Prologue

Once upon a time, there was a reader so passionate about her books, and so immersed into the stories, that she could not bring herself to leave that world when she put the book down.   

And so she began cooking a risotto while reading about Tuscany, or perfuming her home with cherry blossom scents while discovering James Clavell’s Japan, listening to medieval celtic music in the footsteps of her Outlander friends, or sweetening her tea with black cherries alongside a certain gentleman in Moscow. 
She was in 18th century South Carolina one day, and back in contemporary Paris the next. 
Fascinated by Elif Shafak, she began making her coffee turkish, only to switch on the espresso machine the next day while reading of Piazza Navona. 
A simple Matcha for the Shogun,   
A delicate Oolong for The Joy Luck Club 
Fresh lavander between the letters of Alphonse Daudet 
A nice glass of Merlot to say Bonjour, tristesse ! 
And maybe a refreshing sangria for the ever faithful Sancho Panza.   

Her world was expanding one book and one teapot at a time.   

For her, books are secret passages, that make our everyday life infinitely more spectacular. 

For her, Reading is a Ritual !