I’ve decided to start a new series celebrating two of my favourite things: reading and tea. Once a month I am going to share one of my favourite books at the time, and one of my favourite beverages! No matter what is going on in my life, I can almost always sit down and enjoy a cup of tea, and I can read or listen to a book to escape for a few hours. I’ll try to vary it month to month (with both books and beverages), and if you are interested in guest-posting for A Book and A Beverage, please use the Contact Page or send me an email at anhistorianabouttown@gmail.com! Now, for the book and beverage….
The Book- Crazy Rich Asians (Kevin Kwan)
This month’s book is one of my favourite books that I’ve written about before, Crazy Rich Asians! I was about two years late to the Crazy Rich Asians train- I worked at a bookstore, and the Canadian cover is a sheet of gold glitter with the title and author written in hot pink. No, you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover but glitter and hot pink is a sure way to make me run in the opposite direction! However, it was on sale on Kobo and I decided to pick it up for kicks- I could not put it down (a rare feat for a book for me). Crazy Rich Asians is the first in a trilogy following a rarefied group of Chinese Singaporeans who are richer than most of us could ever fathom. We experience much of the story through Rachel’s eyes (who is American Born Chinese, aka ABC) as she visits Singapore with her boyfriend Nick, and attempts to navigate a world that she didn’t know existed. I find it incredibly entertaining because it is just pure fun! It’s completely plot driven, and that can be a nice change when you are in stressful or difficult times- an escape, is an escape, right? I hadn’t ever thought about it, but there are people who can spend several million dollars on clothing in a year and not notice a difference in their bank account. There are people who charter private luxury planes to do simply do some research, and there are even people who buy hotels to solve problems. Spend some time in an entirely different world!
Also, if you like Crazy Rich Asians, you can follow it up with China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems! One downfall of purely escapist, fun fiction is that it seems more often than not to be a standalone novel, leaving you wanting more with nothing left. I own both the ebooks and the audiobooks of all three of these, and both versions are entirely entertaining. I would recommend this for a book club if you are looking for something to appeal to a wide group of people!
A Beverage- Probiotea (David’s Tea)
This tea is a little different from most other teas, being that this is a rooibos tea with probiotics in it. I currently eat yogurt for probiotics but I don’t love yogurt (and the pill form is hard on my stomach)- I decided to give this tea from David’s a try to branch out. Probiotea is a vanilla mint rooibos that is part of the Wellness Teas line, and while it is expensive ($15 CAD for 50g, equivalent to 25 cups), it’s a change from my regular teas. I was concerned that the addition of probiotics would affect the taste of the tea, but they aren’t noticeable. If you love a good cuppa but you want to avoid the caffeine, I would recommend trying rooibos- it’s a lovely option for when you are trying to wind down at the end of the day.
What are you reading and drinking this month?
Until tomorrow,
The Historian
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Hello and Welcome!
I’m the Historian, and I am here to celebrate all things history, style, culture!
What to expect:
Sunday- Culture, including books, ballet/arts, and travel
Monday- History including book recommendations, documentaries, and interesting histories!
Wednesday- History Bite (a short bite of interesting history)
Friday- Style File Friday, including fashion history, favourite pieces, and resources.
Have a question or something to say? Let me know what you think at anhistorianabouttown@gmail.com!
I’ve got this book on my e-reader but have yet to dig in to it. Love the Mickey Mouse cup too 🙂
I’m reading China Rich Girlfriend. I would love to discuss this series with a book group. So much room for strong opinions in these!
A great review and great idea as well! Being in the US, I had to speed-read “Fire and Fury” about our broken political system – and then got some wanderlust and am reading a terrific book called “Surviving Paradise” – about a young idealistic Teacher who spends a year on a small south seas island teaching the kids – a great book, review is here if you are interested – https://johnrieber.com/2018/02/08/surviving-paradise-a-year-on-a-south-pacific-island-blue-lagoons-swaying-coconut-trees-millions-of-flies-lost-in-the-middle-of-the-pacific-ocean/
Thank you for sharing! Eventually I will make my way around to Fire and Fury but I have so many books on my to-read list out from the library to tackle first. Do you normally gravitate towards non-fiction?
I am about two-thirds NF to fiction, but I’m trying to bounce back and forth more – easier to keep track of NF if I get too busy to stay focused on a story, especially a mystery!
What a fun idea. I can’t wait to see what else you share!
Thank you!! I’m happy to hear that you are enjoying it!
Love the cup too? Dublin and that mouse-fab combination. I am putting the book on my list.
And the beverage!
Love this idea!
I’ve never heard of these books, they sound fun. Gonna have to check them out!
This is a brilliant new blogpost series idea! I love a good book and beverage. I especially find the book you have mentioned interesting and will be reserving it at my local library xx
FATIMAH | ROSEYGOLDBOX
http://www.roseygoldbox.blogspot.co.uk
Oh what a beautiful combination. Tea & books. My two favourites in life too. Am reading Shelley’s Oath Breaker and also a book called “How to Break up with your phone” and I’m telling you this whilst using my phone. It’s going well so far. Tea is always either PG Tips (my favourite English tea), Twinnings Green Tea or Teapig’s Peppermint tea. I’ll look forward to more of these posts.
They have just started selling Teapigs here in Canada, and I’m so excited to finally try it!! I’ve added both books to my to-read list 🙂 (Also, as much as we lament our phones, sometimes they are too useful to argue with.)
So true.
Teapigs are so yum! Hope you enjoy them.
I think a Book and a Beverage is great idea and a great title! I just finished reading Jane Austen at Home – by Lucy Wolsey which I believe I saw on one of your blog pictures. Have you read it? I loved it, as I am a Jane Austen fan, so it inspired me to do a fun blog for Valentine’s Day – An Interview with Jane Austen…what would she think today? I drink coffee, black, but I’ll be popping in for new book and beverage ideas.
I have read Jane Austen at Home, I thought it was a lovely study of Jane!! I loved that it didn’t necessarily try to “scandalise” her- I find that so many studies of her try to find the dangerous and scandalous parts of her life that might even be there. What a wonderful post that you wrote- I’ve shared it!! I think that you have perfectly captured her essence 🙂
Thanks I had great fun doing it – I tried to use her most famous quotes but there are so many I could have gone on forever! Thank you for sharing, but I am still a fairly newbie blogger – how do you share and where does the post show up when you share?
I usually share on social media!! Pinterest, Flipboard, and StumbleUpon are my favourites right now, so you can view on my profiles/boards/magazines ☺ Have you read anything from the Austen Project?
Thanks I’ll check it out tomorrow. If the Austen Project is the rewrites by modern authors? I have only read Joanna Trollope’s S&S which as you said missed the mark. I didn’t bother with the others…
Hehehe the Canadian version of that book sounds EXACTLY like the type of book that would get my attention! lol
Hahaha! I just hated that it didn’t actually tell me anything, or even if it was fiction/non-fiction! I have learned the error of my ways…..
Love this idea for a series of posts. Two of my favourite things too!
I love a Rooibos tea but haven’t had this or any other with probiotics in.
I hadn’t heard of it ever, seems pretty new!! David’s also seems to have some Wellness teas that target other things, so I might give those a try as well 🙂
Ooh I’m going to have to take a look!
Love that Mickey Mouse cup! Xx
It’s one of my favourite memories/souvenirs of Dublin 🙂
Ooh, I love this 🙂 This month I’ve been reading “All that She Can See” by Carrie Hope Fletcher (it was 99p on kindle) and I’m drinking, well either tea or hot chocolate ? I’d love to be involved in this if you want me to? 🙂 I’ll try message you later (if I remember) 🙂
Oh, I would absolutely love that!! Whenever you want, the spot is there for you!! Sometimes those 99c books are little treasures, and I need to remember to look more!