Years ago I hosted a few afternoon teas at our old house. The budget was very tight back then, and I've never been much of a cook, so none of those events felt like a proper tea. At some point I figured if I couldn't do it right, I shouldn't do it at all. Recently,...
Patrice Kindl's A School for Brides: A Story of Maidens, Mystery, and Matrimony is a delightful romp for fans of quirky characters and unusual conflicts, not to mention all things Regency. It's a companion to an earlier favorite of mine from Kindl, Keeping the Castle,...
Over the last several months I re-read (or in some cases read for the first time) Agatha Christie's novels and short stories featuring Miss Jane Marple. What a delight! In addition I introduced myself to the Joan Hickson TV adaptations (most excellent) and revisited...
Last week while Steve and I were in Las Vegas we made a special visit to the Mandarin Oriental to partake of their afternoon tea.It was amazing! Let me show you. (Click photos for a larger view.)First we were served perfectly steeped tea -- Steve chose the Mandarin...
This month's "tea and a book" recommendation has such a Christmassy cover, doesn't it? Or perhaps it's just wintry, but that's almost as good. Angela Thirkell, granddaughter of Pre-Raphaelite phenom Edward Burne-Jones, published High Rising in 1933 and went on to...
I first saw The Signature of All Things recommended at the blog of Stephanie Burgis, and knowing how much Steph and I have in common when it comes to fiction preferences, I figured it would be just my cup of tea. Prior to this, I'd never read a book by Elizabeth...
Early this month I listened to Ric Jerrom's exquisite voice performance of Pat Walsh's The Crowfield Curse while driving home from Iowa, and nothing I've read since has topped it. Though it's not a horror story, it does offer chills and thrills fitting for Halloween....
If you're an Anglophile and/or a lover of travel, books, good food, and good friends, you might want to take a peek at Susan Branch's A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside. Prior to this, Branch was the author/illustrator of keepsake books like...
April turned out to be a very busy month, and thus no "Tea and a book" post. I'd still like to briefly mention my April recommendation, but I'll compress the details into a visual:If this photo gives you a happy tingle, then you certainly must read Claire B. Dunkle's...
March has come and nearly gone, and what with revision, travel, and friends coming to town, I haven't had much time to read, much less blog. So this very late edition of Tea and a Book will have a slightly different focus.This past Friday, my dear friend Michelle and...
This week I discovered Sarah Addison Allen. She writes about family, friendship, and romance. Her characters are endearingly quirky, and her stories captivate with humor and magic. (Actual MAGIC!) I finished Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen in about three days....
For my final English Christmas post, I offer five photos from our holiday tea at The Savoy in London.The setting was elegant and inviting. The tea tray included cranberry and plain scones (on top), raspberry ginger preserves, clotted cream, and homemade lemon curd...
For this month's post, I was determined to find a novel in which most of the story takes place during Christmas. I read several good candidates, but Winter Solstice was by far the most compelling. The story revolves around Elfrida Phipps, a former stage actress who...
I love tea and I love books, so why not combine the two in a blog post? Each month I'll attempt to pair tea and something scrumptious with a good book. In some cases, the book will even reference tea -- bonus! Let's start with my recent re-read of the two novellas...
Haven't done a tea post in a while! When we were in Lucerne, Switzerland, we spent some time in this lovely shop. After poking about and sniffing lots of lovely teas, I chose . . .A black tea from Indonesia! This Taloon has the characteristic reddish tint of an Assam,...
