It's a good read for rainy, introspective days with a good cup of green, ginger tea
583933
Gives a subtle, soulful discussion of author's experience in Italy. Expands the conversation to include author's thoughts on how community and being connected and open to other people is essential to a life well lived.  The author expresses a spiritual groundedness which is refreshing.

It's a good read for rainy, introspective days with a good cup of green, ginger tea. - And maybe a couple of biscuits.
2994193
good entertaining reading, good reference for drinks.  Please do not drink and drive....overall good reading for a rainy day, thank you
4172153
A relationship novel set in England shortly after WW2, A glass of blessings  provides nuances to the subtleties of love and life. It is introspectively reflective, not perhaps to the taste of those desiring a fast-paced read.  However Wilmet's  gentle recalibration of life told through her church attendance and the wanderings of her heart, made for this reader a thoroughly satisfying book.
3977710
This is one of those books that are great for reading on a drizzly day whilst sipping tea. At times it seemed to be a long slog, and I got a bit knackered by Grace's shenanigans, but it was a pleasant way to while away the time.

It was difficult to see where the story was going, but I had faith in the author's ability to pull it all together (eventually). I enjoyed Grace's irreverent sense of humor but am not so sure about her ability to  enthusiastically bend the rules. Some of the characters were annoying...Janice as the office clerk who seemed to pride herself on a vendetta ...providing no service... and the squatters that you wanted to kick up the backside.

The whirlwind wrap-up stretched credulity and ended up being more comedic that I expect the author planned.

All that being said, it was a pleasure to read (a) a British novel  (b) with a single typo (looses all his hair).
312876
This is a travel book with a decidedly different slant on things.  Instead of focusing on the destinations, the book focuses on the author and her journey from depression to a sort of self-discovery.  In this vein, the book works.

Faced with the guilt and depression from her divorce, the author takes a journey through Southeast Asia, taking a bacchanalian excursion where sex, lots of alcohol, and drugs seem to be the order of the day.  Living on the cheap in the usual backpacker haunts, she meets up with other free spirits, living on the couches of strangers, sharing rooms, and enjoying life.

Sex is extremely prevalent even if it is not graphically described.  Sex is on her mind, either with her desires to have sex with accented, good-looking men or in her utter aversion to the come-ons by Indian and Sri Lankan men.  Drinking is also done to an excess pretty much every day.  It seems to me, as a reader, that the author needs the alcohol in order to lose her inhibitions and do what she wants to do.

For me, the most telling part of the book was her experience with Lucky.  As a conservative Christian, she had long felt that sex, while necessary, was always a bit dirty.  However, with Lucky, a man she met and with whom she spent a few days, she had a personal epiphany that sex is OK, it is good, and can be enjoyed for just what it is.

Her experiences were rather varied.  As a Thai resident, and as someone who has done the backpacking scene, her amorous adventures were unlike anything I personally have ever experienced, but I do not doubt them.

While the book was an interesting view on one person's journey, I wish the organization had been better.  I think a more linear telling of her story would have served it better as sometimes it was a little difficult to catch just what was going on and when.  Additionally, her entire trip to Myanmar was ignored after some intriguing hints as to what happened there.

I think a few references needed to be explained better.  For example, instead of just describing a shirt that had "Up to you" written on it, I would have liked to have read the significance of that saying (in Thailand, there is significance to it.  It is not just a random phrase.)

Finally, I would have liked a deeper insight to the author's thinking.  On one hand, she seems to relish her new-found freedom and openness, but she is still somewhat conservative.  It is OK to have a sex with strangers, but threesomes and such are verbotten. It is OK for a complete stranger to bump and grind her on the beach, but any interest by an Indian man is disgusting.  I found all of this fascinating, and I wish she had gone into more details as to her thought process.

Overall, this was a good book.  It is not for everyone, that is for certain.  But for those who feel comfortable reading about sex, drinking, and drug use, well, this books offers a fascinating peek at one person's maturation.
2898338
Enjoyed the twists & turns throughout. Loved the recipes in the back....scones, tea, and my book made for perfect rainy days!!!
1378172
Her salvation may have just been destroyed by murder.

Ellen Rosings was plunged into depression after the death of her parents.  Saved from its depths by her love of tea and a caring aunt, Ellen is learning to take a brighter outlook on life through the wisteria-hung windows of her new tearoom.  The cozy little eatery, reminiscent of the many authentic tea shoppes she visited in England with her parents, is located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe in a historic Victorian Adobe house that she has meticulously decorated and prepared, hoping to draw others to love the ritual of afternoon tea as much as she does.  When her dreams are threatened by the murder of a well-known guest at the tearoom's inaguration luncheon, Ellen finds herself falling back into the horrible depths of despair.  Bullied by an overbearing cop with a chip on his shoulder and subject to unwanted media attention and suspicion, Ellen finds it difficult to see the bright side of her situation.  Determined not to succumb, she sets out to solve the mystery on her own, proving her innocence and clearing the tearoom of any grisly associations.  It's not an easy task...her investigation is plagued by a music-loving ghost, an arrogant cop who seems intent on harassing her and an abundance of suspects with alibis and no motive.  Which of Ellen's seemingly friendly guests could have hated the leader of the historic preservation trust enough to kill her in a fit of passion?  Everyone seems innocent but one person must be hiding their guilt very well.  Can Ellen solve the mystery before her dreams go up in smoke?  And will she be able to hold her temper with Detective "Arrogant" or will she disappoint her idol, Miss Manners?

With its picturesque descriptions of Santa Fe's landscape, architecture and history, this cozy mystery has much to recommend it.  I enjoyed the premise of the story as well as the chemistry between Ellen and Detective Aragon, though I do wish that the supporting cast had been a little bit more fully fleshed and likable.  I also have to say that I was a bit disappointed in the ending.  Though the story moves quickly and has enough plot twists to make it interesting, the resolution of the case seemed a bit too rushed and easy.  However, all in all the book is a promising start for a new series and I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to LibraryThing.com and Chris Dolley / Book View Cafe for my chance to read and review this advanced reader's copy.
536259
While I felt, when I first read this novel, that some parts of the story were a bit predictable from a distance, I genuinely enjoy this book.  It's a really nice, settle-down-with-on-a-rainy-day-with-a-steaming-mug-of-something sort of novel.  The characters are appealing to read about, the dialogue is interesting, and the settings are so well described that you get pulled into the story pretty quickly.  Plot-wise, Cookson packed quite a bit into this story, and that keeps it very enjoyable to read without getting confusing or dull.  Not the finest work of literature I've ever read, but far superior to the majority of what publishers spit out these days (I feel like we're living in a sad age for novels, especially where heroines are concerned).  Cookson knew how to create women who were strong without needing to punch anyone, hide their femininity, or behave like a man in a bad 1950s film noir.
446604
A little book of suggestions to take care of yourself whether it be in the morning, afternoon respite or evening exhalation.  Morning fun can be it doing something spontaneous like going to see a foreign movie to taking a walk at dusk; afternoon is little more detail from eating lunch away from your desk to asking yourself two important questions, and ARRRR the evening nurturing from resting and magic of tea.  Each page can be one word with an inspiring pictures to little wisdoms of remembering to take of yourself...

..I found it refreshing to pick a few pages a day and ponder on how to incorporate it into my coming day!  Do something different that is loving to yourself...I love bing reminded and not go about being unconscious for the whole day!  It may not be things you really want to do, but going out of your comfort zone reminds you that life is supposed to be experienced ..not observed or read about.
835758
3.75 stars

The Sweet Life by Sharon Struth is a gentle womans fiction story that addresses survivors guilt and learning to live again instead of exist. The author provides a delicious trip through parts of Italy under the guise of a tour mostly populated by a group of former Woodstock fans with the last-minute addition of a woman conducting a covert evaluation of the tourprovided she can get past the by-the-book guide.

I enjoyed the slow burn and gradual acceptance that marks the relationship between the hero and heroine against the beautiful backdrop of Tuscany. The tasty dishes described and the picturesque landmarks visited by the group make me want to see the country and experience these things for myself. I ached for the tragedies that have shaped both main characters and rooted for them to find a way to enjoy life again but the ethical struggles were a bit frustrating to me and I wasn't thrilled by the abrupt and open-ended resolution of the story. It also would have been nice if some of the secondary characters were developed a little more, but I enjoyed the glimpses of them I did get.

This was an enjoyable way to armchair travel and gain an appreciation of both the food and people of Italy while accompanying a couple of people on their own emotional journey.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review
4745874
As a classic Seattle tea, this tea brings back memories of hiding away from the rainy weather sipping a delicious naturally sweet cinnamon citrus tea. When I drink this tea, I am home again. This tea has a unique personality that seems to embody the entire mood of Seattle in one cup.

This is a delicious tea that should be brewed for at least 5 minutes to bring out all the flavors. You can sweeten this more if you like with Stevia or a natural sugar to enhance the natural sweetness. It is good with a touch of Muscovado Sugar from India Tree.

~The Rebecca Review
733531
Contents good, b grade book.  Worth reading but not riveting.
Sit on the couch with cuppa tea on a rainy day.
368875
I agree with other reviewers; this is a beach book, or a book to fill up a rainy day.  It reminds me at least in tone of Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat, whose books of this type I liked as a teenager.  I also agree with others that the ending, while not problematic or outrageous (in context), does seem like it was written while the author was being called to dinner or something.  You turn the page and, oops, we're wrapping up now.  And, while it is obviously the first book of a proposed series, that's just fine -- I will read the next book in the series!  This wasn't good literature, or really even good science fiction -- it was just a fun and enjoyable way to while away a rainy day.
3100595
I love Celestial " mandarine orange spice " tea .  I know green tea is healthy so I found this one to be one I would enjoy a cup or two in the afternoon.
3418458
It will keep your mind off the rain or you watch a TV serial or you could catch up on some sleep.
3406800
Tea plantations are beautiful and the tea industry has an antiquarian charm.  The author, Roy Moxham. captures some of that charm in this book -- but doesn't neglect describing the seamy side of British colonialism in India, China, Sri Lanka, and Africa.  Moxham doesn't go much into botanical descriptions of tea or growing and harvesting techniques, but focuses on the history of tea consumption and production.

Moxham catalogs the growing addiction of the British to tea in the 18th century and the efforts of British colonialists to grow the stuff in the 19th and 20th century.  The story of tea growing in the Assam district of India is dirty indeed -- typical of colonial ventures around the world. Some of the stories of the exploitation of workers during the early days of tea growing are horrific.  The author also describes briefly the principal tea dealers in England, past and present, and their marketing techniques. So addicted are Britains to the daily 'cuppa' that tea during World Wars of the Twentieth Century was considered a vital commodity.

One of the more interesting sections of the book was the author's brief description of his work on a tea estate in Malawi (Nyasaland) in the 1960s.  The book concludes abruptly as he finishes his first year on the estate, giving the impression that a sequel may be in the works.

This is a good little book with a few illustrations and maps, a list of the various kinds of tea, and a good bibliography for those inspired to dig more deeply into the subject.

Smallchief
2167598
I was drawn to this book because of the "medical science fiction" aspect of waking up and having lost 10 years of memories, but it turned out to just be a mostly sad story. If you have kids or a husband, are going through a divorce or had a medical emergency or loss in your life recently this book with be more sad and emotional than you expect.  I am in my mid 30's and like the main character, the majority of my adult life experiences, marriage, kids, etc are in the last 10 years. It hits close to home. My book club chose it as a summer read and it wasn't at all light and breezy for me.

It is still good and worth the read, very intricate to think of all the aspects of your life that change in 5, or 10 years. Very introspective thoughts came to me about my own life after reading it.