We love to curl up with a good book and a great cup of tea anytime, but especially when its cold outside.

As the weather reminds us that it is winter, there is nothing more comforting than curling up with a book and a cup of tea. When those books incorporate tea, it’s even better. So here are just a few of our suggestions that don’t make it on the stereotypical lists of books or authors associated with tea. There are plenty more out there.

The Importance of Living by Lin Yutang – Even though it was first published in 1939, it still reflects the Chinese philosophy of life. This book gives Westerners a distilled and clean view into Chinese thought on life and what is important. Of course, tea is touched upon in this book. The best tea quote from the book:  “There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.”

Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – This wickedly critical view of society and man is not always a page turner. It requires you to take time to think about what the main character said. However, this book is considered a literary classic for its shift in how a person sees them self and society in the late 1800’s. So sometimes, you push through a book to see why it is considered important and in doing so, you find its relevance and a few hidden gems. Not to mention, we have all had days like the main character where we have also thought “I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.”

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams – This lighthearted science fiction novel is easy to get lost in as you travel with the main character, Arthur, a Brit, across the universe. One of the funny parts, especially for tea drinkers, is when Arthur is analyzed by a computer and then presented with a “cupful of liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a cup of tea.” How many times have you been presented with a cup of “tea” and wondered at how that could really be called tea?

So curl up with your favorite book and a cup of tea, and send us your recommendations for books that include tea in the story line.