Text by Lorna Reeves
Photography by Caroline Smith
During the 16 years TeaTime has been in publication, many books have been printed on the subject of tea and its many iterations. The shelves in my office are almost groaning under the weight of those tomes, some printed recently and others published decades ago, including 11 we’ve done about the practice of afternoon tea, complete with recipes, tea pairings, and tablescapes, some of which are now out of print. Go to Teatime Magazine’s online shop to find out which of our books are still available. There are other volumes on my bookcase, however, that tackle tea from historical or educational points of view, making them suitable for tea lovers of all stripes, whether preferring traditional English-style teatimes or something else. In my quest to curate a collection of just 15 go-to books from this library, I asked contributing editors Jane Pettigrew, James Norwood Pratt, and Bruce Richardson for their recommendations, and they kindly pointed me toward their favorites. I added to their lists some of my own choices, a good many of which they wrote. I hope that this guide will provide gift-giving inspiration for the holiday season or will at the very least increase your own reading list.
