I’ve had a special affinity for Aphrodite after spending a Fulbright year on Cyprus, the legendary birthplace of the goddess of love and beauty. It’s hard to overstate the cultural importance of Aphrodite on the island. The Cyprus Tourism Board even has an Aphrodite Cultural Route, and I’m happy to report I’ve been to every stop. I highly suggest it when planning your next trip to Cyprus!
Today’s Thirsty Thursday is going to be a bit different than previous Thirsty Thursdays. This time I’ve created a seltzer cocktail to pair specifically with a book I’m reviewing. I’m really excited for this one!! Today, I will be reviewing Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Party, the third in the Wedding Date
It's the first full month of The Carbonated Scholar! So what will I being reading this month, you ask? See below to find out. You can check this page for updates., but no promises I'll actually get to them
Today, I'm review All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda paired with AHA Blueberry + Pomegranate Sparkling Water. I read this book to participate in my mom's book club. Since I've been at home with my mom during quarantine, I've been able to participate more (via Zoom)! I wouldn't normally read a book like this. I usually steer clear from psychological thrillers, but I appreciate getting to explore this genre and discuss it with thoughtful people. It was also fun to read it alongside my mom. We
I've made a point of reading books by black women my entire life, and I've doubled down on my effort in the past two years to include more black women contemporary fiction and romance authors. Here is a collection of some of my favorite books by black women
Today is the premier of Season Five of Queer Eye on Netflix and it's Pride Month, so it's the perfect opportunity to review the Naturally Tan, a memoir by the QE's very own fashion expert Tan France. Tan is absolutely fabulous on the show. He is frank, funny, snarky, and beautiful coiffed. He's one of my absolute favorite members of the Fab Five (but honestly they're all my favorite) and gives me the realist Slytherin energy -- me too Tan, me too.
May 2020 was a month with little going in its favor. The shelter-in-place order, however, did give me an unprecedented amount of time to read (or rather listen). While compiling this roundup, I was shocked to see how many books I had read in May (14!) and impressed at how beautiful the covers are for these books. It makes me think I might have chosen the books just for their covers, which is actually quite on brand for
I love reading challenges, and Read Harder was the first one I tried way back in 2017 (though I started late and didn’t finish). I finally finished a Read Harder challenge in 2019, and I’m back for 2020. Read Harder helps me discover new books and get me out of reading ruts. I really like how it pushes me to read more diverse books and books in different
Tonight, I’m reviewing The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag and pairing it with an AHA Apple + Ginger sparkling water. The Witch Boy is a Middle Grades graphic novel published in 2017. It is the first book in The Witch Boy Series, which is followed up by The Hidden Witch and The Midwinter Witch. This book popped up on my radar a few weeks ago while perusing Goodreads, and the cover art really struck me. I wanted to know more about this boy and the shadowy monster encircling