Episode 508: Books for Springtime

Thank you for joining us on Reading With Libraries! We are so glad you are here to join our book group podcast!

We are the Central Minnesota Libraries Exchange, and we work with all types of libraries.

We started this podcast to provide useful information for library people doing Reader’s Advisory work. There are so many books out there that it’s tough to be an expert on all of them. So we pick a new genre each week to chat about and hopefully provide you with some insight into what may be an unfamiliar genre!

This week we’re embracing the season and talking about books to enjoy during spring. Thank you so much to frequent Guest Host Ariel for joining us!

Beverages:

Each week we like to connect the theme of our books with our beverages. Today we have drinks that channel the excitement of springtime!

Spring Fever cocktail

  • This is a flower-forward, sweet, tart and festive cocktail
  • 3 oz Sassetti sparkling rosé wine
  • 3/4 oz Nikolaihof elderflower syrup
  • 3/4 oz Fresh lemon juice
  • 6 Medium-size strawberries, quartered
  • 4 dashes Rhubarb bitters
  • Pour the wine into a wine glass with ice
  • Add all the other ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake.
  • Pour into the wine glass.
  • Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Fruity Spring Cocktail

  • Lemon, orange, pineapple and mango are all fresh ingredients in this delicious spring cocktail! Add in your favorite flavored vodka to give it an extra fruity kick
  • 3 chunks fresh mango
  • ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 ounce fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 2 ounces pineapple juice
  • 1 ¼ ounce dragon fruit vodka
  • In a cocktail shaker, muddle the fresh mango. Add in the citrus juice, vodka and ice and shake well.
  • Strain over a glass filled with ice and garnish with a lemon or lime wedge.

Cherry Blossom Cocktail

  • 8 c1 3/4 oz gin
  • 1/2 oz rose & vanilla-infused dry vermouth (recipe in link below)
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons cherry jam
  • 1/4 oz lemon juice
  • 1 bar spoon simple syrup
  • Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously to break up the jam for 15 seconds. Using a hawthorn strainer into a coupe glass, double strain through a tea strainer to make the cocktail more clear. Garnish with organic cherry blossoms or other edible flowers like rose petals.

Genre Discussion:

We’re excited to share books with spring themes like flowers and gardens, or simply books that are even more enjoyable in the spring.

The Lit Nerds website has some great spring genre suggestions. “Hello to tiny rabbits, spring showers, and an explosion of green. Where pastels and floral patterns are in, and life blooms bigger and better with each rising of the sun. With the dawn creeping up earlier every day and the birds chirping a sweeter melody, how could you not want to enjoy a good story on top of everything?”

  • YA Romance: Whether for young adults (YA) or adults, romance breathes newness. However, YA has the added springy benefit of following a person whose life hasn’t been completely figured out yet. 
  • Poetry: April is National Poetry Month! Though I believe that poetry should be celebrated all year, no matter the month, spring is perfect for reminding us about the joys of poetry. Why? Because it’s just so darn versatile. There is a feeling that each day could bring endless possibilities. 
  • Sci-fi: Spring ushers forth new discovery and rebirth. In spring, we have hope for the future. With science fiction, we get a similar feeling of newness and rebirth. There is hope for a brighter tomorrow
    • We do note that many of the sci-fi titles shared on previous episodes of this podcast view the future in a less-positive light. If you find a hopeful sci-fi book, share it with us! 

Suggested Reading Resources:

Our Book Discussion

We have our beverages, we are familiar with this week’s genre, let’s get to the book discussion!

You can click on any of these links to go to Amazon.com for more information about the books we shared this week. If you buy anything while you are there, Amazon will give us a small percent of their profits from your purchase. Thanks in advance for helping to support the mission of CMLE – we appreciate it!

Conclusion:

Thank you so much for joining us on Reading With Libraries!

Spring is such a relief after long Minnesota winters so we hope we’ve shared some books that can make your enjoyment of the season even better!

Thank you to Ariel for joining us again for a great discussion!

Join us next Thursday with another genre, more guest hosts for our book group, and more books to share and discuss. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss a single episode! And if you want to hear more about the work we do in libraries or expand your library skills, check out our podcast Linking Our Libraries!

Bring your book ideas, bring your beverages, and join us back here on Thursday!