Literature on the Rocks

Assistant to the Villain Book Club

It’s time to clock back in at the Evil Empire, because we’re diving into your answers and our unfiltered opinions on Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer! In this book club episode, we unpack your first impressions, debate that cliffhanger of an ending, and try to figure out who’s stabbing who—and why everyone’s so hot while doing it.
From unresolved plot points to the romantic slow burn that had us SCREAMING, nothing is off-limits. Plus, we pitch our own alternate endings (some better than others, let’s be honest), and one of us might be falling a little too hard for the Villain. Justice for Evie’s job description, please!
🍸 Haven’t seen our dangerously delicious cocktail yet? Sip on the Mead-tini while you listen.
📝 Want in on the next discussion? Answer our book prompts here 

Assistant to the Villain Summary

This week, we’re stepping into the stabby, sassy, totally HR-violating halls of evil with Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. Think fairy tale vibes meets workplace comedy meets… a murder-y meet-cute? Yes please.
We’re breaking down this fantasy rom-com from start to finish—complete with sword fights, sarcasm, suspicious spreadsheets, and one very morally gray boss who is way too hot to be so homicidal. Evie is just trying to hold onto her job and keep the office from imploding (literally), and we are HERE for it.
Join Sunny, Rachel, and Rox as we summarize the plot and swoon over villainous charm. And of course, we’re rating it one shot, two shots, or three—because even fantasy should come with a hangover warning.
We paired this book with a drink and deep thoughts—grab the Mead-tini cocktail recipe and answer the discussion prompts.

The Mothers Book Club

In this week’s Book Club episode, we’re back with The Mothers by Sarah J. Naughton—and let’s just say this group of moms gives “mom drama” a whole new meaning. From neurodivergent kids to loveless marriages, verbal abuse, and the unbearable weight of child loss, each woman is hiding a truth she hopes never sees the light of day. But when tragedy strikes, secrets start slipping faster than a juice box at recess.
Join us as we unpack listener reactions, explore the messy realities of modern motherhood, and dish on which character we’d definitely side-eye at pickup. Was this sisterhood forged out of loyalty… or survival? Grab your cocktail, find a quiet corner (preferably one where no toddlers are asking for snacks), and let’s dive into the drama together.
 
Join the conversation: Download our discussion prompts to dive deeper
 

The Mothers Summary

This week, the moms are... not alright. We're diving headfirst into The Mothers by Sarah J. Naughton—a twisty psychological thriller that asks how well you really know your mom friends.
In this full summary episode, we break down every twist, turn, and teacup rattle. From neurodivergent parenting to loveless marriages, from quiet grief to toxic relationships, this story dives deep into the raw, unfiltered layers of motherhood—and the sometimes dark places women go when they feel alone, unheard, or on the edge.
Join Sunny, Rachel, and Rox as they unpack the plot, reflect on the emotional weight of these struggles, and—as always—decide if the book left us reaching for just one shot or all three. Spoiler alert: motherhood is hard, and murder might be harder.
Pour yourself something strong (you’ve earned it), and let’s get into it.
 
Join the conversation: Download our discussion prompts to dive deeper

Project Hail Mary Book Club

We’re back on board the Hail Mary—this time with listener takes, wild theories, and a whole lot of Rocky love. In this book club episode, we break down your thoughts on Andy Weir’s sci-fi hit Project Hail Mary, from the ethics of interstellar survival to whether friendship can (literally) save the galaxy.
We debate the science, swoon over alien bromance, and ask the real questions: Would we have passed the mission? Could we have made the same sacrifice? And most importantly… where do we sign up for our own Rocky?
As always, we’re sipping something strong (our space-themed cocktail has liftoff), reading your responses, and geeking out over a book that made our nerdy little hearts soar. So pour yourself a drink, put on your metaphorical space suit, and join us for a gravity-defying good time.
 
Check out the featured cocktail recipe: Try the Tao Ceti Sunrise cocktail here!
Join the conversation: Download our discussion prompts to dive deeper.

Project Hail Mary Summary

Buckle up, space nerds—this week, we’re launching into Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It’s science, it’s survival, and it’s a lonely man in space with a memory problem and a surprising alien bromance. In true Literature on the Rocks fashion, we break down the plot (yes, even the math-y parts), highlight our favorite moments (hello, Rocky!), and toast to the kind of science fiction that makes you feel all the human things.
Whether you’re here for the existential dread, the interstellar optimism, or just to find out what the heck an Astrophage is, we’ve got you covered—with minimal physics and maximum fun. We also give it our signature rating (one, two, or three shots), and let’s just say… this one might’ve left us floating.
Ready to boldly sip where no reader has sipped before? Let’s go.
 
Check out the featured cocktail recipe: Try the Tao Ceti Sunrise cocktail here!
Join the conversation: Download our discussion prompts to dive deeper.

Great Big Beautiful Life Book Club

In this book club episode of Literature on the Rocks, we’re diving back into Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life—this time with your comments, our hot takes, and a few possibly tear-stained cocktail napkins. We’re unpacking grief, growth, and the unexpected connections that bloom when you least expect them.
Sunny, Rachel, and Rox answer this week’s prompts, revisit that unforgettable final chapter, and share listener insights that hit harder than a third shot of tequila. Spoiler alert: we’ve got thoughts about the romance, the retelling, and whether we’d personally go digging through a decades-old tragedy to find our own truth.
Grab your drink, get cozy, and come yell about books with us—because if you’re going to feel all the feels, it might as well be with your favorite trio of readers and ranters.
Sip the cocktail- Check out the Beautiful Spark recipe here! 
Spill your thoughts- Discussion prompts here!

Great Big Beautiful Life Summary

In this week’s summary episode, we’re diving into Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry—a novel that stitches together past and present, grief and growth, and a story within a story. Margaret’s tragic history meets Alice and Hayden’s budding connection in a narrative that is equal parts heart-wrenching and hopeful.
We unpack the dual timelines, explore how family trauma ripples through generations, and sip on a cocktail that nods to the legacy of classic love stories with a fizzy, modern twist. Sunny gets emotional (again), Rox has some feelings about closure, and Rachel—per usual—read the book twice before the rest of us made it to Chapter 3.
And yes, we do talk about that ending. Buckle up.
Whether you’re here for the literary analysis, the emotional rollercoaster, or the booze—we got you. Don’t forget to hit up our prompts and let us know what you thought about Margaret’s story and how it shaped the present.
 
Sip the cocktail- Check out the Beautiful Spark recipe here! 
Spill your thoughts- Discussion prompts here!

The Last House on Needless Street Book Club

Step inside the boarded-up house at the end of Needless Street—if you dare. In this Book Club episode, Sunny, Rachel, and Rox are unpacking all the mind-bending, heart-wrenching, reality-twisting layers of The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. There’s trauma, talking cats, missing girls, unreliable narrators—and through it all, we’re sipping on our hauntingly sweet custom cocktail, Popsicle Girl (trust us, it’s not as innocent as it sounds).
We’re diving into your prompt responses, debating the moral gray of every character, and asking the big questions: Is Ted a villain or a victim? What would you have done in Dee’s shoes? And seriously—how many times did you reread that twist??
Grab a glass of the Popsicle Girl, pull up a chair, and join us for a conversation that’s as layered as this book’s plot. Things are not what they seem… and that’s exactly how we like it.
Books, booze, and banter. Let’s get into it.
 
Our custom cocktail- Get the Popsicle Girl recipe here! 
Thought provoking prompts- Join the discussion here!

The Last House on Needless Street Summary

It’s giving unreliable narrators, talking cats, and a house full of secrets—and no, we’re not drunk (yet).
In this episode, we’re diving into The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward, a twisty psychological thriller that had us questioning everything. We break down the plot from start to finish—through the eyes of Ted, Olivia (yes, the cat), and Dee, the woman hunting for her missing sister. This book throws every expectation out the window and stomps on it with a pair of muddy boots. If you like your horror laced with heartache, redemption, and a side of existential dread, buckle up.
We’re sipping a custom cocktail inspired by the eerie vibes of the story (because obviously), and giving our signature rating: one shot, two shots, or three shots—depending on how mentally wrecked we were by the final page.
Are we ever going to recover from this mind-f*ck of a book? Probably not—but come listen anyway. And then join us over on TikTok, IG, or our website to drop your thoughts, answer the prompts, and tell us what you think is really going on in the house on Needless Street.
 
Our custom cocktail- Get the Popsicle Girl recipe here! 
Thought provoking prompts- Join the discussion here!