Ep. 128: A Jam Shop

[00:00:04] Welcome to Ink Drinkers, a literary tea party podcast where we discuss books and drink tea. I'm sorry. Sorry. This is... here we go. Ciao Marisa. Vorrei sti parlare di libere e bere del te con me? Just say si.

[00:00:53] I was just asking if you would like to talk about books and drink some tea with me in Italian. Si, si. Since I leave in less than a week. Ciao bella, arrivederci. You know all the Italian words. Okay, Teddy has his treat now.

[00:01:14] Yeah, I've been trying to learn and I could actually have said most of that on my own but there was some of it that like I had to look up and translate. Fancy. I know. You'll say. I like it, I like it.

[00:01:33] So anyway, do you want to talk about books and drink tea with me? Always. Okay, all right good. Yeah, you can ask me that in any language and the answer will always be yes. Even if you don't know that's what I'm saying in the language?

[00:01:49] I mean yeah, I don't think it's smart to say yes to just everything said in a different language to me. Without knowing what... Yeah, but if you told me I'm about to tell you the same thing in all these different languages, things will always be yes.

[00:02:01] Okay, I got you. There's never a language that you could tell it to me in that I would say no. Wonderful. Yeah. I'm so happy to hear that. Mm-hmm, yeah, yeah. Well cool, well let's do that. Let's talk about some books. All right.

[00:02:17] Yeah, I don't know who goes first. You do. Okay, cool. I'm just making an executive decision. Marissa's up first. Okay. Hit me. So my book is You Are Here by David Nichols. It's the one you've been wanting to read. Did you love it? Yes, I didn't.

[00:02:32] I did not love it. It wasn't a five for me. It took a long time for me to get into it probably about halfway. Oh wow. Yeah, I just, I don't know. And you stuck with it? I did.

[00:02:46] I did because I didn't have the energy to start something else and I just kept thinking this has to get better right? And the reason why I thought it was going to get better because on the front of the

[00:02:58] novel, it says a classic funny love story, Matt Hague. Oh well yeah, I mean if Matt Hague is. That's what I thought. Yeah, it says genius. A classic and funny love story. So I'll say this.

[00:03:12] It definitely grew on me once I got into the more detailed aspects of what was going on with the characters and some of the trauma that had happened to them which was more towards the end of the book and it all fell together as a story.

[00:03:26] I liked it a lot more. I felt more connected to the characters at that point. I will say, I don't know that I would say this is a love story in the true sense of a love story.

[00:03:39] I think it's more of like two broken people who kind of find each other at the right time. More like a tragic love story. Kind of. I mean it didn't end up being tragic.

[00:03:49] It wasn't like, yes it had sad, overly sad moments but it was the way that he writes feels like life. Yeah. So it didn't feel like it feels real. Like it feels like a real story that you're reading about rather than kind of a romanticized version of something.

[00:04:10] Sure. It's not what it is. It's like reality kind of of what would happen in this type of scenario. So our two main characters are Michael and Marnie and Marnie, it's British. Right. Which is other, you know, he's British stuff.

[00:04:23] But Marnie lives in London and she years prior to this had gotten divorced. Her husband was awful. They had met at work. There were work colleagues. It sounds like from the beginning he was just kind of a terrible guy and I

[00:04:39] guess she just didn't date much in her lifetime and I, he was really charming and attractive and he kept pursuing her. So in her mind, he loved her but he was just like a bad guy. She's been divorced but from that divorce she, or really from the marriage

[00:04:58] she slowly lost a lot of her friendships, you know, like people change, people grow, you have a bad relationship, you don't always go see other people as much as normally would. Right. People get married, people have children and that all kind of happened,

[00:05:10] was happening at that time because she was in her probably early 30s at that point through her 30s when that was going on and by the time the divorce happened, she has no connections with anyone. Yeah. Which you could see. That's hard.

[00:05:25] Yeah, you can totally see that happening. So at this point she pretty much doesn't leave her house. She is a freelance marketing type. She does like freelance marketing from her remotely so she doesn't leave her house. She has no one to talk to.

[00:05:38] She doesn't have any friends and that's kind of where we're at. Michael is going through a divorce with his wife. He's 42, I think, Marnie's 38 I believe. He's 42, he's a teacher. I think he lives in Kent or somewhere like more country, like he's not in London for sure. Okay.

[00:06:00] He at this point is just kind of looks a mess. He's having a lot of trouble at school with his students. Things are starting to happen, anything that happens he has like a pretty rough response to it. He can't handle anything. He's having panic attacks.

[00:06:17] He's crying in his car and this is all due to a traumatic event that happens that we learn about later. Okay. So Cleo is a mutual friend of both of them. Marnie is the godmother to Cleo's teenage son, Anthony. And I don't remember how she's friends with,

[00:06:38] maybe she works at the school with Michael possibly. She's always kind of in her matchmaking phase of like trying to get people together. But what she does is she invites them on this hike and it's specific. It's like a specific place that they have to catch the train

[00:06:53] to and she invites Michael, another mutual friend named Tessa, who she attends for Michael, Marnie and then a mutual friend named Conrad who she attends for Marnie. They get to where they're going for this hike and it's like a

[00:07:08] multi-stage hike that takes like weeks to do and you stay in different hood, different places. Oh my, so it's like an appellation trail type thing. Yes. And I think it's a real place but she says at the end that

[00:07:19] she kind of changed some of the details of it. But yes, I think you can technically walk this trail. Interesting. So Marnie is very awkward as a person. She says things that are a little like jarring at first and her

[00:07:38] just over know personality is she's an uncomfortable person and she hasn't interacted with people in a long time. So it's amusing, her personality is amusing, but it's also just like, hey, current Michael just seems depressed. Poor guy. So anyways, they all started taking this walk.

[00:08:00] Only Michael is planning to do the whole thing. The others are only taking doing a part of it and then having to go back to work and back to the city or whatever. Tessa ends up not being able to come. So she's not even there. Oh no.

[00:08:15] Conrad is really cute. I mean not really, oh no. Conrad's really cute. Marnie at first is like, oh my gosh, she's really attractive. I'm super into it, but you know, there's anyway, I'm going to leave that there because we'll see.

[00:08:28] He's not like a huge part of the story. What ends up happening and then I'll stop because I don't want to tell too much of it is that they end up walking together and the other people in the party end up having

[00:08:39] to leave and Marnie is planning to leave and not continue on, but something just has her keep, keep like extending her, her trip and she and Michael continue to walk together and through these walks, they open up to one another.

[00:08:54] I'm going to leave it there because I don't want to get too much into it, but I will say it was a little sad at times. We find out a little bit more about their back stories. It ends more, I don't know.

[00:09:08] I'm just, it feels more like life. Like I don't want to say like it in super happy or it in super sad or there's, it's just, we don't know. It feels like how life is. Yeah. So I would say for me it was probably like a 3.8

[00:09:22] and possibly a four only because it just took me so long to get into it. I really liked the second half of the book, but I don't know how I would, I would recommend it to somebody, but

[00:09:35] do you feel like it needed to be edited down like the first half of the book? Yes. It made it better for you. Okay. I'm getting like before sunrise vibes from it. I don't know. Yeah. You've never seen, no it's a movie. Oh. With Ethan Hawke.

[00:09:51] It sounds familiar that you said it, but I don't know. And I can't remember her name. She's French. Okay. I love that movie. Okay. Like it's a slow burn. It was good and like you feel for the characters and he does the writing is really there.

[00:10:05] I was just a little bored in the beginning. Yeah. So before sunrise it's like these two characters. I can't remember how they meet up, but they meet up like one evening and then they start talking and then they just keep talking, keep finding places to go

[00:10:19] and walk around and do things before sunrise. Okay. When I think like she's leaving or something like that. Yeah. So, it's so good. That movie you need to go watch it if you haven't seen it. Okay. I will. But yeah, that's kind of the vibe I'm getting from

[00:10:32] what you're describing. Like it's a good, it's a good, definitely a good book. Yeah. It's just needed some editing down. Right. Okay. So, especially with big authors like they're given so much more leeway I feel like to make sense.

[00:10:47] You know, like you're not going to have an editor come in and be like, oh, excuse me bestselling author with several movies and you need to fix this. Right. Okay. All right. Let me tell you about my book. It's called the Spell Shop by Sarah Beth Durst.

[00:11:04] And it comes out on July 9th. And I got an advanced copy through McMillan audio. So be sure to tag them on Instagram. But this is like a cozy fantasy kind of along the lines of like legends and lattes and heart and mercy type of feel of book.

[00:11:30] It didn't quite, I like love, love, love those two books that I just mentioned. Right. It didn't quite hit on the same level as those. Sure. But it was still a good book. Okay. It was still, I enjoyed it. It was a light read.

[00:11:44] It was easy, all of those things. But I'll explain a little bit why it didn't quite hit right for me. Okay. So we have Keela is our main character and she lives in in this world. It's like a series of islands I think.

[00:12:00] And she lives in like the main capital city. Okay. And it's kind of like a hunger game situation where like the capital city has all of the resources and they don't really help out all of the outlying islands or little towns or whatever.

[00:12:15] So she's living in the capital city. She's a librarian and she actually lives in the library. Okay. Amongst her beloved books and spell books and all of this. And she lives with her friend who is a sentient spider plant named Kaz. Is she human? She's human. Yeah.

[00:12:38] So in this world only sorcerers are allowed to do magic or possess spell books or check out the spell books from the library. Sorcerer meaning mail. Well, I don't know if it has to be mail. Okay. Just basically someone who's approved. Okay. Just curious.

[00:12:58] They call them sorcerers but I don't think it's necessarily a mail. So when the book opens, there is a fire in the library. There's like a rebellion going on in the capital city and Kila and Kaz have to evacuate as quickly as possible.

[00:13:15] Kila without thinking just grab some of the spell books and she and Kaz go get on a boat and they leave. Now she doesn't leave the library because she lives in it. She doesn't like have a lot of interaction with other people. She's very contained in her life.

[00:13:34] So it's a big deal for her to go get on this boat and sail away. So she ends up going to an island that was her childhood home. And when she gets there, she realizes she has to be very careful because if the wrong person

[00:13:53] finds out that she has these spell books, she can get in big trouble. And she also decides I'm not going to just keep the spell books like I'm going to use them. I'm going to use magic subtly and quietly to make my town a better place.

[00:14:09] Her neighbor ends up coming over and they are, they butt heads at first but there is a little bit of a romance element to that part of the story. And they like knew each other from childhood basically. And so Kilo decides that in order to quietly

[00:14:28] and subtly use magic throughout the town, she's going to open a jam shop. And that is going to be her front for selling like magical remedies basically. A jam shop. Like musical. No. A jam shop. A jam shop. Like toast and jam.

[00:14:48] Sorry I thought it was like a jam shop. Jam. People go to come they go jam out. I don't know why but I don't know where that's why I went with, I don't even think that's a real thing. A jam shop? Obviously it was jam.

[00:15:02] Excuse me, I don't even know what I'm talking about ignore me. Continue. Why did I even do a one music shop? The food. How did my brain go there? I don't know. I don't know. The food jam as in toast and jam. I got it. Okay. Sorry.

[00:15:24] So anyway, she's like, yeah, come buy some strawberry jam. And rock out with me. But also, oh is your garden not doing well? Well here's like a this pine cone that's just a special remedy that you can use to get rid of the jam.

[00:15:41] And then you can go out and have a little bit of fun with it. So I'm like, oh well, here's like a this pine cone that's just a special remedy that I've whatever. Right. That you can put in your garden and it'll flourish or something like that. Okay.

[00:16:00] But she can't let people know that she's using magic. And she kind of like becomes friends with the local baker and some of the other local shop owners. And what hit quite right to me was that like the conflict came way late in the story.

[00:16:17] So it was just like, nothing's happening. Nothing's happening. I mean obviously the very beginning was conflict because the library was on fire and she had to go find but once she got back to her home, it was just like, okay, nothing's really happening. We're not really doing anything.

[00:16:32] And then all of a sudden this mysterious person shows up on the island like late in the book and that's where all of the. So did it feel rushed? It didn't feel rushed. It just felt like the pacing was off. So that, yeah.

[00:16:45] And I didn't feel quite the same connection to the characters as I have in other cozy fantasies. Right. But it was still an enjoyable book. It was a debut so you know maybe she'll get better with time. Maybe the writing will get a little bit stronger.

[00:17:03] But I enjoyed it. Not mad I read it. Yeah. Talk about the tea. Yeah, because you clearly don't have anything to say on the topic of my book. You're just like, okay great. I already made a fool myself. So you're just keeping your mouth shut. Yeah.

[00:17:23] I'm okay with the tea but I'm not like. Yeah it's a little underwhelming. It doesn't have a ton of flavor. It's the Housewarming Blend Black Tea by Plum Deluxe. And I agree it's black tea with Jasmine flowers, safflower, blue Malva flowers and vanilla essence. It does smell like

[00:17:47] a taste but I just don't know. I'm not, I'm just not into it. I'm with you. It's alright. I don't need I don't need to buy anymore after this. Correct. Is this the first Plum Deluxe tea that we've been underwhelmed by?

[00:18:02] I feel like most of them we've really liked. Thanks Plum Deluxe. Yeah thank you for all the delicious teas. Sorry this isn't our favorite but I mean it was bound to happen at some point. For sure unless you're just a magical tea shop.

[00:18:16] Oh I want to read a cozy fantasy about a magical tea shop. Didn't we, I feel like I read one that had a tea shop in it and it was magical. Well legends and lattes had a coffee shop. That's true. But I want a tea shop.

[00:18:34] I did read one and I think you read it too after the fact. It was the one with the town and they can't remember what happened. Oh yes. Yeah. It has a beautiful cover on the front and they have the plants and the soil that they,

[00:18:51] I do remember. You know what I'm talking about? I was going to say spells for forgetting but that's not what you're going to do. No it's not but it's close to that title. Anyways, yeah I can't think of it right now.

[00:19:00] Yeah but I do know what you're talking about but that wasn't... It wouldn't fall on tea shop. Yeah. That wouldn't focus. I want like legends and lattes but legends and tea lattes. I'm with you, I'm with you. Oh speaking of, the other day I went to Starbucks

[00:19:16] and it was like in the evening I went before one of Foster's basketball games and I was just trying to kill some time and I wanted even though it was 92 degrees outside I was in the mood for something warm but I didn't want to drink caffeine

[00:19:30] that late in the day so I'm like scrolling Starbucks's menu of non-coffee hot beverages and I found this one called a vanilla cream. Have you ever heard of it? Uh-uh. Well, I got it and whenever I tell, I've told like a couple people about it and they're like,

[00:19:49] oh so like an old lady drink is what they think it is. It's just steamed milk with vanilla syrup. That's so old lady. I don't care. It was amazing. I don't care if it makes me an old lady. I like took my first sip and just melted.

[00:20:05] It was so good. Get to know? Yeah. This is literally just it's basically a London fog without the Earl Grey tea. Okay, is it better? I wouldn't say better. It's just a different experience but like in fact If you're looking for something cozy

[00:20:21] and you don't like coffee or tea. The coziest drink. Interesting. And when I got to the basketball game I was like, mom you have to taste this. And she was like, no I have lipstick on and I don't want to mess up your cup.

[00:20:33] I was like, I don't care. I'm making you taste this. You have to. And she took a sip and I just saw her like visibly like melt the same way I did. Hmm, okay, okay. I'm gonna have to try it. Yeah, it was amazing.

[00:20:48] I'm recommending it to everybody. So I wanted to throw it out here. I might go get one after this because some coziness sounds good right now. I agree. I mean, I think coziness always sounds pretty good but I'm with you. It's been a week.

[00:21:06] Yeah, the week has both like flown by and also lasted forever. We've been talking like, yes. My dad mentioned that. Michael felt the same way. I'm like how are we at Friday? But I think the reason it felt really slow

[00:21:20] is because we're in the part of the year where like yesterday was the longest day of the year. Yeah, well I thought Wednesday was Thursday. And so I was trying to get my book in and like I'm like listening to it in the middle of the night

[00:21:31] while I'm doing feedings and then I slowly before, I don't even know what time it was but I was like it's technically Thursday now because it's the middle of the night morning. It's not Friday. Yeah, I've been confused on my days all week too.

[00:21:48] But we've made it to, well, it's now a very different Monday for everyone but Marissa and I are on this Friday that we've made it to. And it's been a week and I want a vanilla cream and I mean other than that, I guess I won't see you

[00:22:08] or speak to all of you until I get back from Italy. Yeah, so this episode will come out July 1st, I believe which is the week 4th of July. So, you know, wishing everyone a happy 4th as well. We will be taking a break on July 8th,

[00:22:28] the Monday after July 4th and then we will be back in your ears with maybe our joint read. Yeah, maybe mine's supposed to come up soon. I'll be listening while I'm walking the streets of Italia. Please send pictures, maybe we can do a post

[00:22:52] on the 8th of an Italy post. Yes, I'll send you pics and you can put that together. Perfect, that sounds awesome. Give me just a second, let me look up how to say our parting word in Italian and we can do that. Oh, I'm such an idiot.

[00:23:09] Like we know how to say cheers in Italian because we are Italian. Were you looking at me like I was stupid the whole time? Or were you like, oh what is it? It's salute. I was just waiting for you. You knew it.

[00:23:23] I didn't know if you were trying to say something else. No, I was just trying to say salute. So there's that. I'm embarrassed now. You had your embarrassing moment, I had my embarrassing moment, bye everyone. Cheers. Thanks for listening. Be sure to check out the show notes

[00:23:41] for the full list of books we discussed today. You can find that in your podcast app www.ain'tdrinkerspodcast.com And please support us by subscribing anywhere you listen to podcasts and leaving a review. You can find us on Instagram and on Twitter at Ain't Drinkers Pod. Cheers.