Armchair idea
TeaBookClub has grown out of an armchair idea that came to me one day as I sat looking at my shelf of tea books and thought: gosh, I wish I could get round to reading more of these books! I was always meaning to but never quite found the time to dedicate to tea reading. Hmmm
Then came another thought: I wish I had someone to discuss these books with after I read them. Hmmm
Ah, ha! I thought, I have an idea! So up went a little post on instagram to see if my appetite for reading tea books and sharing my thoughts on them was shared by others in the tea sphere.
Turns out it was shared by others. And so TeaBookClub was born.
The next chapter
Five months and five awesome tea books later, I've learnt a few things which have fuelled the development of TeaBookClub:
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Reading a book a month is tough and most of us can't quite get it finished. So as of March 2020 (our 6th book) we've moved to a two month reading time frame.
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Sharing our thoughts and hearing from others is fun! Super fun! I just love the discussion that develops in each meet-up and the stories we share.
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TeaBookClub is not just about reading, it's social. We're all making new friends around the world.
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The books we read have inspired members (which is so awesome!) From trying new brewing techniques to locating historic tea locations in their home town that they had no idea were there.
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I rather enjoy reading aloud - see the '5 minute readings'.
Kyle (@TeaWithKyle)
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Who is Kyle?
Well, I've always been a bookworm, seriously, the library had to order in books when I was a kid I read so much. And I've been a tea head since my pre-teens.
I've lived in Japan, and studied Japanese Tea Ceremony there. I continue to study Japanese Tea Ceremony today (albeit a different school) and am working towards my teaching certificate.
I've variously worked in the Tea industry for the last 9 years, including running a couple of tea start-ups. In fact, I started my first tea enterprise whilst doing my BA at SOAS, University of London, in East Asian Art History, with my focus in Japanese art, particularly woodblock print books and ceramics.
I continue to do tea events and talks and am a guest event presenter at the UK Tea Academy.
Oh and I cannot skim-read... I have dyspraxia which means that I read at half 'normal' speed. But I read everything twice (without knowing) and take it all in. So, if you're struggling to get through books, I get it! That's why book club is so good... Focus and people to share with.
