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British Book Bargains + Literary Afternoon Tea
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If you’re heading to London this summer, an afternoon tea (or 10) can be a fun way to load up on tea’s polyphenols and delicious carbs to power your long days of walking. As a book lover, a themed afternoon tea can crank the enjoyment up another notch - and here are a few currently on offer around London.
If you have a special diet (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, kosher, etc), we recommend confirming that with the establishment at time of booking. Most can accommodate that these days, but some require advance notice to ensure they’re prepared to meet your needs.
Bridgerton Afternoon Tea - At The Lanesborough, they’ve crafted an afternoon tea experience that’s loosely based on Julia Quinn’s books and the TV show they inspired. They have themed cocktails, too, and they accommodate a wide variety of diets (even vegan).
Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet Tea - With dishes like “A Rose By Any Other Name” eclairs and “Thus With a Kiss” mousse bites, afternoon tea at Swan in Shakespeare’s Globe offers literary eats and Thames views.
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Tea - With “fizzy lifting lemonade cake” and scones with “snozzberry” jam, this whimsical afternoon tea at One Aldwych is the perfect choice for the young and young at heart.
Wicked Afternoon Tea - Though this tea at The Clermont lists its inspiration as the musical, the musical came from Gregory Maguire’s book, so we’re counting it. In addition to themed desserts, they also have Wicked-themed cocktails.
Peter Pan Afternoon Tea - At Aqua Shard, you can enjoy tea inspired by JM Barrie’s classic novel, with your treats displayed on a custom-made tea stand shaped like the Jolly Roger. They have menus for both vegans and vegetarians.
Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea - At The Sanderson, you can enjoy a fanciful afternoon tea with “Toadstool Forest” meringues, “Tweedle Brothers” tarts, and “Mad Hatter” French toast bites.
Afternoon Tea at The Mind Palace - If you find yourself in West London, you can enjoy an afternoon tea at this Sherlock Holmes-themed speakeasy while solving a mini tabletop mystery. They don’t have their own kitchen, so their tasty treats are provided courtesy of a local bakery.
Even if you don’t see yourself getting to London anytime, soon, it can still be fun to peruse the menus, invite over a few friends, and make your own.
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British eBooks on Sale: May 16th
As always, a short disclaimer on the sale listings - the overwhelming majority of our readers are US-based, so sale availability may vary outside of the US (it’s up to the publisher/author if they wish to coordinate sales internationally). Deals can disappear at any time, but all e-books were $2.99 or less at time of writing.
First Frost by James Henry - In this prequel to the A Touch of Frost series, Detective Sergeant Jack Frost must track down a missing girl while grappling with the mysterious disappearance of his mentor. This book was authorised by RD Wingfield’s family.
The Dalkey Archive by Flann O’Brien - When a mild-mannered civil servant learns a mad scientist plans to end the world, he sets off on a surreal adventure through time, theology, and absurdity to try and save humanity—starting in a quiet town outside Dublin.
None of this is True by Lisa Jewell - When popular podcaster Alix agrees to feature a mysterious woman with the same birthday, she unwittingly invites danger into her life—until she realizes she’s become the subject of her own true crime story.
Curiosities by Anne Fleming - When amateur historian Anne uncovers a hidden 17th-century memoir, she pieces together the remarkable story of two plague survivors whose love defies gender, superstition, and time itself.
Home Stretch by Graham Norton - After a tragic car accident shatters a small Irish town, one survivor flees abroad to escape the guilt—but decades later, the secrets he left behind still demand to be faced.
Mystery at Lockley Grange by Clare Chase - When a famed diplomat is found dead after a lavish party at his country estate, amateur sleuth Eve Mallow returns to familiar ground to uncover secrets, scandals, and a killer who may be watching her every move.
Long Island by Colm Tóibín - In 1976 Long Island, Irish Eilis Lacey’s quiet life is upended when a stranger arrives with news that her husband has fathered a child with another woman—and plans to leave the baby at her door.
(FREE at time of writing) The Portsmouth Murders by Pauline Rowson - When a disgraced detective stumbles upon a murder during his morning run, he’s pulled into a case that could not only destroy his career—but mark him as the next victim.
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay - In this darkly funny and brutally honest memoir—now the basis for the BBC series starring Ben Whishaw—former junior doctor Adam Kay reveals the chaos, exhaustion, and absurdity of life inside the NHS through the secret diaries he kept on the front lines of medicine.
Murder at the Mill by Irina Shapiro - When a man is found murdered and bound to a waterwheel in an English village, Inspector Haze and surgeon Captain Redmond must unravel the secrets of a life so despised, death alone wasn't enough to silence it.
A Few Print Book Deals…
Print books aren’t sold as cheaply as ebooks (and Amazon has recently announced plans to take larger fees on books priced under $9.99, causing publishers/authors to increase prices), so for these we look for books priced at $10-12 or less at time of writing.
The Midnight Bakery by Emma Davies - In a quiet backstreet bakery that opens only at night, four strangers find comfort, connection, and healing—until a mysterious letter threatens the sanctuary they've built together.
The Venice Murders by Merryn Allingham - While honeymooning in 1959 Venice, English bookshop owner Flora Steele and her new husband Jack are pulled into a deadly mystery when a hotel receptionist is found dead and a priceless painting vanishes.
Killing Eve: Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings - In this razor-sharp thriller that inspired Killing Eve, elite assassin Villanelle and intelligence agent Eve Polastri become locked in a deadly global game of cat and mouse.
The Take by Christopher Reich - When a priceless briefcase containing a world-altering secret is stolen in a daring Paris heist, London-based spy and former thief Simon Riske must outwit his old rival—and a lethal cast of global enemies—to get it back.
Just Like Her Mother by Julia Roberts - When a mother returns home from holiday to find her daughter devastated, she realizes the secret she’s kept for years has been uncovered—and it may shatter their family forever.
“The young rarely believe that they will not be able to get what they want, because there is always an open future.”
Alexander McCall Smith, 44 Scotland Street
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