Well, I’m inspired to drink a cup of tea now that I know January is National Hot Tea Month!
Turn on the kettle, drop in the tea leaves and settle into one of Laura Childs’ cozy Tea Shop mysteries. The long-running series began with Death by Darjeeling and Gunpowder Green and continues through Broken Bone China, published in 2019.
You’ll also want to check out The Charms of Tea: Reminiscences and Recipes by Victoria magazine. The book includes information about serving tea, suggested menus and recipes, and charming tea passages from literary classics like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Don’t forget that the library also has copies of Tea Time magazine to turn to for inspiration!
Don’t worry if you’re more of a non-fiction reader! You can learn about how the English managed to smuggle tea out of China in For All the Tea in China by Sarah Rose.
Make sure you include your children and grandchildren in a tea party this month, and share one of these children’s books with them.
Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham is a short chapter book with the delightful feel of a legend or fable.
Of course, there are also tea-themed books for the very youngest readers.