Books & Bottles Series (#14)

Well, my friends, I don’t know how we got here but it’s the end of the month of March and I really couldn’t be more excited. March tends to be a really bad month for me and blogging. I think because we’re exiting Spring, allergies are coming back and my 9-5 is retail so Spring Sales are here! Which also means a lot of work for me. Though I was able to read my book and I’m super excited to review Books & Bottles Series (#14) with you guys!

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Books & Bottles Series (#14)

I really enjoyed this pairing. I know we’re going into Spring but I couldn’t help but grab a bottle of red. It’s been grey, rainy, and roughly 48* every day this month. I’d love to grab a white but I wasn’t feeling it. Which was perfect, as my book this month was a homicidal satirical thriller!

Here’s Books & Bottles Series (#14)!

The Book: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Short Summary (from the back of the book):

Korede’s sister Ayoola is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead, stabbed through the heart with Ayoola’s knife.

Korede’s practicality is the sisters’ saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood (bleach, bleach, and more bleach), the best way to move a body (wrap it in sheets like a mummy), and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures to Instagram when she should be mourning her “missing” boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit.

Korede has long been in love with a kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where she works. She dreams of the day when he will realize that she’s exactly what he needs. But when he asks Korede for Ayoola’s phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and how far she’s willing to go to protect her.

Honest review: 4 Stars

Ohhhh this book! You guys… my jaw dropped a few times while reading this book. In fact, in the end, I went to bed and woke up with a revelation after thinking about it overnight. It’s also a great quick read. I didn’t want to put it down once I got into it.

This book is witty. Full of satire, family, stress, implied domestic violence (off-page) and the privilege beauty plays in our patriarchal society.

Korede is brilliant and you watch her try to keep her OCD lifestyle in check through the entirety of the novel. Meanwhile, her sister floats through life being thrown everything she wants.

Without giving too much away, you see Korede suppress herself for her family despite what is “right” and what she wants for herself. You see her life go from an achievable and somewhat fulfilling life for herself, to a nightmare that’s somehow manageable and accepted in the end.

If you can’t tell, I enjoyed the book despite the dark undertones and an ending I didn’t think possible. But the more I thought about it, the more I really enjoyed it.

_{Note: if you’re thinking of buying this book, check out bookshop.org. You can pick it up at your local bookstore or support a small shop near you and have it delivered!}

The Bottle: Airfield Winery 2019 Tempranillo

This wine is the complete opposite of the last books & bottles review. I love this Tempranillo and it’s the perfect match for this book because it’s filled with spice, dark berry jams, anise, and rounded out with toasted oak. It’s a glass you want to curl up with at a cabin in the woods with a suspenseful book. It would be wonderful in Fall and Winter or on a chilly seasons-changing night in front of the fire. 💕

This bottle is sold out for the year. I’m a member of Airfields winery so I do snatch bottles up upon release. I genuinely can’t wait to try the 2020 bottle this year.

What I’m tasting:

A medium-bodied taste that is loaded with subtle (and not too overbearing) spices and minerals. It’s a light earthy wine with hints of huckleberry. The winery tasting notes mentioned its “incredibly lush and lingering finish” and I have to agree with that.

What I’m smelling:

I cannot explain it other than an earth red wine that makes my mouth water when I smell it. 😋

Overall wine grade: B+

This bottle isn’t what I would consider affordable for everyone. It’s a splurge for a nice evening celebration or a lovely gift for a friend. Full transparency, I get a discount as a member of this winery, so I did dock half a point because I know not everyone could pay full price.

I’m a sucker for a Spanish-style wine, you guys. The tasting notes recommend pairing this with Spanish-style cured meats and tapas. I think would be complementary while hosting with this wine.

What’s on your bookshelf, guys? Where are you going on your next book adventure?

Til next time, Happy Reading!