“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.“

— Ursula K. Le Guin

@tea__Reads

At the beginning of the year, I wrote about finding balance. While I did find my footing throughout the year, it wasn't exactly the type of balance I had planned. But isn't that how it always goes? Hey all ✌🏻 It's been a minute! After a long heatwave, I've been enjoying the cooler, cloudy mornings we've had for the last couple weeks. While they make for more difficult lighting situations for photos, these calm, breezy mornings are perfect for tea by my porch door. Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Tea Open House at @mintoislandtea and picking up some of the first spring flush! It's so exciting tasting tea that's grown only 15 minutes from my house and, I've gotta say, the team has absolutely knocked this first flush out of the park. The steamed green is one I'm going to have to treasure while it's here... because, between me and my partner, I think we'll drink it down before second flush arrives 😅 Hey everyone! 👋🏻 It's been a minute! Today marks the first day of 2024 and my blogs second anniversary! While I'm grateful for all the support I've gotten running Tea Reads, the new year offers us an opportunity to reflect on our current goals and lifestyles. Tea Reads has always been fun, but I have to acknowledge how much work it takes to write, read, and keep up a social media presence while balancing my other life goals. So, to tip the balance back in my favor, I've decided to take a step back from the blog this year. You can read more about the decision through the link in my bio or in my stories!

Latest Posts

  • Mexican Gothic: Reflection

    Gothic literature has been following the same tropes for centuries: old, dilapidated mansions filled with secrets; wealthy families fallen from grace; oil paintings illuminated by candelabra in a thunderstorm; young heroines, fleeing into the night in terror. Since the late… Continue reading

    Mexican Gothic: Reflection

  • Writing “Rules”: Grammar

    If you’ve been following the Writing Rules series, you might have clicked on this blog post with some skepticism. Every “rule” so far has been a phrase, something catchy to teach new writers a simple trick to improve their prose.… Continue reading

    Writing “Rules”: Grammar

  • Tea Reflection: Nio Teas

    Chinese teas make up the bulk of my tea shelves. As the top tea-producing country in the world, that isn’t much of a surprise. Our shelves mirror the market, and we become familiar with the most accessible teas we can… Continue reading

    Tea Reflection: Nio Teas

  • Book of the Month: Mexican Gothic

    September’s book literally fell into my lap.  I started planning this blog about a year ago. I created lists of topics, themes, pictures, and, most importantly, books. The book list ebbed and flowed. Some titles stood steadfast from their initial… Continue reading

    Book of the Month: Mexican Gothic

  • Americanah: Reflection

    About halfway through Americanah, we see the origin of Ifemelu’s blog, “Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black”. She makes her first post and checks the stats a little later. Nine… Continue reading

    Americanah: Reflection

  • Writing “Rules”: Kill Your Darlings

    Editing is hell. It may look peaceful from the outside. A writer sitting at their desk with a red pen, manuscript spread out, marking and noting along the margins. Maybe there’s a cup of tea steaming next to them or… Continue reading

    Writing “Rules”: Kill Your Darlings

  • Testing the Waters

    When I started my tea journey, I read everything I could on tea tasting. Eager to expand my range of tastes and flavors, I scoured reviews, reading descriptions like “round umami flavor” or “notes of caramel”. I’d order the teas,… Continue reading

    Testing the Waters

  • Book of the Month: Americanah

    Last week I read an excerpt from Charles Baxter’s Wonderlands: Essays on the Life of Literature. In the excerpt, Baxter talks about building characters through lists of objective, detailed facts and material possessions. The lists he recommends do not allow… Continue reading

    Book of the Month: Americanah

  • The Collected Schizophrenias: Reflection

    “In my peer education courses I was taught to say that I am a person with schizoaffective disorder. “Person-first language” suggests that there is a person in there somewhere without the delusion and the rambling and the catatonia. But what… Continue reading

    The Collected Schizophrenias: Reflection

  • Writing “Rules”: Said Is Dead

        Everyone has pet peeves. Little, innocuous offenses that immediately annoy us or, in some cases, unholy rage. The range of offenses is wide, from bad drivers to slow walkers to open-mouthed chewing (I feel like I might be triggering… Continue reading

    Writing “Rules”: Said Is Dead

Meet the Blogger

Copywriter by day; fiction-writer by night. Cyndy is an avid reader, writer, and tea drinker with a passion for the written word. When she doesn’t have her head in a book, you’ll find her hiking waterfall trails, spending too much money in craft stores, or replaying her favorite RPGs to unlock new endings. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her partner, Alex, and her dog, Sylvia.