Tea Review: Mystic Tea [Lemon Canary]

So, here's the deal. I love tea. I love how it can help with an upset tummy, soothe a sore throat, put you to sleep or pep you up. It can even just be a general calmer. 
In Tea Reviews I will give you a few details of the tea, an overall rating, and some thoughts. If you see something you like, I encourage you to go and try the tea yourself! I'll often try and let you know where you can buy it or provide a link.
Enjoy!
(Psst! If you want me to review a specific tea, just comment and let me know! If you can provide a sample, that would be great too!)

Mystic Tea by Lemon Canary

Lemon Canary Website

Initial Thoughts: I am fascinated by Lemon Canary's entire line of teas, so a while back I ordered samples of two of her teas (along with samples of her candles, and of her perfumes... so grateful for samples!). This Mystic tea just sounded like two of my favourite teas mixed together: Earl Grey and Melbourne Breakfast. The ingredients include: organic earl grey black tea, blue cornflowers, and organic vanilla bean. The blue petals make it look quite pretty.

Taste: The earl grey taste is present, making it taste a little sweet and a little smokey, and the vanilla bean gives it such a comforting taste, too. This tea leaves a pleasant coating on your tongue, which is something that is hard to explain unless you drink black tea regularly, and it doesn't taste bitter at all.

Colour: About the same as the Love tea - so a rich golden yellow -  but a little darker because of it having a higher percentage of black tea. 

Recommendations and thoughts: Once again, I would recommend serving this one with your favourite milk and some sugar. The vanilla in this gives the whole tea a really pleasant aroma, too, so I found that I didn't need too much sugar for the taste to be delicious. (Of course, you could probably go without the sugar, too!) The milk blends so well with the vanilla and you are left with a richer drink.

Price: The sample pack (5g) I got was $2.35, but you can get a small pack (20g) for $7.95, and a large pack (80g) for $18.95. But check out Lemon Canary's website for more details!

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Is it a reading slump if I just *can't* read?

For those that know me or follow me on instagram, you will know that I have the flu at the moment and have been struggling with it for some time. Yesterday I finally admitted that I needed rest and, after seeing the doctor and doing the grocery shopping with Xin, I came home and went to bed, and barely got up again for the rest of the day.

And, here's the thing, I was bored.

It has been a long time since I have been bored - there is always something for me to be doing, watching, and especially, reading.  But the problem with having the flu on top of all of my other usual stuff is that brain fog becomes a huge monster that I cannot overcome, and my concentration is severely affected.

I am having trouble even writing this right now because my fever is trying to mangle my words and my eyes don't want to focus.

What felt most frustrating and upsetting about all of this is that I want to read, but I just can't do it. I am currently reading the Mary Russell series of books by Laurie R. King, and absolutely loving them, and to be cut off from that so firmly is something I am having trouble dealing with.

Reading is actually one of the most important things in my life, and I have often speculated to myself that, were I to lose my sight, I would probably be left completely bereft. Sure, I can turn to audiobooks, but it wouldn't be the same as being lost in the world of text, your own imagination conjuring all that is amazing within your own mind.

So, no, I am not calling this a reading slump, because often I find with reading slumps I actually don't really want to read, so this is just a temporary (TEMPORARY) hiccough.

What remains, unfortunately, is the fact that something I value so much is now kind of distant to me, and that leaves me feeling sad and wondering at the state of my world if reading isn't within it.

Is there anything that you couldn't bear to be without? How do you feel about reading?

Love to all who (ha) read.

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New York Times By the Book Tag

This book tag has been making the rounds on BookTube (that part of YouTube that is dedicated to books, well, at least for book lovers...) and I actually thought I might do it! I used to have my own YouTube channel (search Butterfly Elephant Books if you want to see), but I found the shooting and the editing and everything just too exhausting - I am much better with written words, I think. So I wanted to do some tags, but just in written format! Here we go!

1. What book is on your nightstand now?
I had a moment of wondering what a nightstand was, I won't lie, but then I remembered we just call them 'bedside tables', because that is really super inventive. Maybe I will start calling it my nightstand? ANYWAY. I actually don't keep books on my bedside table if I can avoid it. Generally it is so full of bookmarks, crystals, a glass of water, pills... there isn't a lot of room left over for books. But the ones that have been lurking under my bed and around for some time include: The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home by Catherynne M. Valente, Summer Lightning by P. G. Wodehouse, Blade of Fortriu by Juliet Marillier, and the review books I am currently reading which are Black Jade by Kylie Chan and Where the Trees Were by Inga Simpson.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?
Well, I recently finished David Attenborough's memoir Life on Air and I really loved reading that and remembering that "part" of myself, in a way - the part that wishes I could study botany, or archaeology, or zoology - as well as reading things from the perspective of one of my favourite people in the entire world.
However, I wouldn't say that it was 'truly great' in a life-changing way. The last book that I read of that ilk was East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It is hard to explain why this book impacted me so much, so maybe you ought to go try it out yourself?

3. If you could meet any writer - dead or alive - who would it be? And what would you want to know?
I'm afraid I must answer this the way many of the booktubers that I follow have been - I am not really one to want to meet my idols. And if I did meet them, I probably would have no idea what to say to them. I have met my favourite author - Juliet Marillier - on a few occasions, and had very little to say. I have met Elizabeth Gilbert and mumbled something unintelligible while she signed my book. I have met John Marsden, Christopher Paolini, and come relatively close to meeting Garth Nix a couple of times, and every time I had no idea what to say. 'I love your work' seems so stilted and fake, even when true!

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
It really depends on who you are and how well you know me and my reading tastes. Some people would be surprised to find paranormal romance on my shelves - these are usually the same people that are shocked to find that I read erotica. Some people are shocked to find things other than YA on my shelves, or texts relating to Buddhism or Druidry. I think some people think I spend my time reading literary fiction, and look down my nose upon anything else, which would mean they would be shocked to see I have a whole shelf dedicated to Cardcaptor Sakura manga, DVDs, and figures. It all depends on perspective, I think.

5. How do you organise your personal library?
Org...a...nise?

No, but seriously, I used to organise it when I lived with my parents, and sometimes I would completely reorganise everything. At the moment I have a loose organisation of like with like - I have my aforementioned Cardcaptor Sakura shelf, a shelf for Juliet Marillier books, one for borrowed books, and then... I just group things together loosely other than that. Maybe when I live in a different place and have a little more space I will organise them properly, but it doesn't mean that they are any less loved.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven't got around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?
I used to feel terrible about having never read certain classics - particularly things that were the basis for a lot of other stuff, like 1984 by George Orwell. But I have honestly tried and found it too depressing to get through - maybe some day I will manage it.
Books I do intend to get around to when I am feeling it are usually kept together on a shelf for perusal.

7. Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you were supposed to like but didn't? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
Ah yes, well. I've had quite a few romance novels that have fallen flat for me, and there have been some fantasy that have done the same. I have kept trying and trying to read Dickens but I don't think I am the right person (yet?) to appreciate his work properly.
Last book I DNF'd? The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley. I just couldn't get into it and found it needed a little more editing.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?
Oh all kinds. And it really depends on my mood! I love fantasy, so I am often drawn to that, but I also love romance of all kinds, so that is definitely a draw for me, too. Recently I am loving memoirs and more non-fiction type stuff, too.
I steer clear of horror and anything that includes rape as just 'something edgy' to happen in their book. I can handle violence and gore at times, but horror and creepy stuff is just a good way for me to avoid sleeping for a few weeks.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
I am going to change this to Prime Minister, given that I live in Australia, and I would probably say something by Brene Brown. She has so much insight into humans and I really think our PM could try Daring Greatly.

10. What do you plan to read next?
I am currently reading Black Jade by Kylie Chan, and I have a few other review books to get through, but I am thinking about reading some Sherlock Holmes, or maybe some more books from the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. I am craving some Miles.

If you'd like to do this tag, please comment below with your answers or link me to your own post! I would love to know what your answers would be!

And if you have any book tags that you might like me to do in the future, feel free to link me to them, too!

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Book Review: Black Jade by Kylie Chan

I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...

goodreads

Title: Black Jade
Author: Kylie Chan
Series: Celestial Battle #3
Publication Date: 26th April 2016 from Harper Voyager

Synopsis: "The Heavens and Earth are at stake and everything could fall...

Kylie Chan has captivated Australian readers with her stunning mix of Chinese mythology, martial arts, intrigue and romance with her Dark Heavens series which has brought her to the forefront as Australia's best-selling fantasy author for the past five years.

In this epic conclusion to the saga, the Heavens and Earth are at stake and everything could fall. John and Emma fight a last-ditch battle to save their homes, their families and their kingdom against a powerful demonic horde which is threatening the future for both gods and humanity."

My thoughts: 
Please note - this is the final book in a trilogy, as well as a final book in a saga lasting nine books. I will try not to spoil anything, but there may be some spoiler-y things.

The saga ends! I fell in love with the previous trilogies and particularly with the blend of martial arts and mythology, along with an Australian female lead character who led the story well.

I had a bit of trouble with the book immediately preceding this one, Demon Child, and was surprised to find that I didn't connect with it as much as the previous books in the series, or rather the previous trilogies. That feeling kind of stretched to this book, too. I just started to feel like there was only so much you could put your characters through and, by extension, your readers through. If I didn't see glimmers of hope every now and then, I may have abandoned the book entirely, as I felt kind of overwrought by all the descriptions of death (as well as the other unsavoury things). I understand that Chan needed to illustrate that things were hopeless so we would feel with the characters, but I guess I am quite sensitive and couldn't really handle all of it.

I also felt like we were kind of thrown back into the book after quite a large break since the last one, and a little bit of a 'what happened previously' page would have really helped - the index of characters at the back was helpful to an extent, but I still couldn't remember some of them, even to the end, or how they fit into the story.

Now that I have gotten the bad stuff out of the way, I have to say that I loved the way Chan finished it all. Excessive violence and such aside, seeing this ending was fantastic, and a long time coming. It was nice seeing different characters grow into themselves, and Chan writes in a pretty engaging way that means even if you are wincing away from the content you can't help but keep reading.

Overall, I still remembered these characters fondly, and it was nice to be back in their world again.


(I received a review copy of this book from HarperCollins. Thank you!)

A favourite line from the book: "The demon charged out of the ground five metres away and thundered between John and Michael to attack me. John slithered to it and grabbed it in his mouth, and Michael raised the laser weapon at it. John yinned it at the same time as Michael activated the weapon, and the laser went straight through where the demon had been and hit me in the throat."

You would like this book if: you have enjoyed the previous ones!

Tea to drink while reading this book: Any green tea featuring 'snake' or 'dragon' in the title.

Rating:  7/10

If you'd like to keep up to date with what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads here!

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Tea Review: Love Tea from Lemon Canary

So, here's the deal. I love tea. I love how it can help with an upset tummy, soothe a sore throat, put you to sleep or pep you up. It can even just be a general calmer. 
In Tea Reviews I will give you a few details of the tea, an overall rating, and some thoughts. If you see something you like, I encourage you to go and try the tea yourself! I'll often try and let you know where you can buy it or provide a link.
Enjoy!
(Psst! If you want me to review a specific tea, just comment and let me know! If you can provide a sample, that would be great too!)

Love Tea by Lemon Canary

Lemon Canary Website

Initial Thoughts: I am fascinated by Lemon Canary's entire line of teas, so a while back I ordered samples of two of her teas (along with samples of her candles, and of her perfumes... so grateful for samples!). Love was one of them, because I just really wanted to try the blend of this one. Let me just write out the ingredient list for you: organic black tea, organic rose petals, raspberry pieces, coconut, meringue drops, flavour. Aside from that 'flavour' at the end, I was pretty sold.

Taste: I tried this without milk/sugar, and then with, and I really recommend the latter. It does taste quite good without, but you can kind of sense that something is missing and the milk and sugar just make it taste really special. The taste is overall quite like a very gentle black tea, but a little floral, fruity, and quite sweet, too. I can't really taste the coconut at all, but there is a touch of the raspberry, and the meringue drops just dissolve leaving you with the sweetness (which I end up bulking up with extra sugar...). The rose petals complement the black tea really nicely. I really feel like this is a very special tea that you enjoy through scent as well as through taste.

Colour: Comes out as a rich golden yellow, with caramel undertones, before you add in your milk.

Recommendations and thoughts: I loved that the black tea was relatively minimal (of course this may have just been my sample) and the rose petals were quite large, so you could actually see the different ingredients. This tea is quite beautiful in leaf form, even, and I think that enhances the experience of making a pot.

I made mine with almond milk and I found that really lovely, the almond flavour just made this tea taste complete, but of course if you prefer a different milk then go for it! Coconut milk (the drinking kind, not the tinned kind for curries!) may work even better than almond milk.

Price: The sample pack (5g) I got was $2.35, but you can get a small pack (20g) for $7.95, and a large pack (80g) for $18.95. But check out Lemon Canary's website for more details!

P.S. Today represents 8 and a half years of Xin and I being together, so it seemed right to review some Love tea! :D

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Adventures in Self-Worth

Lately I have been considering myself, and what I actually do during the day. For a while I was trying to get myself writing, to finish another book, maybe actually get published. I am still, supposedly, doing this, but about a week into this plan my exhaustion and burn-out from everything else kind of hit me across the face and now I haven't written in about a week or so. 

The fact is, I love having this blog, but for a while I was finding it hard to get myself to write. I know that money shouldn't mean everything, but it does mean something and to me it means attempting to support my new family, at least a little bit, and getting paid for something that I actually want to do (which can also seem selfish to me sometimes, but that's a whole other topic). And I'm not getting paid to run this blog, or write reviews.

The funny thing about all this is that it seems to only apply to me, in my own head. If someone else came up to me with these problems, I would probably be insisting that they find what they want to do, what makes sense for them. I would be telling them to follow their dream and to make it work, darn it.

It sometimes just occurs to me that I thought I would be further along with my 'career' by now.

I am reassuring myself as much as possible. I love being a homemaker, and I am now married to my best friend in the entire world. We have a sweet little kitty and enough money to afford food and a lovely home to rent.

Sometimes you just have to remind yourself that your self-worth isn't completely based on what you do 'for a living'. Sometimes, what I do for a living is just live. Just be. And that is pretty fantastic.

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Book Review: The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...

goodreads

Title: The Square Root of Summer
Author: Harriet Reuter Hapgood
Publication Date: May 5th 2016 from Macmillan Children's Books

Synopsis: "Gottie H. Oppenheimer is seventeen, motherless, a math genius, and she's losing time. Literally.

When the fabric of the universe surrounding Gottie's sleepy seaside town begins to fray, she is hurtled through wormholes to her past:
To last summer, when her grandfather Grey died.
To the afternoon she fell in love with Jason, who wouldn't even hold her hand at the funeral.
To the day her childhood best friend Thomas moved to Canada, leaving her behind with a scar on her hand and a black hole in her memory.

Although Grey is still gone, this summer Jason and Thomas are back, and Gottie's past, present, and future are about to collide - and be changed forever.

With a time travel twist, quantum physics, and world-stopping kisses, this stunning YA contemporary debut is exponentially enthralling story about love, loss, and figuring it all out."

My thoughts: This was so different from the YA I have read previously - it actually made me interested in physics! That, to me, is quite impressive.

Gottie is quite a lovely character, but I found myself more interested in Thomas - her best friend from childhood - because he seemed more straightforward about his feelings and his likes and dislikes. Gottie is lost in grief over her grandfather, over Jason, over everything. She does seem incredibly intelligent, though, and I loved that her name seemed so super physics-related.

The subject of wormholes comes up quite frequently, and at first (because I couldn't remember the blurb for a while) I wondered if maybe Gottie was having dissociative phases, and eventually I just kind of went with it because this is what made sense for Gottie. 

Honestly, though, I did find myself a bit lost at times. It was interesting seeing Gottie trying to make sense of what was happening, and why, but occasionally it felt like she was completely distancing herself from everything, which makes it hard as a reader to understand what was actually going on. I recognised her necessity for doing that - I don't think anyone can lose hours without starting to feel like they have to shut themselves off from everything - but it felt like a fairly superficial exploration of events that sometimes I felt distanced, too.

I did, however, love the other characters - Gottie's father with his German accent and slightly off English, Gottie's brother Ned who always seems to be dressed in lycra, and her friend Sof who doesn't want to stand out but can't stop her love of sequins and beehive hair-dos. And, of course, Gottie's hippy grandad, Grey, who appears in snapshots of Gottie's memory.

I may be a little bit undecided about the plot and Gottie herself, but I still ripped through this in about two days, and I enjoyed it overall. I am interested to see if Hapgood will be bringing out anymore books.


I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan. Thank you!

A favourite line from the book: "The rain is horizontal, not tourist-browsing weather or even determined-to-buy-an-obscure-first-edition weather. When I peer outside, the whole world is bruised. Across the Fens, the sea shows up in frosted waves. It's 11am, but it looks like midnight - all the lamps are on inside. Tucked inside the heart of the bookshop, light in the darkness, it's like being on a spaceship."

You would like this book if: you feel like YA, but something a little different; you want to experience a super-simplified reading of wormholes!

Tea to drink while reading this book: There is an apple tree that appears a few times in this book, so I'm going to go with something apple-y. Turkish Apple Chunky from T2 perhaps?

Rating: 7/10

If you'd like to keep up to date with what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads here!

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{2016} March and April Reading

So I may be a bit late with the March one... but I was in Japan, so I figure it's all good. There is a chance that I will miss some of the 'books bought/received' list as... I can't remember all of them. ^^; ANYWAY. Onwards!

Lovely package from Katharine!

Books bought/received:
~ Displacement by Lucy Knisley
~ Marked in Flesh (The Others #4) by Anne Bishop
~ The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home (Fairyland #5) by Catherynne M. Valente
~ Gotham by Nick Earls (review)
~ So, Anyway... by John Cleese
~ The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1) by Alison Goodman
~ East of Eden by John Steinbeck
~ The Years by Virginia Woolf
~ The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature by David Suzuki
~ Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1) by Ann Leckie
~ SHINee Surprise Vacation [Travel Note 1]
~ To Spin a Darker Stair, Stories by Faith Mudge and Catherynne M Valente
~ Australis Imaginarium edited by Tehani Wessely
~ Worlds Next Door edited by Tehani Wessely
~ After the Rain edited by Tehani Wessely
~ Gut and Psychology Syndrome
 ~ The Rebirth of Rapunzel: A Mythic Biography of the Maiden in the Tower by Kate Forsyth (gift from the lovely Katharine)
~ the long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers (also a gift from the lovely Katharine!)
~ Lab Girl by Hope Jahren (review)
~ The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood (review)
~ When We Were Alive by C. J. Fisher (prize!)
~ A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald by Natasha Lester (review)
~ LaRose by Louise Erdrich (review)
~ Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay (review)
~ Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Reading John Steinbeck in Korea while eating a blueberry bagel with cream cheese~

Books read:

march

~ Emperor of the Eight Islands (Tale of Shikanoko #1&2) by Lian Hearn (review)

~ Displacement by Lucy Knisley

~ Captive Prince (Captive Prince #1) by C. S. Pacat

~ All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

~ Aunts Aren't Gentlemen (Jeeves #15) by P. G. Wodehouse

~ Marked in Flesh (The Others #4) by Anne Bishop

~ So, Anyway... by John Cleese

Six novels and a graphic novel - I am actually pretty surprised I got through so much, what with my birthday and getting married and going on my honeymoon and SO MANY THING.  Anyway, only one review book in March, and then a load of reading that I wanted to do. The John Cleese book, in particular, changed things a bit for me. I realised after that that there were a lot of more non-fiction type reads that I really wanted to try out, a lot more classics. Cleese's writing was fantastic and at times super funny, and it was so enjoyable to read on the way to and in Japan.

The other stand-out for me in March was Displacement by Lucy Knisley - a travelogue she made about going on a cruise with her grandparents. Knisely writes (and draws) in such an honest way and I was brought to tears during the course of the book. She is still my favourite graphic novelist.

alphonseal and a pile of books. needed rest.

april

~ East of Eden by John Steinbeck

~ Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

~ Gotham by Nick Earls (review)

~ Lab Girl by Hope Jahren (review)

Hmmm, four books in April. Well I was away for half of it, and when I got back, I was exhausted. So I am getting back into reading and reviewing stuff, but it is slow-going at times. Having my own little set-up at home on the couch is helping, though!

East of Eden was pretty life-changing. The characters and their actions, the way Steinbeck describes things... everything was fascinating. It was my first Steinbeck and seems to have started me on a bit of a run ^^;

Lab Girl was also an interesting read, and I loved learning about plants and trees as well as Jahren's own story. Plus, the cover is gorgeous - check it out on my review post.

What are you reading? Anything rocking your world?

Delicious Red Cappuccino and reading material~ 

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Book Review: Lab Girl: A Story of Trees, Science and Love by Hope Jahren

I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...

goodreads

Title: Lab Girl
Author: Hope Jahren
Publication Date: April 21st 2016 by Fleet

Synopsis: "A frank, illuminating and incandescent memoir by a trailblazing scientist; a moving portrait of a longtime collaboration in work and life; and a book that casts a whole new light on the natural world.

Lab Girl is a book about work and about love, and the mountains that can be moved when those two things come together. It is told through Jahren's remarkable stories: about the discoveries she has made in her lab, as well as her struggle to get there; about her childhood playing in her father's laboratory; about how lab work became a sanctuary for both her heart and her hands; about Bill, the brilliant, wounded man who became her loyal colleague and best friend; about their field trips - sometimes authorised, sometimes very much not - that took them from the Midwest across the USA, to Norway and to Ireland, from the pale skies of North Pole to tropical Hawaii; and about her constant striving to do and be her best, and her unswerving dedication to her life's work.

Visceral, intimate, gloriously candid and sometimes extremely funny, Jahren's descriptions of her work, her intense relationship with the plants, seeds and soil she studies, and her insights on nature enliven every page of this thrilling book. In Lab Girl, we see anew the complicated power of the natural world, and the power that can come from facing with bravery and conviction the challenge of discovering who you are."

My thoughts: The layout of this book was what really drew me in to start with - Jahren alternates chapters of her own story mixed with writing about different trees and plants and how they grow, how they survive. These link in really well to her life and her own research, but also serve to break up the story a little so that you get to learn a few things as well as read about Jahren's life.

I loved this, but I have to say that occasionally I felt a little be perplexed by the science - I studied chemistry in high school, but remember very little, and I have little to no experience with the study of biology of any kind. I honestly think, though, that this is more reflective of my own ability to concentrate lately rather than any fault of Jahren's writing.

Speaking of her writing, it occasionally came across as a little distant, as if she were removing herself from the situation slightly and writing a report on the events rather than writing about her own life. I can understand why she did it this way, but it wasn't until later in the book that I found myself really getting into the tone of the book.

Otherwise, I found this book a wonderful read. I felt like I was engaging with scientific study as well as reading about someone's life, and that was a wonderful experience. The relationships that Jahren describes within this book - particularly between herself and Bill - were interesting to read about, and you really got a sense of how Jahren was beginning to understand more about love and companionship over time.


I received a review copy of this book from Hachette. Thank you!

A favourite line from the book: "Green stem gracefully morphs into brown root at the soil's surface, and somewhere inside that interface important decisions are made. If both ends of the plant succeed, there is then the question of what to do with that day's winnings. The making of sugars, starches, oils, and proteins is all possible, but which one of these should be constructed?"

You would like this book if: you like memoirs with a science edge; you enjoy reading about trees and plants (which I do!).

Tea to drink while reading this book: Something leafy. I think a nice green tea would go really well! Perhaps just some basic sencha to savour.

Rating:  8/10

If you'd like to keep up to date with what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads here!

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