January 2026: National Hot Tea Month

Jan 8, 2026 | Announcements, Library

By Research Librarian Jessica Zaricki

What better way to meet the bitter cold of January than with a hot cup of tea? The annual observation of National Hot Tea Month allows for the opportunity to reflect on the historic, social, and cultural significance of the beverage. So, join us in welcoming the new year with a nice cuppa and a book from our collection focusing on the role of tea in our stories—imagined, remembered, and occasionally spilled.

Members, find the listed titles on display in the Sawtelle Reading Room through the month of January.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

LITERATURE

When I consider tea and literature, the first picture that comes to mind is the Mad Tea Party in which the clock remains stuck at 6:00 PM and the Mad Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse are forever trapped at tea. The scene parodies the absurdities of the expected social niceties at such events where everyone talks, and no one quite listens.

Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. PR4611 .A7 1977

 

Poems, 1909-1925

LITERATURE

In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” afternoon tea exists as an anxious space in which our narrator frets over whether to confess his love. Through stanzas soaked in the imagery of tea and the structure of teatime, he eventually loses his nerve and succumbs to his own self-doubt, showing us that though time may be measured in coffee spoons, some wounds are beyond the curative powers of a cup of tea.

Eliot, T. S. Poems, 1909-1925. PS3509 .L43 P63 1933

 

Novels, 1881-1886

LITERATURE

The Portrait of a Lady begins with a description of afternoon tea, inviting the reader into the agreeableness of such a pastime. Here, the sense of leisure afforded by a cup of tea and a little feast is shown to be of great delight, even as James begins to shift to a view of a less traditional teatime. As the novel plays itself out, we see afternoon tea as an event where social ritual, class distinction, and power dynamics come into play.

James, Henry. Novels, 1881-1886. PS2112 .J—

 

Save Me The Plums: My Gourmet Memoir

BIOGRAPHY

In the second chapter of this memoir, food writer and critic Ruth Reichl describes her meeting with Condé Nast editorial director James Truman to discuss Gourmet magazine over afternoon tea at the Algonquin Hotel. The storied setting of the restaurant favored by Dorothy Parker and her Round Table paired with a mysterious meeting and the ritual of tea draws the reader right into the story of the magazine’s evolution.

Reichl, Ruth. Save Me The Plums: My Gourmet Memoir. TX649 .R45 A3 2019

 

 

Figures in a Landscape: People and Places: Essays: 2001-2016

BIOGRAPHY

Chapter 11 of this collection of essays from travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux recollects his meeting with novelist Muriel Sparks over a cup of tea. He discusses her life prior to the publication of her first novel, her travels, and her novel featuring Richard John Bingham, the seventh Earl of Lucan.

Theroux, Paul. Figures in a Landscape: People and Places: Essays: 2001-2016. PS3570 .H4 A6 2018

 

 

The Shoemaker and the Tea Party: Memory and the American Revolution

BIOGRAPHY

This account of the American Revolution draws heavily on accounts from Boston shoemaker George Robert Twelves Hewes, focusing specifically on his participation in events including the Boston Massacre and the Tea Party. Young explores ideas including the history saved through the stories of ordinary citizens and the symbolic meaning of events like the Tea Party, claimed by both Boston Brahmins and early trade unions.

Young, Alfred F. The Shoemaker and the Tea Party: Memory and the American Revolution. E215.7 .Y68 1999

 

 

The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide

NON-FICTION

Veteran tea traders Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss bring the reader on a sweeping tour through the cultural history of tea. They explore various aspects of the commodity including traditional, artistic, revolutionary, and industrial practices involved in providing daily and ceremonial brews. The book provides a reference for those looking to choose, drink, and enjoy this most ancient and modern of drinks.

Heiss, Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss. The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide. TX415 .H44 2007

 

 

The Empire of Tea: The Remarkable History of the Plant That Took Over the World

NON-FICTION

This text offers a cultural, political, and social history of tea spanning from the 4th century BC to the present day. It explores the effects cultivation, consumption, and commerce of tea have had on civilizations and cultures from East to West.

Macfarlane, Alan and Iris Macfarlane. The Empire of Tea: The Remarkable History of the Plant That Took Over the World. GT2905 .M33 2004

 

 

The True History of Tea

NON-FICTION

This history of tea gives particular focus to Asian resources, primarily those from China, Japan, Tibet, and Mongolia, and the establishment of cultural and industrial practices in the East prior to the Western “discovery” of the plant and beverage. The authors discuss the ways tea inspires and enhances the human experience, through multiple paths from art to religion. Both scholarly and quirky, the text reminds us of the shared cultural heritage of a simple drink.

Mair, Victor H. and Erling Hoh. The True History of Tea. GT2905 .M35 2009

 

 

Tea: Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire

NON-FICTION

This history traces the profound imperial nature of Britain’s relationship with tea. It discusses the lands claimed and lost due to the importance of the commodity, as well as the exploitation of laborers, profits and losses, and the national obsession with the beverage to which Britain has become inextricably linked.

Moxham, Roy. Tea: Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire. HD9198 .G72 M69 2003

 

 

Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn: A Social History of the Tea Room Craze in America

NON-FICTION

At the turn of the 20th century, tea rooms—largely owned and operated by women—became a growing cultural force among American eateries. Influenced by the Suffragist movement, prohibition, and the rise of the automobile, these shops gave women opportunities to celebrate their creativity and growing independence, paving the way for modern small restaurants and coffee bars.

Whitaker, Jan. Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn: A Social History of the Tea Room Craze in America. TX945 .W44 2002

 

 

Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate: Consuming the World

NON-FICTION

This publication accompanied a 2016-2017 exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts featuring the paraphernalia connected to the European experience of coffee, tea, and chocolate beginning in the 16th century. The pieces show the evolving material culture connected with the exotic beverages originating from the Levant, Asia, and Mesoamerica.

You, Yao-Fen. Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate: Consuming the World. GT2918 .Y68 2016

 

 

IMAGE: Guests of the President’s Tea with hostess Margaret Shrigley Sweetser, seated and serving tea, in the William Pickering House, Greenland, NH, 1951. Photograph by Douglas Armsden.

The tea was given in honor of all the presidents of the Women’s Clubs in the Portsmouth District, which included about 21 women’s clubs. About twenty clubwoman from greater Portsmouth and the New Hampshire Federation of Women’s Clubs attended the event. Sweetser was district chairwoman and owner of the Pickering house.

This was one of seven images photographed for the article “Tea at Pickering House” in the June 1951-issue of Shoreliner magazine. The following caption comes from the magazine: “Mrs. Sweetser pours tea for her guests while the ladies discuss the coming Annual Conference to be held this month at Hotel Farragut. (Left to right): Mrs. George E. Wright, Exeter; Mrs. [Margaret] Arnold; Mrs. Chester Wellington of Hampton Falls; Mrs. [Hazel] Ramsay.” [PS1342_03]