Sparkling Apple Cider (suggested by Cristina)
• Champagne+Pomegranate juice
• Champagne+Mango juice
• Champagne+Canada Dry Cranberry flavored ginger ale

And you can't sip on bubbly without a modern day remix of the Roaring 20s

Book of the month: JANUARY 2014

Hello readers!

After scouring through endless book reviews, must-read lists and suggestions, I have chosen our first book to kick off the year: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.

The best selling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns brings us a tale that examines how we love, how we take care of one another and how the choices we make resonate through generations.

You can buy it through Amazon, Barnes&Noble or check it out at your local library!

Will you be buying a hardback/paperback book or a digital copy? Comment below with your answers

"Let the wild rumpus begin!"-Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild things are

Pop the literary bottles!

Hello Readers!

If you are a lover of books, cocktails and humor then you've reached your destination. Books&Bubbly will be your source for book reviews, cocktail recipes and adding some bubbles to your life. Join our virtual book club or meet up with us in real life if you are locally in Orlando, Florida and join the community because everything is better when it's bubbly. Stay tuned for our reading calendar and join us on Facebook to keep the conversation alive.


“Here's to alcohol, the rose colored glasses of life.” 
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned

“Do you drink?"
"Of course,I just said I was a writer.” 
― Stephen King