2. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

BOOK REVIEW: Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

As we grow up, life's worries seem to get a better of us and mar our imaginary wellbeing that as kids we had in surplus. Have you fellow readers ever imagined a world filled with magic and true love that made our hearts skip a beat or made us do hand gestures that signified casting spells? If your answers are a resounding yes, let your eager plams reach out for this fantasy novel that is a real page-turner and will keep you riveted to your cozy reading nook till you get to the ending.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens of Ravenwood Manor, murky swamps and crumblimg graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

As the story unravels, readers will uncover the generations-old relationship between Lena and Ethan. Lena is cursed to either become Dark or Light on her 16th birthday and unfortunately has given her heart to a mere mortal (Ethan) who reciprocates her feelings.

All hell breaks loose when Lena's long lost mother who went Dark returns to Gatlin to bring Lena to her side. Lena and Ethan put up the best fight they can to avoid Lena's fate with the help of Lena's uncle, Macon Ravenwood (who at the end of the story sacrifices his lifeblood to prevent Lena from turning Dark).

This book also made me shed a few tears as to how innocent love can be and the sacrifices loved ones go through to keep you in safe hands. Ethan almost lost his life saving his lady love, Lena from the hands of her wicked mother.

For fans of Harry Potter and of the same genre, I highly recommend this book. A fairy (or should I say faerie) tale of modern proportions, it will transport the reader back into a world that signifies hope intertwined with magic and lots of love.

So if you will excuse me, I'm off to my hidey hole to bury my nose into another magical book...

1. A Brief History of Tea by Roy Moxham

BOOK REVIEW: A Brief History of Tea

Being a self-proclaimed foodie, my book collection is chock full of food and beverage related reading materials.

My current read is 'A Brief History of Tea' written by Roy Moxham. This eye-opening read relates the dark history that brought us a nice cup of tea.

Roy Moxham begins with his own sojourn in Africa, managing 500 acres of tea and a thousand-strong workforce. His experiences lead him to investigate the early history of tea.

When tea began to be imported into the West from China in the 17th century, its high price and heavy taxes made it an immediate target for smuggling and dispute at every level.

In China itself the British financed their tea dealings by the ruthless imposition of the opium trade.

To me, this book is a masterful historical study of the world's most favourite drink which at some points are shocking. I highly recommend this book to those who are fond of tea and would like to engage themselves in a world unbeknownst to others which involves tea through the ages.