• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Connect With Me
    • Request An Honest Review
    • Beta Reading Requests
    • Testimonials
  • Review Archive
    • Review Archive
    • Audiobook Review Archive
    • Spooky Children’s Book Review Archive
  • Referral Links
  • Podcast Recs
  • Policies
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

Erica Robyn Reads

a horror book review blog

[Book Review] A Little Tea Book: All the Essentials from Leaf to Cup

November 20, 2018      Erica Robyn      20 Comments

A Little Tea Book: All the Essentials from Leaf to Cup is an absolute treat to read while sitting with a great cup of tea! A must-read for any tea lover!

I won a copy of this book in a giveaway. So thanks again to Nicole from Bloomsbury for sending a copy my way!

The book’s introduction begins with:

You’re holding this book because you love tea. 
Perhaps you can’t begin your morning without a cup of English Breakfast.
You may have a favorite mug.
You might carry that mug to work, along with an assortment of teabags. 

I was already wicked excited to dive into this book, but from that passage, I knew I’d be in for a treat!

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on A Little Tea Book: All the Essentials from Leaf to Cup by Sebastian Beckwith and Caroline Paul, Illustrations by Wendy McNaughton

First things first, I just love the cover designed by Katya Mezhibovskaya! The entire book was designed so beautifully. Even the naked book looks lovely!

I learned so many things from this book! A few of the things that really stood out were:

  • All tea comes from just one plant: the Camellia sinensis.
  • There are only six types of tea- white, green, yellow, oolong, black, and dark. All others like chamomile aren’t tea, they’re made from other plants. 
  • A tea is defined by the variety/cultivar used and what happens to the leaf after plucking. 
  • Taste varies depending on weather, the soil, time of harvest, the part of the plant, and what happens to the harvest after it is removed from the plant, but the quality can still vary greatly. 
  • Teas can be categorized into flavor groups including; fruit, floral, marine, mineral, sweet, spice, wood, earth, and others. 
  • The debate of whether the milk goes in before or after the tea is ongoing. This author and George Orwell say after. I agree! 

This book was organized so brilliantly. There were so many wonderful sections! One of my favorites, which rather surprised me, was the “A little history” section. The information in this chapter was written so well and it was rather short and sweet, but it still packed quite the historical punch! 

I loved that the author threw in quick personal stories here and there and that there were also various drink recipes thrown in every now and again! 

The photos included were incredible! As were the illustrations! 

At the end of the book there was a glossary, more information about the photos included, recommended reading, and an index. 

My final thoughts on A Little Tea Book: All the Essentials from Leaf to Cup

I had so much fun reading this book! Of course, it also made me super thirsty! I brewed a cup of green tea, and multiple cups of loose white tea to sip on while reading, and a cup of black tea to drink while writing up my review!I would highly recommend this book to any tea lover! It’s packed with wonderfully interesting information and written in a very easy-to-read way. 


Snag a copy through Bookshop to help support local indie bookshops:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ali says

    November 20, 2018 at 1:22 pm

    This book looks adorable! And I agree, a good gift for a tea-lover. I also didn't know that tea came from one plant only :O

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 20, 2018 at 1:26 pm

      For sure!! And right?! It's crazy!

      Reply
  2. Deanna Reads Books says

    November 20, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    This book looks so neat!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 20, 2018 at 9:42 pm

      😀

      Reply
  3. Paige says

    November 20, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    This is such an adorable little book!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 20, 2018 at 9:42 pm

      😀

      Reply
  4. Elle says

    November 20, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    OMG…. This book is so cute! I love tea. I drink tea rather than coffee everyday.

    Elle Inked @ Keep on Reading

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 20, 2018 at 9:43 pm

      Same here! Coffee actually makes me sick. I wish I could drink it, but I do love my tea!!

      Reply
  5. Stephanie Jane says

    November 20, 2018 at 8:26 pm

    I love my tea so this would be a perfect book for me.
    I believe the milk thing started as an indicator of social class. The upper classes used fine bone china cups which could cope with hot tea being poured straight in to them. However, if you tried this with cheaper pottery then the cups would crack. Therefore the working classes would add milk first. Nowadays most crockery can cope with hot tea so it's more individual preferences 🙂

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 20, 2018 at 9:44 pm

      Hey there! Yes!! That's correct! The book mentioned that 🙂 How crazy?!

      Reply
  6. Shooting Stars Mag says

    November 21, 2018 at 2:32 am

    Cute book for a tea lover! 🙂

    -Lauren
    http://www.shootingstarsmag.net

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 21, 2018 at 12:12 pm

      😀

      Reply
  7. Angela Lawrence says

    November 21, 2018 at 1:35 pm

    What a fun book, and the photographs look gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 21, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      Right?! It’s so lovely!!

      Reply
  8. Lauren Stoolfire says

    November 23, 2018 at 6:19 pm

    I love tea – can't say I'm a fan of tea with milk, no matter what way it goes in.

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 23, 2018 at 7:04 pm

      😀

      Reply
  9. Olivia-Savannah says

    November 24, 2018 at 3:02 pm

    I'm such a tea lover that this book sounds like so much fun to me! I think it would be cool to try some of the teas as you read about them as well ^.^

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 24, 2018 at 3:48 pm

      Yes!! I highly recommend this one! It was so neat!!

      Reply
  10. Cora Tea Party Princess says

    November 27, 2018 at 1:37 pm

    Gosh, this sounds right up my street!
    I love tea, and I love learning more about it too.
    Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      November 27, 2018 at 2:40 pm

      It’s a lovely little book! I definitely recommend it!!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello there!

Erica Robyn of Erica Robyn Reads
I run on hot tea, good books, and loud music. She/Her.
 

Search This Blog

Sign Up For Post Notifications


Loading

Recent Popular Posts

  • [Book Review] Home & Other Stories by P.J. Blakey-Novis
  • [Book Review] Four by P.J. Blakey-Novis
  • [Book Review] Ten Years Gone by H.P. Newquist
  • [Book Review] Corpsing by Kayleigh Marie Edwards
  • [Book Review] The Easton Falls Massacre: Bigfoot’s Revenge

An Easy Guide to Locating Horror Reviews Without Losing Your Mind created by Lori of Barks At The Ghouls
Shirley's Book Blogger List

Categories

ericarobynreads

Sickness Is In Season by Aiden Merchant has everyt Sickness Is In Season by Aiden Merchant has everything a horror fan craves! From light and spooky, to full-blown spine-chilling terror, this collection of short stories is a killer mix.

No matter what your personal favorite sub-genre of horror is, you’ll be sure to find something that sinks its teeth into you within this collection!

#supporthorror #promotehorror #sicknessisinseason #aidenmerchant #crossroadspresss #horrorbookrecs #horrorshortstories #horrorbookstagram
My April book haul 😍🖤🙌 My April book haul 😍🖤🙌
NH friends! Don’t miss the book event with @greg NH friends! Don’t miss the book event with @gregorybastianelli.author tonight in Exeter at @waterstreetbooks! 

I’m SO peeved my back pain flared up and I can’t drive out… but I am so excited that Waterstreet Books sent a signed copy my way! 😍

I can’t wait to see photos from the event!!
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is a totally The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is a totally captivating but nerve-wracking tale that is certainly not for those that fear tight spaces… While reading this tale, I felt so horribly claustrophobic. But I couldn’t stop. I had to find out what happened next!

#supporthorror #promotehorror #ladiesofhorrorfiction #horrorbookstagram #horrorbookrecs #theluminousdead #caitlinstarling
The Workshop of Filthy Creation by Richard Gadz is The Workshop of Filthy Creation by Richard Gadz is a chilling gothic horror story about what it means to be human. In these pages, you will see plenty of the darkness that humanity can create, but you will also see the light!

Ready to dive into a dark and dreary tale about gruesome medical practices set in Victorian London? Go pick up The Workshop of Filthy Creation today! I can’t wait for you all to meet Maria!

#supporthorror #promotehorror #gothichorrorreads #horrorbookrecs #theworkshopoffilthycreation #richardgadz #horrorbookstagram
Max is one of the most hilarious people that I fol Max is one of the most hilarious people that I follow on Twitter! I originally learned who he was after seeing him participate in the KillerCon 2020 Virtual Event. I went to follow him and his publishing house, Perpetual Motion Machine (that he runs with Lori Michelle), immediately after his reading.

Within the PMM publishing house, they also have the imprint, Ghoulish Books, which launched in January of 2022. Max’s latest book, Maggots Screaming!, launched today April 12th, 2022 from that imprint. In celebration, I’m so excited to be sharing this interview with Max!

Check out the full interview on my blog today! 

#horrorauthor #horrorauthorinterview #maxboothiii #supporthorror #promotehorror
Diaries of the Damned by Ivan Radev is a collectio Diaries of the Damned by Ivan Radev is a collection of tales that span numerous dark fears. But as always, even in the darkness, there’s a bit of light.

In the foreword, the author warns that this is a book of fears, and boy does he play on fears wonderfully! Each tale is presented to readers in the first person to really get readers in the characters shoes. Please use caution here when you dive in. The author does not shy away from the darkness.

Phew, this read will take readers on quite the journey! It was the perfect read for a dark and rainy spring weekend.

#bookreview #horrorbookreview #horrorbookstagram #diariesofthedamned #IvanRadev #horrorbooks
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 Erica Robyn Reads