Book Description
The Rev. Merrily Watkins had never wanted a picture-perfect parish—or a huge and haunted vicarage. Nor had she wanted to walk straight into a local dispute over a controversial play about a strange 17th-century clergyman accused of witchcraft. But this is Ledwardine, steeped in cider and secrets. And, as Merrily and her daughter Jane discover, a it is village where horrific murder is an age-old tradition.
Customer Reviews:
Women of Spirit.......2007-09-14
This is a review of the audiobook so I will be mentioning the narrator along with the text.
Phil Rickman, who I have only known until recently as the author of three thick horror tomes, manages to create in the stories of Merrily Watkins, her family and her flock, a fascinating novel that deals with a distant event in the history of her parish, an event that resonates from the 17th century to the 21st. Merrily to be installed in her first post as "Priest in Charge" i.e., Vicar of a small village which is currently suffering the strain of meeting the 21st century. She is also dealing with the consequences of her calling to become a minister in the Church of England.
This is not a cozy mystery. There are disturbing events with sexual relevance. This book also addresses loss and suicide and death. And there is a particular reason why the arrival of female vicar would rouse spirits thought long put to rest.
Merrily, her adolescent daughter Jane and the enigmatic elderly woman, Lucy to an excellent job in a Christian context of portraying the triple form of the goddess: the mother, the virgin and the crone. It is rendered even more fascinating by the knowledge that Merrily would repudiate any such thought with fervor.
Rickman does an excellent job. And he also brings in themes in the very first book of the series that he will explore in more depth in other books in the series: the importance of place in the sacred and the importance of folklore to the place. Further in the book he brings up Nick Drake, a British singer/songwriter whose fame came after his early death of presumed suicide. If you want to get the most out of this book I would suggest Pink Moon and Family Tree. One thing to remember about Rickman is that he never carelessly uses symbols. They all have meaning.
Now the audio part: Emma Powell is the narrator. She is a British actress and voice over artist. Her voice is husky but clear. While her accents are sometimes not easy to place-- or maybe I just lack an ear for the subtler British dialects-- she does a very good job of denoting male and female characters without obvious strain. I did not find her diction to be difficult or mumbling. It might, of course, come down to the quality of the playback equipment.
Captivating series of books!.......2007-01-02
This is the first Merrily Watkins novel from Phil Rickman. Merrily is a priest in the Church of England, a widow and single mom, and is assigned the vicar of a historic parish in Ledwardine. Strange, supernatural events begin to occur, and Merrily is fascinated by the experiences. Mr. Rickman is a talented author, and this series of books is captivating.
Corrupted in the Bottle.......2007-01-02
The Wine of Angels is Phil Rickman's first Merrily Watkins story. I don't know if Rickman already saw where these stories would go or if he simply set out to write an eerie tale of the woman who, short order would become one of the Anglican Church's rarest breed, a Deliverance minister (an exorcist, in lay terms) but all the seeds for the series are here. For someone who started in the middle, like me, it is fascinating to see how the characters began their development.
Merrily Watkins came into the church late. She started out to become a lawyer, then a mother, and then the widow of a shady solicitor who went a few steps too far. Now, with her daughter Jane, Merrily has begun her first big assignment as vicar of Ledwardine - a cozy British country town undergoing gentrification with more than a few dark secrets of its own. They find themselves housed in a rattling old vicarage which, if not haunted, still bears the echoes of a 17th Century vicar who became a tragic figure in a witch hunt and committed suicide in the nearby orchard rather than face trial. Or so it appears, anyway.
When a modern playwright decides to retell this as the persecution of a homosexual in a time that lacked any understanding the village erupts in a tempest. The argument pits newcomers against families that are centuries old and Merrily quickly discovers that there are more than a few skeletons in this particular closet. Even as this develops, Jane befriends a troublesome woman who, at the age of 16, has all the worldliness that Jane still lacks. When this woman suddenly disappears Jane, somehow psychically connected to the orchard, senses that this is no case of running away, but that something much darker lurks.
The stories intertwine, involving a musician who is subject to deep depression and an older woman of distinctly 'pagan' (as Merrily puts it) spirituality. As events hurtle to a climax, Merrily finds her faith tested time and again as she tries to overcome the hurdles must confront a woman assigned as vicar to a rural community and keep her relationship with Jane from exploding on its own.
I like Phil Rickman's horror well in general, but for some reason, his best writing happens in these stories of a woman facing challenges mysterious and spiritual. While these aren't really horror stories, many will generate chills as they confront evils that are partly spiritual, but mostly human. Rickman's characters read naturally as they confront both modern issues and dark corners of the soul that often have roots centuries in the past. This cross-genre mix works well under Rickman's control, creating 600 page novels that are impossible to put down.
The progress of the spirit.......2006-12-30
While following a typical "whodonnit"-cum-supernatural-thriller formula, what Phil Rickman does in the series of novels that begins here is more, much more ambitious. Through well fleshed-out, impossible to forget characters, and a very intense sense of atmosphere (really, the village and buildings are just like characters with a definite -i.e. compllex- personality) Rickman explores some of the spiritual alternatives offered in western society. In spite of the aparent lack of interest in anything related to the spiritual that many of the characters display -as for instance the protagonist's own teenage daughter-, under the surface we see how many are desperately looking for something to believe in, to use as guidance in our complicated world. This -conscious or unconscious- search for meaning leaves many of the most unlucky characters just trying to keep the balance and survive (like the ex rock-star Lol), or plain unbalanced. The lucky ones receive what they interpret as a clear sign, and have the guts to follow it to the ultimate consequences (such is the case of Merrily, the protagonist, who in a few years has given her life a sudden turn by not just becoming religous, but also a priest). But maybe the least lucky of all, as I see in these novels, are the cynics, the people bent on being materalistic, on finding the easiest answers and the shortcuts.
And above all, there is a sense of connection with the past, with the place and the events that happened there and that bring unavoidable consequences. Because even if we want to reject this connection, if we don't want to see that the deeds of our ancestors have an influence in our present, that we are surrounded by their effects.... that won't make them disappear. Past and present are connected in this first Merily Watkins novel in dangerous, surprising ways, and the labour of finding out "whodonnit" refers to the past as much as to the present. The outcome is highly original, surprising and fresh. You won't be able to put the book down until you are guided through the convoluted past and present fact and learn exactly WHAT.
The subject of this series is thorny, but the author manages to deliver incredibly good stories that handle in a surprisingly gutsy and candid way some of the many spiritual options available -and the dangers and limits they can entail- , while being generally respectful and delivering great fiction -the characters and sense of atmosphere are especially superb. I have read 6 of the novels in these series and liked them all....in fact I usually read them as a treat when I deserve one....
Maudlin.......2006-08-09
I started listening to the Wine of Angels with high hopes. It had everything, a mystery, a cozy story, an intriguing enigmatic heroine...But frankly after the first three hours of narrator mumbling, I found myself disinterested. The author seems pre-occupied with death and suicide. The character Lowell just goes on and on about his ex, his sad life, his whiney music career, how he wants to kill himself but can't... Who cares? Likewise, Merrily who should be a tough cookie after her stint in Liverpool is so put off by overhearing someone make a rude remark about her; she throws away her cassock, and had nightmares about it? Is this author for real?
There are also long segments of story where the Merrily's daughter Janie is heavily featured. I could care less. I wanted more about the mystery, more about the main character and what is really going on in this strange small town. I also felt the author's female characters weren't feminine enough. Merrily's reactions were hysterical at some times, masculine at others. She just didn't seem real.
Overall, this novel could benefit from an editor. I gave it my best shot, but I lost interest. 2 Stars.
Product Description
A wonderful anthology of erotic paranormal romances!djinn's wish by shiloh walker,paying-up by mary wine and cowboy and the thief by lora leigh!5 stars for these three writers and their incredible talents!
Average customer rating:
- Butter is definitely Better
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Stick of Butter Cookbook
Angel Shannon
Manufacturer: Cedar Fort
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
 Cheese & Dairy
| Cooking by Ingredient
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1599550091
Release Date: 2007-03-01 |
Product Description
Finally, a tribute to butter! Over the generations, butter, once a key ingredient in tasty recipes, has become shunned and ignored. Although it has been proven that butter is nature s best, only a few have returned to its goodness. The latest research indicates that butter betters reproductive capacity. Tired of all the endless butter bashing, television and radio chef Angel Shannon has created a cookbook that is packed full of butter-rich recipes, as well as tips, tricks, and flavorful facts about the goodness of butter. Thanks to Angel Shannon s Stick of Butter Cookbook, everyone can discover the benefits of butter for themselves. You ll learn how professional chefs make those fancy herbed butter pats, how you can make butter with the help of your kids, and how to whip up 100 amazingly delicious buttery recipes such as: Encore Italian Barbecued Shrimp Swiss Chicken Bliss Luscious Berry Cream Pastry Fresh Herb and Garlic Potatoes Indulge yourself in the food joy that you ll find in every delectable bite! Gather around the dinner table and get ready for the kind of home cooking you loved as a kid! Angel Shannon makes butter better once more. This book is a richly delectable journey filled with page after page of fabulous flavors. Angel is the Butter Queen! Richard Paul Evans, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Christmas Box and Finding Noel
Customer Reviews:
Butter is definitely Better.......2007-08-05
Angel Shannon, the author is a local radio and television personality here in Utah where I live. Butter is one of the ingredients that I'm passionate about. I like to support local authors, and when deciding to spend the money on yet another cookbook, I thought, "how could a book on my favorite ingredient be bad?"
I have enjoyed Angel Shannon's cooking spots on Good Things Utah, a local news program. She has a fun and outgoing personality and usually demonstrates fast and easy recipes. I have found that most of her dishes are adaptations of community cookbook recipes that have gone through our neighborhoods at some time or another. While not particularly new or innovative, her recipes often utilize time-saving convenience foods which are a boon to busy cooks everywhere. I expected more of those kinds of recipes to be in her book; that's exactly what I found.
This book has several of the components that I consider essential for a good cookbook. The layout is excellent, with a complete table of contents. There are also good articles on the History of Butter, Nutrition facts, tips on making and using butter, flavor notes, and even a butter usage guide; these are very helpful. I like comments on each recipe in a book, so I have an idea of how to serve the dish, or why it was added to the book, or where it came from; a few of the recipes have these comments.
This book contains about 100 recipes; many which are quick and easy. Some of the recipes are classics, like Wednesday Night Stroganoff, which is a fast and delicious (a little different from the classic) version of Beef Stroganoff good enough for company. There's also a good and easy version of Honey Mustard Chicken for a crowd. Another plus is that there are a few good streamlined brunch recipes, like the Holiday Sausage Bake, which is similar to an oven omelet or frittata. I also found some great pasta dishes that can be done in a flash, easy casseroles, a few good desserts, and some quick and easy breads.
I find it very ironic that someone who is passionate about butter would write a cookbook that includes recipes using frozen whipped topping instead of whipped cream. To me, using frozen whipped topping in a dish is tantamount to an artist using crayons instead of oil paint for a masterpiece! I can't imagine wasting precious time preparing a recipe with real butter and good ingredients just to ruin it with vile frozen whipped topping.
The book does not have a complete index which I find disappointing. If I want to make a dish with almonds, but don't know the full name of the recipe, it's nice to look in the index under almonds and find everything that contains them. Unfortunately I can't do this with this book.
Ingredients are not always clear in this book; one recipe calls for a small box of butter crackers and since small is relative, it could mean 3 ounces, 8 ounces, or even 12 ounces--they are all small compared to the 16 or 32 ounce box.
The Orange Marmalade Bread recipe is for a delicious quick bread that my family loved. However, even though the ingredient list calls for butter, the directions direct you to "cream margarine and sugar," and "add dry mixture to creamed margarine mix." I'm sure her editor is a bit embarrassed!
All said, no cookbook is perfect, and this is a fun book with some very good recipes. I still have a list of recipes to try that appear in the book, and I definitely haven't regretted my purchase. Notwithstanding the few negatives, I would still recommend Angel Shannon's Stick of Butter Cookbook to others who love butter. Besides, every recipe calls for at least a stick of butter, and we all know Butter is Better!
Book Description
From appetizers to desserts, from sprouting to creating home-made nut and seed cheeses, this heavenly recipe book is a cornucopia of exciting and adventuresome foods. It includes a wide variety of cooked and uncooked low-fat recipes with an international flavor, tempting bits of food for thought, and even a how-to section on kitchen gardening. Filled with illustrations of angels and inspiring messages.
Customer Reviews:
Good Combination.......2006-08-04
This is a lovely book that provides healthy choices for vegan and raw dishes. Plenty of recipes. Healthy and High Energy... you'll feel and look great eating this way!
The best of both worlds (raw and cooked)........1999-06-19
If you are looking for excellent raw cuisine, or if you are interested in great vegan recipes, try this book. Having experimented with both for 20 years, I find this book to be among the best in either genre. Almost every recipe I've tried is truly noteworthy, but the living foods recipes stand out as both delicious and easy to prepare. Highly recommended -- by someone who is not big on angels, but who loves to eat well, and hates a lot of prep.
Customer Reviews:
I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN, I COULDN'T GO TO SLEEP.......2003-08-10
After lunch one day about 10-12 years ago I stopped at my local bookshop. Sherry, the owner put "Angel's Visit's" into my hand and suggested I buy it because I buy wine books. Back at my office I started to read Darlington's inquiry into Zin. I counldn't stop. I literally was glued to this book! No work got done. At 6:00 pm I went home, got into bed and kept on reading. I couldn't leave it alone, not even overnight. I finished it at 3:00 am next morning. Buy this book. Take the day off...
It's Back!.......2001-03-29
What these other revievers said is absolutely true. Angel's Visits is an eminently readable and enjoyable book that I highly recommend. After being out of print for some time, it's now available again under the title "Zin".
n entertaining, good read; a regrettable loss,.......1998-06-19
Over recent years I have given copies of this excellent, entertaining book to friends because, although not large, it seemed well-rounded as well as a good read. The book explored the mystique of a wonderful grape from its mysterious beginnings to its contemporary California status. Perhaps some of my interest is parochial, as it touches on familiar San Francisco Bay Area milieus. Nonetheless, now that "Angels Visits" is now out of print, I regret that I didn't merely loan out my last give-away.
An informative and easy to read study of a wonderful wine........1997-10-30
It is an insightful and interesting primer on Zinfandel. I have tried to locate copies of the book and was saddened to learn it was out of print. It is a must read for ZAP people and would be a run away best seller at their annual tasting. It would be an appreciated gift for anyone who enjoys Zinfandel.
Compelling history of a critical California wine........1997-09-19
Written in an easy style, this history of California Zinfandel provides both local color and historical perspective to California's most unique wine. Probably unintentionally, the author evokes some of Peter Meyer's YEAR IN PROVANCE in his discussions of wine and winemakers. The personal and the sociologically are covered with equal and compelling grace.
A shame that the original publisher has allowed this to go out of print, and that no other publisher is smart enough to republish the book
Average customer rating:
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The Angel of the Sea B & B Cookbook
Sherry Girton
Manufacturer: Angel of Cape May, Incorporated, the
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Middle Atlantic
| U.S. Regional
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0964292408 |
Customer Reviews:
Heavenly.......2001-06-07
I have well over 200 cookbooks and am always happy to find a special one to add to my collection. This is a WINNER! I just got it and have already tried several and they were all excellent. This is a cookbook that is easy to read, has 208 recipes and is also the kind to give as a gift because of it's beautiful cover. Anyone who loves to stay at B & B's will find the recipes delicious and unique and will definitely want to go to Cape May, NJ and stay at the Angel of The Sea. You'll definitely want to try the Dutch Apple French Toast, Peach Crisp, Coffee Muffins, Angel Lemon Squares, Rocky Road Squares, White Chocolate Almond Cheesecake, and the Hot Chipped Beef Spread. I truly can't say enough about this excellent cookbook. You will reach for this one time and time again as I know I will.
Average customer rating:
- Seasons of Santa Fe
- Well written and delightful Southwestern Cook Book
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Seasons of Santa Fe: A Cookbook
Kitchen Angels of Santa Fe
Manufacturer: Wimmer Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Southwest
| U.S. Regional
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0967192900 |
Customer Reviews:
Seasons of Santa Fe.......2001-01-27
Seasons of Santa Fe was selected Second Place National Winner of the 2000 TABASCO Community Cookbook Awards competition. And no wonder. This is a delightful cookbook with wonderful recipes and great photos and info about the yearly events and celebrations -- such as Indian Market, Spanish Market, and the Christmas Eve Farolito Walk -- that make Santa Fe, New Mexico such a unique place. The proceeds from the book sales go to the organization Kitchen Angels, which provides free, nutritious, and delicious hot meals to homebound Santa Feans with cancer, AIDS, and other life-challenging conditions.
Well written and delightful Southwestern Cook Book.......2000-06-19
Seasons of Sante Fe is a well-written and delighful Southwestern US cookbook experience with some of the best recipes for this style of cooking we have ever had in our home. We love it so much that we ordered numerous copies as gifts for friends and family. Much of the proceeds for this book go to preparing and delivering meals to many in that area who are in need. We discovered Seasons of Sante Fe on a recent trip to that beautiful and historical city that is packed with art and culture much of which is the product of native Americans. This is a great and wonderful cook book.
Average customer rating:
- The life of a child in post-war Southern Italy
- Beautiful story of life...
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Bread, Wine & Angels: A Novel
Anna P. Zurzolo
Manufacturer: Turnstone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0888012136 |
Customer Reviews:
The life of a child in post-war Southern Italy.......2006-10-06
I bought this book because the story takes place in the town where my wife's grandparents were born, San Giovanni in Fiore. The story is told in the voice of a young girl who misses her parents, who have gone to Canada to seek a better life. The parents plan to send for the children as they can afford to do so, but instead they give birth to more children in the new land. This complicates things because money is scarce. The girl lives in San Giovanni in Fiore with her aunt, who is a picture-book, old-fashioned Calabrian woman. The author, Anna P. Zurzolo, who grew up in San Giovanni in Fiore, gives us an up-close and personal look at day-to-day life from a generation-ago in Calabria. When we went to visit the actual city, Zurzolo's story really came to life for us. This is a delightful book that I enjoy reading over and over again for the mental pictures of the old mountain town.
Beautiful story of life..........1999-08-20
As the daughter of Italian immigrants, I found myself being totally immersed in this wonderful novel. Even more surprising, is the fact that our family also settled in Winnipeg, just like the little girl from San Giovanni. I found this story magical.
Book Description
Indulge your sweet tooth with eighty of Elizabeth Alston's most beloved and delicious baking recipes. A compilation of her popular Tea Breads and Coffeecakes and Simply Cakes, Best Baking features such delectable delights as Brown Sugar--Brown Butter--Hazelnut Pound Cake, Tennessee Whiskey Cake, Plum-Walnut Kuchen, and Chocolate Orange Crumb Cake, as well as tempting toppings and sauces to accompany these treats. Alston's helpful tips will guide every baker, from the novice to the professional, and make home baking fun and easy. You'll be getting rave reviews in no time! So whether it's for breakfast, afternoon tea, dessert, or a midnight snack, you'll find the perfect recipe in Elizabeth Alston's Best Baking.
Customer Reviews:
Let them eat cake!.......2001-06-06
I have a number of Elizabeth Alston's books, and she is true to form in this one. I would venture to bet she is from England, or at least has an English heritage due to her taste in cakes. You won't find sheet cakes or layer cakes calling for lots of super sweet icing in this book. These cakes are for the purists out there who appreciate the complex flavors and textures of unadulterated cake. Each one is unique and delectible. The point is that the CAKE itself is the star of the show here. I truly enjoy some of her unique flavor combinations and variations in these recipes. (A note about flour: I have found that using cake flour does not give as good a crumb and weight to the pound cakes or the heavier coffee cakes. Not only does it cause the cake to be too "crumbly", but the cake dries out after a day or two. Reserve the cake flour only for recipes that are for light cakes such as Angel Food cakes.)
Another thing I appreciate about this book, and her baking for that matter, is that you can bake more than one batch at a time. In fact, I think the cakes taste better when done that way. With the flavor combinations she has assembled, her suggestion to allow the cake to rest one day before serving or freezing is a good one. This allows all those wonderful flavors to mingle, or as my grandfather used to say, to let the flavors "meditate".
None of her recipes are hard, complicated or time-consuming. In fact, they are pleasingly quick to prepare for baking. When I am not baking a cake, muffins or scones from one of her cookbooks, I am reading them, scouring them for inspiration to be creative. She has taught me a lot about expanding my horizons in this area, for which I am thankful. My husband is thankful as is his coworkers. This morning he took a freshly baked creation to work to share with his department. Shortly after noon I received an abrupt e-mail saying that if I ever wanted to see my husband again I would have to send at least five of those cakes to the office!! The staff must have loved them to want cake ransom for my husband's return. Get the book and watch with pleasure as your loved ones and friends pig out on your creations in a wild food orgy. But be careful...you might find yourself chained to the kitchen with someone holding a gun to your head as you are trying to get YOURSELF out of ransom!
Comprehensive.......2000-12-16
I haven't made all the cakes in this book, but I've made over half of them, and all have worked out well. My primary interest is in the pound cakes and angel food cakes; I've made all of these. In particular, the fresh raspberry and the lemon-vanilla cakes have turned out extremely well. In the pound cakes, I had the best result with the sour cream/chocolate chip and the soaked orange cakes. I've also made almost all the chiffon recipes, with the best reslts with the orange-and-lemon and the chiffon spice cakes.
This book has detailed instructions to accompany the recipes, making it easier for beginners to follow. Too often, smaller books such as this will sacrifice instructions for saving space, and this one doesn't.
My only disappointment is the quality of the book itself. There are no photographs, and the quality of the paper and binding don't bode well for heavy use. I plan to transcribe a few recipes out into the computer and the book won't be used again. The recipes are a good buy for the book's price, though. Just don't expect to hand this volume down to your children!
A must have.......2000-04-20
This book is just great. The recipes are simple, easy to follow, and they taste wonderful. The explanations given are so helpful.
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- To Play the Fool
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