Tag: links

Tea Time Links #7

On January 25, 2018

My next interview for the blog, with Rati Mehrotra, should be up in the next week or so. In the meantime, read some interesting news and have some fun with this set of links.

Book Links

SF/F legend Ursula K. Leguin died earlier this week. I don’t have a lot to say about this since so many others with greater knowledge of her work have already done it better. But she was a sharp, clear thinker, and her voice will be missed.

Lightspeed Magazine is open to submissions in February. Send your original SF and fantasy stories between February 5th and 19th! (Disclosure: I have been a slush reader of theirs for 4 years.)

Tea Links

The 6th annual Toronto Tea Festival is around the corner. I’m going, but I don’t know how much I’ll buy because I have so damn much already, and also because of digestive issues. I’ll probably stick with greens this year.

KittyLovesTea just posted a delightful review of a fukubukuro bag from Yunomi, a Japanese vendor. I’ve never heard of fukubukuro bags before this, but it sure sounds fun.

Life, the Universe, and Everything Links

I love Foz Meadows’ blog, and this deconstruction of The Last Jedi is another reason why. Its dissection of why the Canto Bight subplot doesn’t work (because apparently we can’t have Gay Space People) is especially trenchant.

Every so often, io9 shares interesting short films. The Defector is a particularly good example, putting an SF-nal spin on the death/disappearance of Australian PM Harold Holt in 1967. It’s got great dialogue, staging, and production values for something so short.

Tea Time Links #4

By Christina

On April 3, 2017

In Thoughts

I’ve let Stardew Valley swallow my free time for the past month or so. (Play it! It’s great, but addictive.) So no new tea or book reviews for you, folks.

In the meantime, these posts are pretty interesting. Grab a mug, steep some tea, and read up.

Book Links

Ada Hoffman often writes about speculative fiction and analyzes how various authors and works depict autism. She’s just started up a Patreon, so go check her out — and congratulate her on landing an agent!
This is from last December, but I only found out about a month ago. Catherynne Valente wrote a whole story collection tearing apart the Women-in-Refrigerators trope, and I am HERE FOR IT. I’ve made my pre-order; have you?
The winner of the 2016 Tiptree Award was announced a few weeks ago. Congrats to Anna-Marie McLemore and the rest of the nominees.
As a full-time editor, I love the fact that so many editorial personalities have devoted online followings. Here’s a rundown of how some editors have become legit darlings online.

Tea Links

I just can’t get enough of Mel’s travels on Mel Had Tea. This post about the best tea house in Sarajevo is another one full of charm.
Gregory Norman’s post on the rare tea variety that made him fall in love with Rou Gui oolong all over again is great. Sometimes I worry when I do gaiwan brewing that I’m half-assing things, but posts like these are a reminder that you don’t need to brew tea with military precision to enjoy it.
I like to think that Ann Leckie’s Ancillary books have helped spur a greater interest in tea among the sci-fi set. Here’s her perspective on how to get comfortable in the world of tea.

Life, the Universe, and Everything Links

I really want to take this course on identifying bullshit and developing critical thinking. It sounds fun and very relevant to today.
Raya and I went to university together, and her life and studies are so interesting. Now she’s extending her academic study of astrolabes into making an astrolabe herself. Beautiful.

Tea Time Links #3

By Christina

On February 28, 2017

In Thoughts

As I write this (about a week and a half before this goes live, because I’m an eager little beaver like that), I’m in a big fluffy robe, making oatmeal for the upcoming week. Things are comfortable. I’m a little bit tired, and will probably brew a cup of tea soon. That means it’s the perfect frame of mind for finding new and interesting articles to share.

Book Links

I’m a subscriber to the Safety Pin Box, and I think it was through them that I found this list of important intersectional feminist books.
Most non-writers think that being traditionally published means you’re rich. Kameron Hurley works really hard to dismantle this myth, and this post about her 2016 writing income is an excellent example.
Léonicka has just started up a podcast! Her newest episode discusses why the phrase “marginalized writer” is problematic. Check out her other stuff, too; she’s a board member for the Festival of Literary Diversity.
Kristine Katryn Rusch provides tons of advice on how to navigate the world of indie publishing. Her recent post about how the “print is back” narrative of traditional publishing is false is a must-read.

Tea Links

This is really sweet: Guisepi Spadafora travels across the US in his bus, Edna Lou, making friends and serving tea along the way.
I have quickly become a huge fan of Mel Hattie’s tea and travel blog, and her recent post about salabat, a ginger tea served in the Philippines, is great.
Oolong Owl is one of the grand mavens of tea reviewing. Recently, she did a twist on her traditional tea reviews by testing a variety of silver teapots.
If my Toronto Tea Festival recap from a few weeks ago has made you curious about other tea festivals, check out Gregory Norman’s recent foray at the Northwest Tea Festival in Puget Sound.

Life, the Universe and Everything Links

One of the things that I’ve had to learn about activism is that it doesn’t need to be a grim slog. Greta Christina’s recent article on Alternet discusses the vital importance of fun and pleasure to activism.
Hiking is a sport that’s overwhelmingly white and mostly male. This post by one of the first black women to hike the Appalachian Trail is a fascinating examination of how hiking intersects with privilege.
I really liked Rogue One when I saw it around Christmas, and Chirrut Îmwe was one of the best things about it. Here’s a great look at how Chirrut and his companion Baze subvert certain Hollywood tropes.
Fighting back against neo-Nazi trolls may be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Here’s how the small town of Whitefish, Montana, got it done.

Are there any interesting articles you want me to share in a future Tea Time Links post? Tell me about them in the comments!

Tea Time Links #2

By Christina

On January 24, 2017

In Thoughts

Life proceeds apace here at Books & Tea. I’m posting this because at this point, I’m still in the middle of a book and have nothing ready to review. Grab a cup of tea and read these articles instead.

Book Links

Lara Elena Donnelly’s debut novel Amberlough comes out soon, and its book trailer is SMOKIN’. Oh god, this looks awesome.
Looking for spec-fic books that feature asexual or aromantic characters? Claudie Arsenault has got you covered with an entire database of aromantic and asexual speculative fiction.
This Strange Horizons panel discussion about what spec-fic’s focus on political systems and resistance can teach us as we head into an atmosphere of political instability is worth your time.
Rebecca Ruth Seidel’s guest post on The Bias examines the ways in which the “Farm Boy” trope intersects with, and contradicts, her own experience as a farmer and a woman who enjoys geek culture.

Tea Links

Time to toot my own horn here: According to Feedspot, Books & Tea is one of the top 100 tea blogs on the web. Very flattering!
The above-mentioned list of tea blogs led me to Mel Had Tea. Check out her 2016 recap, where she talks about her tea sommelier studies, travels, and photojournalism highlights.
Cwyn’s exploration of pu’erh fermentation techniques has been really interesting. Here’s her in-depth guide to how to rescue your pu’erh cakes from mold and restore them to their former glory.
Matcha is one type of tea that I have absolutely no experience with. Lu Ann’s post on The Cup of Life about how to make matcha has lessened the mystery somewhat.

Life, the Universe and Everything Links

“We’re not machines. We’re human. It’s okay if it’s not perfect.”
Foz Meadows takes the piss out of America’s new favourite pastime of criticizing Millennials, telling TED talker Simon Sinek to STFU. Thank god.
The inventor of Pinyin has just died at 111. The introduction of Pinyin, the most widely-used Romanization of Chinese characters, helped western cultures understand Chinese languages and also appears to have helped raise China’s literacy rate.
If you’ve never encountered sci-fi and comic book writer Genevieve Valentine’s Red Carpet Rundowns, where she snarks about the fashion choices found on award show red carpets, today’s your lucky day.

Have you found anything interesting you want me to share? Include a link in the comments!

Tea Time Links #1

By Christina

On January 9, 2017

In Thoughts

I’m trying something new today. Whether you come here for book reviews, tea reviews, or my own rambling thoughts, you’re probably curious about what I pay attention to outside of those three spheres. So here’s the first in what will hopefully become a series: a post with links to interesting articles I’ve read recently.

These are articles I’ve seen on social media or saved on Pocket. Some of the links below are new, some are old, but hopefully, at least one of them will catch your interest.

Book Links

Why You Should Read Romance – Natalie Luhrs, Uncanny Magazine
The Significance of Plot Without Conflict – Still Eating Oranges
Update, Jan 10: Giveaway of Some of the Best from Tor.com 2016 – this will be available only until January 17th, 2017, so get this collection of free short fiction from Tor.com now!

Tea Links

A Day Making Puer Tea on Jingmai Mountain – William Osmont, World of Tea
State of the Puer Union, Fall 2016 – Two Dog Tea Blog

Life, the Universe and Everything Links

On Progress and Historical Change – Ada Palmer, Ex Urbe
Opposition in the Age of Gish Gallops – Jonathan Crowe
He auctioned off the pistol that killed Trayvon Martin. She watched her child die in a mass shooting. Can they change each other’s minds about guns? – Lisa Miller, New York Magazine
The Importance of Naming Bigotry – Miri, Brute Reason

I may tinker with this format in the future as I figure out how many links to post at once. In the meantime, do you have any suggestions for other articles I should read? Share them in the comments!