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Set in a world where every person’s soul exists outside their body in the form of an animal companion called a dæmon, The Golden Compass follows a brave young girl named Lyra Belacqua as she uncovers a sinister plot involving kidnapped children. Lyra journeys from the halls of Jordan College to the frozen Arctic in search of answers to her questions about power, knowledge, and free will.

Laura McAsh a writer of whimsical worlds and a creator of quirky characters. A library clerk by day, Laura is a neurodivergent nerd passionate about diversity, inclusion, and representation. Beginning her undergrad at the University of Guelph, she completed her Bachelor of General Studies (Arts and Sciences Designation) with distinction at Athabasca University. A collector of hobbies and interests, she is a lover of all animals and is always down for grabbing nachos with friends or snuggling with her cat, Dinosaur. Don’t miss her debut novel Alison’s Adventures in Time!

Our drink this week is a Hungarian Wine, a reference to a scene in the story where Lord Asriel, Lyra’s uncle is almost poisoned with Hungarian white wine. You can pick any brand you like, I went with Kiwi Cuvee Pinot Grigio.

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In Nikesha Elise Williams’ The Seven Daughters of Dupree, it's 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father. But her mother, Nadia, keeps her secrets close, while her grandmother Gladys remains silent about the family's past, including why she left Land's End, Alabama, in 1953. As Tati’s search deepens, she uncovers a legacy of family secrets, where every generation of Dupree women has posed more questions than answers.

Guest

Even as she pursued degrees in Textile Technology, Organizational Leadership and finally, Adult Education, Rhonda McKnight’s love for books and desire to write stories was always in the back of her mind. She loves reading and writing stories that touch the heart of women through complex plots and interesting characters in crisis. She writes from the comfort of her South Carolina home. Don’t miss her latest books of women’s fiction Bitter & Sweet, and Writer in Residence, which you can pre-order now and will be published on September 8, 2026! You can find Rhonda on Instagram & Threads @AuthorRhondaMcKnight.

Southern Peach Sweet Tea

Ingredients

• 4 black tea bags
• 4 cups water
• 3 ripe peaches, sliced
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
• Ice
• Fresh peach slices for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil
2. Turn off the heat and add the tea bags. Let the tea steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags.
3. Add the sliced peaches and sugar to the hot tea. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
4. Let the peaches sit in the tea for about 20 minutes so the flavor comes through.
5. Pour the tea through a strainer into a large pitcher or bowl and allow to cool.
6. Fill mason jars with ice and pour in the peach sweet tea.
7. Garnish with fresh peach slices if you like, and serve cold.

In How to Save Your Own Life, Erica Jong follows novelist Isadora Wing as she grapples with fame, aging, marriage, and the search for personal freedom after the success of her earlier books. Blending sharp humor with emotional honesty, the novel explores identity, desire, and self-reinvention in the face of midlife uncertainty.

Award-winning author and creator Selene Castrovilla explores the courage, conscience, and reinvention that shape both nations and ourselves. She has written historical books for children including George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles: the glasses that saved America.She has a book for adults called Love the Ones Your With under the pen name SJ Perrault which will be coming out later this year. She also hosts a podcast Life in Jest with her best friend Pascale, which will feature me in an upcoming episode, I’m so excited! You can find out more at her website https://selenecastrovilla.com/ and also under her SJ Perrault name on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/s.j.perraultauthor

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@s.j.perraultauthor

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Our drink this week needs no explanation:

The Life Saver Cocktail

Ingredients

• 3 oz dry champagne
• ½ oz triple sec
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Pour the triple sec and fresh lemon juice into a champagne flute.
2. Top slowly with chilled dry champagne.
3. Give it a gentle stir and serve immediately.