Tea with Miss Emily & a GIVEAWAY

There’s a new picture book about Emily Dickinson and it is marvelous. (Thank you, Best of Books in Edmond, OK, for shipping it so quickly!)

This book written by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Becca Stadtlander is beautiful, inspirational, and quite poignant–I confess to crying a bit while reading. (In a good way!) Before I continue, however, I should direct your attention to Jama Kim Rattigan’s recent blog post, which alerted me to the existence of this book. Her review is delightful and you’ll be rewarded with lovely images and a scrumptious recipe. Thanks, Jama!

In my featured image at the top you see some of my favorite books related to Emily Dickinson, including her complete poems. Do you have a biography recommendation? I quite enjoyed White Heat, by Brenda Wineapple–it was such an absorbing read–but its focus was somewhat restricted. I have the Habegger biography and the one by Sewall, but they both look so ponderous that I haven’t had the energy to try them yet. Thoughts? Any other books related to Dickinson that you might recommend?

A more recent favorite thing in the featured image above is the Emily Dickinson paper doll–such a fun distraction! I paid my $6.50 and was immediately able to download and print the images on card stock. I didn’t expect to enjoy cutting out the pieces, but it turned out to be a soothing and almost meditative activity. The artist has many paper doll options on offer. You know I’ll have to get the Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen packets, at the very least!

And now, Tea with Miss Emily…

First of all, I actually found an “Emily Dickinson” blend of tea from Simpson & Vail. I am so pleased to tell you that it is delicate, soothing, and absolutely gorgeous to behold. Here is the description from the S&V website:

In the years she spent away from society, Emily Dickinson cultivated an extensive garden. In it, she grew jasmine flowers, cornflowers, roses, and many other flowers, plants and herbs. These flowers appear repeatedly in her poetry so our blend had to be floral. We created a delightful combination of jasmine tea and rose petals that brews to a light ecru cup with long green leaves and rose petal accents. This delicate tea hits you with a strong jasmine taste that’s sweetened and mellowed with the subtle flavors of the rose petals. Ingredients: Jasmine tea, rose petals, jasmine blossoms, marigold petals and blue cornflower petals.

[NOTE: Simpson & Vail has an entire collection of author-inspired teas.]

I learned that Emily Dickinson was an avid baker, particularly of “cakes, cookies, and candies.” I love to bake, but when it’s something unfamiliar I’ll usually try a quality mix the first time around. For this Honey Almond cake, I used a Williams & Sonoma mix that turned out to be more complicated than expected, but I managed. The interestingly shaped bundt pan is also from Williams & Sonoma, and I was utterly beguiled by the Nordic Ware Magnolia design.

Here is my Emily Dickinson-inspired tea tray. I brushed a honey glaze on the cake and garnished it with fresh fruit. I also used a little honey in the tea, which paired beautifully with the cake. A hydrangea bloom from the back patio adds a nice flourish, eh?

THE GIVEAWAY: I have one copy of On Wings of Words to give away, and I’ll sweeten the pot by adding SIGNED copies of My Friend Maggie, written/illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison along with Suki and Sam, written by Dr. Lisa Marotta and illustrated by Dorothy Shaw. All you need do is comment with the first line of your favorite Emily Dickinson poem OR with the title of a favorite non-fiction book about Emily Dickinson. US/CA entries only, please! I’ll announce the winner next Wednesday, May 26, 2020.

April Tea and Three Cosy Books

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Happy Wednesday! If you’ve been yearning for a comfort read, I have three recommendations. And TEA.

The Bookshop on the Corner, by Jenny Colgan

Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile — a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling. From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.

I was so desperate for a sweet read, and I tried various things that just didn’t work. Then I turned to Modern Mrs. Darcy and found this truly comforting tale. (Actually, all three books in this post were recommended at MMD’s blog.) A bookish librarian in Birmingham is made redundant and decides to pursue her dream of selling books from a bookmobile…IN SCOTLAND. Such a sweet story! I ended up liking it so much better than the other Jenny Colgan book I’ve read–The Little Beach Street Bakery–which had its moments and was a quick, entertaining read, but wasn’t nearly so cosy.

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, by Eva Rice

Penelope wants nothing more than to fall in love, and when her new best friend, Charlotte, a free spirit in the young society set, drags Penelope into London with all of its grand parties, she sets in motion great change for them all. Charlotte’s mysterious and attractive brother Harry uses Penelope to make his American ex-girlfriend jealous, with unforeseen consequences, and a dashing, wealthy American movie producer arrives with what might be the key to Penelope’s—and her family’s—future happiness.

This story is quite reminiscent of I Capture the Castle but it’s set in the 50s and is more focused on society life and pop idol obsessions. I truly enjoyed reading it–the novel offers a fascinating look at culture in 1950s England–but keep in mind that, for me, it wasn’t nearly as cosy or moving as Dodie Smith’s story. I’ll definitely try more of Rice’s books. (She, by the way, is the daughter of lyricist/writer Tim Rice!)

The Lost Husband, by Katherine Center

Life on Aunt Jean’s goat farm is both more wonderful and more mysterious than Libby could have imagined. Beyond the animals and the strenuous work, there is quiet—deep, country quiet. But there is also a shaggy, gruff (though purportedly handsome, under all that hair) farm manager with a tragic home life, a formerly famous feed-store clerk who claims she can contact Danny “on the other side,” and the eccentric aunt Libby never really knew but who turns out to be exactly what she’s been looking for. And despite everything she’s lost, Libby soon realizes how much more she’s found. She hasn’t just traded one kind of crazy for another: She may actually have found the place to bring her little family—and herself—back to life.

I never would have read this if I hadn’t seen it on Modern Mrs. Darcy’s blog. What a lovely discovery! This is a funny, poignant, and sexy (but not explicit) book about grief, letting go, and moving on. I enjoyed every word of it AND I rather liked the recently released film adaptation–available on Prime!)

**Do you have favorite comfort reads to recommend? Please share in the comments!**

For tea I chose Thé des Amants (the tea of Lovers), which seemed fitting since all three of these books are romances. (Learn more about the tea in this Instagram post.) For my tea treat I added delightful little dried Maine blueberries to this gluten-free Lemon scone mix from Sticky Fingers (which only seems to be available on Amazon? Egads!). There are other gluten-free options you might like.

Keep on keeping on, folks!

P.S. I’m officially shifting to the UK spelling of “cosy” (vs. cozy) because it just looks nicer.

Cozy distractions in the time of Corona

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Even if you’re healthy and safe at home, you may be losing your mind right about now. I’ve put together a list of things (in no particular order) that might brighten your mood during this surreal quarantine from the rest of humanity.

— First of all, complete your 2020 Census! It may not be a cheerful activity, but it doesn’t take long and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment when done.

— Please visit Sampy and friends in Finland. Seriously, CLICK THAT LINK! You can’t help but cheer up when you see Sampy, Hiskias, and Elmeri cavorting in the snow. They are magical creatures and they always fill my heart with joy.

— Pre-order The Jane Austen Society. Yes, there’s a new Austen-themed novel coming out, and Richard Armitage* is reading the audiobook! The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner, with starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, is “a fictional telling of the start of the society in the 1940s in the village of Chawton, where Austen wrote or revised her major works.” Doesn’t it sound lovely? Speaking of sound, here’s a snippet of the performance by Armitage. The novel releases on May 26 in the U.S.

*NOTE: If you’re a fan of Richard Armitage’s voice, check out all the Audible books he has narrated. I was gobsmacked!

— Listen to Shedunnit, “the podcast that unravels the mysteries behind classic detective stories.” The latest episode is about Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, and thus of particular interest to me, but there’s much more you’ll wish to explore.

— If you’re a fan of Hallmark movies, particularly the Christmas ones, fill out the Merry Madness Christmas Bracket. You can create up to 10 brackets and maybe even win some cash. This form of March Madness may not be as exciting as the NCAA basketball tournament, but it’s a nice distraction.

–ALSO, Hallmark’s Spring Fling starts March 28. In the meantime try to catch a repeat of In the Key of Love or watch it online. We loved it.

— Reorganize your tea cabinet. (Or any cabinet/drawer that contains magical things but has become untidy.) Trust me, it feels SO GOOD. I started with my tea cabinet and then moved on to every cabinet in the kitchen. But really, I only moved on to the other, less interesting cabinets because I was still on a high from tidying my teas. Check it out:

–Watch Schitt’s Creek on Netflix. It’s adorable, but you do have to give it a couple of episodes before you connect to the characters. This show makes me so cheerful, and sometimes (more often in later seasons) it’s so poignant that it makes me cry. Another great option: Playing House. This is my ultimate comfort show. I have downloaded all three seasons to my phone, and I often watch it on airplanes when the turbulence is rattling me. Maggie and Emma are a lovable pair of friends, and the actresses are besties in real life.

— Read the Ruth Galloway mysteries by Elly Griffiths, or download the audiobooks from Audible.com. This incredibly appealing series of cozy mysteries will distract you from the harsh realities of our world. (Or just save you from boredom.)

— Make cocoa with marshmallows. I love this recipe from Epicurious.

— Take a long walk. It’s good for your body and will clear your mind. If the quiet streets freak you out, go home and drink more cocoa.

— Work a puzzle. There must be at least one of them lurking in a closet somewhere.

— Meditate. I like the guided meditations on the Calm App. They have wonderfully soporific sleep stories, too, if you’re having trouble falling asleep at night.

— Learn. Surely you’ve seen the ads for a free month of “The Great Courses” online? Go here for more information.

— Start or end your day with journaling. I’m addicted to this practice, and it has become my morning therapy. If you have no idea where/how to start, google “journal prompts” and you’ll find endless lists of questions and suggestions. As I’ve mentioned before (here, for instance), I love the journals from Paperblanks. But any old notebook will do.

— ETA: If all else fails, watch this: Coronavirus Rhapsody

Have a suggestion for this list? Do share in the comments!

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Featured image credit: ID 85961367 © Stanislav Salamanov | Dreamstime.com

March Tea and a Book: The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

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After a long drought, I finally found a book that captivated me, kept me glued to the pages until the end, and only took two days to read because I could hardly bear to put it down.

Goodreads synopsis:
In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate abandon the comforts of suburbia and their teaching jobs to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that this charming property has a dark and violent past, Helen, a former history teacher, becomes consumed by the legend of Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there a century ago.

My thoughts
I am always drawn to “moving to the country/living off the land” sorts of stories because they are inherently full of conflict–internal and external–even without ghosts. In the case of this book, I loved the notion of building a haunted house, for that’s what Helen ends up doing as she incorporates historical artifacts and materials into her home design. (The fact that the home site lies near a rather mystical and creepy bog makes it all the better.)

The cast of characters is rather large, but each individual is distinct and, in most cases, seamlessly woven into the story. I really appreciated that the characters’ behavior–be it thoughtful, reckless, or downright avoidant–pushed the plot forward, and though there were surprises, everything made sense in the end. Some horror stories show characters driving themselves insane and wrecking all their relationships in pursuit of “the truth,” bringing catharsis through spectacularly messy implosion. That can be interesting, of course, but I appreciated how the characters in this story learned from mistakes, clued in to nuances, and generally tried to be their best selves once they knew what was at stake.

Now for tea:
To pair with spooky books, I prefer simple, cozy snacks. I baked easy, delicious Irish White Scones from a mix by Odlums, “Ireland’s favorite home baking brand.” Do check the link–they have such a wide variety of scrumptious mixes. I happened to find this mix at World Market, and I do hope Odlums will make more of their products available in the U.S. For tea I chose Paris Breakfast from Mariage Freres, containing “notes of honey, malted-chocolate, vanilla, buttered brioche, and candied tangerine.” I added a splash of milk and just a bit of Turbinado sugar.

I ate my scone with fresh berries but they’d also be perfect with fruit jam and butter or clotted cream. The scones were very light and fluffy, not too sweet, with a nice crunch to the crust. Best of all, they were SO EASY to make.

A final mystery:
Readers, 2020 has been a struggle for me so far, as it’s proven well nigh impossible for me to finish a book. I started several promising stories, but with each one I lost interest by the halfway point.

The hardcover of The Invited released at the end of April, 2019, and I have no idea how it ended up in my possession. I never ordered it. I didn’t put it on any wishlist. I never sought it out at a bookstore, as far as I can remember. It simply wasn’t on my radar. One day, however, I looked up and saw it on my shelf. SPOOKY.

If one of my pals out there sent it to me, or was with me when I bought it, would you let me know? If no one responds, I’ll just have to assume that the universe took it upon itself to end my reading drought by delivering the right book at the right time. 🙂

Friends, what do YOU do when stuck in a reading rut?

A Horror Interlude for February

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This past week I visited Dallas for the Highland Park Literary Festival. The festival volunteers always put on a great event, and the highlight for me was spending time with the HPHS students who signed up for my presentation, “How to Build a Horror Hero” (a companion to last year’s “Building the Perfect Monster”). As you might imagine, I had a splendid time talking horror with these enthusiasts and eagerly scribbled down their recommendations.

They did not steer me wrong! Here are the three films I watched:

HOSTILE (2017)
Juliette, a lone survivor of an apocalyptic era, fights to survive against hunger, thirst, a broken leg and strange, disturbing creatures that only come out at nighttime.
When a student recommended this one, I’m afraid I confused it with Hostel, which I never want to see. Eventually, however, it got through my thick skull that she was describing something completely different, and I’m just flabbergasted that this film hasn’t shown up on my radar until now. If you like horror with character development, tension, and alternating timelines, give this one a chance.
Watch the Trailer / Options for Viewing

THE THING (1982)
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
Why did I wait so long to watch this horror classic? It’s a clever sci-fi variation on the “And Then There were None” sort of mystery, and the old-school special effects (rather than CGI) make it all the more horrific. Kurt Russell is fabulous.
Watch the Trailer / Options for Viewing

CREEP (2004)**
Trapped in a London subway station, a woman who’s being pursued by a potential attacker heads into the unknown labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city’s streets. This one will resonate for those who have spent a lot of time in Tube stations, particularly late at night. Franke Potenta (a favorite of mine since Run Lola Run) is appealing as a “party girl” who ends up locked in the subway station overnight. Guess what? She’s not alone down there.
Watch the Trailer / Options for Viewing

**NOTE: there is a more recent horror film titled Creep with Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice, and it is well-reviewed, but I couldn’t make it to the end because I love Duplass and couldn’t bear him being so annoyingly evil.

Highland Park High School students–thank you for the great discussions and recommendations! Feel free to comment with more. 🙂