Episode Description Today’s positive news: Karissa tells us all about the successful loggerhead sea turtle conservation efforts in Greece. Then, Arielle goes into why a No-Spend Month can change not only our financial health, but our mental health. The Optimist Daily is a project of The World Business Academy. Donate link: https://www.optimistdaily.com/donate-to-support-the-optimist-daily/?gift=Y%20http:// Transcript: Theme Music   Karissa:  Hello and welcome to the Optimist Daily’s Weekly Roundup. I’m Karissa.   Arielle:  And I’m Arielle, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement.  Karissa:  Hello again! We’re back with another episode of our podcast to share solutions from the Optimist Daily this week. And boy, did we have a lot of great solutions.  Arielle:  Mhm!  Karissa:  How are you doing, Arielle?  Arielle:  I’m doing pretty well. Life is very busy as usual, but I’ve been trying to slow down and appreciate what I have and what’s happening in my local community. That’s kind of what we’re doing with Optimist Daily.  Karissa:  Yeah, a couple of weeks ago, we asked our newsletter subscribers and followers to let us know about changemakers in their communities.  Arielle:  We didn’t get to every nomination, but we want to thank everyone who participated. We ended up with 16 finalists that we’ll be sharing in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Our first changemakers of the week are “Nature in the Classroom” and “The Man That Rescues Dogs.” You can definitely check out their stories on OptimistDaily.com. It’s been really fun to engage with our community this way.  Karissa:  Yeah, I love this so much. It’s been so exciting, as you said, to see all these great solutions from our Optimist community.  Arielle:  On another note, we’re going to be taking a break next week from the pod. It’s a very busy season for everyone, and it’s always good to take a break when needed.  Karissa:  So, we won’t have a new episode for you next week, but we’ll be back in two weeks.  Arielle:  And in case you miss us, you can always go back into our archives and listen to some earlier episodes. Or, there are so many other ways to access the solutions we have—through our socials and, of course, on OptimistDaily.com.  Karissa:  But before we take that break, we’ve got some great solutions to share with you this week. So, Arielle, I’ll just start off with my solution, if you don’t mind.  Arielle:  Yeah, of course! Go for it.  Karissa:  Yeah! So, my solution is called “Greece’s Sea Turtle Nests Reach Record Numbers as Conservation Efforts Pay Off.” After decades of tireless conservation efforts, the endangered Caretta caretta sea turtle is making a spectacular recovery on Greece’s coastlines. This ancient mariner, which has been around for over 100 million years, so, a very old one indeed, was nearly extinct due to human activity and environmental threats. Thanks to conservationist efforts led to a record number of sea turtle nests in Greece, marking an enormous triumph for wildlife preservation.  This amazing phenomenon is happening on the sandy beaches of Sekania on the Ionian island of Zakynthos, which is the largest nesting place for loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean. Charikleia Minotou, the WWF program manager in this protected area, has monitored loggerhead turtles for nearly 25 years and her discoveries are nothing short of amazing. She says the message from sea turtles is clear— “the measures we have taken over the past 25 years to ensure conditions are right for the marine turtles to nest here are working. It’s fantastic.” This year alone, more than 1,200 nests were discovered on the beach, which is an incredible number with one nest per 50 centimeters.   Minotou and her crew have seen record numbers of both nests and surviving hatchlings, indicating a remarkable rebound for the species. The Mediterranean region has seen an extraordinary increase in sea turtle nesting numbers, from Spain to Cyprus. This success is largely due to coordinated efforts by conservationists dedicated to saving the species. Though only about one in every thousand sea turtle hatchlings survives to adulthood, the number of nests is increasing, demonstrating the effectiveness of these conservation programs. Greece, which contains 60% of the Mediterranean’s loggerhead turtle nests, has seen the most dramatic recovery. According to Archelon, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, the average number of nests each year has increased from 5,000-7,000 to more than 10,000 since 2023.   Arielle:  Wow, that’s an incredible rebound.  Karissa:  Definitely, and these efforts have centered on getting as many hatchlings into the water as possible, giving them the best chance of survival.  Arielle:  So, how did the population get so low in the first place?  Karissa:  Well, yeah. So, the success of these conservation programs did not come easily because of the previous neglect to the plight of the Caretta caretta, putting the species on the brink of extinction. Human activities, particularly the expanding tourism industry, which brought boats, beach equipment, and an increase in people posed a significant threat to turtles. And few people understood these early battles better than Lily Venizelos, the founder of the Mediterranean. Association to Save Sea Turtles (MEDASSET) based in the United Kingdom. In the 1980s she aggressively advocated for legislation to protect the turtles, and she says, “I spent years when they were endangered, running around different ministries with pieces of paper. Because back then, no one cared to listen.”  The loggerhead turtle population’s comeback really encourages Lily, who is now in her 90s. She’s been at this for such a long time, and she’s still at it! What an icon in the sea turtle community over here.  Both:  (Laugh) Karissa:  But she emphasizes that the fight is far from done and says how it’s crucial that protective measures continue to be enforced. In one false move, everything could be lost. On that note, despite these positive advances, sea turtles in the Mediterranean still confront major obstacles. The region’s expanding tourism economy could jeopardize conservation efforts, because Greece, which hopes to attract 40 million tourists by 2028, has seen an increase in these last-chance tours, which are offered to travelers who want to visit sites threatened by climate change and excessive tourism, so.   Arielle:  It seems a little bit backwards. Karissa:  Not great to have an influx of visitors that are, you know, endangering these fragile marine habitats. We’ll see how that goes, but there’s a lot of conservationists and activists working against that. But in addition to tourism-related pressures, additional dangers such as climate change, of course, overfishing, pollution, and plastic waste are increasingly endangering sea turtles. Conservationists are working hard to fight these threats, but they warned that the progress might be jeopardized without ongoing support and enforcement of protective measures. But overall, the resurgence of the Caretta caretta sea turtle demonstrates the strength of prolonged conservation efforts. Arielle:  Yeah, these record nesting numbers in Greece and basically throughout the Mediterranean certainly bring a lot of optimism and hope for the future of this iconic species.   Karissa:  Absolutely. But the task is far from over. The folks involved are maintaining vigilance and taking action to protect the loggerhead turtles’ long-term survival.  So, with the correct regulations in place and dedication to safeguarding marine habitats, the Caretta caretta can continue to thrive and it’s already showing great promise.  Arielle:  I mean, sea turtles are incredible and fascinating creatures, and they’re ancient. They’ve been on this planet for way longer than we have been. Hopefully these conservation efforts continue and are fortified with time.  Karissa:  Well moving on from sea turtles Arielle…  Arielle:  Mm-hmm. Yeah. My solution has to do with a bit of a lifestyle tweak that sounds a little bit intimidating—it is a no-spend month. Karissa:  Oh, that sounds so tough (laughs).   Arielle:  Yeah, I know, and I definitely would struggle doing this, and I haven’t done it, so I can’t really speak from experience, but this article definitely caught my eye. The title is “Five Ways a No-Spend Month Can Transform Your Life for the Better.”    Okay, as we said, it sounds a bit intense, but trust me, I’ve read the article and it seems pretty flexible. A no-spend month is basically where you stop spending money on non-essential things for a set period. So, you can still buy your groceries, pay the bills, and cover your essentials, but dining out, shopping, and entertainment costs—that’s what you hit pause on.  Karissa: Okay. So, it’s just like cutting out the extras from our spending? Arielle:  Exactly. And the best part is that it can really help you reset financially, and not just in terms of your wallet. It’s also a way to take control of your spending and even your mental well-being. I’m going to break it down into five ways a no-spend month could seriously transform your life.  Karissa: Okay. Yeah, I’m excited to hear more. Arielle:  The first way it can change your life is it will improve your financial health, which is an obvious point, right? But here’s a real-world example: Jazmine Waller, who is now a bit of a budgeting/financial influencer, decided to try a no-spend month and ended up paying off $17,000 of debt in just nine months. She realized through not spending for a month how much was going out the door to things like subscriptions and impulse buys. And I’m definitely guilty of impulse buys.  Karissa:  Me too. It kind of shows that, you know, this no-spend month really forces you to look at where your money is actually going.  Arielle:  Mm-hmm. Yeah, precisely. Dr. Tracy Williams, who’s a financial therapist, says it’s perfect for people living paycheck to paycheck because it brings new awareness to their spending. When you’re not just mindlessly swiping your card, you’re way more mindful of every purchase.   And the second transformation is that it reduces stress and financial anxiety. I mean, who hasn’t freaked out when you have, like, an unknown number calling and you think it’s a debt collector or when you get a late payment notice or something like that? Jazmine also mentioned how freeing it was to not be dodging calls about overdue bills. And there’s something super empowering about managing your money and sticking to a plan. When you’re in control, the stress starts to melt away, and you actually feel capable of hitting bigger financial goals.  Karissa:  Less debt, fewer freak-outs about money—it’s like reaching financial zen.  Arielle:  The third way it could transform your life is by helping you appreciate what you already have. Elyse Lyons, a self-proclaimed money mentor who does no-spend months four times a year — yeah, four times a year — said it made her realize how much she already owned but wasn’t using.  Karissa:  Oh yeah, I can definitely relate to that because I know I have a lot of clothes I don’t really use, and, you know, hobbies like crafts and stuff that I could do. In these no-spend months, I could definitely go back to what I already have.  Arielle:  I guess it’s all about shifting your mindset from “I need more” to “Hey, I already have so much.” Elyse also started using public resources like libraries and community centers, which gave her new experiences without having to spend a dime. And that ties in perfectly with transformation #4—getting creative with your free time. Like you mentioned, Karissa, you do have, like, a bunch of craft supplies and things that you could use around your house. So instead of spending money on, I don’t know, going out to brunch or going to the movies or whatever, you could just find new, cost-free ways to enjoy life.   Karissa:  Yeah, instead of, like, a usual weekend brunch, I could go on a picnic, maybe. Or I could even host a brunch at my house.  Arielle:  Yeah, exactly. And Elyse found that she actually had way more meaningful experiences with her family and friends by doing simple, fun activities at home—things like movie nights with homemade snacks because, you know, groceries are still allowed. And, yeah, just little things like that. Because those types of experiences help you find joy in small, intentional moments created together. And the fifth way a no-spend month can change your life is probably my favorite—it reduces your environmental impact. So, when you’re not caught up in fast fashion or viral trends, you naturally cut down on waste.  Karissa:  Yeah, absolutely. And saving money while saving the planet is such a win-win.  Arielle:  And when you stop those impulse buys and instead appreciate what you already have, you’re making more sustainable choices. Elyse now looks for second-hand items and enjoys her purchases way more because they’re intentional. So, if you’re thinking about giving a no-spend month a try, Dr. Williams has a few tips. She says don’t go too hardcore. Give yourself some flexibility—maybe set a small limit for non-essentials because you don’t want to feel like you’re punishing yourself.  Karissa:  Yeah, totally. There’s no need to be too strict, and if you mess up, you know, it’s important to just keep going.  Arielle:  And Elyse adds that it’s important to just give yourself some grace. As you said, if you mess up a little bit, don’t beat yourself up—just learn from it, pick up, and move on.  Karissa:  Well, all of this sounds pretty doable once you explained it, and it’s probably something that everyone could benefit from trying at least once.  Arielle:  Yeah, a no-spend month isn’t just about saving money. It’s about reducing stress, getting creative, and living in a more deliberate way. And you might just discover that the benefits go far beyond your bank account. I might try it. I mean, with a no-spend month, you’ll just realize where your money is going more, I think. Just having a general oversight over what you’re spending your money on will already help you be more mindful, so…  Karissa:  Yeah, totally! I really liked the solutions we shared this week, but we also had some other great solutions from the Optimist Daily that you can find on our website, including…  Arielle:  World Animal Protection’s unique personality awards, celebrating the sentient souls of wildlife. And then we have Britain becomes the first G7 Nation to end coal power, Botanists identifying 33 global “dark spots” filled with undiscovered plant species, and 12 tried-and-true techniques for relieving a cold quickly—it is cold season, so that’ll be a good resource!  Karissa:  Oh yeah, I’m feeling it. That one’s perfect to go over to because a lot of us will come down with a cold, like I have, in this season. OK, so we also have Expert-approved foods and drinks to get rid of a hangover quickly, Oldest living microbes discovered in 2-billion-year-old rock—a glimpse into Earth’s early life—really fascinating! And Lung cancer patients have new hope, thanks to this groundbreaking drug combo. And of course, we have the “Changemakers of the Week” series, edition number one that we mentioned at the beginning of the pod. And this week, we’re covering “Nature in the Classroom” and “The Man That Rescues Dogs.” So, head over to The Optimist Daily to find out more about that.  Arielle:  Alright, if you want to start your day off right, make sure to subscribe to our free daily newsletter. Get our solutions straight to your inbox.  Karissa:  And we also have more on our social channels. You can find us @OptimistDaily on all of our platforms, including Threads and Pinterest—the only different one is on X where we are known as @OdeToOptimism.  Arielle:  We are a small team of optimists working hard to bring you positive news. If you want to support our mission of putting optimism into the world, please click on the link in the show notes to find out how.  Karissa:  Yeah, and support doesn’t always have to be financial. Even just recommending our podcast to a friend, leaving a positive review on Apple or Spotify, forwarding a link to a friend, or sharing the solution to your socials would be a great help.  Arielle:  Thank you so much for joining us this week. As we mentioned before, we’re going to take a little bit of a mental health/general health break.   Karissa:  Yup! Arielle:  So, we’ll see you in two weeks with more solutions!  Karissa:  Yeah, looking forward to being back then. But in the meantime, stay optimistic, everyone. Bye!  Arielle:  Bye!   The post Podcast Transcript October 11, 2024: Record Sea Turtle Nests in Greece and The Life-Changing Power of a No-Spend Month first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

'Certainly tightened a lot'

'For him to single out black men is wrong'

What do you think of the photo shoot?

A post shared on Facebook claims Tesla CEO and owner of X Elon Musk purportedly pledged a $5 billion endorsement at 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump’s recent campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Verdict: False The claim is false and originally stems from an Oct. 6 article published on the website “SpaceX Mania.” […]

'The entire tragic event elapsed in just 47 seconds'

A post made on X claims that Walt Disney World in Orlando flooded during Hurricane Milton. #WATCH : Hurricane Milton has flooded Disney World in Orlando#flwx #hurricane #Milton #HurricaneWarning #HurricaneAlert #HurricaneMilton #DisneyWorld pic.twitter.com/IbDsBQZjro — upuknews (@upuknews1) October 10, 2024 Verdict: False There is no credible evidence that shows Disney World flooded during Hurricane Milton. The […]

'We are making progress'

The post Alex – What Long Whiskers You Have! by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles. When looking at my ginger cat, Alex, it’s hard not to notice that he has remarkably long whiskers, particularly for a short-haired cat, and it made me wonder about some of the so-called ‘rules’ about whiskers. These are some of the claims made about whiskers, or as they are technically called, vibrissae: Cats use whiskers to gauge the width of a gap to see if they can fit through it Fatter cats have longer whiskers A cat’s whiskers are proportionate to the width of their body But when I look at the various sizes of my cats compared with their whisker length, these theories don’t quite seem to add up. Whiskers As A Measuring Tool Have you ever watched a cat squeeze, jump, or run through a narrow gap? How often do they stop to test the width with their whiskers? And, judging by the contortions they’re capable of to navigate such narrow openings, how much attention are they paying to this ‘whisker feedback’ anyway? The whiskers might say no, but Clutch says yes. Fatter Cats Have Longer Whiskers One look at Cyril will tell you that this is simply not the case. As my squishy, huggable, resident fatty, Cyril is almost twice the size of our smallest feline, Zazzles. Even at a lean body weight, he is a large cat, but his whiskers are of quite a modest length. Although whiskers fall out and are replaced like normal hair, they don’t grow longer if a cat puts on weight, so perhaps it’s a good thing that they’re not relying on them to suss out the accessibility of small spaces, or we’d be seeing a lot more tubby tabbies trapped in tiny openings! Cyril – he doesn’t want to talk about his figure. Whiskers Are Proportionate to Body Width I took it upon myself to measure the width of each of my cats at the shoulders, which, with the exception of Cyril (who is going on a diet), is the widest part of a cat’s body. I then measured the overall width of their whiskers at the longest whisker to see how they compared. To look at, Clutch’s whiskers appeared to be most proportionate to his body, while Zazzles’ seemed quite short, even when accounting for her petite frame. When I looked at the ratios of whisker length to body width, I noticed something particularly interesting – the ratio of Clutch’s whiskers to body is 1.6 : 1. And that, my friends, is known as The Golden Ratio. Whisker width 23 19 18 16 22 Shoulder width 14 11.5 16 12 15 Ratio 1.7 : 1 1.6 : 1 1.1 : 1 1.3 : 1 1.4 : 1 The Golden Ratio Also known as ‘Phi’ and ‘The Divine Proportion’, this is a ratio that is seen in nature time and time again. Although physics scholars are quick to dismiss the significance of this ratio when seen in biological organisms, the idea that features displaying these proportions are considered to be examples of ‘perfect beauty’ is one that visionaries like Leonardo DaVinci subscribed to, as shown in his famous Vitruvian Man. Although it can easily be dismissed as coincidence or chance, there are many instances in nature and architecture where this divine ratio can be observed, from the spirals of a nautilus shell, the design of the pyramids, to the proportions of the human face. And now, in Clutch’s whiskers. As I mentioned, when looking at the various features of my five cats, it was Clutch’s whiskers that seemed to be most in proportion with his face and body, so it’s interesting that his whisker-to-body width ratio is arguably divine! The long-whiskered Alex’s ratio is an impressive 1.7 to 1, while Cyril’s is a somewhat embarrassing 1.1 to 1. What Is The Purpose of Whiskers? Many people will still claim that because they are far-sighted, cats use their whiskers to help navigate their surroundings. However, this seems neither logical nor practical. Waiting for those delicate hairs to come into contact with something before making their move does not exactly fit with smooth and stealthy feline motion. Given the level of sensitivity of feline vibrissae, it is far more likely that they have evolved to detect changes in airflow created by the slightest movements of animals, allowing them to locate prey in the low light conditions of dusk and dawn, the most popular time for feline hunting. It would also explain why our cats tend to get quite agitated when windy weather wreaks havoc with their navigational instruments! Does Whisker Length Matter? Clutch – perfectly proportioned? Is Clutch better equipped for hunting because his whiskers follow the golden ratio? Or does Alex’s far-reaching vibrissae give him a strategic advantage? Being that my cats live indoors and are not required to catch their dinner, I can’t really judge them on their relative hunting skills, but my instincts tell me ‘no’. I think Cyril’s preference for lazing on his back over elevating his heart rate would impact his prey count far more than his short whiskers. Has domestication and selective breeding altered the divine whisker proportions beyond what is ‘optimal’? Judging by the stubbly vibrissae of the Sphynx, or the Rapunzelesque whiskers of some long-haired breeds, I would have to say: yes. Extremely long whiskers are going to be more hindrance than help, while non-existent whiskers will be no help at all! Alex and his long and winding whiskers. The attractive length of Alex’s whiskers may give him a slight edge over the likes of Zazzles or Cyril, but once that ratio gets much higher than 1.7, you’re dealing with hairs that are more likely to get tangled than offer tactical advantage. It would certainly be interesting, albeit challenging, to study the whisker:body width figures of feral cats and their larger relatives to find out if the golden ratio does dominate in nature – I’m looking at you, prospective PhD candidates! This article is a part of Dr. Karyn's series with her five hilarious cats. Read her previous article: Alex and the Somersault of Happiness The post Alex – What Long Whiskers You Have! by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Books cocktails Cocktails Inspired by our Favorite Literary Vampires, Shapeshifters, Witches, and Monsters Four “booktail” recipes to complement your autumn reading and titillate your taste buds By Lindsay Merbaum | Published on October 11, 2024 Photo by Bon Vivant via Unsplash Comment 0 Share New Share Photo by Bon Vivant via Unsplash Imagine a pair of polyamorous emotional vampires from San Francisco on a queer-themed cruise around the Black Sea. My forthcoming novella, Vampires at Sea (a smutty, horror-comedy “snack” coming from feminist horror small press Creature Publishing in the spring of 2025!) follows vampires Hugh and Rebekah as they encounter an alluring third partner, a non-binary social media influencer named Heaven. Sex and mayhem ensue, against a backdrop of ongoing war.  Several unabashedly queer, sexy, and magical novels influenced the conception of Vampires at Sea, including: Anne Rice’s classic Interview with the Vampire but of course; Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl, a queer tale of shapeshifting by Andrea Lawlor; Sara Gran’s sexy, spell-casting The Book of the Most Precious Substance; and the deliciously dangerous A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers. What follows is a look at each of these risk-taking books—plus a cocktail recipe for each! In addition to being an author, I’m also a mixologist, and part of my practice includes “booktails”—custom drink recipes with ingredients derived from the books’ moods, themes, and symbolism–a tangible expression of the novel’s influence. Besides, cocktails are a proper seduction in their own right, and a celebration of decadence. So, I hope you’re thirsty, readers. Cheers! Let’s dive in.  Interview with the Vampire Photo: Lindsay Merbaum Disclaimer! If you’ve only seen the AMC series but not yet read the novel, be prepared for some key differences, particularly when it comes to Claudia’s role. In altering the family dynamic, the show created a whole other narrative that plays by its own rules. Personally, I prefer the book to the series. That’s just my opinion, though! I recommend exploring both! In Rice’s 1976 novel, Louis de Pointe du Lac was once heir to a New Orleans plantation. He was also a slave owner. His maker is Lestat, a charming and impetuous narcissist, who taunts Louis’ moral struggles. Lestat’s cruelest and most elegant trap is the creation of their vampire daughter, Claudia, whose mind ages, though her little toddler body does not. While writing Vampires at Sea, I thought a lot about the gay-family-love-triangle in Rice’s novel: Lestat, the unabashedly monstrous vampire who’s afraid to be alone; Louis, the self-loathing vampire victimized by Lestat; and Claudia, a self-accepting monster, nevertheless plagued by an unfulfilled need to achieve physical maturity. Her vampire body is a prison; it cannot last. (Side note: in the book, the break-up scene between Louis and Armand is also one of the coldest splits I’ve ever seen. Take a look–reality romance TV has nothing on these two.) If you’ve only seen the AMC series but not yet read the novel, be prepared for some key differences, particularly when it comes to Claudia’s role. In altering the family dynamic, the show created a whole other narrative that plays by its own rules. Personally, I prefer the book to the series. That’s just my opinion, though! I recommend exploring both! The Red Lavender cocktail is full of flowers: like a child, Claudia is covered in lavender while she persuades Louis to accept her murderous machinations. Orange blossom water scents Louis’ midnight strolls with his sister, now lost to mortality. Bittersweet botanicals complement these florals. The glass is rinsed with licorice-y absinthe: when Claudia executes her doomed plan, she employs two little cherubs, some laudanum, and absinthe, with terrible results. Herbaceous Campari adds a brilliant red, reminiscent of Armand’s auburn curls. All of this is topped with champagne, a favorite prop of Lestat’s when he’s performing humanness.  Red Lavender Dry champagne  1 oz Campari  0.5 oz lavender syrup (see recipe)  1 tsp absinthe  A dash orange blossom water  Instructions: Prepare the lavender syrup. Meanwhile, set a coupe glass in the freezer or at the back of the fridge to chill. Once the syrup is cool and the glass is frosted, rinse with absinthe, coating the glass thoroughly and discarding the excess. Set aside. Add the Campari, lavender syrup, and orange blossom water to a mixing glass with ice. Stir vigorously, then strain into the chilled glass. Top generously with champagne.   Lavender Syrup 1 c water 1 c sugar ¼ c dried organic lavender Instructions: Mix all ingredients together in a small pot, then bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cool, strain and discard solids.  Store ininto a glass bottle or jar. Keep refrigerated. Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl Photo: Lindsay Merbaum Andrea Lawlor’s Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl is a magical odyssey traversing the queer side of the 90’s, contextualized by the ongoing AIDS crisis. (Also, it’s the only book on this list where no one gets murdered!) Our guide through Iowa City, the Michigan Womyn’s Fest, P-Town, and the gayest city of all, San Francisco, is the eponymous Paul, a lovably superficial sort-of intellectual, with penchants for fashion and sex of all kinds with all genders. Haphazardly enrolled in college courses, Paul scrapes by with earnings from bars and bookstores, all the while hunting for potential sexual conquests. Paul’s good at conforming to his prey’s particular taste. Really, really good. Paul’s a shapeshifter, in fact. He can change his physical appearance at will, altering his hair, musculature, breast tissue, and sex. Then he falls for Diane, a gold star lesbian, who wants him to live as female-bodied. Does Paul know who he is? What he is?   Lawlor does not explain how Paul became Paul. Instead, various myths pop up throughout the narrative. The author told the Boston Review they sought to challenge the very idea of an origin story:  “[…] I think a lot of queer and trans people resent constantly being forced to come up with a cohesive narrative. For example, there is this by-the-book trans narrative I could give: ‘I always felt like I was a boy,’ or ‘When I was four years old…’ All that may be true, but it is also more complicated.”  This novel refuses to explain itself in terms of its queerness, smuttiness, or cultural references. And I, for one, am here for it.  The Shapeshifter is made with bourbon infused with peach–one of the sexiest fruits–which transforms not only the flavor, but the color and viscosity. Paul often reaches for whiskey, as when Diane surprises him in boy form or when it takes a gratis whiskey sour for Paul to summon the courage to listen to voicemails from his ex-boyfriend, Tony Pinto. And when grief hits, he drinks whiskey under the covers. Meanwhile, the Luxardo adds a touch of cherry–another sexy fruit, there’s even one on the cover. All are balanced by the herb-y bitterness of the Italian aperitivo, a nod to the Negroni, Tony’s favorite drink. Finally, the lemon twist adds a sharp, refreshing note. The cumulative result is surprisingly harmonious.  Shapeshifter  2 oz peach-infused bourbon (see instructions) 1 oz Martini & Rossi Aperitivo (red variety, nonalcoholic)  0.5 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur  Lemon twist  Instructions: Add 1 fresh sliced peach to a jar, with the skin, plus 1 c bourbon. Seal, shake, and let sit in a cool, dark place for 3-7 days. Shake once daily. Strain and discard solids. Add the bourbon to a mixing glass with ice, along with the Luxardo and Aperitivo. Stir then strain into a stemmed glass and garnish with a lemon twist.  The Book of the Most Precious Substance Photo: Lindsay Merbaum People will tell you Sara Gran’s The Book of the Most Precious Substance is about female ejaculation. That’s just not true. Yes, the plot involves female ejaculation/squirting–but it’s just a tool for working some dark magic.  You see, Lily Albrecht is a celebrated author who’s stopped writing. Her once-brilliant husband has succumbed to inexplicable dementia, requiring round-the-clock care. If Lily can find the rarest of rare books, a magical tome called The Book of the Most Precious Substance, she just might get her beautiful life back. The search itself is a riveting and sumptuously nourished treasure hunt through the US and Europe. There are side adventures and an array of magical characters, including witches. Occult knowledge is likewise peppered throughout, which I very much appreciate.  There is indeed something very witchy about this book. Even its origin story is kind of magical: Sara Gran started Dreamland Books to publish it. She told LitHub:  “…I just knew it would be a shit show one way or the other. There would be some form of picking on what I had done. Either it would be, ‘Put more sex into it and make it straightforward erotica,’ or it would be, ‘This is too much sex and the sex is too weird, and it involves things that some people don’t believe exists, and we can’t have that either.’ ” Gran decided to write “exactly what I wanted to write, with all of that sex, with all of the other sort of occult stuff in it, all of the stuff that someone in a New York publishing house might not quite grasp, and just get it out there.” These are not things authors are encouraged to do; we’ve got gatekeepers, agents, editors, and others to consider. Gran inspires us to trust ourselves and our authorial instincts. Write that orgy.  Each layer of the Precious Potion represents one of the “materials” required to complete the spell and achieve Lily’s goal. First, plum brandy (get it?) stands in for semen. Clear, refined brandy is also known as eau de vie–water of life. (In Sumerian mythology, water is a metaphor for man’s seed.) Honey—like the honey drizzled over the cheese Lily enjoys in New Orleans, or sold at an open air market in Munich—references natural lubrication, while lemon juice embodies sour sweat. The Floral bitters represent the elusive substance that requires a bit of magic to achieve. These bitters combine several witchy plants used in healing and spells: lavender, chamomile, calendula, and wormwood. Lastly, pomegranate seeds, the Greek fruit of the dead, reference a certain meaningful tattoo. The seeds also symbolize the final step to complete the spell, one which requires the most precious substance of all–life.  Precious Potion 2 oz plum brandy/eau de vie  2 Tbsp honey dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water  0.5 oz fresh lemon juice Several dashes Strongwater Lavender Wildflower bitters Pomegranate seed garnish Add the brandy, dissolved honey, lemon juice, and bitters to a shaker with ice. Agitate vigorously for about 20 seconds, then strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.  A Certain Hunger Photo: Lindsay Merbaum In Chelsea G. Summers’ deliciously cheeky novel A Certain Hunger, food critic Dorothy Daniels harbors a secret indulgence: killing and cannibalizing her lovers. Her alliterative name seems like a deliberate nod to Humbert Humbert from Nabokov’s Lolita– another slippery monster, gorging on the souls of young girls. Except Dorothy doesn’t care about your approval. Instead, she confronts the complicit reader, hungrily turning the pages of her tale of sex and violence. The theme here is “consumption.” Gorgeous prose renders delicacies perverse, aligning oysters and anal in the same sentence. (In Vampires at Sea, it’s human feeling that’s so delectable. Tangible meals are both a curiosity and a grotesquerie.)  The Martini Rucola Basilico is made with gin, the base ingredient of the Corpse Reviver #2. This is the same cocktail Dorothy enjoys at the hotel bar where she meets the man who will be her undoing. The floral gin is complemented by a spicy, herbaceous arugula basil cordial. Arugula appears both in the last meal Dorothy serves her lover Gil, and the one she makes of his lingua. Basil is also a must, given Dorothy’s Italian passion. Dry vermouth adds a crisp touch, tempering the sweet cordial and gin. Despite the vibrant green of the herbs, the cocktail is eerily translucent, the single curl of arugula garnishing the glass the only clue to his ingredients.  Martini Rucola Basilico 2 oz gin (I prefer Botanist gin) 1 oz arugula basil cordial (see recipe)  0.5 oz dry vermouth Arugula leaf garnish  Instructions: Prepare the cordial. Meanwhile, set a martini glass in the freezer to chill. Once the cordial is ready, add it to a mixing glass with ice, along with the gin and vermouth. Stir, then strain into the chilled glass. Garnish with a fresh leaf of arugula.   Arugula Basil Cordial 1 c sugar 1 c water ⅓-1 c vodka ¼ c arugula (whole leaf) ¼ c fresh basil (whole leaf) Instructions: Combine the sugar and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Gently mix in the arugula and basil, then cover and let cool. Strain and discard solids. Add the syrup to a jar, along with an additional handful of fresh arugula and a stem of  fresh basil fresh. Add ⅓-1 c vodka (⅔ c is recommended). Seal and shake the jar. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 3-7 days. Shake once per day.  Strain and discard solids. Store in a glass bottle or jar. [end-mark] The post Cocktails Inspired by our Favorite Literary Vampires, Shapeshifters, Witches, and Monsters appeared first on Reactor.