Eden's Wake

Title: Eden's Wake (#2 Rising Tide)

Author: Lynn Steigleder

Publisher: Soul Fire Press, 2015

Pages: 230

Genre: fantasy

Obtained: from author in exchange for an honest review






Summary: Ben, Eve, and Eleazor go through a doorway from their dying world into one that is being reborn.  They soon find that they will have major roles to play as the world goes through this transformation.  Will they succeed in helping this world to survive?

Thoughts: This is the second book in The Rising Tide Series.  I did not like the first one, Rising Tide,  very much, but this one was much better.  It had flow and more action.  It also had some cool creatures.  It definitely is a unique story and I liked how it was tied to the bible.  I enjoyed looking for the connections and I'm sure I missed some of them.

Unfortunately, the dialogue is dry and the characters aren't very interesting.  Although the characters don't walk around, bathe, and eat as much as in Rising Tide, I really wanted to edit out some of the parts when they were eating.

This book is really not a stand alone and Rising Tide should be read first.





                                                          

Company: Davids Tea

Tea: Superfood Splash

Obtained: purchased

Today I tried Superfood Splash iced tea.  This is an herbal infusion with low caffeine.  The ingredients were pineapple (pineapple, sugar cane, citric acid, sulfur dioxide), cinnamon, hibiscus, coffee leaf, coconut, mango, banana, stevia extract, and natural flavouring.  I had a pre-measured packet which I put into my tea pot.  The tea was made up of chunks of all shapes, sizes, and colors.  The scent was of sweet fruit and cinnamon. I poured ten ounces of near boiling water over the leaves and let this steep for four minutes.  I then poured the beautiful red liquid over ice.  It had a fruity, cinnamon scent.  The taste was of fruit (with pineapple as the standout), coconut and cinnamon in the background.  This was a sweet iced tea, which I usually don't like.  However, the cinnamon mixed with the tropical fruit won me over and I found this refreshing.  I would drink this as a substitute for punch.

If you like tropical tasting sweet iced tea and cinnamon- try this!

The Dry

Title: The Dry

Author: Jane Harper

Narrator: Steve Shanahan

Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 2017

Format: 8 compact discs, approximately 10 hours

Genre: mystery

Obtained: library



Summary: Aaron Falk, a federal agent with a specialty in financial crimes, returns to the town where he grew up for the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke.  Most believe that Luke murdered his family and then killed himself, but there are some unanswered questions.  Luke's parents talk Aaron into investigating what happened even though violent crimes are not his line of work.

Thoughts: This is the first whodunit mystery that I have read that was set in Australia.  I have to say, I just loved the setting.  I would not want to go there, as it was hot and dry to the point of extremely serious drought, but it was the perfect setting for a story like this.  The characters had depth and were realistic to me.  They were not over the top or overly dramatic- just everyday people, in a bad situation- drought in a farming community.  The writing style was detailed.  It was the perfect pace for a whodunit, not fast, but never boring or weighed down.  The writer put many clues into the story which I loved.  There were red herrings that were believable.  There were not many suspects, but enough with good motives to keep the story interesting.  I liked that there were two mysteries- one from Aaron's past and the current one.  I kept asking myself- Are these murders related?  Will they both be solved?

It did take me awhile to get used to the narrator of the book.  At first I felt like he was reading too fast, but after awhile of listening, I wondered if it was harder for me to follow because of the Australian accent.  I did get used to the narrator, and would definitely listen to more books read by him now that I am familiar with his reading style.

I love mysteries, especially when the setting and characters come to life and the crime is not cut and dry.  I love when writers bring in secrets and the past.  I got all this here.  Jane Harper is now on my list of favorite mystery authors.  She has a second novel out, Force of Nature, which has the same main character as The Dry.  The Lost Man, a stand alone mystery, is due out in February of 2019.         



                                                                  

Company: Davids Tea

Tea: Just Peachy

Obtained: purchased








I purchased the Summer Favourites Iced Tea Singles from Davids Tea.  The set included three single portion packets of five different iced teas for a total of 15 sixteen ounce glasses.  All you have to do is put the leaves in your tea maker or infuser, pour 16 ounces of near boiling water over the tea, let it brew, and add ice.  The first packet I tried was Just Peachy.  This was a caffeine free blend.  The ingredients listed were apple, apple pomace (apple pomace, citric acid), sweet blackberry leaves, peach (peach, sugar), natural and artificial flavouring.    The packet was easy to open.  The tea was a blend of chunks and leaves of all different shapes, sizes, and colors, which had a strong peach scent.  I put the leaves in my tea pot, poured sixteen ounces of almost boiling water over the leaves and let this brew for four minutes.  I then put ice in a glass and poured the tea over ice.  The liquid was a yellowish brown and had a peachy scent.  The tea had a strong, sweet peach flavor with a hint of berry in the background.  The good thing about this tea was that after the ice melted, the tea did not taste watered down.  What I personally didn't like was the strong sweetness of the tea.  It tasted like alot of sugar had been added.  This tea was not for me, but if you are someone that likes sweet peach tea or likes to add sugar to their iced tea, you would probably enjoy this one.

Free Your Tea

Free Your Tea has a unique way to purchase loose leaf tea- through personalized subscription boxes.  How this service works is that you start by filling out a short questionnaire about your tea preferences.  The company then uses that information to select 6 different teas for your first box.  There are three monthly plans to pick from- 30 cups for $20, 60 cups for $30, or 90 cups for $40.  If you do the 6 month plan, you get one month free.  The tea is delivered the first week of each month and shipping is free.

After drinking your tea, you rate each one either on their website, or by filling out the questionnaire on the back of the tea envelope and emailing a picture of it to them.  They use this information to select the teas for your next shipment.  What a great way to discover new teas, especially if you are someone that has strong likes or dislikes!  My favorite part of this subscription box is that one of the options is to receive a tea that you like again, or even choose to receive it each month.  I hate when you love a tea and then can't get it again.  That doesn't seem to be a problem here.

Free Your Tea sent me a subscription box in exchange for an honest review.  I won't be able to tell you how well the personalization works. This is a first box for me and I made it really hard for them.  I like all teas, so they really had no information to help them.  When I opened the box, there was a thank you card on the top, which conveniently had the website where to rate the teas right on it.  Underneath were the envelopes of tea.  I loved that I got a variety of teas, two of which were created specifically for cold brew iced tea.  Each tea was packaged in a resealable envelope that was easy to open. There was a description of each tea, brewing directions, origin of the tea, ingredients, and recommendations on what to add to the tea on each envelope.  I love when all the information you need is right at your fingertips!

The company believes that tea should be kept in its loose leaf state, not "crammed in bags" which helps the leaves to hold their chemical compounds longer, causing the tea to remain fresh.  Each tea was definitely good quality and fresh.  Tea bags  were sent along with the tea which I thought was great, especially because this is a fantastic service for new tea drinkers who may not have tea makers, tea balls, etc...

I tried Classic Assam #1 first.   This was a brisk tea, perfect for breakfast.  I tried it with nothing added and also with a bit of honey and milk.  It was wonderful both ways- a good quality assam.  Next I brewed Mango Mint Spice Iced Tea.  I used the cold brew method.  The ingredients for this unique tea were tea, raw mango, spearmint, black pepper, citric acid, cumin, and ginger.  This is not a tea I would have chosen simply because it sounds like an iced chai and I prefer my chai hot.  I am so glad I got to experience this blend.  There was a slight tartness mixed with a sweetness.  The ginger was the standout, but the fruity background just made this tea so different and refreshing.  It was a delicious

combination.  I drank it all and wanted more!  The second iced tea, Pomegranate Hibiscus Iced Tea,  contained tea, pomegranate, strawberry, orange peel, and hibiscus.  The brewing resulted in a beautiful pinkish orange liquid which had a light fruity taste with a hint of floral in there.  This was also very refreshing.  Chamomile Black, which was a simple blend of small black balls of tea from Nilgiri and chamomile,  was a slightly sweet black tea with just a hint of chamomile in the background.  The Moroccan Mint Tea was a green tea blended with spearmint and peppermint.  The green tea could be tasted, but it did not have a strong vegetal flavor and the mint was also not strong, so it blended very well, resulting in a light, fresh blend.  To me, it did not taste like I was drinking green tea. Chamomile Green was the final tea in the box.  This was a blend of green tea, chamomile, and marigold.  This had more of the vegetal, almost swampy qualities usually associated with green tea.  The chamomile in the background minimized the green tea just a bit resulting in a nice balance that green tea lovers would probably enjoy for a change rather than straight green tea.  I have to say I really enjoyed each of these teas, especially the iced teas.

This company really seems to focus on the tea.  When there was something added, for example, an herb or fruit, that taste was not the stand out.  I always could taste the tea in the forefront.  Also, the tea was definitely fresh and good quality, just as their website claims.  I recommend this subscription box for those that are new to tea or are looking to branch out in their tea drinking.  It is also great for those that find a tea that they stick with and like to have it delivered fresh it month.

The Chemist

Title: The Chemist

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Narrator: Ellen Archer

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, 2016

Format: 16 compact discs, approximately 17 hours

Genre: thriller

Obtained: library



Summary: "Alex" (the name she has today) has been running from the US government, her former employer, for too long.  Someone wants her dead.  She spends her life moving from place to place, changing her name, and finding ways to keep herself safe from attack through her specialty- chemicals.  Her job with the government was to make criminals talk by any means necessary.  Now she must use what she learned through her job, to get her life back. 

Thoughts: A plot that twists and turns.  Characters that are extreme, yet complex.  A basic story with lots of action.  Romance.  Blood.  Fights.  Flights.  Torture.  Dogs.  Love / hate relationships.  This got me through staining and painting yet another room- my bathroom. 

I really liked this narrator, who read at the perfect pace, drew me in, and kept me there.  She had distinct voices for each character and read with fantastic expression.  I also really liked the author's writing style in this book.  Many people know Stephanie Myers from The Twilight Series.  I enjoyed her detailed, organized writing style there, and here as well.  Although this book was an adult book, and a very different genre than her previous works,  she is able to carry her personal style over, but changing it just enough to better suit this genre.  She did this wonderfully in her science fiction book The Host, as well.  I really like that this author tries different types of writing.  I feel she has been successful with all three.  The other plus of this book was that, although it was a spy thriller, I liked the spy being a doctor / chemist of small stature.

In each of her books, Stephanie Myers has the most unlikely of romances happening.  To me they are just not believeable and in each book, I have had trouble accepting the romance, but eventually do.  Her books are entertaining and the details are what I enjoy the most in her storytelling.  It is the details that bring the story to life.

If you like thrillers with strong female characters, this is a good one.  If realistic romance is the most important thing to you, look elsewhere.  If you like audio books, I highly recommend this one.  It just works as an audio book, maybe because of its movie-like feel, or maybe I just really enjoyed this narrator. 



                                                                  

Company: Plum Deluxe

Tea: Contemplative Blend Guayusa Tea

Obtained: sample with tea of the month club


I received a sample of Contemplative Blend Guayusa Tea with my tea of the month club through Plum Deluxe.  The ingredients were guayusa tea, green rooibos, orange peel, apricots, mango pieces, calendula, and lemon / orange essence.  Most of the leaves were flat and green and of all shapes and sizes.  Mixed in were long, thin, twig-like leaves of browns, and long white flower petals.  The scent of the leaves was lemon and orange.  I put one teaspoon of leaves in my tea ball and poured eight ounces of boiling water over it.  I let this brew for three minutes. The light yellow liquid had a grassy scent, but a delicate, fruity taste.  This cup of tea was refreshing, calming, and smooth.  It does contain caffeine, but the content did not seem high.

The City of Lost Fortunes

Title: The City of Lost Fortunes

Author: Bryan Camp

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018

Pages: 367

Genre: fantasy

Obtained: from publisher in exchange for an honest review






Summary: Jude Dubuisson, a demi-god, who has the ability to find lost things, has been struggling since Katrina hit New Orleans.  There were so many things lost in the hurricane that Jude just could not cope, so disappeared from his old life.  After six years, the fortune god of New Orleans calls in a "favor" from Jude.  When the fortune god winds up murdered, Jude finds himself back in a world from which he tried to escape, with more depending on him than he could have imagined.

Thoughts:  This is not the type of book I would usually choose to read, but the book summary sounded like there was a complex plot which I have really been enjoying lately.  I was not disappointed.  Along with an intricately woven plot, the book had a dark atmosphere, bringing the post Katrina city of New Orleans to life to the point that the setting's presence was almost like a character.  It made me realize that towns and cities, in a way, have a soul, part of which is the architecture, buildings, landmarks, and history, but also the community. 

This was a clever, original book.  It reminded me of a slow roller coaster ride.  There were twists and turns but they were at a moderate pace, not fast.  The author brought mythology and religious figures from many cultures into the book, showing how they merged, sometimes being one and the same.  The book was deep, with devastation and loss always in the background, but also a glimmer of hope.  There were underlying themes, the most prominent to me being destiny versus luck.  The characters were unique and had differing personalities and I enjoyed the minor characters as much as the main ones. 

The only negative I came across was in the middle, a couple of times my mind wandered, and I thought the book was just too drawn out.  It felt too long at points, like some additional editing would have helped.  It was not repetitive, but just got too far away from the action, losing its drive. 

If you like dark, fantasy books, especially mythological, this is a great one to try.  If you are a New Orleans fan, definitely read it.

The author has an additional "Crescent City Novel" that he is working on which has the same setting, but takes place about a year and half after this book ends.  It will have a different main character this time- a woman who is a psychopomp (a guide that leads the dead into the afterlife). 


                                                                   

For Mother's Day my family gave me a membership to the Plum Deluxe Tea of the Month Club.  Both a one tea membership and a two tea membership are available.  Each membership comes with one ounce of a seasonal tea made especially for the club, and a small sample of a tea from their online shop, along with additional benefits.  The two tea membership comes with an additional one ounce of tea from their online shop.

I received my first tea the day before Mother's Day- perfect timing.  The specially blended tea for the club this month was English Berries and Cream Black Tea.  Sometimes berry tea is just too tart for me, but the tartness in this one was balanced with vanilla and cinnamon.  I particularly loved the cinnamon with the berries.  I bet this one is wonderful iced too.

Since the tea of the month seasonal teas are not available for individual purchase, I won't write about them on the blog.  I will, however, review the samples since they are available for purchase.  Contemplative Blend Guayusa Tea will be reviewed in a future blog post, since this is the one I received for May.  I will also share my thoughts on the tea club teas on my Facebook Page.  Please follow me there if interested in hearing about my tea club experience.

The Flight Attendant

Title: The Flight Attendant

Author: Chris Bohjalian

Narrators: Erin Spencer, Grace Experience, and Mark Deakins

Publisher: Penguin Random House, 2018

Format: 9 compact discs, approx.  11 1/2 hours

Genre: thriller, mystery

Obtained: library




Summary: Cassandra Bowden, a flight attendant, wakes up in a hotel in Dubai next to a dead man after a night of drinking and blacking out.  Did she kill him?  If someone else killed him, why was she left alive?

Thoughts:  I listened to this audio book while I painted the walls and stained the woodwork in my son's room.  This book made me look forward to this monotonous task each day until it was completed.  That is how much I enjoyed it.

Why did I appreciate it so much?  This book was original.  I didn't feel like I had read something like it before.  It was not predictable.  I was surprised at what happened at times, especially at the end.  The attention to detail, especially the life of a flight attendant, drew me into the book and kept me there.  This was an intricate story that was slow paced and character driven.  The characters were developed to the point that they seemed like real people, always doing things true to their personalities.  The narrators helped bring these characters to life, especially the main character, Cassandra Bowden.  Each narrator read at a good pace and spoke clearly. Their voices matched the character's personalities.

If you liked Midwives, the only other novel I have read by this author, this is nothing like it.  I really enjoyed that one as well, but this is a different genre, and type of book.  If you are looking for a similar book to Midwives, you may be disappointed.  Also, this is a thriller, but very slow paced for a thriller, which I prefer.  Interesting characters, details, and intricate plot are what I look for most in a book.  If you like fast-paced thrillers this is not for you.

                                                

Company: David's Tea

Tea: Organic Cinnamon Rooibos Chai

Obtained: purchased


I read an article that I came across online about Teavana going out of business and David's Tea expanding and opening many new stores in the United States.  I was never a big Teavana fan, but decided to try David's Tea since this is the first time I became aware of this chain.  I ordered the David's Top Twelve gift set along with the Summer Time Favourites iced tea singles collection, and received three free samples with my order.  The order arrived the next day! 

The David's Top Twelve teas came in a very sturdy, cheery gift box.  Each of the twelve teas came in a twist top container and were set in the box with a corresponding description of the tea and brewing instructions on the lid, which reminded me of Russell Stovers candy.  The only thing I did not like about the presentation was that it said to use "1-2 perfect spoons" of tea per 16 ounces of water.  I had to go searching to find that David's "perfect spoon" is equal to 2.5 teaspoons.

The Organic Cinnamon Rooibos is the first tea I sampled from this collection.  The ingredients listed on the website were organic rooibos, apple, cinnamon, and natural cinnamon flavouring.  It is a caffeine free tea and certified organic, kosher, and fair trade.  The small, thin, brown rooibos leaves were mixed with brown and pink chunks.  The scent of the leaves was cinnamon.  I poured sixteen ounces of water, that had been boiled and set for a minute, over 2.5 teaspoons of leaves.  I let this steep for four minutes.  The liquid was dark orange and had a wonderful cinnamon scent.  The taste was of cinnamon with apple in the background.  I did not think of chai when I drank this tea because it did not have that peppery spiciness to it that I think of when I want chai.  I thought of cinnamon tea.  The tea did have an odd texture to it that is hard to describe- oily?, syrupy? thick? 

I enjoyed the scent and the cinnamon apple taste of this tea, but I didn't care for the texture.  If you love cinnamon and don't mind different textures, this is one to try.  It did have a delicious taste!

The Constable's Tale

Title: The Constable's Tale

Author: Donald Smith

Publisher: Pegasus Books, 2015

Genre: historical fiction, mystery

Pages: 287

Obtained: library





                                                           
Summary: It is 1759.  A family is found murdered at their home by a traveler.  Harry Woodyard, the volunteer constable of Craven County, North Carolina, sets out to clear the name of a Native American who is arrested for the murders.  Can he find the real murderer?

Thoughts:  The book's setting was before the American Revolution at the time of the French and Indian Wars.  This setting, combined with there being a mystery involved, is what made me pick up this book.  The author did a good job with the historical piece of the novel, making me feel like I was there, and bringing in different aspects of the setting- culture, different social classes, terrain, daily life, etc...  I am not very familiar with this time period and don't know if the historical details are accurate, but the going back in time feeling was there for me.  Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story itself, and the mystery was not a very good one.  There were not many suspects or clues and the motives of the suspects were weak.  I like a murder mystery where there are clues and lots of people who had a reason to commit the murder.  I love trying to figure out the identity of the murderer.  I couldn't do that here. 

The characters were just okay.  As I read I got to know them, but they just didn't seem real to me.  The book was not predictable and the ending was a surprise to me, although I can't say that I liked it.

The author's writing style was organized and clear, not exciting nor anything that really stood out.  At times there was an unconnected feel like the author wanted the story to go in a certain direction, but didn't know how to get it there, so just did it in a way that didn't mesh. Also, the same people would keep popping up in different places all along the eastern part of the United States- a huge area.  There were reasons given for this, but they just weren't believable.

If you're looking for a good mystery, skip this one.  If it's the time period you're interested in, you might enjoy it, but not if you're expecting a really good story.




                                                                        

Company: David's Tea

Tea: Midsummer Night's Dream

Obtained: free sample with purchase







I received a sample for one cup of Midsummer Night's Dream tea with a purchase from David's Tea.  It was an herbal tea which was caffeine free.  The ingredients were apple (apple, citric acid), gooseberries, spearmint, marigold blossoms, safflower petals, rose petals, and artificial flavoring. 

I tore open the packet easily.  The tea consisted of big yellow, brown, and red fruit chunks with long yellow and red flower petals, and very small, broken green leaves.  I put the contents of the envelope in my teapot and poured 16 ounces of water that had been boiled over them.  I let this steep for 4 minutes.  The bright yellow liquid had a citrus scent that was sweet.  The taste was a sweet citrus / vanilla blend with a hint of florals.  There was a tart berry and subdued mint flavor in the background.  This was a flavorful, refreshing, enjoyable tea that relaxed me.  I think it would be great iced. This is definitely a tea for citrus lovers.