Quote from Anne of Green Gables By Lucy Maud Montgomery
Welcome to my cozy little corner of the world. My three favorite things in this world are tea, books and my pets, Daisy (my beloved pup) and Sam, Dean and Mary (my three kittens). This site has a dog in it because Daisy is very special to me. She is a rescue Chiweenie and she and I have a very special bond. I love my kittens dearly- but like I said, Daisy and I have a unique connection, she saved me.
There is nothing better than a comfy chair, a hot cup of tea, Daisy on my lap and a fantastic book to spend the day with. I am a true bibliophile. My fondest dream, since I was a little girl, was to have my own library. Although my husband will attest to the numerous books I am blessed to own- I realized that my dream was missing one piece- the tribe to share book stories with. That is my goal with TeaBookDog, to build a tribe of people who love the same things, so we can share our stories, recommendations and find other places to celebrate our appreciation for all things Tea, Book and Dog/cat oriented.
A warm and heartfelt welcome, my friends, I hope that I can bring to you the joy I feel when I am enveloped in my cozy reading space. I know there are many kindred spirits out there, my wish is that TeaBookDog can become a warm and comfortable haven for you too.
I finished reading ‘The Last Bookshop in London’ by Madeline Martin today and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Set in WW2 London, Grace Bennett, the main character is a great vehicle through which to view a perspective of London that I had not before.
This book begins before England was forced into the war with Germany. Grace and her friend, Viv, move to London from the country. They are excited to experience the glitz, glamor, and romance of the big city in the ’30s. Since Grace does not have a letter of recommendation that is needed to get a job as a shop girl at Harrods’s with Viv. Instead, her landlady, Mrs. Weatherford, finds a six-month position for Grace in an old dusty bookstore to earn a letter.
Primrose Hill Books store gives our protagonist an introduction to the magic of books. Grace, who had previously only read what she needed to for school, looks at the books as just objects to be dusted, organized, and sold. After being given a book from George, a frequent and handsome customer of the book shop, she knows she should read it to be better at her job and because she is intrigued by George. But she still does not until one night after the London bombings have begun. She finally picks up the gifted book and begins to read it, the book is the ‘The Count of Monte Christo’. Grace comes to learn, what we as readers already know, that books are magical doors that transport us to new worlds.
We are given a glimpse into how Grace and the people who lived in London during the Blitz endured terrifying nightly attacks on London survived. Viv joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, Mrs. Weatherford, Viv, and Grace’s landlady joined the Women’s Voluntary Service and Grace became an ARP Warden (Air Raid Precautions). The services that these volunteers performed were dangerous, heroic, and save many lives. Through Grace’s experiences, we get to witness some of the trauma of the air raids but also the resilience of the British people.
While working as an ARP Warden at night, Grace continues her literary education by day working in the book store. One night during an air raid, Grace is reading in the shelter and a woman asks about the book she is reading. And as the bombs are dropping overhead, her fellow shelter inhabitants, intrigued, ask her to read the book aloud. Because of Grace’s growing passion for books, more and more people in her community start coming to listen to the stories she is reading. There are so many ways books and storytelling can change and save lives.
Madeline Martin has written a wonderful book that gives the readers a glimpse into a time and community in history. She has created a story that is quite moving and I shed a few tears several times throughout the book. This book encapsulates many things that I love; WW2 History, London, old bookshops, good characters, themes of compassion and community, and how books and stories are a vital part of life.
When I visit a new place, one of the things I love to do is pop into any bookstores or tea shops in the area. I had the opportunity to visit Nantucket Island off the coast of Massachusetts a few days ago and found a gem of a bookstore. Nantucket Bookworks is a lovely and fun store that not only offers a lovely selection of books, it also offers what we, book lovers, enjoy most: a fertile landscape for the imagination.
Nantucket Bookworks creates an atmosphere that …you wish to wander and explore. There are knick-knacks and bowls full of items that stir the mind to contemplate, ‘Why is this here? What is its purpose? What could I use it for?’ For instance, as I began to explore the bookshelves, I came across a small bowl of tiny loose clock hands. My mind immediately tried to reconcile why this was here…this is not a clock store…what else could these be used for? Is there a symbolic meaning? Could it remind us how time can stand still or move quickly while enjoying a good book? Or how a good book can invite us to travel through time and visit foreign places while sitting at home? Or is it meant to be even more existential…what is time when it comes to enjoying literature or just contemplating life? Or is it just a quirky little bowl full of tiny metal clock hands?
Celebrating Tea, Books and a Dog 