The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah follows two sisters in Nazi-occupied France as they navigate love, loss, resistance, and survival during World War II. Through their very different paths, the novel explores the courage of ordinary women and the sacrifices made in the face of war.

My guest this week is Kara Infante, a mom, wife and host of the Bookish Flights Podcast At Bookish Flights, Kara Infante and her guests tell their stories through the books they love. Each episode features a book flight - three thoughtfully paired books connected by a theme, topic, or genre. Think of it like a wine flight…but for books. Kara and I are both on each other’s shows this week, so head over there to hear me talk about 3 books I love by Xochitl Gonzalez

Drink Options:

Lyre’s Classico NA Sparkling Wine

Lavender French 75

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz Empress gin
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz lavender simple syrup
• 3 oz chilled champagne or prosecco
• Ice

Optional garnish:

• Lemon twist
• Dried culinary lavender

Directions

1. Add gin, lemon juice, and lavender simple syrup to cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake well until chilled.
3. Strain into a champagne flute or coupe.
4. Top with sparkling wine
5. Garnish with a lemon twist or a pinch of dried lavender.

In this episode

Bookish Flight Episode with Kristin Hannah

Books by Tracy Lange

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett

Books by Kate Quinn

Books by Marie Benedict

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens follows Pip, an orphan who rises from humble beginnings after receiving a mysterious fortune, believing it will transform him into a gentleman worthy of love. As he navigates London society, Pip becomes entangled with the eccentric Miss Havisham and her cold ward Estella, while slowly uncovering the true source of his wealth.

Francine Prose is the author of twenty-two works of fiction, including The Vixen, Mister Monkey, the New York Times bestseller Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, A Changed Man, and Blue Angel, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her nonfiction includes the modern classic Reading Like a Writer and the acclaimed memoir 1974: A Personal History. A former president of PEN America and a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is widely regarded as one of our most insightful and versatile contemporary writers. Her latest book, Five Weeks in the Country explores a fascinating moment which Francine describes as this: “In 1857, Hans Christian Andersen visited Charles Dickens, his wife and nine children in the British countryside for five comically and heartbreakingly awkward weeks. Telling their story seemed like the perfect way to talk about writing, love, marriage, children and two brilliant authors: a public figure in crisis and a houseguest, more at home in his fairy tales than in life, who overstays his welcome.”

Valentine’s Claret Punch is our drink pairing, and is what Dickens and Anderson were drinking the night they met and led to the misunderstanding that led Anderson to believe he should visit the Dickens family for an extended stay!

In this Episode

Great Expectations - John Mills Film

Great Expectations - 1998 Version

In Sole Survivor by Derek Hansen, Rosie Trethewey leaves her unhappy city life after inheriting a remote shack on New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island, hoping for a fresh start. There, she meets two isolated and troubled neighbors, Red O’Hara, a traumatized former prisoner of war, and Angus McLeod, a bitter retired policeman, whose lives she gradually changes. As outside forces threaten their island home, the three form an unlikely bond and learn to heal from the pain of their pasts.

My guest this week is author Heather Morris. In 2003, Heather met Lale Sokolov, whose story inspired The Tattooist of Auschwitz, now one of the 21st century’s bestselling books and adapted in 2024 as a widely acclaimed Stan Original Series. It was followed by Cilka’s Journey and Three Sisters, completing the Tattooist trilogy.

Her first contemporary novel, The Wish, was inspired by her years working in a public hospital, alongside families facing the toughest of times with love and courage. The Wish’s US publication date is May 5, 2026. Her upcoming novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, releases in October 2026, and tells the story of French Resistance fighter Andrée Levallois, who risked her life to protect one of her students during the war. Heather’s books have sold over 19 million copies worldwide.

The drink this week is one Heather enjoys on vacation, and I enjoy most days: Chardonnay! I have to note that since Heather is in Australia and I am in the US, during the actual recording of this she was enjoying her morning coffee while I sipped a cold glass of wine.

In this Episode

Books by Heather Morris

Pākehā population New Zealand

Māori People

Crowded House Band

Neil Finn

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck is a surreal love story about newlyweds Wren and Lewis, whose marriage is upended when Lewis is diagnosed with a rare condition that will slowly transform him into a great white shark. As they confront grief, change, and the limits of love, the novel uses magical realism to explore what it means to stay connected when life becomes unrecognizable.

A nonprofit leader by day, Ashley spends her free time volunteering; chasing down Richmond’s best hikes and restaurants with her friends, family, and pup; and adventuring across the globe. A recovering English major, she’ll take any excuse to turn a good read into a great conversation.

Ashley is the Executive Director of Communities in Schools Chesterfield, and on May 12th they are having their first ever Adult Spelling Bee Fundraiser! You should definitely come to raise some money for a great cause, also - I will be one of their “Celebrity Spellers” so come witness me failing horribly at spelling!

Spelling bee tickets: https://cisofchesterfield.networkforgood.com/events/96878-cis-c-adult-spelling-bee-extravaganza

Searn more about CIS: www.cisofchesterfield.org

Our drink this week is the Metamorphosis Cocktail, which I absolutely loved - it literally changes colors!

Metamorphosis Cocktail

Ingredients

2 oz gin

1 oz butterfly pea tea (cooled)

¾ oz fresh lemon juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

Ice

Optional flair:

Edible glitter

Black sugar or salt rim

Lemon twist or edible flower

Directions:

Brew butterfly pea tea by steeping 1–2 tsp dried flowers in ½ cup hot water for 5–7 minutes; strain and cool.

Fill a glass with ice and add 2 oz gin + 1 oz cooled butterfly pea tea.

Slowly pour in ¾ oz fresh lemon juice and watch the color change from blue to purple.

Stir in ½ oz simple syrup to taste, then garnish if desired.

In This Episode

Shadowlands Film Quote (I could not remember who to attribute this to while we were recording)

Speculative Fiction

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger is a techno-thriller and family drama about the moral fallout of a fatal crash involving an autonomous minivan. The novel follows the Cassidy-Shaw family as they confront guilt, secrets, and the ethical questions surrounding AI after their teenage son, Charlie, is involved in the accident while the car is in self-driving mode. It explores themes of technology's impact on human relationships, corporate greed, and the complex dynamics between parents and teenagers.

My guest this week is Barbara Ferrara. She is a librarian, mother, lifelong learner, passionate reader who loves to travel and is currently learning Spanish.

Our drink this week is an Old Fashioned, since it is the opposite of AI. I also made sure to pick a Virginian bourbon, since the author, Bruce Holsinger, lives here in Virginia! I went with the Tarnished Truth Bourbon, which is brewed in the famous Cavalier Hotel at Virginia Beach!

Old Fashioned Recipe

1 teaspoon sugar

3 dashes Angostura bitters

1 teaspoon water

2 ounces bourbon (or rye whiskey, if preferred)

Garnish: orange twist

In This Episode

Meta AI book heist

Descript

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

Tickets to Live Show with Meg Medina April 18th

We All Want Impossible Things is a tender, darkly funny novel about friendship, grief, and letting go. It follows Ash as she supports her best friend Edi through the final stages of illness, capturing the small, intimate moments that define a lifelong bond. The story balances humor and heartbreak while exploring love, loss, and what it means to say goodbye.

Lindsey Goldstein is the author of Gap Year Her essays about love and parenting have appeared in The New York Times, The Chicago Story Press, Kveller, and The Sunlight Press. She lives in Irvine, CA with her husband, kids, and rescue mutt. You can find her on her website Lindseygoldsteinauthor.com and on Instagram and Threads @GoldsteinLindsey

We recorded this with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, a favorite of Lindsey’s and one I recommend for Spring! In particular I drank a glass of Leia Vinters Sauvignon Blanc.

In This Episode

The Dinosaurs on Netflix

Crone Sandwich -Catherine Newman’s Substack

Tickets to Live Show with Meg Medina April 18th

Nature's Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy argues that everyday homeowners can play a critical role in reversing biodiversity loss by transforming their yards into thriving ecosystems. Tallamy explains how replacing traditional lawns with native plants supports insects, birds, and other wildlife that depend on them for survival. The book offers a hopeful, practical roadmap for collective environmental impact through small, local actions.

Leslie Eva Tayloe is an award winning children’s picture book author. She’s the author of The Attic Door, a 2024 Story Monster’s Approved Award, and a 2025 Literary Titan Gold Book Award, Save the Trees, a 2024 Moonbean Bronze Medalist for environmental issues, and Longlisted for the 2025 Green Earth Book Award, and I’m Fishing with Pop-Pop Today. Leslie also authored an article titled, Marketing Group Helps Writers (Children’s Book Insider, April 2023). She is a former analyst with the federal government, and a substitute teacher for elementary school-aged children. Leslie lives with her partner, Michael, in Virginia. When Leslie isn’t writing, she loves to fish on the Rappahannock River, read, do crafts, and take long walks with her dog, Frankie.

In this episode we both enjoyed a glass of 19 Crimes Cali Red Wine, which is a favorite of Leslie’s!

In this Episode

Invasive vs. Native Plants )Virginia)

Homegrown National Park

Fredericksburg Goat Farm

Aldo Leopold

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wollenben

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez follows sisters Patria, Minerva, María Teresa, and Dedé Mirabal as they defy the brutal regime of Rafael Trujillo. It’s a powerful story of courage, sisterhood, and the price of resistance.

Fran Dorsey is a mom, digital content manager, and writer who grew up loving the internet. When she’s not writing or busy with her kids and husband, she’s trying to close the rings on her Apple Watch. She’s also always ready with a book recommendation for her friends. You can find her on Instagram and Threads @FranDorsey—don’t miss her hilarious memes—and check out her Substack, Frannie Pack.

Cuba Libre Drink

Ingredients

2 ounces rum

1 lime wedge

Coca-Cola, to top

Garnish: lime wheel

Steps

Fill a highball glass with ice and add the rum.

Squeeze in the juice from 1/4 of a lime and drop in the spent peel.

Top with the Coca-Cola, then give a brief and gentle stir.

Garnish with a lime wheel.

In this Episode

The Mirabal Sisters

Hobnail Drinking Glasses - AKA the Millennial glasses

Mariposa Cocktail

Hermanas Mirabel Province

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

Style Weekly Best of Richmond - Vote!

Tickets to Live Show with Meg Medina April 18th