Tea Pairings & Winter Themed Books

/ Dani Hoots Author

Christmas is coming! I am happy to be a part of the 12 Bookish Days of Christmas blog tour! Below are the links and dates of all the posts! Also, don’t forget to check out the end of the post for an amazing giveaway!

12 Days of Christmas

Day 1 – YA Christmas Reads + Sweets

Day 1 Bonus – Hosting a Secret Santa Gift Exchange with Your Bookish Friends

Day 2 – Gift Ideas for Friends who Read

Day 3 –  Found Family Trope Reads

Day 4 – White Stag Review + Decadent Vegan Hot Cocoa Recipe

Day 5 – Book Room Christmas Decor + Favorite Christmas Reads

Day 6 – 12 Favorite Fantasy Books of the Year

Day 7 – A Christmas Playlist to Read To

Day 7 Bonus – Christmas Traditions + Favorite Holiday Reads

Day 8 – Tamales and Books!

Day 9 – Winter Book Review: Wicked Lovely

Day 10 – Derby Pie and Fond Memories

Day 11 – Mistletoe Myths & Stories

Day 12 – A Soul as Cold as Frost Review + Coffee Recipe

Day 12 Bonus – Tea Pairings & Winter-Themed Books

Wrap-Up – All the Stocking Stuffers + Big Giveaway

Tea & Book Pairing

To start off, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER by Kara McDowell is the perfect YA Christmas read! If you have ever been unable to make a decision and spiral into what-if’s, you will related to Paige. She must make a difficult decision and in a crazy accident, she can see what happens in two of the decisions. This story is cute story that is great to read as a teen or even as an adult! I think it pairs well with a nice herbal tea by Traditional Medicinals. The ginger and chamomile is calming and warming and great this time of year.

BLURB: Sliding Doors meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in a sweet, smart holiday romance about a girl who decides to stop letting her anxiety stand in the way of true love.

The average person makes 35,000 decisions every single day. That’s about 34,999 too many for Paige Collins, who lives in debilitating fear of making the wrong choice. The simple act of picking an art elective is enough to send her into a spiral of what-ifs. What if she’s destined to be a famous ceramicist but wastes her talent in drama club? What if there’s a carbon monoxide leak in the ceramics studio and everyone drops dead? (Grim, but possible!)

That’s why when Paige is presented with two last-minute options for Christmas vacation, she’s paralyzed by indecision. Should she go with her best friend (and longtime crush) Fitz to his family’s romantic mountain cabin? Or should she accompany her mom to New York, a city Paige has spent her whole life dreaming about?

Just when it seems like Paige will crack from the pressure of choosing, fate steps in — in the form of a slippery grocery store floor — and Paige’s life splits into two very different parallel paths. One path leads to New York where Paige falls for the city . . . and the charms of her unexpected tour guide. The other leads to the mountains where Paige might finally get her chance with Fitz . . . until her anxiety threatens to ruin everything.

However, before Paige gets her happy ending in either destiny, she’ll have to face the truth about her struggle with anxiety — and learn that you don’t have to be “perfect” to deserve true love.

BUY HERE

A CASTLE IN THE CLOUDS by Kerstin Gier is a great German novel about an intern that is stuck working at a hotel that is failing. It takes place in the Swiss Mountains, making the read feel like a fun vacation. It is full of mystery, a fun cast, and a great cat that isn’t supposed to live in hotel. I think a great tea pairing is 500 Mile Chai by The Tao of Tea as it is warming, spicy, with the deepness of black tea. It is one of my favorites!

BLURB: Witty and charming, New York Times-bestselling author Kerstin Gier’s contemporary young adult novel A Castle in the Clouds follows a girl as she navigates secrets, romance, and danger in an aging grand hotel.

Way up in the Swiss mountains, there’s an old grand hotel steeped in tradition and faded splendor. Once a year, when the famous New Year’s Eve Ball takes place and guests from all over the world arrive, excitement returns to the vast hallways.

Sophie, who works at the hotel as an intern, is busy making sure that everything goes according to plan. But unexpected problems keep arising, and some of the guests are not who they pretend to be. Very soon, Sophie finds herself right in the middle of a perilous adventure—and at risk of losing not only her job, but also her heart.

BUY HERE

THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE by Cynthia Hand is a great books about learning from mistakes, even after the fact. Holly Chase didn’t listen to the ghosts that warned her and she dies. So she has to work for the Ghost of Christmas Past. It is a great, exciting read that you don’t want to miss! I feel it pairs well with Fox Craft Apothecary’s Krampus tea (which is actually my own company!). It is minty with chocolate, making it both warming but also chilling like ghosts. It is available on my Etsy!

Blurb:

Before I Fall meets “bah, humbug” in this contemporary YA reimagining of A Christmas Carol from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.

On Christmas Eve five years ago, seventeen-year-old Holly Chase was visited by three Ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she’d become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn’t. And then she died.

Now she’s stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge—as their latest Ghost of Christmas Past. So far, Holly’s afterlife has been miserable. But this year’s Scrooge is different. This year’s Scrooge might change everything…

The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a witty, poignant, and insightful novel about life, love, and seizing second (or third) chances, perfect for readers who loved Before I Fall or Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares.

BUY HERE

GIVEAWAY

ENTER HERE

Discover imaginative indie reads, meet dedicated bookish friends, and win this incredible $750+ bundle for book lovers!

The Facebook group YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy Addicts is here to brighten your winter by giving away a bundle of bookish merch worth more than $750. With one grand prize winner and two runners-up, there’s 3x more chances to win this season!

Grand Prize includes:

Two Runners-Up will also each receive:

  • Indie book swag like bookplates, a signed postcard, bookmarks, and stickers
  • 25 ebooks
  • 3 audiobooks

Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity to discover, connect, and win!

Terms and Conditions:

This giveaway is open internationally. The nature of certain prizes may vary depending on the shipping location of the winner. Only members of the YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy Addicts Facebook Group will qualify to win.

Please make sure you are joining, liking, and sharing what you say you are. We do verify this information when we pick winners!

By entering this giveaway, you consent to receive emails and correspondence from the YA SFF Newsletter hosted by yasff.com. You may unsubscribe at any time.

ENTER HERE