A super quick mini-episode – well, not really an episode – asking for your contributions to the next episode of ‘Tea or Books?’. It will be TEN YEARS since Rachel and I first put an episode out into the ether – I can’t believe it’s been a whole decade, and I’m so thankful to everyone who has listened, commented, emailed, reviewed etc over the time.
Will you help us celebrate? In the next episode, I’d love to share your contributions – are there books we’ve suggested that you’ve read and loved? Are there topics you particularly enjoyed? Anything that we can use to celebrate 10 years in style. Do send in your voicenotes or emails to teaorbooks@gmail.com, or put any highlights into the comment section on this blog post.
(Please do, otherwise it’ll be a very quiet first half of the episode!)
Congratulations on the anniversary! I’ve always valued the way you cover less well-known authors from the 20th century and enjoy trying to hunt down your recommendations in second-hand bookshops. I find that more interesting than listening to (or reading about) an author simply talking about their new book to a non-critical interviewer, which is what you tend to get on other, marketing-driven sites and podcasts. I like hearing your end of year best-of lists, so perhaps you could do a 10-year best of the best? You could also perhaps each list your top 5 or 6 authors from the 10 years of reviews?
Thank you Lisa! I think a 10-year best is a fun idea – might have to be selective, for time, but it would be fun.
Congratulations your anniversary!! It’s always a treat when the next podcast drops
Very hard to select one highlight only
I do especially enjoy your Canadian discoveries and the interview with Mary Lawson was a particular pleasure
Best wishes for your next 20 plus years!
Thank you Ana!
Happy Anniversary! I love this podcast! It has really taken my reading to a higher level; I discovered it only a few years ago but I very quickly went back and listened to all the back episodes. You and Rachel are very much to blame for my overflowing bookshelves and towering book piles, although I thank you for saving me the trouble of reading books that I would not have enjoyed or admired.
Best books of the ten years sounds like a great idea. I second that one. I would also like to hear you two discuss books that you would consider worthy of rereading, authors you admire rather than enjoy, and perhaps favourite publishers. If I think of more ideas, I will let you know. I am afraid a voice message is beyond my level of computer competence at home but I look forward to hearing others’ contributions.
Congratulations! I always love hearing the different viewpoints you and Rachel bring to the various books. And your podcasts are always very bad for the wishlist! I very much enjoyed my guest appearance, and look forward to another ten years of hearing you both share your love of various books!
Celebrating 10 Years of Tea and Books!
I want to express my gratitude to Simon and Rachel for the past decade. I was introduced to Tea and Books eight years ago by a friend who shared her collection of Persephone and Virago books. Life took unexpected turns, and I lost contact with her and the podcast during a tumultuous period, including the pandemic.
However, in the past two years, Tea and Books is saving my reading life. After going through an illness that made it difficult to concentrate, I found myself at a literary loss when my mind cleared. My safe historical romances felt worn out, and much current fiction bores me. When I thought I might never find my way to another good read, I remembered Tea and Books!
Each episode makes me happy, happy. I eagerly go through the book list and end up buying five or six titles. Thanks to your guidance, I’ve delved into Elizabeth Von Arnim, Penelope Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Taylor, Carol Shields and many more…. I’ve even delved into six Elizabeth Goudge novels. I’m so fascinated by her complete unconcern for plot, yet does anyone else quite capture the myriad states of spiritual being like her? I smile remembering that Simon likes Virginia Woolf but Rachel can’t stand her.
Your podcast has renewed my faith that good literary sensibilities are not lost.
Although, I wish you’d keep an open mind towards cookbooks and the rich worlds they can encapsulate. If you haven’t explored Classical Turkish Cooking by Ayla Algar, I recommend it as an example of how time, culture, and craft weave together preserving what we’re quickly losing.
I can’t wait to hear the next episode of Tea and Books—“Hi, I’m Simon, and I’m Rachel, and this is Tea and Books.” Thank you for opening and supporting an important part of my life again. It means so much.
Currently Reading: The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge, The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa and A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Sidonie Maroon
Port Townsend, Washington State USA
Very excited to hear of your 10th year anniversary! I am the most recent discoverer of your blog and podcast. I am 1 episode in and am so excited about finding kindred souls who value that certain turn of phrase only available in that certain kind of book of the past few decades. (I particularly enjoy Golden Age mysteries of the 20s and 30s.) I am feverishly perusing everyone’s posts for those tasty morsels of book recommendations. Thank you to you all.
Before I leave I will pass on one suggestion, the Austrailian book by Benjamin Stevenson, “Everyone in My Family has killed Someone.” I would say it is an homage to those classic books and I particularly enjoyed the conversational tone and his reference to the Detection Club and Dorothy Sayers “Rules for Mysteries.”