HeyJaredThe Reading Lounge
Lifelong friends and readers, Sarah and Cynthia, discuss great books you may have missed while enjoying a cocktail that aligns with the book of choice. With thousands of books published each year, it is difficult to uncover the hidden gems.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 4
- Latest publication
- Sep 21, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 21, 2026
Latest episodes
The Elegance of the Hedgehog (opens the original)
Read excerpt
We head to France in this episode of The Reading Lounge as we discuss The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Originally written in French in 2006, the novel has been translated into numerous languages and even made into a French movie. Come listen in as we discuss the the challenges and rewards of the novel. Of course, our resident mixologist, Sarah, created a cocktail especially for our episode! The Concierge's Secret 2 oz cognac or brandy 3/4 oz elderflower liqueur 2.5 oz sparkling le
The Road to Tender Hearts (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Welcome to The Reading Lounge ! In this episode, Sarah and Cynthia dive into The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett, a novel that weaves family drama, grief, and healing together with warmth, humor, and an unforgettable catnamed Pancakes. Tune in as we share our reactions to the story and raise a glass to this month’s cocktail—a drink we enjoyed almost as much as the book. Tender Hearts Tonic 1 ½ oz vodka (or gin) 1 oz orange juice ½ oz Aperol ½ oz honey rosemary syrup 2 oz sparking wine (w
Summer Reading in The Reading Lounge (opens the original)
Read excerpt
We know it is already August, but it feels like we have a stretch of hot, summer days ahead of us. In this bonus episode, we add a few new selections to our TBR list. We love that we each select books the other has not heard of! Listen in to find some of your late summer reads. Here are the books we discuss. Whistler by Ann Patchett Land by Maggie O'Farrell Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer Contrapposto by Dave Eggers An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton Social Animals by Camille Perri You'
Pond (and Yesteryear) (opens the original)
Read excerpt
In this episode of The Reading Lounge, Sarah and Cynthiadiscuss Pond by Claire-Louise Bennett. Pond is a spare novel that weaves together vignettes of a woman’s isolated life in coastal Ireland. It is one of the most unique reads we’ve picked up this year. We also read one of the most talked about new books thisyear: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. We have thoughts on this page turner! To go along with the longer days of summer and (hopefully)more reading time, we have a refreshing cocktail to
Publishing over time
Last 90 days. Choose a month to open its work.
Recurring subjects
Named in the text we hold. One piece can cover several.
Not enough subject data for this period yet.
Audience
No verified audience measurement yet.
About this data
Counts cover the work we have indexed. Tone needs enough text and a confident classification. Excerpts and episode notes are not full articles or transcripts.
Identity or attribution wrong? Suggest a correction.