April 18, 2016, by Words on Words

The Book, The Tea, The Place to Be…

This blog post was written by final year American Studies and English student, Radhika Chond, from the School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies.

It’s that time of year again when Easter is somehow all done and dusted and you’re caught out wondering where the time has raced off to…

In and amongst those academic tomes, you may be wondering how best to unwind and if yet another book is seriously an option…

Well, as the sun starts to peep weakly through masses of frothy cloud and the skies begin to take on an array of pretty colours, I have prepared a list of suggested books to read as we move towards summer.

For me, reading fiction is not complete without a cup of tea or coffee, so I’ve decided to combine these summer suggestions with my love of Lee Rosy’s Tea Room in Hockley. Why not head there yourself with a good book and enjoy losing yourself in its cosy confines.

If you have a bit more time on your hands and fancy going all-out with a lavish tea experience, Nottingham boasts an array of amazing teashops, so why not take some time out on a Sunday and see how many you can tick off the list before term ends!

1. The Improbability of Love – Hannah Rothschild

This novel is longlisted for the Bailey’s Woman Prize for Fiction 2016 and follows the lovelorn Annie McDee as she stumbles across a grubby painting in a junk shop that turns her life upside down. Unknowingly she throws herself into the tumultuous London Art World and is soon pursued by many scheming buyers. The painting –  a lost eighteenth-century masterpiece – is called ‘The Improbability of Love’. Whilst Annie uncovers the painting’s history, will she also uncover, and fall into, love once more?

Suggested Tea Infusion at Lee Rosy’s:

Green Tea & Peach

Take it along to this Afternoon Tea:

Lazy Daisy’s Afternoon Tea at Wollaton Hall

2. The Little Paris Bookshop – Nina George

This novel is the Waterstones Book Club Choice 2016 and is an international bestseller. The protagonist Jean Perdu’s gift is that he can soothe his customer’s souls with books he personally selects for them. He is unable to soothe himself however, until he unlocks his past by reading a letter left for him 21 years ago.

Does he possess the gift to soothe your soul?

Suggested Tea Infusion at Lee Rosy’s:

China Rose Tea

Take it along to this Afternoon Tea:

Time For Tea, Vintage Tea Room in Beeston

3. The Last Good Kiss – James Crumley

Fancy a thriller? Delve into Private Detective C. W. Sughrue’s life: he’s the one committing crimes, not solving them, and it’s all washed down with a hearty dose of whisky and regret. Accompanied by an alcoholic bulldog, he delves into the depths of San Francisco’s urban underbelly – will you join him?

Suggested Tea Infusion at Lee Rosy’s:

Earl Grey Blue Flower

Take it along to this Afternoon Tea:

The Ned Ludd, Friar Lane, Nottingham City Centre. Or take it to the Victorian afternoon tea at the D. H. Lawrence Bistro in Eastwood.

4. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle – Haruki Murakami

One of my all-time favourite authors – any Murakami novel is worth reading! Here Toru Okada loses his job, his cat, and then his wife. His pursuit of the latter leads him to a motley crew of unusual characters and situations, from two psychic sisters to a sleazy politician. It’s unsettling, borderline frustrating, yet highly intriguing. This bizarre chain of events propels you to race through the book and find a conclusion. Come and travel through contemporary Japan with Murakami’s Toru.

Suggested Tea Infusion at Lee Rosy’s:

Green Tea Blue Sky

Take it along to this Afternoon Tea:

Thea Caffea, Low Pavement, Nottingham City Centre

5. Charlotte Street – Danny Wallace

Laugh along with Danny Wallace who gives us a classic boy meets girl tale with a twist as the protagonist Jason Priestley tries to track down the object of his affection using photos from her disposable camera…

Suggested Tea Infusion at Lee Rosy’s:

Passionfruit & Orange

Take it along to this Afternoon Tea:

White Rabbit Teahouse, Bridlesmith Walk and Hounds Gate, Nottingham City Centre.

6. Rads’s Rewind Pick:

Rewind to your childhood past with this true classic, suggested to me by Kish Manek: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

Accompany it with either a Mocha or Lee Rosy’s Chocolate Truffle Tea.

Radhika Chond

[Featured images: http://www.lee-rosy.co.uk and https://www.waterstones.com]

 

 

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