White is for Witching

Title: White is for Witching

Author: Helen Oyeyemi

Publisher: Doubleday, 2009

Pages: 227

Genre: paranormal, horror

Obtained: library

Summary: Miranda Silver and her twin brother Eliot lost their mother.  Their father, Luc, is devastated by this loss as are the twins.   Miranda blames herself for her mother's death.  Also, Miranda's pica (eating disorder where she consumes inedible things) is getting worse.  Then Miranda disappears. Where did she go?  We get three perspectives from three different narrators as to what may have happened to her.

Thoughts:  Strange.  If I had to describe this book in one word, that's what it would be.  There is good strange and bad strange.  I think this was a little of both.
     The house was a narrator and character in the story.  This was a good strange to me.  Imagine everything a house could see and hear.  I thought this aspect was just kind of cool.  Also, the author blended real horrors (mental illness / pica, xenophobia, murder) with paranormal horrors (ghosts, houses that are alive) - very clever!
     The bad strange to me was that the book was written in a way, that at times, it was hard to figure out who was narrating the story.  With the story jumping from narrator to narrator, this sometimes disrupted the flow.  Also, it was written in a dreamlike way so that it was hard to tell what was actually happening and what was just imagination.  

     This novel can probably be interpreted in many different ways.  I am assuming the author did this on purpose.  I enjoy literal stories best, so this wasn't a great book for me, but there was a cleverness here that I really liked, along with underlying themes and some depth. Also, the author made me think, which is always a good thing.  This would make a fantastic book club book.  Just the question- What really happened to Miranda?- would make for a great discussion!



                                                             

Company: Perkse

Tea: Apple Crisp

Obtained: purchased



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     I wanted to try something new this month, so I did an online search for "unique tea blends" and came across Perkse.  Their website has herbal, black, white, oolong, and rooibus tea blends.  I ordered a tea sampler.  They send six different tea samples with 20 tea filters.  The customer can pick the 6 samples, or Perkse will send 6 of their best selling blends.  I opted for the best selling blends.  The cost is $14.99 + shipping.  I ordered my tea on October 4th.  The website says they have same day shipping if ordered by 4pm.  I ordered before 4pm.  On October 12th, I emailed the company because I expected the tea within 5 days and when I tried to track my order, it stated the order was being prepared for shipping.  I got a quick response back with an apology and explanation that it sometimes takes a long time for delivery when shipping over the Canadian border.  Perkse is located in Canada and I am in the United States.  I received the tea on October 19th.  I did receive an email from Eugene Kim, I believe the owner, of Perkse following up to make sure I got the order.  This email came on the 20th.  The package was postmarked October 11th.  Hmmmm...
     The tea came in 6 individual, brightly colored, good quality, resealable bags.  I decided that the first sample I would try would be Apple Crisp.  The package was easy to open, but there were no ingredients or brewing recommendations listed.  I went to the website for more information.  This blend was not on the site.  I brewed it, treating it like an herbal tea.  It was delicious!  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available to order more.  I emailed Eugene Kim asking him why it was not on the site, but have not gotten an answer.  This was a week ago, so I don't expect a response.  I looked to see if the other samples are available for order.  Only two of the six samples are currently on the Perkse website.
     Since the Apple Crisp was not available, I have decided to do a review on the Elderberry Blossom tea, which can currently be ordered.

 

Company: Perkse

Tea: Elderberry Blossom

Obtained: purchased






 





          Elderberry Blossom is a black tea with elderberries, cranberries, blackberries, safflower petals, lime leaf, and natural flavors added.  The leaves were medium in length (for tea leaves).  Most were black, but there were some red, white, and yellow leaves mixed in.  I did not see any berries, but could smell them along with a floral scent.  The scent of the tea leaves was very strong.  I poured 8 ounces of water over 1 teaspoon of leaves and let this steep for 3 minutes.  The liquid was a brownish orange and had a scent similar to the leaves, but not as strong.  The taste was a berry / floral combination.  There was no astrigency to this tea.  It has a slight sweetness to it.  This was a light and refreshing tea.
     Perkse has some unique tea blends, that are enjoyable, but it seems that the customer can't always get what they want when they want it.....
   

   

The Night Circus

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Narrator: Jim Dale

Format: 11 discs, 13 1/2 hours

Publisher: Random House Audio, 2011

Genre: fantasy

Obtained: library

Summary: Celia and Marco, two illusionists, have been bound by their teachers to compete against one another in a "game".  The venue is Le Cirque de Reves, a magical circus like no other.  They are given minimal information about the contest, and Celia is not even told the name of her opponent.  Things get more complicated when Celia and Marco fall in love.

Thoughts: This author does an amazing job with descriptive writing!  I felt like I was at the circus and in the other settings of this book completely.  I could not only see what was in these places, but I could smell and hear what was going on.  On top of that I felt so much- excitement, anticipation, happiness, etc...   It was a magical experience, entering this extraordinary world that the author created.  This is what made this book stand out to me and why I really consider it special.
     This book was not fast paced, but kept me engaged.  It did not have deep characters, but they were entertaining.  The plot was simple, but there was a lot going on and to me, it was woven together well, so that at the end it all came together. It did have many time jumps, so I had to pay attention to what year I was reading about, but this was not a problem.
     The narrator did a great job reading the book.  I felt he added to the atmoshere of the story and to the character's personalities.  He was easy to understand and follow.
     This author is a master at creating vivid imagery which makes for a terrific experience.  She also created a magical world.  This was a great fantasy novel.  On the other hand, if you are looking for very developed characrters that you can connect with, this is not the book for you.  It is also not for you if you are looking for an intense competition.  It is quite laid back.


                                                                          

Company: Yezi Tea Company

Tea: Shui Xian Da Hong Pao

Obtained: purchased


















     I purchased the Farmer Favorite's Tea Sampler from Yezi Tea Company.  The company provides free shipping for their samplers and the order arrived very quickly.  So far, I have not been disappointed with this tea company.  I have tried 5 out of the 6 samples, and enjoyed every one.
     This time I brewed a cup of Shui Xian Da Hong Pao or "Big Red Robe".  This is an oolong tea grown in the Wuyi Mountains on a rich carpet of lichens and moss (according to the Yezi Tea website).  There are legends surrounding the name of the tea.  One is that it was grown by Buddist Monks on inaccessible cliffs and picked by trained monkeys wearing red vests.  Another is that someone important (the person varies) was cured of an illness by the tea, so laid out a red robe or robes to give thanks.
     The tea came in a bag that was easy to open.  The leaves were long and dark brown (although the website said they are yellow-purple) and had a sweet, woodsy scent.
     I poured eight ounces of hot water over four teaspoons of the tea leaves and let this steep for 45 seconds.  The liquid was a pale yellow, much lighter than it came out in the picture. (The website said it would be dark orange?)  The taste was woodsy with a hint of floral which was very subtle.  There was no bitterness to this tea and it was light, yet very flavorful.  This was an enjoyable, refreshing oolong tea.

Lie Still

Title: Lie Still

Author: Julia Heaberlin

Narrator: Rebecca Gibel

Format: 10 cd's, 12 hours, 3 minutes

Published: Blackstone Audio, 2013

Genre: mystery, thriller

Obtained: library

Summary: Emily Page and her husband, Mike, move from Manhattan, New York, to Clairmont, Texas.  Mike will be the new police chief in this small, wealthy, close-knit community.  Emily begins to receive mysterious mail, calls, and messages that are sometimes threatening and horrifying.  Caroline, the "leader" of the local women, is found dead.  Is what is happening to Emily being done by the same person who murdered Caroline?  Are the threats Emily is getting related to something from her past or present?

Thoughts: There was so much going on in this book that it kept me engaged and interested throughout.  It was also entertaining, especially the humor and the colorful characters.  Each character had their own interesting story, and was unique and well developed.  Most of the characters were hard to connect with, but their personalities were so amusing, this didn't seem to matter so much.  All of the characters had secrets and many of them had horrific things happen in their past.  There were so many characters with these terrible pasts that it made the story quite unbelievable at times, but it also made for an excellent mystery and it kept me reading.
     The weakness of this book was that it was full of disparity.  For example,  at times it was very serious and at others it really had some excellent humor.  Sometimes this made a nice balance, but at other times it just didn't work.  Also, sometimes the story seemed quite realistic, but then other times quite far-fetched.  This made for an odd mix.
     The narrator had a distinct voice for each character, so I always knew who was talking.  She also read at a good pace, was easy to follow, and kept me engaged.
     So, if you like an entertaining story with a lot going on, lots of secrets, a good mystery, and colorful characters, you'll love this book.  If you are looking for a believable story where you connect with the characters, this isn't the one for you.  I believe this novel would make for a great book club discussion.

                                                                 

                                                                  

Company: Yezi Tea Company

Tea: Li Shan

Obtained: purchased










     Li Shan tea is an oolong tea grown in Taiwan.  This sample came from the Yezi Tea Company.  According to the Yezi Tea website, this tea is harvested at 6,600 - 7,800 feet above sea level.  Therefore, the harvest is limited due to the small amount of agricultural land at this high altitude.
     The sample arrived in a lined bag which kept the leaves fresh.  The bag was easy to open.  The leaves had an earthy scent.  They were gray and green clumps of all sizes.  They looked like they had been wet when collected, crumpled up and dried like that.
     I put three teaspoons of leaves in my tea pot and poured nine ounces of hot water over the leaves.  I let this brew for forty five seconds.  The liquid was a pale yellow.  The scent was of sweet flowers with a background of the earthy scent.  This was very different from just the scent of the leaves.
     The taste of the tea was similar to the scent.  It was a mix of sweet flowers and an earthy flavor.  The tea was light, smooth, and refreshing, but also relaxed me.  This tea was delightful!

  

   

The Traitor's Wife

Title: The Traitor's Wife

Author: Allison Pataki

Publisher: Howard Books, 2014

Pages: 467

Genre: historical fiction

Obtained: library










Summary: This is the story of Peggy Shippen Arnold, Benedict Arnold's wife, and her part in the plan to deliver West Point to the British.

Thoughts:  This is a very light historical novel.  It is a quick read for 467 pages.  The writing style is straight forward and the story is easy to follow.  There are just enough details describing the setting and characters to make you feel like you are in Colonial America, most of the time.  At times, I questioned- Would people actually do this, or believe this during this time period? - but I have not studied the time period enough to be certain.  The characters were well developed, though at times, I felt like I didn't really know them completely.
     Other than these minor details, this was an excellent read!  The story was told from the perspective of Peggy Shippen Arnold's maid, Clara Bell.  So, the book is really two stories intertwined- the totally fictitious story of Clara Bell (who did not even really exist), and the story of Peggy Shippen and Bennedict Arnold (which is based on real life events).  Both stories were great.  Telling Peggy's story from the maid's perspective was a terrific idea.
     I believe that hard core historical fiction fans would find fault with this book, but for anyone that likes light historical fiction, fiction in general, or has any interest in Benedict Arnold or the American Revolution, would enjoy this book.


                                                                     
                                                               





                                                       
Company: Yezi Tea

Tea: Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong

Obtained: purchased








     Yezi Tea company specializes in Chinese tea.  Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, which is also known as Lapsang Souchong, is grown in the Wuyi Mountains of the Fujian province of China.  The tea leaves are smoked over smoldering wood.
     I purchased the Farmer Favorite's Tea Sampler  and this tea was one of the samples.  The tea came in a lined bag which kept the leaves fresh.  The leaves were long, thin, and black.  They had a strong earthy scent to them.
     I poured 9 ounces of water over 6 teaspoons of the leaves and let this steep for 30 seconds.  The liquid was reddish brown.  The scent of the liquid was reminiscent of dried leaves on a fall day.  The taste was earthy, yet had a light smokey flavor.  The aftertaste was slightly sweet, yet tangy.  The strength of the tea was surprising for the short steep time.  This tea would be great to try if you are looking for a different tasting black tea.

The Wind in the Willows

Title: The Wind in the Willows

Author: Kenneth Grahame

Narrator: Shelly Frasier

Format: 6 cd's

Published: 2008 by Tantor Media, originally published in 1908

Genre: classic, adventure

                                                                                          Obtained: library


Summary:  This is a collection of stories about the adventures of the unlikely friends Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad.

Thoughts: The author has created loveable characters and a setting that is perfect to retreating into when you are looking for a calm, quiet, contemplative, relaxing kind of book. He does a great job of transporting you to the river, meadow, and the "wild wood".  This book tells of the adventures of animals (who have human traits and emotions), but focuses on simple pleasures and ordinary lives.  Much of the book is about hospitality and friendship.  These friends spend much time going on picnics, boating, and enjoying long talks in one anothers homes.
     Toad is the character that does not have a life that is thought of as ordinary, so the little excitement in the book is the adventures of Toad.   When the friends visit the "Wild Wood" this may be seen as scary to children, but also adds a little excitment to the book.
     The narrator was able to speak calmly during the day to day activities of the characters, but was able to put enough energy into her reading to grab your attention when something more exciting was about to happen.  She was also able to bring life to the characters by giving them distinct voices which added to their personalities.
     If you are looking for an action packed book, you will not be happy with this one.  This is a book to read when looking for loveable charcters and a cozy read with just a little adventure to hold your interest.   It would be great to read while sipping tea or on a picnic.  This book did not hold my kid's (ages 8 and 14) attention.  There was simply not enough going on for them that they did not consider mundane.

                                                                    

Company: Joy's Teaspoon

Tea: Blue Beauty Oolong

Obtained: purchased

     Joy's Teaspoon is located in Las Vegas, Nevada.  This company gets their teas from more than a dozen sources including both growers and blenders.  Joy's Teaspoon promotes fair trade and environmental protection.  It is named after the owner's mother.

     I purchased a Top Tea's Sampler pack for $10.49, plus shipping.  The samples came in good quality tins packed in a gift box.  Blue Beauty Oolong was one of the eight samples.  Blue Beauty Oolong consists of Se Chung Oolong, licorice root, and ginseng.  The good quality tin was easy to open.   The leaves looked like gray pebbles (really cool), as can be seen in the above picture.  They had a grassy scent.  

     I steeped one teaspoon of leaves in eight ounces of water for one minute. The website recommended steeping for 50 seconds.  The liquid was a light gold with a very mild earthy scent.  The taste was mild as well.  The tea had an earthy taste with a background that was fresh and subtly sweet.  I could not taste the licorice, but I am assuming this is where the sweetness came from.

     This is a refreshing tea.  If you are looking for a licorice flavored tea, this is not the one for you.  If you are looking for an earthy tea with a subtle sweetness, this is the one.  A bonus is that the leaves can be steeped at least four times.  I didn't try more than four, but I did steep the same leaves 3 times and the flavor was the same each time.

The Mirror Thief

    

Title: The Mirror Thief

Author: Martin Seay

Published: May 2016 by Melville House Printing

Pages: 582

Genre: fiction, historical fiction

Obtained: library











Summary: Crivano, in 16th century Venice, Italy, has a scheme to sneak mirror craftsmen off the island. This is a crime punishable by death.  Stanley, in Venice Beach, California, in the 1950's, is on a mission to find the author of "The Mirror Thief".  Curtis, in the Venice Casino of Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2003, is trying to find Stanley so that he can help him out of a bad situation.  The three stories are interwoven on many levels.

Thoughts:  I really liked this author's style of writing which kept me engaged.  It was unique, and the descriptions were excellent.  He did a great job of setting the stage for each story, bringing both the time periods and places to life.  The problem was, none of the three plots drew me in.  I felt like most of the book was just one man looking for another.  Also, the characters had personalities and were somewhat developed, but I just couldn't bond with them and I didn't have any strong feeling toward any of them, positive or negative.
     There were some good themes, for example, how things are always changing, and how choices we make steer our lives.  The author was also very clever in making connections between the three stories, and continuing threads between time and space.  However, the ending was not good.  I just didn't get it.  It felt like the author wrote it in a way that you had to make up your own ending.  It was very unclear what, exactly, was happening.
     The book was long and at times I didn't want to finish it, but the writing style and the question of how the author would tie the three stories together kept me reading.  At the end I was disappointed and the book did not seem worth the read.  The author does have a talent for writing.  Maybe his next try will be better.



                                                                 

                                                

Company: Art of Tea

Tea: French Lemon Ginger

Obtained: gift







     French Lemon Ginger tea from Art of Tea comes in a resealable brown bag which keeps the tea fresh.  The tea is composed of organic lemon grass, organic rooibos, organic honeybush, organic lemon verbena, and organic ginger.  It is a mix of long, thin, light green leaves and very small pieces of brown leaves.  The leaves have a sweet grassy scent with a background scent of lemon.
     I poured 16 ounces of hot water over 2 tablespoons of leaves and let this brew for 5 minutes.  The liquid was an orange brown and had a wonderful aroma of lemon with a hint of ginger.  The taste was of sweet lemon with an after taste of ginger.  It was a smooth, well balnced blend.
     This tea was refreshing and soothing hot.  I also tried it iced and it made one of the best iced teas I ever had.  It was so refreshing!  If you like lemons, this is definitely one to try.  I am not a big ginger fan, but the ginger flavor was not strong and balanced perfectly with the rest of the flavors.
   

Watership Down

Title: Watership Down

Author: Richard Adams

Narrator: Ralph Cosham

Format: 13 cd's, approx. 16 hours, tracks every 3 minutes

Publisher: 2010 by Blackstone Audio, Inc., originally published in November 1972

Genre:  classic, fantasy, adventure

Obtained: library



Summary: A band of rabbits abruptly leave their warren and set out to find a new way of life.  Along their dangerous journey they encounter many new and strange things.

Thoughts:  This book is a masterpiece!  It is amazing that someone could create a story about rabbits that is believable, never mind the whole rabbit culture, history, and mythology that the author brings into the story.  Wow!  There is just so much going on and the attention to detail makes you feel like you are right there along with the rabbits.  On top of that you have these lovable, complex characters that stay with you even when you move on to your next book.
     This book is also unique in that the story is told from the perspective of animals, but the animals have human traits and emotions and even think like humans.  They also have rabbit words for things that we humans don't, for example, "solflay" is the act of grazing or grass itself.
     This story can be read at surface level for the fantasy and adventure, but there are MANY deeper themes, such as leadership, teamwork, roles in society, freedom, responsibility, friendship, loyalty, and survival.  These themes really got me thinking.
     The book can get slow at times, but it is not difficult to continue with it at all.  The book is long, but I didn't want it to end.
     The narrator had a pleasant story telling voice that made the story easy to follow.  His voice was clear and he did a great job giving distinct voices to different animals.  He read at a good pace.
     My kids and I spent the summer listening to this in the car.  It was way over the head of my 8 year old, but my 14 year old really enjoyed it and didn't want it to end either.  I would say it is really an adult book.  Yes, an adult book about bunnies, but the author makes it work!  There is violence and the book deals with adult concepts such as war, survival, ethics, and human nature.  This is a must read.

                                                            

                                                                  Company: Yezi Tea

Tea: White Peony (Bai My Dan)

Obtained: purchased

     Yezi is the Chinese word for leaf.  Yezi Tea is a company that sells tea specifically from China.  I purchased the Farmer's Favorites Tea Sampler.  It came with samples of 6 different teas and only cost $5.99.  Shipping was free.  This offer is only offered once per customer, but it is a wonderful way to try some new teas!

     White Peony, or Bai My Dan, is a white tea.  According to the Yezi Tea website, their Bai My Dan is composed of "spring leaves dried in natural sunlight on bamboo trays".  It comes from the Jian'ou County of the Fujian province of China.  It has a low caffeine content. 

     The sample came in a pouch.  The pouch was not resealable, but it did not tear easily and could be rolled down and clipped shut with something.  The brown and light gray leaves were long and looked rolled.  They had a woodsy or earthy scent.

     I poured 8 ounces of water over 4 teaspoons of tea.  The tea was hard to measure because of the long leaves.  I let this brew for 1 minute.  The liquid did not have much color.  It was clear with a slight golden tint.  There was a slight floral scent to the liquid.  The taste was mild.  It had a  sweet, almost fruity taste, with a light floral background.  The taste was much different from the scent of both the leaves and liquid.

  This is a delicious, enjoyable white tea that I would most appreciate when relaxing at the end of the day.