Fiction Books about Tea

Memoirs of a Geisha

Author: Arthur Golden

Year: 1999

Genre: Historical Fiction

More info: PBS Great American Read: America’s best-loved novels

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range:16+

Plot

While this book is not about tea alone, it is about the life of a geisha. 9-year-old Nitta is taken from her fishing village and sold into slavery. She is taken to a renowned geisha house to learn the subtle art of becoming a geisha. She learns how to walk, dance, put on make-up, and, of course, how to conduct the Japanese tea ceremony. This is a powerful and unforgettable book.

Trigger Warnings

Child Abuse, Rape, Slavery

Why Jackie loves it

I have never read a book like this. I cannot believe this was a debut novel. It is emotional and powerful.

Find this book in: Fiction Books about Tea

Best Fantasy Books About Tea

The Crescent Moon Tearoom

Author: Stacy Sivinski

Year: 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Age Range: 14+

Plot

No book says “Jackie” like a book about tea and witches. A family curse is trying to separate Anne, Beatrix, and Violet Quigley, witch triplets run the Crescent Moon Tearoom. When the witch counsel comes for a visit, the sisters are given an ultimatum. They must help three witches find their life’s purpose before it’s too late and only then can they stay together and keep their beloved tearoom.

The sisters each have ideas on how to help the other witches but they also feel themselves being pulled apart. Is the pull away from each other a curse or their destiny?

Why Jackie loves it

This magical book gave me the same feeling as The Night Circus. Sivinski’s writing is so descriptive that I felt the words coming off the page. The house is one of my favorite characters with a personality that made me laugh, and despite the fact that the sisters were triplets, their personalities were completely distinct.

Find this book in: Books About Tea / The Best Witch Books /Best New Fantasy Books and Sci-Fi Books of 2024

Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop

Author: Roselle Lim

Year: 2020

Genre:magical realism books

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 14+

Plot

Vanessa Yu never wanted to see people’s future in tea leaves and spent her entire life fighting it. She also knows that this “gift” will stand in the way of having a successful relationship because she cannot stop blurting out truths whether she wants to or not.

When Vanessa’s aunt offers to bring her to Paris to hone her skills and get her life in order, Vanessa goes. As she finally gets to experience Paris, she wonders if she can change her destiny as well.

Why Jackie loves it

Oh, how I loved this matchmaking book. ⁣What could be better than a love story set in a Paris tea shop with a little magic sprinkled on top? This isn’t a complicated or unexpected story, but what it is, is delightful, fun, and lighthearted. ⁣

Find this book in: Matchmaking Books / Fiction Books About Tea / Canadian Authors / Magical Realism Books / Cozy Fantasy Romance Books

Mystery Books about Tea

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Year: 2023

Genre: Mystery

More info: Vera Wong #1

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 13+

Plot

Vera Wong lives above her tea shop in Chinatown in San Francisco. When she finds a dead body in the shop, she calls the police immediately but also cleans up a bit, uses a Sharpie to trace the body, and takes the flash drive out of the man’s dead hand.

She is sure that she can do a better job of finding the murderer than the police. She comes up with a plan to find the killer and finds four suspects who she grows to care for.

Why Jackie loves it

I loved this mystery book and have recommended this cozy book too many times to count. Vera is easily one of my favorite amateur detectives and the story is simultaneously funny and heartwarming!

Find this book in: Ultimate List of Beach Reads 2023 / Books Like a Man Called Ove / Fiction Books About Tea / Best Cozy Mystery Books

A Pocket Full of Rye

Author: Agatha Christie

Year: 1953

Genre: Mystery

More info: Miss Marple Mystery

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 14+

Plot

This book is Agatha Christie at her finest, a layered murder mystery that opens with murder by tea!! If you are a mystery lover, you must read a pocket full of rye. It’s the perfect one-sitting read and one of my favorite Miss Marple books. Just no poison in your tea, ok?

Why Kirsten loves it

I love MIss Marple and this book was a delightful quick read for mystery lovers.

Find this book in: Books with Food in the Title / 70 Agatha Christie Books in Order (+PDF)

Scones and Bones (Tea Shop Mysteries)by Laura Childs

I had heard of this series and decided to give it a try. I started with book #12 and had no problem immediately getting into the story. The characters are quirky and likable even if they are a little bit cliché. This was such a fun and easy to love cozy mystery. I have to admit that I was hungry the entire time I read it. There is delicious food described in detail along with combinations of tea that I would love to try. The end of the book has recipes that I might have to try as well.

The Best Romances About Tea

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

Author: Laura Taylor Namey

Year: 2020

Genre: YA Romance

More info: November 2020 YA Reese’s Book Club pick

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 14+

Plot

Lila is leaving Miami to spend the summer in England with her mom’s best friend as a way to help Lila’s mental health. With the unexpected break-up with her boyfriend, her best friend leaving after graduation and the death of her beloved Abuela, Lila’s life is not where she thought it would be.

Slowly, with new friends and a new city, Lila starts to see a different side of life, and maybe change is ok. This is a sweet pick from our list of bakery romance novels.

Why Jackie loves it

This is an adorable YA romance that had my tea-loving heart at the title but, the story was sweet and had me turning the pages. But fair warning, you will be hungry while reading this book about tea.

Find this book in: Books About Tea / Best Romance Books for Teens / Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2020 / Beach Reads 2022

The Matcha Maker Cafe

Author: Lily Chen

Year: July 17, 2026

Genre: Romance

More info:

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Sasha owns and runs a shop called The Matcha Moments Cafe. She is known for her matcha, the lovely atmosphere, and being an extraordinary matchmaker. It helps that she can get a glimpse of people’s happily ever after at the bottom of a cup of tea.

When Ben walks in, he is grumpy and completely unreadable. She feels more and more distressed that she cannot read him and wonders if her abilities are glitching. She is also worried because the new landlord is trying to raise her rent so much that she’s not sure she’ll be able to stay in her little town.

Why Jackie likes it

This is a sweet tea romance book with a touch of magic. It is just the thing for anyone who loves a small-town romance.

Find this book in: Matchmaking Books / Fiction Books about Tea

The Oddest Little Cornish Tea Shop by Beth Good

In this little book, Charlie Bell is re-opening her aunt’s tea shop despite the rumors that it is cursed. After the first day ends in a disaster, Charlie wonders if she should have left the shop closed. Suddenly, Gideon Patherick is there to help and he just might be the key to her success.

This is a cute novella that was a one-sitting read.

Rosie’s Traveling Tea Shop

Author: Rebecca Raisin

Year: 2019

Genre: Fiction

More info: The Travelling Shops #1

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 14+

Plot

⁣When Rosie’s husband declares their marriage over, she decides to leave her high-pressure London job as a sous-chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant and start a traveling tea shop. Rosie is used to schedules and routine- can she adapt to a new way of living?

Why Jackie loves it

I started Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop and finished it in one day. I absolutely loved this book. I just could not put it down. ⁣⁣This is a book filled with food, books and smiles.