My week in books and tea 4.21.19

I’m not baking anything this week but here’s a piece of the lemon tea bread from last week. Taste testers revealed (1) it’s a keeper and (2) samples were too small. I’d hoped to have a piece with tea one day after work, but mysteriously there was only a small piece left. My husband maintains his innocence but I think I smelled the lemon on him and saw a few crumbs on his person. *Hmmmmm*

ICYMI- details on upcoming readalongs posted here. A few of you are joining, which makes me so excited! Take a look and leave some comments on the post it you’re interested. There will also be details about something else in the steeping stages I’ll share at the end.

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What I finished reading

The currently reading stack is down by one. The Enchanted April was…enchanting, the perfect read for the month of April. I read Elizabeth and her German Garden last year, and Von Arnim’s wit and humor were a delight. Those admirable qualities in her writing were present and I’m on the verge of ordering 3 of her books, one of which is called Vera. The synopsis of Vera reminds me of Daphne duMaurier’s Rebecca. Is that enough to entice you to read it too?

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What I have been reading

This week I’ve spent quite a bit of time with 2 of these books, while I had every intention to make more progress with the other 2. Can you figure out which are which? One involves short stories I’ve been savoring and the other, the life of a former first lady. I’ll tell you about the delicious tea latte next.

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What I have been drinking

Tea Challenge Update: Did I really start this 3 weeks ago? Although it’s very satisfying to report I finished 4 more teas, but sometimes, I’m in the mood for some favorites, like the one pictured above.

☕ The Cup: Caramel Almond Latte | 🍃 Tea Type: Puerh (Black) | ✉ From: ZenTea

A trip down memory lane reminds me, this was one of the first teas I shared on the blog. This tea has an earthy flavor but the sweet notes from the caramel coupled with the nuttiness from the almond, this tea holds its own by itself but shines like a superstar as a latte. Puerh isn’t for everyone, but when you find one like this, you just have to share. It’s a strong tea, one I loved so much I shared with a coffee drinking friend or two.

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☕ The Cup: Rose Estate | 🍃 Tea Type: Black | ✉ From: Field to Cup

If you love an Earl Grey, you’d enjoy this one. This tea smells amazing, the bergamot makes me giddy but the hint of rose is simply amazing. I happily enjoyed this cuppa, another tea finished, but it’s one I feel like needs to stay in stock. Maybe I should start a feature called luxuriant teas or the best of the Earl’s (earl grey’s). I think it’s impossible for me to pick a favorite, but maybe the blends I’m thinking of, need a post of their own. Also, how amazing is this double walled glass mug, with the last of my Rose Estate tea?

Please note- The link to Field to Cup is an affiliate link. I will earn a small commission from your order.

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☕ The Cup (tumbler): Bangkok | 🍃 Tea Type: Green | ✉️ From : Harney and Sons

This flavored green tea has a subtle flavor from coconut, lemongrass and vanilla. I drink this hot but prefer this tea as a cold brew on hot days. Cold brewing tea is easy, add tea leaves, a little sweetener, cold water and brew for a few days. The wonderful thing about cold brew, you can’t over steep it because you’re using cold water. Strain the leaves and enjoy!

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Weekend Shenanigans

Although I should be reading, I’m feeling too tired to concentrate and connect with my characters. So I’m binge watching Chicago P.D. instead.

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In the Works

After reading and discussing Roots by Alex Haley with Melanie @ Grab the Lapels, few months ago, we decided we wanted to read and discuss more books together. Melanie doesn’t review male authors on her blog (if you follow her blog you know why) so we decided one thing we could do is read and discuss them here on Books by the Cup. Since both of us have several African-American authors on our shelves and couldn’t find one we both already had on our shelves, we came up with another idea. We pick our own book, read, and then answer a few questions and post them here on the blog. I’m reading The Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman and Melanie’s reading Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin for April. I’m excited about this approach to reading and discussing but of course, we’d be happy to have others join us going forward in what we are thinking of calling, Our African-American Reads series. Yes, I have many books to choose from ON MY SHELF, but I may have found a few more (and ordered) on Book Outlet because the prices were incredible.