Sweetness in the Belly: A Novel

Average customer rating:

Not that great...

Between cultures

Sweetness, famine, faith

Engaging read.

Illuminating and Inspiring

Sweetness in the Belly: A Novel
Camilla Gibb
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000N3T4H4

Book Description

Like Brick Lane and The Kite Runner, Camilla Gibb's widely praised new novel is a poignant and intensely atmospheric look beyond the stereotypes of Islam. After her hippie British parents are murdered, Lilly is raised at a Sufi shrine in Morocco. As a young woman she goes on pilgrimage to Harar, Ethiopia, where she teaches Qur'an to children and falls in love with an idealistic doctor. But even swathed in a traditional headscarf, Lilly can't escape being marked as a foreigner. Forced to flee Ethiopia for England, she must once again confront the riddle of who she is and where she belongs.

Customer Reviews:

Not that great..........2007-07-29

Maybe I missed something... I didn't think this book was as captivating as everyone else seems to. I didn't feel attached to the characters, and much preferred Leila Aboulela's novel, The Translator, which is a similar story but somehow more gripping.

"Sweetness" is a bit deceptive.

Between cultures .......2007-07-19

Sweetness in the Belly is the moving and heart-warming story of Lilly Abdal. Told in her own words, it adds to it a special liveliness, directness and authenticity. Camilla Gibb has succeeded in creating a rich and detailed account of the life of a young woman caught between cultures and identities. It is also a love story at different levels. Her narrative alternates between periods during the four dramatic years in Ethiopia and those during ten years in London, after leaving Ethiopia in 1974, at the end of Emperor Haile Selassi's reign. Gibb's novel is fast moving and particularly compelling in its portrayal of Lilly's life in the holy city of Harar. At the same time, she is conveying in-depth insights into the respective realities there and in England and establishes the religious and cultural context that surround the heroine with great subtlety and credibility.

Lilly, born in England but, after the murder of her peripatetic parents in Morocco, remains there and is raised at a Muslim shrine by the Great Abdal, a Sufi teacher, to become a devout Muslim. She is eight years old. When forced to leave Morocco at the age of sixteen due to political upheavals, she embarks on a pilgrimage across the Sahara desert to the ancient holy city of Harar in Ethiopia. Not being accepted as a white girl in the household of the local sheikh, she is sent off to live with a poor cousin of one of his wives. Nouria, single mother of four, subsists in a shack in a deprived part of town. Gibb evokes the sounds and smells of the place, creating an authentic portrait of the harsh life of its inhabitants. Nouria and the neighbours start off being hostile of this "farenji" who knows the Qur'an better than they do. It takes Lilly considerable time and effort to be accepted. Seeking to belong where she can feel emotionally an physically safe, she immerses herself completely in their world and accepts the customs of her surroundings. Through Lilly's eyes the reader is introduced to a culture, rich in tradition and rituals. Not all of them are acceptable to Lilly, given her Sufi upbringing and she argues against them. Political developments in Ethiopia and a new circle of friends also challenge her traditional beliefs and behaviour. When she develops romantic feelings for the young attractive doctor she has to chart out her own way.

Alternating with accounts of her time in Harar, as she grows into an adult (1970-1974), Lilly narrates her life in London, beginning fifteen years after leaving Ethiopia. Now working as a nurse and living in a poor housing estate, she remains an outsider who does not fit into British reality. Committed to preserve her religion and her Ethiopian culture, she befriends Amina, her Ethiopian refugee neighbour and creates an oasis of "home" around them. While Amina and her family adjust more and more to the western lifestyle, Lilly clings to the memories of her previous life and the people in it. But developments force her to reassess and look into the future rather than hanging on to the past. Will she be able to do it?

Gibb's rendering of the East African refugee scene is as realistic as her portrayal of conditions in Harar. Her novel is grounded and enriched by her thorough research and personal experiences with the cultures and the places she evokes. Ethiopians went through famine and deprivations during the early 1907s, a time that ended in the uprising against and eventual removal of the Emperor. Gibb brings this context into the novel without overburdening the reader. She finds a convincing balance between the personal and the general keeping the book a page turner from beginning to end. [Friederike Knabe]

Sweetness, famine, faith.......2007-06-08

On one level, this beautiful book is a love story. But it is set against a terrible history of conflict, persecution, genocide, and famine. The unlikely friendships that spring up between people of different backgrounds do not come easily, nor does love always promise a storybook ending. For although much of the book takes place in London in the 1980s, its emotional core is rooted in the years leading up to the terrible events surrounding the deposition of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia in 1974. [The details of this political upheaval are by no means clear from the book, but they are by not easy to understand by looking up "Ethiopia" on Wikipedia either -- though I urge interested readers to try.]

Camilla Gibb, an Englishwoman who has worked in Ethiopia as a social anthropologist, has chosen an unlikely but apt perspective for her protagonist, Lilly. Born of hippie parents, an English father and Irish mother, Lilly was taken from country to country, and was still a young child when her parents were murdered in Morocco. There, she was taken in by a Sufi scholar and trained in the Qur'an (with an additional diet of English literature supplied by an expatriate acquaintance). The upshot is that she arrives in the ancient city of Harar in Ethiopia on a pilgrimage while still in her teens, and stays there, living in relative poverty and eking out a living as a teacher, a "farenji" or foreigner in appearance, but a more knowledgeable devotee of Islam than most of the people around her. When civil war breaks out, she is forced to flee, only one of numerous Ethiopians to be torn from family and loved ones.

The book opens a decade after these events, which are established in outline within the first few pages. Lilly is living in London, working as a nurse, and (with a fellow Ethiopian refugee) running the local branch of an agency to reunite family members with one another. These sections of the novel, which alternate smoothly with African flashbacks, are similar to numerous other books about immigrant assimilation by writers such as Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, and Monica Ali, though Gibb has her own voice of tender sorrow. The paradox is that English-born Lilly is more reluctant to assimilate than her Ethiopian friend Amina. But all the characters have their own traumas, and they each find healing in different ways.

I was not sure that I would like this book at first. It starts with a rather over-written introduction, then plunges into a description of an emergency childbirth scene that is hard to get into focus. Gibb tends to do this -- throwing a scene at you so suddenly that you wonder if you have missed some essential preparation -- but each episode supports the others, and she creates an amazing feeling of immediacy and authenticity. The same with her use of language: she is free with her use of foreign words, often without translation; the effect is like learning a language by the immersion method. While other writers throw in foreign words merely for local color, keeping the reader essentially on the outside looking in, Gibb makes you feel on the inside looking out. Her success in convincing me of the texture of daily life among women in a Islamic country is even greater than the best passages in Khaled Hosseini's A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS. For a sensitive inner look at how it feels to be a devout Muslim woman in the western world, I can only compare this to Leila Abouela's fine but simpler novel THE TRANSLATOR, which I recommend to anybody who has enjoyed this book.

Engaging read........2007-05-15

A story of an English-woman raised in Morocco in traditional Sufi ways, who later takes on a pilgrimage to
the sacred city of Harar in Ethiopia and then later immigrates back to England. An outsider in both, Muslim Africa and England, she
straggles to assert her place. Finally as she manages to fit herself in Harar and falls in love with idealistic doctor, the country
embarks on a civil war and she finds herself in England separated from him. Living among Ethiopian refuges she organizes, with
her friend, refuge community center, which help reunite separated families. It all happens on a back drop of her inability to fit in
the modern British life, search for her lover and depression enveloping her mind. Until she finally learns about his death and makes
peace with her memory.

All these petty details fail to convey great sensitivity expressed in this book. Its language is simple and
concise, and not very poetic, but what sets this book apart is the story and its perfect pace. It is really amazing to almost feel
characters coming to life from the pages of the book. So realistic they appear, that one develops sort of spooky sense of familiarity,
as if having them in ones life. This is very much unlike intellectual narratives of, for example Umberto Ecco. Somehow, by simple means
Camilla Gibb manages to engage the reader in a deep, emotional way. Highly recommended.

Illuminating and Inspiring.......2007-01-27

This beautifully written and impeccably researched tale contains a wealth of information about the battered country of Ethiopia and the strength and resilience of its people. It is obvious that Camilla Gibb had first-hand experience in the field and has the highest regard for those who went through the terrible years of war, famine, upheaval and dictatorship.

Sweetness in the Belly personalizes this unthinkable social and political tragedy so that we have an inside view into the life of Lilly, a privileged Muslim woman with an ill-fated attraction for Aziz, a doctor and a man of another class.

The book goes back and forth between Ethiopia and England as Lilly reflects back on early years in her homeland before she was forced to flee. It is a testament to human nature that anyone can survive the atrocities that were perpetrated on these blameless souls, and can emerge with any kindness, decency and dreams for the future. That makes this a book of hope with a wealth of fascinating information, although at heart, it's also just a great story.

I'll be looking for more books by Gibb, after I've watched some lightweight comedies on DVD that will serve as a buffer from reading about so much pain.

Sigrid Macdonald
Ottawa, Ontario

Book Description

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....

Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

A fun, fast, funny, and wonderfully intriguing blend of vampire and mystery that's hard to put down, and should not be missed. (Susan Sizemore)

Praise for Charlaine Harris:

Harris writes neatly and with assurance. (New York Times Book Review)

An author of rare talents. (Publishers Weekly)

Download Description

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, but she keeps to herself and doesn't date much because of her "disability" to read minds. When she meets Bill, Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's the type of guy she's waited for all of her life, but he has a disability, too--he's a vampire with a bad reputation. When one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next.

Customer Reviews:

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.......2007-09-25

I went into this novel with very low expectations, and as such, it exceeded them. It isn't Pulitzer Prize winning material; but, it's a fast, fun read.

Ms. Harris is a seasoned mystery writer; but when her more mainstream novels didn't sell as well as she would have liked, she decided to write a more profitable series; namely, one that could be marketed as fantasy and/or horror. She took what she knew and threw in a telepathic waitress, a humanistic vampire and a charmingly modest shape shifter. That may not sound like a recipe for success; but, Harris managed to pull it off - with only a few minor mechanical flaws.

Sookie, in blatant contrast to her genre equivalents - cynical, hardened, magic wielding detectives - is rather quiet and almost painfully naive. Though her voice is mostly entertaining, she sometimes slips into the vocabulary and cadence of a woman Charlaine Harris' age (who will be fifty-seven this year), rather than the twenty-five that she is supposed to be. She also flip-flops between confident virgin by choice and self-doubting sexual outcast. The latter narrative flaw is easier to overlook than the former; but both put a nasty kink into Harris' narrative flow.

The story itself is fairly solid - with all of the genre requirements being met:

supernatural beings - check
death w/subtle gore - check
open ending meant to facilitate a potentially never-ending series - check

Working against it is the fact that it is yet another Louisiana vampire story. I'm beginning to wonder if anyone can resurrect the pre-Anne Rice vampire myths; allowing their undead characters to live anywhere they damned well please. At least Harris isn't writing about New Orleans. I have to give her credit for that.

I will admit, I was sucked in by Charlaine Harris' story. I even missed a few favorite television shows in order to continue reading; but, I'm not sure that I loved it. If you're a fan of the recently inundated dark fantasy detective novels, I would recommend it - but I would also suggest buying it used if at all possible.

Hoping the series gets better.......2007-09-24

I've read various contemporary vampire series and figured I'd give this a try. I suppose I could call it kind of cute at times. But that doesn't seem right for a vampire book. But that's it. I think the cover really says it all. The vampire, Bill, has no personality whatsoever. I know he's a vampire, but he could have a little more depth. He's kind of boring. And Sookie... well, I can think of several words to describe her, none of which are very flattering. But, she reminds me of a bad actress. Know how when you see a movie with a character that just clearly can't act? And you want to like her but it's just bad...? That's what Sookie reminds me of. And she spends half the novel crying. I don't know. It was different, so I will probably give the second one a shot.

Reading in between black dagger brotherhood.......2007-09-18

I'll admit that I'm obsessed with vampire romance novels. I haven't been able to find anything to read in between Black Dagger Brotherhood novels. It was actually getting quiet irritating reading 50 pages of a book and putting it down forever. Thank goodness for Sookie Stackhouse. Being from the South has its full advantages when reading this series. The "War of Southern Aggression..." come on...thats just hilarious. This book takes a little getting used to reading, but after the first couple of chapters, you have to know what happens. It is also good to read if you are just getting into romance novels because the love scenes are not quiet as graphic as some other series. All in all, a light, humourous read. Plus, the second and third books are even better!

Something to sink your teeth in.......2007-08-17

Although I should know better than to judge a book by its cover, for the longest time I refused to read this series because the cover just didn't seem to fit a vampire book, however I was running low on books to read, and I've seen Charlaine Harris's name on reviews of several books I adore so I figured I'd go ahead and give it a try. It was well worth the money I spent for the book, and I have a new author to read now.

The characterizations are wonderful and Harris puts a new spin on many of things. Sookie, is a wonderful light hearted main female character and pretty unique in the genera as she seems more down to earth--despite her disability [the ability to read minds]. The vampires in the book cross a wide varieties of spectrums-- from Bill a vampire trying to mainstream it, to Bubba whose drug problem when he was human affected his turning and unlife, as well as the more stereotypical vampires. The plot was also quite solid, with enough twists to keep you entertained.

I am looking forward to reading the other novels in this series.

Dead Until Dark.......2007-08-16

" Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quite, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability". She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life....

But Bill has a disability of his own. He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of - big surprise - murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next...."

This was the introduction of the story on the back cover. But I honestly do think that it is very easy to underestimate the story just by reading that intro. The story is much more intriguing, really catchy and very well written. I have actually started reading the series for the second time and it's as good and as "contagious" as it was the first time I read the books.
I definitely recommend these series to those who love paranormal romances/mysteries !!!

Muerto Hasta El Anochecer/ Dead Until Dark (Ventana Abierta)

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Muerto Hasta El Anochecer/ Dead Until Dark (Ventana Abierta)
Charlaine Harris
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Misterio | Libros en español | Formats | Books

Charlaine Harris Southern Vampire Collection[1-6][sookie Stackhouse] (southern vampire, 1-6[dead until dark/club dead/living dead in dallas/dead as a doornail/dead to the world/definitely dead)

Average customer rating:

Charlaine Harris Southern Vampire Collection[1-6][sookie Stackhouse] (southern vampire, 1-6[dead until dark/club dead/living dead in dallas/dead as a doornail/dead to the world/definitely dead)
charlaine harris
Manufacturer: ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WNAVDG

Product Description

the outstanding sookie stackhouse southern vampire series by charlaine harris!!!

Book Description

While on a mission for the CIA to recover stolen Iraqi artifacts, Lara Croft narrowly escapes death–only to be thrown headlong into her next action-packed adventure.

After destroying years of his research on the ancient Méne cult, archaeologist Professor Frys is murdered by an unknown assassin. Lara Croft knows her colleague must have stumbled upon a dangerous secret–and someone took his life to ensure it would remain in the shadows. So Lara jets to the mysterious cloud forests of eastern Peru, home of the Méne ruins, and makes a shocking discovery: A group is attempting to revive the sinister cult and its mind-controlling ways. One of the followers is Lara’s former friend and failed protégé, Tomb Raider Ajay–and she is determined to see Lara silenced . . . permanently. But Lara, never one to run from a challenge, has other plans.

Download Description

While on a mission for the CIA to recover stolen Iraqi artifacts, Lara Croft narrowly escapes death—only to be thrown headlong into her next action-packed adventure.

After destroying years of his research on the ancient Mene cult, archaeologist Professor Frys is murdered by an unknown assassin. Lara Croft knows her colleague must have stumbled upon a dangerous secret—and someone took his life to ensure it would remain in the shadows. So Lara jets to the mysterious cloud forests of eastern Peru, home of the Mene ruins, and makes a shocking discovery: A group is attempting to revive the sinister cult and its mind-controlling ways. One of the followers is Lara's former friend and failed protege, Tomb Raider Ajay—and she is determined to see Lara silenced…permanently. But Lara, never one to run from a challenge, has other plans.

Customer Reviews:

A good game novel for what it is.......2007-06-10

Awful writing, terrible character development, painfully contrived plot, no substance whatsoever. In short, exactly what you're looking for in a novel of this type. It's purely fun to read. You will not find any great revelations about the Lara Croft character or studies into the heroine's psyche. It's clear that the novel was written by an American, as the more British aspects of Lara are dealt with somewhat ham handedly, but this is forgivable. It's hardly worth reading unless you have an interest in the Tomb Raider series, and it is defiantly not a good entrance point into it. All in all, read it if you're looking for a taste of that Tomb Raider thrill during a long flight or a day by the pool.

It's Croft versus Cthulhu.......2005-01-18

Or the Cult of Cthulhu, at least. After rescuing some priceless artifacts stolen from Iraq (a laughable and tasteless way to get the story rolling), Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, finds herself caught up with yet another dangerous cult. It seems that someone is trying to resurrect an ancient, proto-religious following called Mene (or The Numbered) and is willing to kill any and all that get in the way of doing so. What makes the situation personal is that an old friend, Alison "Ajay" Harfleur, who wanted nothing more than to be exactly like Lara, has fallen in with the reforming Mene. The Tomb Raider and Ajay's jilted fiance, a mechanical armed behemoth nicknamed Borg, give chase. Despite the promising concept rooted in Lovecraftian lore, I found this outing a tad slow and wordy, focusing less on the action and more on the character (as opposed to The Amulet of Power, which was all action and NO character development), but it had some cool monsters and an exciting finale, with Croft facing off against a bonafide "Deep One." Tomb Raider fans should enjoy it. I just hope that the third book, The Man of Bronze, will be the proverbial charmed one - a pitch perfect blending of action and character.

A good, light Lara Croft story.......2004-10-14

This is a good though not spectacular Lara Croft book. The characterisations in general were very good. For the first third the characterisation of Lara seemed a bit odd to me. She was portrayed as considerably more of a typical English Lady than I have ever pictured her. She was also depicted as having a fan club and being some sort of celebrity. I am more of a movie fan than a games fan so I do not know whether games fans would find that odd or fitting. At any rate, that section was still well written. After it the action really starts. The action scenes are written in a clear style with lots of dramatic action. Some of them might not pass muster if they were in a more realistic book, but they are very entertaining regardless. Lara also has several companions who come across as fleshed out, interesting characters. The fighting is left to Lara, while these characters fill out very appropriate roles of their own in the story. There is even a bit of philosophy about the nature of reality versus the perception of it. One thing I did find objectionable, and I must warn that this is a bit of an ending Spoiler, was that Lara found reasons not to kill her main opponents, but the author gave them gruesome deaths anyway. That was rather unnecessary. All in all, this is a light action adventure story. I would not recommend it on its own, but I would to any people already fans of Lara Croft.

Seriously excellent Lara Croft Novel!.......2004-10-11

This one is much better than the other I read and really provides nice depth to Lara. I'll keep this one and read it again. Highly recommend!

a nice read.......2004-08-17

when doing a lecture, lara is approached by a man who tells her that his fiance is missing and would like the tomb raider's help. his fiance use to be a good friend of lara's so of course she agrees and off they go to peru in search of her. on their travels and journeys they find a mysterious cult that has been forgotten for cenuturies with buried secrets that are best left buried.

this book will keep you coming back for more even though the action scenes were a little dull. but if you are crazy about this series you will definitely like the book.

Book Description

This book takes a hard-hitting look at our nation's fall into a liberal, relativist worldview. In it you will find logical arguments as to why liberalism and relativism are illogical. Wake up and Smell the Truth gives a clear understanding of our founding fathers' worldview. This book is not politically correct, but it is correct nonetheless! The book hits on hotbutton issues such as abortion, taxes, education, United States sovereignty, and many more!

Customer Reviews:

No Holds Barred.......2005-09-27

If you are concerned about the state of our state, Wake Up And Smell The Truth is just what the doctor ordered. Reverend Berman knocks this one out of the park with his keen insight about just what is wrong with our country. Not only does he take us back to understand that this country was founded on Judeo Christian Values,his easy to follow logic really makes you think how far we have slipped away as a nation from those values. Talk about HOT TOPICS, Reverand Berman is not shy to talk about all the topics that bring out the best and the worst in all of us. Put on your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy bumpy ride.

Book Description

This outstanding new book is the definitive source for those wanting to delve into the food and culture of the Jewish people. The recipe selection is a tempting and eclectic mix of over 150 classic and contemporary kosher dishes that draw on the culinary traditions of the global Jewish community.

Customer Reviews:

A learning experience with great recipes, gorgeous photos! .......2007-09-01

author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

from the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
May 17, 2002

Once in a great while, a cookbook comes along so utterly gorgeous it practically springs from my kitchen shelf and hurls itself upon my coffee table.

Marlena Spieler's latest, "The Jewish Heritage Cookbook" (Lorenz Books), subtitled "a fascinating journey through the rich and diverse history of the Jewish cuisine" is so leap-off-the-page lusciously photographed you can practically taste the food. But lest you think this book is just another pretty face, Spieler, author of over 30 cookbooks, includes informative chapters on the history of Jewish cuisine, the holidays and kashrut as well as general guides to the preparation of all foods Jewish, everything from grilling mamaliga to pounding hawaij and berbere (spice mixtures).

"This is my first Jewish cookbook," said the California native on a recent visit to San Francisco from her home in London. "I've done theme books, like Mediterranean and olive oil and mushrooms, but I've always had a Jewish touch somewhere, including dishes either from Israel or my travels or my Jewish family and friends."

Spieler fondly remembers Sundays in her grandmother's kitchen, her early inspiration. "My grandmother ran a law firm and worked until a few days before she died at 93. Well, she had to cut back a little -- she only worked from 9 to 5 then. But on Sunday morning, people would start coming, and she would start cooking. I couldn't say they'd come for breakfast, lunch or dinner, because it was all one meal.

"We would smell the chicken soup as we went off to synagogue school, and by the time we got home she'd have matzah brei and kasha varnishkes and meat patties with onions. This went on until late evening. Bachi really gave me the love of cooking."

Spieler traveled widely as a young adult, even lived in Israel for a year, and was working as an artist in Greece when she started including recipes with her drawings of food. A publisher offered to publish the recipes (minus the drawings) launching her career as a food writer, broadcaster and columnist.

These days, Spieler divides her time between San Francisco and London, where she is a frequent guest on the BBC. Her column "The Roving Feast" is carried by the New York Times Syndicate and the San Francisco Chronicle.

"The Jewish Heritage Cookbook" is a truly international celebration of Spieler's curiosity about Jewish people and Jewish food. "I love meeting Jews from different cultures, because they have different dishes on the table," she said. "I love to cook and hear their stories and find it really exciting that people with such different cultures share the same heritage and holidays."

The book's section on the festival of Shavuot (literally "weeks," because it occurs seven weeks after Pesach) is accompanied by a magnificent illustration from a 13th century manuscript of the Book of Ruth, the portion read on this holiday.

Shavuot, which began at sundown on Thursday, May 16, commemorates the giving of the Torah as well as the offering of the first fruits of the season. Spieler notes that although Shavuot meals are based on dairy products, "there are no rules that say this must be done."

Why dairy? Scholars differ, she says. Perhaps the tradition evolved because spring grazing produces more milk at this time. Also, in "Song of Songs," the Torah is associated with milk and honey. Some suggest that while the Israelites were receiving the Ten Commandments, they were gone so long their milk turned to cheese; others contend that upon their return they were too hungry for anything but milk to sustain them.

Whatever the explanation, for Ashkenazim it's bring on the blintzes, while Sephardim enjoy cheese filled borekas.

A typical Shavuot starter in central Europe is Hungarian cherry soup perfumed with cinnamon and almond flavor. "The nice thing about this soup," Spieler noted, "is at Shavuot the days are beginning to get warm, and it is really refreshing. I eat it as often as a dessert as with a meal."

Summer squash and baby new potatoes in warm dill sour cream is a festive Israeli celebration of spring and perfect for Shavuot with its fragrant dill and sour cream or yogurt topping.

While cheesecake is traditional fare for Shavuot, we opted for cheese-filled Jerusalem kodafa drenched with syrup, an unusual dessert popular throughout the Middle East, where it is commonly made with a shredded wheat-like ingredient called kadaif. Spieler substitutes couscous as it is prepared in Jerusalem.

"In the Old City, when things were good and people were more friendly, they would make it in these big metal trays that they'd carry on their heads," she noted. "I've had it in the Lebanese community of London as well, but in Jerusalem, all the little tea and coffee shops serve it."

food and history.......2004-05-17

What a beautiful book both visually and for the taste of the recipes! Marlena provides a context for these recipes by writing a lovely history of the jewish people as it relates to their disbursement throughout the world and their use of the local foodstuffs. Great for jews and gentiles alike!

Incredible.......2002-12-11

This book has changed the way I think about Jewish cooking. Instead of the heavy, starch-and-fat dishes I know, Spieler's recipes include a lot of vegetarian dishes and mediterranean flavors. The recipes are easy to make, unlike many ethnic cookbooks. I made the tomato and Israeli couscous soup last night and it tasted as good as the picture looked. I got this book as a gift from my mom, and she done good on this one. You won't regret buying this.

Come for Cholent...again, the All New Jewish Stew Cookbook

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Come for Cholent...again, the All New Jewish Stew Cookbook
Kay Kantor Pomerantz
Manufacturer: Bloch publishing company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MCGNHU

Product Description

experience the jewish culinary heritage, redolent of tradition

Average customer rating:

The Jewish Heritage Cookbook
Marlena Spieler
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MU6ORQ

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fun collecting for young kids as well as grown up kids

2005 North American Coins & Prices: A Guide to U.S., Canadian, and Mexican Coins (North American Coins and Prices)

Manufacturer: Krause Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Coins & Medals | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

2006 Standard Catalog Of World Coins 1901-present

ASIN: 087349797X

Book Description

Coin prices have fluctuated considerably in the past year, and

updated market values are a must for collectors. This

easy-to-use guide features the latest prices in 11 grades of

condition, covering over 45,000 North American coins. Four

all-new chapters are included in the introductory section of the

book: ?Hot Buys in 2005,? ?Gold ? Catch the Collector

Wave,? ?Time for Commemoratives,? and ?State Quarters

Race Ahead?. These, along with chapters on the basics of coin

collecting, will keep experienced collectors up to speed and

provide complete information for aspiring collectors of U.S.,

Canadian and Mexican coins.

This best-selling reference enables collectors to organize their

collections, and also provides updated Web addresses of the

nation?s coin dealers and affiliated organizations.

Customer Reviews:

fun collecting for young kids as well as grown up kids.......2005-06-01

THIS IS A SUPERB REFERENCE BOOK FOR THE STARTING COLLECTOR AS WELL AS THE MORE ADVANCED COLLECTOR - EASY TO USE - GOOD B/W PHOTOGRAPHS - FACTS AS WELL AS VALUES ARE LISTED - EASY TO USE AND UNDERSTAND - A WONDERFUL REFERENCE FOR ALL AGES

Average customer rating:

Extremly creative and easy to understand

Nice photos but not paper

The Art of Papermaking with Plants
Marie-Jeanne Lorente , and Vincent Decorde
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Papercrafts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0393731359

Book Description

From palm leaves to garlic skin, a visually tantalizing catalog of fifty recipes for crafting paper from plants. Offering concise, step-by-step instructions and simple techniques, Marie-Jeanne Lorenté mines an array of both common and exotic vegetables, trees, and plants—including lavender, pistachio leaves, and pumpkin skin—to reveal their exquisite utility in creating fine paper for a range of artistic uses. The works of nine paper artists are included as inspiration. Color illustrations throughout.

Customer Reviews:

Extremly creative and easy to understand.......2005-09-07

I loved the book from the moment I turned the first ten pages, it is beautifully illustrated and all instructions are so well written.
Specially for all people who are interested in working with natural material in their papermaking this book is a must have .

Nice photos but not paper.......2004-08-09

This is a wonderful looking book but the title is misleading. These are not true papers but pressed plants. I would love to see the actual pieces to check for stability. Lovely to look at in the book, but do they hang together? Don't even think of putting these through your printer or even writing on them. Perhaps they are meant for framing.
maid of paper

Book Description

Winner of the 1997 AIA International Architecture Book Award Citation for Professional Reference, this lucid guide to architectural precedence explains how to analyze existing buildings with the aid of diagrams. Included is factual data on eighty-eight structures of wide-ranging function, style, and period—a welcome reference source for the novice and seasoned professional alike.

Customer Reviews:

Quite a stretch.......2004-12-08

The works that best qualify for this type of investigation is clearly Post Modernist stuff. Seeking this analysis in Modern Architecture like that of Mies is quite a stretch. Surely not for use in contemporary Architectural climate. Thankfully it does not attempt next to dissect Ghery!!!! Buildings werent built like this!

Excellent! Disregard the sour grapes below.......2004-03-10

Pertaining to another snide review... The point of masterworks is that they allow and reward reinterpretation and new readings over time. Rediscovery and renewal are why the buildings remain important. This book offers diagrammatic re-readings which may or may not jibe with the architects professed goals, but that's its value. When interrogating classic buildings, there are absolutely valid reasons at a certain point to say "Let's now disregard the architects intentions for the time being." Turning to any architects extremely manipulative, apocryphal histories is fraught with it's own perils, because their job requires them to wear so many hats; huckster, self-promoter, personal historian, authority, white-liar... etc. "Truth" - whatever that is - becomes the casualty.

If you are in architecture school, this book is a godsend towards formulating points of departure (!) for your own work, not towards getting down to the generative origins of canonical works. Do we really need another book consisting only of official stories already heavily documented eleswhere? This book is thankfully nothing of the sort, and that's why it is invaluable as a REFERENCE BOOK.

Great analysis of consistentcy in .......2002-11-27

This book does a great job at distilling essential qualities of architecture through the analysis of exemplary projects, and illustrating how the consistency of design can be seen through parti. It would be an ideal book for any student of architecture.

Formalist Garbage.......2002-08-28

This is the only way to describe the diagramming efforts that have been shown here. It is almost ridiculous to see the attempt to find the golden rectangle in almost every building. Believe me geometrical nonsense as well as the "parti" was no where in the mind of FLW for Fallingwater. Similarly the critical agenda as well as the main "idea" of the building is a whole lot richer and important than seeing symmetry and axes. My million $$ question is how does the participant in any space percieve that axis shown when he is more immersed in the feeling of the architecture? I guess that this mumbo-jumbo stopped at Venturi as I havent seen any "analysis" (save critical and existential) of Holl, or HDM or Ito or Koolhaas or Eisenmann or anyone of the Avant Garde.

Stay away from this book if you want to learn anything about architecture.

the bible of building analysis.......2001-10-02

As a first-year student, I didn't know a thing about building analysis. This book taught me. It has dozens of diagrams, covering dozens of buildings. It took me from looking at facades to looking at (and understanding) geometry, proportion and the components that make up the building as a whole. Basically, it changed the way I see architecture.

Book Description

Authentic 19th- and 20th-century royalty-free graphics: human and animal figures, music and dance, florals, geometrics, much more.

Book Description

A behind-the-camera portrait of the late George Stevens' 1965 Holyland, which he built in Utah's Monument Valley in order to film The Greatest Story Ever Told.Darby reveals startling details of the final surgery that scarred the film, along with the critiques that deeply wounded Stevens.

Customer Reviews:

THE UNMAKING OF THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD MOVIE.......2002-07-09

KEN DARBY TELLS A GOOD STORY ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THAT LEAD TO THE FAILURE OF DIRECTOR GEORGE STEVENS "TGSET", BUT IN REALITY IS ONLY ABOUT THE MUSIC. iF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WRITING OR THE DREAMS OF STEVENS, LOOK FOR A FUTURE BOOK. A INTERESTING STORY BUT LACKS DETAILS.

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