Customer Reviews:
Get the whole series.......2007-05-07
Each Llewellen book has a cool introduction about the history of the holiday. I recommend all the sabbat books in this series - - they have a lot more information than in any individual sabbat book.
Raven Grimassi explains it all.......2007-05-05
May brings thoughts of celebration and embracing the power of nature. Many cultures today continue to hold May Day festivals that include a Maypole. We see it as a symbol of spring, but what does this tradition mean? Where did it originate and what is the purpose? Raven Grimassi explains it all, and so much more in Beltane: Springtime Rituals, Lore & Celebration.
Today's society is one that often shies away from coexisting with nature. Many are not even aware of the glory mid spring, blooming in its entire splendor, because they work in offices all day, or dwell in cities where little is seen of the signs. As a whole, we have gotten off track from our synchronicity with nature, and we can all benefit from trying to remedy this.
May Day celebrations, today, are a way of putting that honor for Mother Nature back into our lives. But it all began in ancient fertility festivals. May Day has a wonderfully rich history and this book explains it all, from the Maypole to the Beltane fire. So who were these festivals for, originally? In honor of many! The Green Man, a symbol of life, fertility and growth, is just one of the many spirits of May that are brought into the light here.
A spring evening bonfire wouldn't be complete without stories of little people, and Raven shares many for you to pass on. Hikes through ever greening forests just wouldn't be the same if we didn't imagine the faeries peeking from behind woodland blooms. The warmer weather turns our thoughts to Mother Nature's helpers, since ancient times. Here you will find many stories and legends that are delightful to read and reflect on. For those with green thumbs, the book includes lists of flowers and their meanings, trees and their associations to faeries and plants associated with goddesses. You will be well learned in the meanings behind your greenery and will be able to plant special gardens that are rich with lore.
What festival or even a quiet celebration would be complete without spells and recipes to try? Attracting love in spring is a tradition we cannot deny. "In the spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love," Tennyson tells us. Why not try it? A serenity spell might be just what is needed to face final exams. Recipes for custard and May wine are just the things to begin your own personal celebration. If you are new to the old rituals, complete instructions are provided to help you honor Mother Nature, either on your own or in a group, even including directions for decorations.
Beltane, or May Day, is celebrated around the world. There are many traditions to choose from. However you celebrate, Raven Grimassi's book can help you understand and enjoy the holiday, and embrace the warmer weather that everyone welcomes.
Traditions!.......2007-03-29
Raven Grimassi is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He writes about many traditions and will show similarities to help you understand where and how these traditions began. Whether you're just researching or Wiccan, I would recommend this and any of this author's books. Yet another to add to your library.
Not best of the Llewellyn Holy Days Series.......2007-03-17
I have really enjoyed the other Llewellyn series books that I have read thus far. Unfortunately, I can not include this one in that group. I was really disappointed. The writer spent the first half of the book constantly repeating what he'd written in the sentence, paragraph, or page just before. He also spent way to much time going into discussions that would better be suited to an historical(only)study on the subject.
Very little of this book actually dealt with the Beltane/May Day holy day. The writer also spent a lot of time writing about the 'supposed' sacrifices, evils, etc. done by ancient pagans - something that took me by surprise, as Raven is actively involved in the Wiccan Ways.
I like Grimassi, no matter what he writes about.......2006-01-29
Grimassi usually tackles a much broader scope of subject matter and by limiting himself to Beltane he has undertaken a task that might seem outside his usual habits. But he pulls it off with good writing and capable research. By limiting himself to specifics of the Sabbat he is forced to narrow his focus more than is his wont, but what he does write about, he writes about well and thoroughly. To be honest, the entire Llewellyn Sabbat series has seemed kind of light-handed, so I can't call this Grimassi's finest hour, but it's still quite good for the kind of book it is.
Book Description
From the Five-Time Nebula Award-Winner
The death stars that brought the apocalyptic destruction on Earth seven hundred thousand years before have stopped falling, and Earth has begun to renew itself. The Long Winter that held the human tribes in their cocoons beneath the ground is over, and the People are spreading rapidly across the newly fertile land. The Queen of Springtime continues the chronicles of the People’s reclamation of Earth begun in the first volume, At Winter’s End.
The human tribes struggle to fulfill their destiny as rulers of Earth, but they find the seats of power already occupied. The hjjks, the somber, cold-eyed insect-folk, never retreated, even at the time of greatest chill. The world fell to them by default, and they have been its sole masters for seven hundred thousand years. The Queen of Springtime follows the struggle between these dissimilar beings to establish dominance in the newly emerging world.
Exclusive to this Bison Books edition, Robert Silverberg provides an introduction and a synopsis of the unwritten concluding volume of The New Springtime trilogy. Appearing for the first time in print, “The Summer of Homecoming” outline reveals the fates, two hundred years later, of the heroes and their world that were introduced in At Winter’s End and The Queen of Springtime.
Customer Reviews:
A Satisfying Sequel.......2004-01-22
I read "At Winter's End" and was dying for more. "New Springtime" was just what I needed! Do not read this if you have not read the first book. I am so fond of Hresh and of the People as a whole. I do not want to give anything away, just read the reviews for "At Winter's End" and if you decide to read it (and find you liked it) I promise this sequel will not dissapoint.
Book Description
From the Five-Time Nebula Award-Winner
Seven thousand centuries ago, falling death stars unleashed fiery apocalyptic destruction on Earth and inaugurated the Long Winter. One small band of People took refuge in an underground cocoon where they and their descendants waited for the time of ice to end. Now their long winter is over. Prophecy and circumstance urge the tribe out into the half-forgotten world beyond their safe cocoon. Led by their chieftain Koshmar, the tribe journeys to the city of Vengiboneeza, where the prophecy of the gods says they are to rule. On their way the tribe discovers the dangers and wonders of life in the New Springtime. In the face of new temptations and peril, Koshmar and her lover, the priestess Torlyri, struggle to keep the People united and fulfill the prophecy. For soon they will be beset by other trials, as other beings seek to fulfill their own prophecies.
Robert Silverberg provides an introduction exclusive to this Bison Books edition.
Customer Reviews:
At Winter's End.......2006-11-04
At Winter's End, by Robert Silverberg, is a science fiction story about a tribe of apelike, but intelligent beings, who call themselves humans. After seven hundred thousand years, they leave the cocoon that their ancestors built in the depths of a vast mountainside for shelter from the great death stars and freezing winter. Their leader, Koshmar, leads them on a dangerous journey to a city called Vengiboneeza. While they are there, they discover many objects and clues to the past. They eventually follow, when ten of their tribe, led by the warrior Harruel, decide it is their destiny to start their own city. This is the beginning of a new life in a new place.
The main characters of this book are Koshmar, the chief, Hresh, the young chronicler, Toryli, the offering woman, and the warriors, Harruel and Konya. Koshmar is a kind but stern leader who is adamant about leaving the cocoon when the time is correct. She leads them to Vengiboneeza. Hresh, a boy of nine years, becomes chronicler after the preceding old man, Thaggoran, died from a wolf attack. Toryli is the kind woman who gave the daily offering to the outside world back in the cocoon, and is like a mother to the growing tribe. She provides warmth and love to all who are in need. The warriors, Harruel and Konya aren't the only warriors, but they take part in most of the scenes. Harruel is a burly, massive, towering man who eventually turns away from the tribe with ten others to start his own city. His ferocious fighting spirt makes him the head of the warriors. Konya is Harruel's friend, and follows Harruel when he leads the tribe away. Unlike him, he has a lean, but strong figure, and has earned second rank in power.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, and a little mystery and science fiction. It sets forth thought-provoking ideas, such as a second sight, gods, and contacting the spirit realm, to enhance the experience and make this book a must read for all adventure and science fiction lovers.
Somehow I wanted more from this.......2005-10-02
I feel like this took me forever to get through, despite breezing through the first 200 pages within 24 hours of cracking the cover.
The last 150, on the other hand, took me five or six days to get through.
I slammed through the early portions of this thanks to the really interesting premise: The Earth is struck by comets and plunged into a long ice age. The story picks up at the end of that era. A small group of "people", sheltered for thousands of years, exit their shelter at the end of the ice age to create a new world.
Sounds great, but things really ground to a halt about 200 pages in. Is this a soap opera? A philosophical exploration? A "lost civilization" story? An adventure? The book is not sure. Had it chosen its course and stayed there, I would have loved the ride. Instead, I found myself wanting more from this book.
Silverberg's premise is good enough, but the story didn't feel as if it actually went anywhere. Excellent and well done characters, good world-building, but no sense of urgency or movement to the story. Silverberg plays with some philosophical concepts, but he just doesn't do it very well. And the end was very anti-climactic and unsatisfactory. After reading several good Silverberg's, he may have just handed me my first dud (or semi-dud; the writing was very strong) in a long streak of pretty enjoyable books.
I wanted to like this. I really did. The characters and concepts were simply brilliant; the world building fantastic. But in the end it was just, "eh."
More than meets the eye.......2004-01-07
Let me say before I start this interview that I LOATH sci-fi or fantasy that involves talking monkies, apes, or animalistic humanoids in general. Silverberg, the literary master that he is, presents his characters in terms of who they are first, then much later their physicality. The entire book was fresh and innovative. After I was done it left me wanting much more. Not more from the story but more pages to devour.
The other thing I LOATH about sci-fi or fantasy are when authors bury us in consonant heavy, made up names. Silvererg actually manages to use strange names successfully to accentuate the story. There are tons of details, I recommend the read at the highest level.
My Inroduction to Gripping Sci-Fi.......2001-07-02
I've been looking everywhere for this book, and have been unable to find it at nearby bookstores and libraries. I read it many years ago, in junior high I believe, which seems not so long ago, but I haven't read it since. As soon as I find a copy to buy though, I plan on devouring the story word by word. Of all the books I have read, Silverberg's tale of a far-future earth has stuck with me, never fading as so many books and their plots often do. This is classic SF written by one of the masters in the genre. I recommend this to anyone searching for a great adventure and not wanting to be bogged down in a long drawn out series, i.e. Hubbard's Mission Earth, or Jordan's Wheel of Time, or perhaps to make the wait between installments not so agonizing, i.e. George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire or the Dune prequels by Kevin J. Anderson and David Herbert, two current obsessions of mine. Also try Silverberg's Lord Valentine books, those are classics as well, and worthy reads for any fantasist looking for someplace better to be, if only for a little while.
One of Silverberg's Best.......1999-10-27
Silverberg is perhaps SF's greatest living author. This is one of the best of his later works, a spellbinding and engrossing novel that transports to the reader to an alien world. It's not easy to create convincing aliens that human readers can identify with, but Silverberg succeeds here with a fascinating tale full of mythic archetypes, beautifully drawn characters, and of course his glittering and vivid prose.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect Birthday.......2006-01-07
This is an excelent book about a nine year old girl who is turning ten in the season of birth (Spring). She faces a hard situation that may take someone's life. A sad but also happy book about life then in 1824 on a New Mexican ranch.
Happy Birthday!.......2003-02-08
I think other people should read it because it's nice how her father gives her something valuable to her. Also because it's kind of fun how they repair the church. I think Josefina took good care of the goat, Sombrita. [Karla Cortez]
Excellent.......2002-10-14
This is another one of the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl (almost ten!) living in the New Mexico of 1824. In this book, Josefina finds joy in the work around her father's rancho, particularly nursing a newborn baby goat that has lost its mother. When she spends the day with her aunt Magdalena, the town's healer, she begins to think that she would also like to become a healer. But, there are big responsibilities that come with such a career. Tia Magdalena says that if she is to become a healer she will know...and Josefina may be about to find out!
The final chapter of this wonderful book is a highly informative look at growing up in New Mexico in 1824. And, as always, Jean-Paul Tibbles' beautiful illustrations make a wonderful addition to the text.
This book certainly goes a long way towards maintaining the tradition of excellence that one associates with the American Girls books. My daughter loves the stories, while I like the lessons that the author gently weaves throughout the book. My daughter and I both highly recommend this book to you.
A birthday surprise!!!!!!.......1999-02-03
Josefina is glad that her birthday is coming up. 9 going on to 10 was a great age to be! She could go on top of the church to replaster the church and help Tia Magandla, the healer, also her god-mother! She saved a life and got a kid named Somberetia, little shadow. To find out more, read this book!
A great new book about Josefina........1998-09-06
Josefina Montoya is a young girl living on a New Mexican ranch. She wants to be a healer like her godmother, Tia Magdalena. Tia Magdalena says she will have to wait though, to know if she is a healer. In the mean time, Josefina takes care of an orphaned baby goat, and has fun with her Puebloe Indian friend, Mariana. But one day when the girls are playing, Mariana gets a snakebite that could prove fatal, and this will be Josefina's test - can she be a healer? The next day, Josefina's tenth birthday is a celebration of bravery and second chances.
Customer Reviews:
Great!.......2003-09-12
This is another in the American Girls series about Samantha Parkington, a (now) ten-year-old orphan girl living with her grandmother in the America of 1904. In this book, it is Samantha's birthday, and a great party for her and her friends is followed by a special surprise; she is going to the metropolis of New York City, to visit with her aunt and uncle, and her aunt's vivacious young sisters. This is a time of learning about new ways of doing things...especially when Samantha learns her aunt's secret - she is a Suffragist!
The final chapter of this book is a fascinating look at growing up in the America of 1904. As always, the illustrations provided by Nancy Niles and Robert Grace are wonderful, and add a lot to the experience of reading this wonderful book. This is another great Samantha book, one that my daughter and I both highly recommend to you!
Groundbreaking young adult fiction.......2003-05-25
In this offering of the highly popular American Girls Series, Samantha Parkington learns more about her Uncle Gard's new wife after a new birthday present named Jip gets loose and leads the girls to City Park.
Remembering her strict Grandmother's earlier admonitions to stay away from radical suffragist activities, being caught in the park is a major concern, but Samantha and her cousins are in for a suprise feminist organizing crash course when they learn Grandmary has decided to listen to the lecture herself.
The prospect of American Women voting is no longer exotic or automatically radical, but the book implies connection between the 19th century "first wave" of feminism (suffragettes and reformers) with today's "second" and "third wave" counterparts who are able to enjoy political rights, the real life counterparts to Aunt Cornelia could only dream of using. Instead of being demonized or trivalized, women's political activity organizing on behalf of their own rights is something all women (regardless of age) should become involved in.
Even until the late 1990's, the numbers of American women participating in politics as office holders themselves remained pittably small compared to the percentage of potential elgible officeholders. Reccenty however, the question has shifted from if the United States will have a woman president to when and who that canidate will be.
The book is also notable because it suggests the inevitability of one time opponents eventually embracing feminism themselves as a result of respectful dialouge between both sides. This title technically is a children's book, but the lesson from the encounter between Samantha's beloved Grandmary (who has long expressed sentiments hostile to many progressive reforms) and Cornelia (herself ironically responsible for those same reforms) indicates women of initially different politics can work together and find common ground, if only they listen to eachother's concern's and needs.
I was however bothered the book did not mention women of color this increased climate of mutuality and respect. Although part of this was due to the very real biases of suffragists themselves (glossed over in the book)it also gives the impression of first wave feminists being more guilt-free of bias than they actually were. Having been raised by the same dominant society that freely proclaimed segregation and African American inferiority, these first wave feminists were unware of how it affected their work, or understood and placed potential southern support (whose elected officials were determined to avoid enfranchising black women) above earlier anti-racist committments.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMANATHA.......2002-04-04
I LIKE BOOK. IT GIVE MORE SUPRISED WHEN I START TO READ IT. ITS A
GREAT BOOK. I TITED YOU THIS BOOK.
A Great Book!.......2000-10-10
That brat Eddie Ryland ruined Samantha's perfect birthday party! Sam is so disappointed, until Agatha and Abigail get an idea! Read about Sam's trip to New York, where she chases a dog, sees a new side of Aunt Cornelia, and learns about women's rights.
Customer Reviews:
happy bday kirsten!.......2005-08-27
this book was REALLY good. Kirsten is way pretty! and she and her family are in a tornado!! I am 12 yearsold and i really enjoy this! It really feels like your in the tornado too! my cuz has all of her books i only have one but i wish i had all of her books I will probabbly soon but all fans who love adventures and american girl collection will go nuts over kirstens 4th book so good job Janet shaw for writing this!
you really did a good job!!
Fourth Kirsten Book in the American Girls Series.......2003-03-24
"Happy Birthday, Kirsten!" takes place on the Minnesota frontier in 1854, where a 9-year-old girl named Kirsten Larson lives with her Swedish immigrant family. In this book, she and her friends plan on making a quilt for their teacher, Miss Winston. However, Kirsten is much too busy with her added chores to be an active part of the group. Not only that, but she's uncertain about whether or not she'll be able to celebrate her upcoming tenth birthday (she was unable to do so the previous year), because of her mother's pregnancy. Despite Kirsten's dilemmas, the story has a happy ending for everyone, involving a new sibling, a litter of kittens, and a barn-raising party.
For being such a small book (59 pages), "Happy Birthday, Kirsten!" has quite a bit of historical info, mainly in the last six pages, titled "Growing up in 1854." In addition, there are numerous bright and colorful photos and pictures on practically every page in this book, drawn by the talented Renée Graef. This is an ideal book/series for preteen girls who like historical settings. If you liked this book, then you'll probably enjoy the other Kirsten books in this American Girls series as well.
A great story with a lesson.......2001-03-13
This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, whose family has moved to frontier Minnesota of 1854. In this book, Kirsten's mother is pregnant, and that means that Kirsten must do her own chores, plus those that her mother can no longer perform. With her birthday coming up, and all of her friends having fun working on a quilt for their teacher, Kirsten finds that she must concentrate on the work that must be done. How will it work out for Kirsten?
This is another wonderful story, with an important lesson. In it, Kirsten (and the reader) learns about responsibility and working together. As always, Renee Graef's illustrations are wonderful, and the final chapter (on growing up in 1854) is interesting and informative.
[For those adults interested in reading adult historical fiction about Swedish immigrants, please consider reading The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg.]
Kirsten's first birthday celebration in America........1997-07-14
It is springtime. Kirsten and her cousin Anna were beating rugs when they saw tornado clouds start to form. Everyone went into their cellar.
Kirsten is turning ten in one month. She has to stay home from school because her mom is having a baby and needs help around the house. Kirsten is sad and angry because she thinks she will miss out on all the fun at school, especially making a quilt for their teacher.
Find out what happens by reading the rest of this book.
Average customer rating:
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Green as in springtime, a new life, and God's will
Linda Jane Niedfeldt
Manufacturer: Northwestern Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0810005263 |
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New Love Poetry: In Some Springtime Place : Elegy/Nueva Poesia De Amor : En Algun Sitio De LA Primavera : Elegia (University of Toronto romance series)
Nicolas Guillen
Manufacturer: University of Toronto Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 080200427X |
Books:
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Books Index
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