The Perfect Blend

Welcome to The Perfect Blend! 'Tis the season and what better time than to read a new take on A Christmas Carol!  R. William Bennett's Jacob T. Marley is a look at Marley and what happened before and after his visit to Scrooge in the classic story.  Add this to your Christmas reading list and you'll keep Christmas in your heart all the year. R. William Bennett Shelly's tea:   Rosie...

Welcome to our Twisted Tea talk!  We delve into our first series murder mystery book and we are both looking for our next one. Not only does this books have tea, lots of yummy food, recipes - we got to travel vicariously to South Carolina.  <sigh>     Laura Child:  http://www.laurachilds.com Shelly's tea:  Bold Black Chai from Republic of Tea https://www.re...

Welcome to the Perfect Blend! It's time to deck your shelves with some seasonal reads!  We're talking about James Patterson and Tad Safran's The Twelve Very Messy Topsy-Turvy Days of Christmas.  If you've read it, please let us know what you thought about it! James Patterson:  https://www.jamespatterson.com Tad Safron: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1475075/ Shelly's tea:  https:/...

Welcome to The Perfect Blend! Our book is Under a Gilded Moon by Joy Jordan Lake.  We wanted to finish up November with another North Carolina based read and this one was perfect! Links to some of the  things we mentioned: Joy Jordan Lake:  https://www.joyjordanlake.com/behind-the-scenes-gilded-moon Low Country Tea:  https://august.la/products/low-country?_pos=1&_sid=e94968...

Have you ever overdone it at a holiday dinner?  Maybe you’ve tested the tenacity of your stretchy pants and are feeling the tryptophanic trance as you tilt yourself into the recliner praying you’ll be able to bend enough to get up for dessert. Shelly and I are here to the rescue with some tea blends to have on hand for you and your company so you can enjoy your feasting without too much disco...

Welcome to the Perfect Blend! In this episode, Candy and Shelly continue to explore books set in North Carolina and share their thoughts on Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain.  They are intrigued by the mystery of Anna Dale, a 1940's artist selected to do a post office mural, who went missing. They discuss the power of art and how the characters move past  tragic events....

Welcome to The Perfect Blend! Shelly and I picked a favorite that our good friends recommended.  Thank you Kathy and Mary! Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen takes place in our stomping grounds of North Carolina.  We thought it'd be nice to feature some stories from our neck of the woods.  As far as we are concerned, anything gardens and magic is a win as far as books go.  We...

Welcome to The Perfect Blend! This week we are discussing The Dutch House by Ann Patchett.  It's a definite turn from what we have shared in October, but it's always good to stretch your reading chops and try new things.  This wasn't a happy joy story.  In fact, we wrestled with some of the characters and their choices.  My goodness, not the typical homecoming you'd expect. &nb...

Welcome to The Perfect Blend! This week's featured book is Douglas Adam's The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.   We are both big fans of his work and were delighted to feature him for our final October book selection.  We've paired our story  with some delicious blends from Norskk and August Uncommon Teas. Candy's tea from Norskk:  https://norskk.com/nordic-red-tea Shelly's...

Welcome to The Perfect Blend!  Oh, how we love Alice Hoffman-  Today's episode we are talking about her book  Magic Lessons.  We love the whole series, but this is our favorite.  We've paired our book with Courage Tea from Holli P. at the Bohemian Tea Peddler: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BohemianTeaPeddler?ref=search_shop_redirect&section_id=33629392.   Delightful a...

Welcome back to The Perfect Blend! This week we are discussing one of our favorite October authors- Ray Bradbury and his novel Something Wicked This Way Comes.  We've paired our book with teas from August Uncommon Teas and David's Teas. Shelly's Jet Black:  https://august.la/products/jet-black?_pos=1&_sid=6ac8fb06e&_ss=r Candy's Butterscotch Chai:  https://www.davidstea.com/...

Welcome to The Perfect Blend! For our very first book, we have chosen The Witches of New York by Ami McKay (amimckay.com).  This is the book that inspired it all. Join us as we discuss the book and share our takeaways, interesting asides and sip some lovely tea from the shop Tea and Sympathy in New York City.  If you are interested in ordering some lovely tea from them, here is the link...

Welcome to The Perfect Blend!  This is the trailer for our podcast about the perfect blend of books and tea.