Happy National Tea Day from all of us here at Mushens Entertainment! To celebrate the beverage that brings joy to readers everywhere, Juliet, Liza, Silé and Kiya are here to recommend their favourite brews and their current reads. So grab some scones and get the kettle boiling!

Juliet recommends…

A gigantic mug of Twinings English Breakfast tea with milk and sugar.

Accompanied by…

The Mothers by Britt Bennett which follows Nadia, a seventeen-year-old girl dealing with the death of her mother when she falls for the local former high school football star, Luke, and suddenly becomes pregnant. Years later, Nadia, Luke, and her best friend Aubrey, find themselves in a love triangle that constantly makes them question: what if we had chosen differently?

Liza recommends…

Honey and camomile for relaxing reads, or Earl Grey straight up.

Accompanied by…

A Net for Small Fishes by Lucy Jago which follows the friendship between Frances Howard and Anne Turner as they make friends and enemies at the court of James I. Both women are swept up in court intrigue that leads to desperate acts as they seek love and safety in uncertain times.

Silé recommends….

Some lovely Raspberry Leaf tea!

Accompanied by…

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie which is about Afi, a young seamstress in Ghana who is offered a life-changing proposal from a wealthy man, Elikem. Although she barely knows him, Afi accepts and quickly realises that her fairy-tale ending might not be exactly what she thought. She must balance her various roles of wife, daughter, niece, sister-in-law, and much more, without losing herself in the process.

Or, for younger readers, What The Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Lydia Monks. This adorable book sees two robbers try to steal a farmer’s prize cow. But their dastardly plot is foiled by the littlest of creatures who has plans of her own.

Kiya recommends…

A steaming cup of Yorkshire tea (Yorkshire forever!) with milk and sugar. Or, if she feels like mixing things up, a cup of rejuvenating peppermint tea.

Accompanied by…

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips, which follows the haunting tale of two sisters abducted on the north-eastern edge of Russia. When the police investigation turns up nothing, the local community is shocked by this unspeakable crime.

If you need something stronger…

Although our first thought is of a nice cup of tea when we want to read, there are those special times when we need something stronger: hot chocolate. For days when you need a bit extra, we recommend:

Cadbury’s hot chocolate when you need a quick fix.

Cocoa Mountain’s The Best Hot Chocolate for something luxurious.

Hotel Chocolat’s Vanilla White Hot Chocolate if you want to try something new.