Upon finishing Rebel Sisters by Marita Conlon-McKenna, I was filled with regret that I didn’t pay better attention in the British Literature class I took my sophomore year of college. The class surveyed Romantic, Victorian, and Modern literature. I happily devoured Romantic literature, which was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and Age of Enlightenment, and it celebrated nature, spirituality, individuality, creativity, and purity. It’s something that resonated with me, and now that I think about it, that’s probably why I’m so keen on the Steampunk subculture; it seems to celebrate many of the same things. Victorian literature and Modern literature? Puh! That stuff could hardly hold my attention. And…now I find that unfortunate because we definitely studied the Irish identity in Modern literature, and that is a major theme in Rebel Sisters. While I enjoyed this novel, I feel I could have experience a different plane of appreciation had I just applied myself a little harder in that class.
Author: Jackie
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Pain au Chocolat for the Mistresses of Versailles
Upon finishing the Rivals of Versailles by Sally Christie, two thoughts crossed my mind:
- OMG THAT WAS SO GOOD!
- Crap! I forgot to write down the food that was mentioned throughout the novel for my fictional food post.
Perhaps it was for the best because I think I recall reading about some jams or meats seared in other meat fats, neither of which I particularly wanted to experiment with. (Oh, also they ate a lot of asparagus in this book, which can be delicious, but doesn’t really make an enticing blog post).
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Cozying up with Books & Thai Chai Tea
I think I write about the weather on Books & Tea quite often. It seems strange to me that this frequent topic of awkward small talk earns so much press on my blog, but I cannot help it that weather fills me with both inspiration and nostalgia. I sense that it settles in most often during the changing of the seasons, which is perhaps why I’ve been on a posting frenzy lately. And while I am grateful that Michigan is in the full bloom of Springtime, what I appreciate most are the occasional days we’re experiencing right now that are reminiscent of our Autumn– days that are cool and overcast and even a little rainy. Wintertime is taxing, but I still wish Autumn were right around the corner (hot tea! cozy blankets! apple cider! Oreo cookies with orange filling! soup for dinner every night! colorful crunchy leaves!).
Last weekend was one of those weekends that was chilly and rainy, and sadly I sensed it would be one of the last ones until October finally rolls around (although, when I first moved to Michigan back in 2005, I was greeted by frost on the grass and rooftop…on the 4th of July). Of course I took advantage of the weather by curling up in a chair with a blanket, a new book, and the most cozy blend of tea I could find in my cupboards– Thai Chai by Adagio Tea.
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The Book that Made Me Blush Even More | The Rivals of Versailles by Sally Christie
How do you go about writing a review for a book that is about one of the most influential women of the 18th century? Wait…how do you go about writing an entire book about one of the most influential women of the 18th century? I am talking about Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, more commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, and Sally Christie has brought her to life in the second installment of her Mistresses of Versailles trilogy, the Rivals of Versailles. Readers, prepare yourself for more inappropriate innuendos!
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Biscuits and Gravy for the Ghoul Getters
The first time I ever tasted biscuits and gravy was at a Piggly Wiggly grocery store near Darien, Georgia (population: 1,700). I was about 13 years old, and I had been enjoying a family vacation with the company of my friend, Lauren. She was less than impressed by my family’s style of vacation; we dragged her through one historical-building-turned-museum after another and stuffed our faces with fudge. (What is it with tourist spots and fudge?) She just wanted to lay out by the warm, sandy water of the Gulf of Mexico that were used to, but all we had was a muddy stretch of the Atlantic. The next stop in our trip was St. Augustine, Florida (one of the coolest places I’ve ever visited), but we sought out breakfast before we hit the road.
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Hot and Cold for Coconut Tea
Actually, my feelings about Coconut Tea from Adagio Teas are lukewarm, which coincidentally is the temperature that I preferred this tea. It took experimenting with my entire 8 oz. sample bag of Coconut Tea in one day to figure that out though. It’s not that I dislike the tea, I just felt that Adagio has better flavored teas than this. Or, in other words, on a scale of Valentine’s Day Tea (which I didn’t like) and Lemon Soleil Tea or Caramel Tea (which I’m over the moon about), it falls somewhere in the middle.
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This is What Happens When You Read a Series Too Casually | No Ghouls Allowed by Victoria Laurie
Last year, I read Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls (Ghost Hunter Mystery #5) by Victoria Laurie, and I loved it. I loved it so much that I finished the book in one sitting, which I haven’t done since high school. The pacing was perfect. The spooks were terrifying. The chemistry between main character MJ, and her team member, Heath, was delicious. And the writing was atmospheric. Plus, it helps that the story took place in Ireland. When I picked up No Ghouls Allowed (Ghost Hunter Mystery #9), I thought I was going to be in for another treat and binge-reading session. Unfortunately…I was mistaken.
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Lemon Soleil Tea in One Word: Happiness
Lemon Soleil Tea in a Bunch of Words:
Last weekend it was near 40 degrees (Fahrenheit), which is generally considered “balmy” this time of year for most northerners. Except it was a soggy and sleety 40 degrees, which somehow changes entirely how 40 degrees actually feels. It tends to seep in through sweaters and jackets and make your body feel heavy and your bones hurt even though it’s not really that cold. Then your body starts to tell you that you need to crawl back in to bed and cozy up next your significant other’s warm, napping body and doze off. Except, I hate sleeping. Truthfully I do because it’s so time consuming. (Does this make me weird?) So, I did the next best thing, which was root around in the box of Adagio Tea that had just been delivered to my apartment for something that would fill me with warmth.
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Granola Bars for La Peligrosa
You may be wondering, how are Dangerous by Shannon Hale and these homemade granola bars related? Actually, now that I think of it, they’re not. But hear my delicious side of the story out!
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In Defense of Dangerous by Shannon Hale
I recently read and enjoyed Dangerous by Shannon Hale, which I later found out received a luke-warm reception upon its release in 2014. I rarely do this, but upon finishing the book, I logged on to Goodreads to see what other readers thought of the novel. Huge. Mistake. While I thought this novel was a rip-roaring, sci-fi adventure that… sure, had some kinks to work out, others were reluctant to rate it one or two stars (if they were even able to make it to the end of the novel). I was left wondering if we read the same book.
By Golly, Ollie! 