What I finished reading
Am I the only person who will put in a library hold for the hard copy and the audiobook and start whichever one comes in first? An audiobook buddy read for June, The Guest Book by Sarah Blake, is layered in the past and present, slowly unraveling family secrets.
“What good could come of fishing everything up to the top, then there it would be floating between them requiring attention, requiring address. Hurtful to draw attention to what could not be fixed. Better not to mention it.”
No matter if I’m picking up book holds or returning books when due, I can’t help but browse the bookshelves and look at what I found. Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval Taylor got my attention because who doesn’t want to know more about prolific writers Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes? To be friends with either one, Taylor gives readers a glimpse into their background and friendship, while discussing some of the other prominent writers and artists of the Harlem Renaissance. I’m determined to read more authors from this period, but I couldn’t help but smile when coming across familiar authors, Jean Toomer, James Weldon Johnson, Wallace Thurman, and Nella Larsen. I wonder, though, what could have been if Zora and Langston’s rift was mended, the potential influence on each other for future literary works? 
”She has an ease and somehow projected herself very well orally, and almost before you knew it, she had gotten into a story. She has a wealth of them.”
What I’m reading
I picked up East of Eden yesterday and in one sitting, almost finished reading Part 1. Steinbeck is known to have that effect at times. Although I’ve read this before, I needed to have things fresh in my mind for the readalong I’m co-hosting, with our first discussion here if you’re interested. One of the most intriguing characters so far is Cathy. Is she a monster or master manipulator? We’ll have to keep reading to find out.
“Time interval is a strange and contradictory matter in the mind. It would be reasonable to suppose that a routine time or an eventless time would seem interminable. It should be so, but it is not. It is the dull eventless times that have no duration whatever. A time splashed with interest, wounded with tragedy, crevassed with joy – – that’s the time that seems long in the memory.”
Steep of the week
☕️ The Cup: Portland City Rose Chai (Iced) | 🍃Tea Type : Black | ✉️ From: Plum Deluxe
This blend of roses, black tea and lemongrass with a surprise from the cardamom, I think, works well hot or iced. With temperatures soaring past 90°F & humidity that feels like a wall, this rose chai is completely refreshing in this cozy tea nook. Not to mention this tea, in this cup, with these books, I thought them a wonderful match!
Tea Shenanigans
In other tea related news, I’ve finished up more tea because– iced tea. Did you see the latest installment of the Summer Tea Series here? One fun iced tea tip I mentioned was to use some of the tea from your brew to make ice cubes. Did you notice the ice floating in my cup in my picture of East of Eden?
I also made about 10 – 15 of these and gave away a large varieTEA of bagged teas. I included a tip sheet for preparing tea and have gotten a lot of pictures (feedback) about what they are enjoying.
We have a two-day break from the humidity, but it’s back to big hair and sweaty pits on Wednesday. *sigh* You’re rose chai sounds lovely, and I wish you owned a little cafe near me. You’d get me to try new things, I’m sure of it. What I hate is most cafes come up with this cool-sounded drinks that are loaded with syrups, which I don’t want.
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I am loving those ice tea cubes! Loved catching up on your reads. The book about Zora and Langston sounds so good!
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It’s fun to have a little ice tray mold to make the iced tea cubes. Another fun reason to have and enjoy iced tea. I really enjoyed the Zora and Langston book. It’s another one I think I’ll write a little more about
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