I am delighted to describe myself as a bibliophile, to the nth degree in fact! We all have our favorite authors, and in this post I'll be introducing you to some of mine. I must confess that I have a bias toward real books - made of paper, with pages that turn. I like electronic books because you can store books virtually with far less space, but it just isn't as satisfying a format in which to read - at least not for me!
Among my all time favorites is Brock and Bodie Thoene - a husband/wife team who's niche is Christian historical fiction. They are also prolific, and if you want to read their work in chronological order you can go here, to their blog, where they have answered that question.
Part of what's fun is you will meet characters in the earlier work who will show up in other books (or you will meet their children). Of all their books so far, my favorite is Shiloh Autumn, a story that is personal to Bodie's family history.
Jane Kirkpatrick is another author whose work I've enjoyed - she also writes historical fiction and focuses on women and the Pacific northwest area. She also tends to write series of books (and you can get them as boxed sets); Her characters are independent, unusual women and there are moments of tender insight that is part of what I have so enjoyed in reading her books.
Two non-fiction works you may wish to consider are Rules for Patriots by Steve Deace (a primer on personal political strategy and debate tactics) and Dissolving Illusions by Dr. Suzanne Humphries and Roman Bystrianyk (a critique of the policy of mass vaccination);
Dissolving Illusions pokes all manner of holes in the concept of vaccination and the "benefits" of applying it indiscriminately.
Lastly, let me leave you with some suggestions for the bestselling book of all time: The Holy Bible. Here a some of the translations I've used and like: Amplified, a comparative bible with several translations/versions side by side, and a MacArthur study bible (NASB).
This post is just a beginning - I'll be adding to this in the future!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Time for tea?
Grey is good! This post is about a beverage - and no, not Grey Goose, the alcohol, but tea.
How this type of tea came to be associated with an English Earl is not entirely clear, but this tea gets its unique and distinctive flavor from adding oil or essence of begamot oranges to black tea.
A good cuppa of Earl Grey Tea is one of my favorite ways of relaxing! There are many brands I've enjoyed - one of my favorites is Tazo Earl Grey. Since I like it strong I use two bags for a 12 ounce mug, sweeten it with one tablespoon of honey drizzled on the bottom of the mug while the tea is steeping and finish it off with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice - no milk in my tea, please! How about you?
If you like a lighter flavor you may enjoy Twinnings Lady Grey Tea. Even if you steep this for a long time you'll get the flavor of Earl Grey without being overwhelmed as it has a more delicate taste.
Some prefer organic products - Numi makes an organic Earl Grey (for loose leaf) or here if you like bags. If you are sensitive to caffeine here is a decaf option.
The Republic of Tea makes a high quality Earl Grey (bags), and also available loose leaf.
A hot beverage can be very comforting, especially on a cold winter's night. I have two in particular to which I like to turn: the first is combining a Jasmine Green Tea with a mint tea.
But I also like to combine (equal parts) of loose leaf peppermint tea with licorice. No sweetener needed ... just enjoy! Hopefully in a bath with lots of bubbles! You'll emerge relaxed and ready for bed!
There are various ways to sweeten tea, regardless of the type of tea you enjoy. I like to use honey (local, of course!) and drink from a ceramic mug as when you are done enjoying the tea you can enjoy the lingering scent of the honey! Your tea will stay warm longer if you pre-heat your mug with hot water before pouring your brewed tea into it.
If you're looking for an electric countertop kettle in which to heat your water this is the one I use. I've had it for several years and love it! It heats fast and does not take up much space (and my stovetop is available for cooking). If you would rather heat water on your stove with a more traditional tea kettle it's hard to go wrong with Oxo.
Disclosure:
Anne Eklektikos is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
How this type of tea came to be associated with an English Earl is not entirely clear, but this tea gets its unique and distinctive flavor from adding oil or essence of begamot oranges to black tea.
A good cuppa of Earl Grey Tea is one of my favorite ways of relaxing! There are many brands I've enjoyed - one of my favorites is Tazo Earl Grey. Since I like it strong I use two bags for a 12 ounce mug, sweeten it with one tablespoon of honey drizzled on the bottom of the mug while the tea is steeping and finish it off with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice - no milk in my tea, please! How about you?
If you like a lighter flavor you may enjoy Twinnings Lady Grey Tea. Even if you steep this for a long time you'll get the flavor of Earl Grey without being overwhelmed as it has a more delicate taste.
Some prefer organic products - Numi makes an organic Earl Grey (for loose leaf) or here if you like bags. If you are sensitive to caffeine here is a decaf option.
The Republic of Tea makes a high quality Earl Grey (bags), and also available loose leaf.
A hot beverage can be very comforting, especially on a cold winter's night. I have two in particular to which I like to turn: the first is combining a Jasmine Green Tea with a mint tea.
But I also like to combine (equal parts) of loose leaf peppermint tea with licorice. No sweetener needed ... just enjoy! Hopefully in a bath with lots of bubbles! You'll emerge relaxed and ready for bed!
There are various ways to sweeten tea, regardless of the type of tea you enjoy. I like to use honey (local, of course!) and drink from a ceramic mug as when you are done enjoying the tea you can enjoy the lingering scent of the honey! Your tea will stay warm longer if you pre-heat your mug with hot water before pouring your brewed tea into it.
If you're looking for an electric countertop kettle in which to heat your water this is the one I use. I've had it for several years and love it! It heats fast and does not take up much space (and my stovetop is available for cooking). If you would rather heat water on your stove with a more traditional tea kettle it's hard to go wrong with Oxo.
Disclosure:
Anne Eklektikos is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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