The Weekly Pour: The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne
We are stepping behind the velvet curtain of 1980s New York comedy for this Weekly Pour. Pull up a chair, pour something with bubbles, and get ready for one of the most talked-about fiction releases of early spring.
The Midnight Show is a propulsive, wildly entertaining novel told through compiled interviews, articles, and transcripts. It follows the most promising female star of her generation in the cutthroat world of late-night comedy — and what happens when she disappears. Think fame, friendship, ambition, and the brutal cost of being funny in rooms that were never built for you.
The format is incredibly clever. It reads like a true-crime podcast and a glossy celebrity biography collided and had the most entertaining possible outcome. But underneath all the glitter and drama, there is a genuinely moving story about what women are willing to sacrifice to be seen, and whether any of it is worth the price.
We have been passing this one around the crew and the consensus is unanimous: you will not put it down.
Why It Made the List
The Treasure Valley has a seriously sharp, funny, fiction-loving community and we knew this one would land. The Midnight Show sparks conversations about ambition, about female friendship, about who gets to be the funny one in the room. We want to be the place where those conversations happen.
Read it if: you love The Women by Kristin Hannah, anything about female friendship under pressure, or you have ever binged a documentary about a celebrity who mysteriously stepped away from the spotlight. Also excellent if you just love a genuinely clever format.
This Week's Cocktail & Mocktail Pour
The Cocktail - The Late-Night Laugh Cocktail Pairing: Shake 1.5 oz bourbon, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup, and 0.5 oz amaretto over ice. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange twist.
Why it works: Bourbon has the old-school glamour of 1980s New York, and the amaretto adds just enough sweetness to balance out the sharp edge of ambition.
The Mocktail - The Spotlight Soda: In a tall glass over ice, pour 2 oz cherry juice and a squeeze of fresh orange. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice.
Why it works: Cherry and ginger is punchy and bright and just a little unforgettable. Exactly like our leading lady.
From the Lounge
What is your favorite novel told in an unconventional format? We are collecting recommendations for a future display shelf and your picks genuinely shape what we stock. Drop yours in the comments or DM us on socials @thebookloungeid.
Happy Reading (and Sipping!)
The Book Lounge Crew
Order at bookshop.org/shop/thebooklounge · Audiobooks at libro.fm/thebooklounge
