Suspicion of Madness

Book Description

Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana's vacation in the secluded Florida Keys is interrupted by a bizarre local murder-with explosive and unexpected ramifications. Now, as a tropical storm threatens to unleash its fury, they find themselves trapped among the strange and secretive islanders, and plunged into an escalating nightmare of unknown terrors, unexpected twists, and deepening madness...

Customer Reviews:

Off the boil.......2006-11-27

I have very much enjoyed reading the series by Barbara Parker of the Connor/Quintana novels. The first, Suspicion of Innocence, is by far the best, although the others are also an excellent read. So I was very much looking forward to the release of this newest addition to the series.

I was sadly disappointed. The book is not "bad" as such, just off the boil. There seem to be a lot of characters and not much action and the ending felt rather weak. Perhaps the natural life of these characters has come to an end - it is a shame. I would still heartily recommend reading all the other books in the series, but perhaps wait for paperback for this one.

Suspicion of Mediocrity.......2004-07-26

"Suspicion of Madness," Barbara Parker's 2003 mystery featuring Florida lawyer Gail Connor is so trite and predictable and Connor's character is so watered-down, that "boring" just doesn't even suffice as a review.
Parker's treatment of attorney Connor verges on sexist, even misanthropy. But those words would require a story line worth staying awake for.
Barbara, save yourself before it's too late.

Not one of her best , but I'll still buy the next one........2003-12-27

I'm a fan of Barbara Parker's Gail Connor series but this one was disappointing because it lacked plausibility. There were way too many unstable characters all assembled for the book. As if a troubled teenager, an abusive and shifty ex-husband, a mentally disturbed handyman, and a reclusive actress weren't enough to start with, two other characters also decide to commit crimes before the book is over! While I could buy most of the plot and even the identity of the murderer, the final 'twist' just wasn't believable. Hitchcock wouldn't have used it.

I usually like the romance and the chemistry between Gail and her fiance, Anthony Quintana, but even that didn't save the book. These two characters have been through some serious issues as detailed in earlier books. It isn't plausible that at this stage of their relationship they'd be having trouble over the issue of when to set the wedding date, especially with Anthony agreeing to whatever Gail wanted! I would have preferred to see some real growth in their relationship.

Still, I'm not sorry I read the book. It's worth reading if you follow the series. If you don't, this isn't the book with which to start.

Not Up To Par.......2003-12-07

A lot of twists and turns, and a good ending...but not enough to save this one.

For one thing, there were too many "zany" characters, which made it nearly impossible to find any kind of entertainment value in any of them. There also seemed to be too many "subplots" going on at the same time, which made it difficult to follow along with the main story.

Gail has gone from a feisty, independent attorney to an insecure whining shrew. One wonders if she can go to the bathroom without checking with and getting Anthony's permission first. She whines when she thinks he doesn't want to marry her, then after deciding that maybe it's not a good idea to get married in the Keys without letting her daughter know, she gets upset when he suggests putting the wedding off until he's not in the middle of a case. She's still being manipulated by her daughter, but at the same time, she's breaking promises to her because she can't bear the thought of leaving Anthony's side for even a day. The character is turning into a caricature of who she used to be. And Anthony, ugh...I'm not sure I can think of a more stereotypical character except perhaps Carolina Aguilera-Garcia's Lupe Solano. The Spanish phrases, repeated in English in the next line, are overdone already. I've had enough of this rich, well-heeled Cuban to last me a lifetime. No one is this "perfect."

Hopefully this series will get back on track...though I'm not sure that's possible as long as Gail and Anthony remain together. I'd like to see the author return this series to the "Gail Connor" series that it used to be, rather than the "Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana" series that it's become.

disappointing.......2003-07-07

I am a fan of this series and will continue to be.

But this story lacked tightness. It was spread too thin with too much going on. Not enough tension. The plot seemed tired, as if she threw in characters just to fill the space.

But I still can't wait for the next one. I am sure the next one will be better.

Average customer rating:
Suspicion of Madness
Barbara Parker
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OV52AS

Average customer rating:
Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana Series: Suspicion of Innocence, Guilt, Deceit, Betrayal, Malice, Vengeance, Madness, Rage (Set of 8)
Barbara Parker
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000NHZ83Y

Average customer rating:
ONCE UPON A DREADFUL TIME: A Little Push from Cappy Fleers; The Safe Street; No One on the Line; Antique; Suspicion is Not Enough; A Family Affair; Granny's Birthday; Third Party in the Case; Hill Justice; If This Be Madness; Anatomy of an Anatomy
Alfred (editor) (Gilbert Ralston; Paul Eiden; Robert Arthur; Hal Ellson; Richard Hardwick; Talmage Powell; Fredric Brown; Philip Ketchum; John Falkner; Lawrence Block; Donald E. Westlake; Fletcher Flora; Hal Dresner; Tom MacPherson) Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Dell Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NRXOOE

Book Description

DESCRIPTION: Finally available in America: the debut novel from the author of The Tooth Fairy and Dark Sister It began as an experiment in college--a seemingly harmless investigation into "lucid dreaming," the ability to control one's dreams.But they stayed too long on Dreamside, and now, ten years later, the dreams have returned--returned to upend their adult lives. The dreams of youth fade, if you're lucky. If not, they can consume you . . . and will. "Graham Joyce writes the kind of novels we keep hoping to find, but rarely do."-JONATHAN CARROLLAUTHORBIO: GRAHAM JOYCE lives in England.

Customer Reviews:

Another winner for Joyce.......2004-11-03

Four college students partake in a lucid dream research project. They learn how to control and manipulate their dreams and eventually are able to meet up with each other on `Dreamside'. With their egos becoming god-like, a terrible tragedy takes place in their dream world. They soon discover that the nightmares are seeping into their waking lives and with unspoken agreement, the four split and stop the dreaming experiment. Twelve years later they are finding themselves drawn back into `Dreamside' and have to reunite in order to stop the nightmares from killing them all.

This was the second Graham Joyce book I've read, the first being `Tooth Fairy'. After reading the prologue, I knew it was going to be a good book. It reminded me of `Flatliners' or `Jacob's Ladder' in that you're never sure if what they are seeing is in their minds or is actually happening.

The book is sectioned off into three parts - the present where they are discovering that the nightmares are returning, the past where the nightmare begins, and the present again where they are trying to defeat the nightmares. Parts 1 and 2 were truly fantastic. I read them in one sitting. Part 3 I started and then weeks later finally finished. It just wasn't able to retain its pull. The ending seemed more like he was describing a movie and the visuals just didn't translate well into text.

Overall, though, I really liked the book. Dreamside wasn't scary in the same way that the Tooth Fairy was, which was super creepy!!!, but the writing was beautiful, the story interesting, and character's intriguing. Definitely another winner for Joyce.

Dreamy Premise, Drowsy Ending.......2001-12-02

Ella, Lee, Honora and Brad are college students in the UK who participated in a seemingly harmless experiment whih asks the question: are dreamers aware that they are dreaming as they dream? As the experiments continue and the participants become more daring, they discover how to actually choose a "Dreamside" meeting place and "meet" there as a group. However, as in all these science-runs-amuck stories, the experiments are abandoned due to a horrendous side effect--nightmares in real time and the inability of the dreamer to consciously know whether he/she has actually awakened or has dreampt he/she has awakened. One dreamer in particular is effected so thoroughly that her life is ruined, changed forever. Twelve years later, the since separated foursome are still pulled together by the reoccurance of Dreamside's side effects and must band together to stop the snowballing consequences that threaten to destroy them all. Sounds good, huh? Well. . .
Read the first half of this book---it does not disappoint--the present day unwanted reoccurance of the dreams, the details of the college time experiments, and the decision of two of the dreamers to band together to correct the problem---fantastic! Dream reading ---- But, the ending--[heck], IT PUT ME TO SLEEP--so, make up you own. Anything is better than the author's less than perfect three snores and a beer can climax and conclusion. Better yet, [see] Dreamscape or Flatliners on DVD or VHS.

I'm so glad I found Graham Joyce!.......2001-08-26

Dreamside was wonderful. A suspenseful mix of fantasy and horror. I highly recommend "The Tooth Fairy" and "Dark Sister" as well.

A Thrilling Take on a Stale Idea.......2001-08-09

Certainly the idea of crossing the borderline between dreams and reality, only to face disastrous consequences, is not a new one, but Graham Joyce's rendering of this idea isn't stale. His account of Ella, Lee, Brad, and Honora's experiences with lucid dreaming and the havoc these experiments unleash in their lives is a fascinating and engrossing fast-paced read. While Joyce doesn't completely wrap up all of the loose ends, he doesn't really need to. He gives the story the kind of closure and incident like this would have in real life: it isn't necessary to understand everything that happens as long as the terror finally stops.

A good effort.......2001-07-02

Graham Joyce is a wildly uneven writer. Requiem and Tooth Fairy are excellent, some of the best recent dark fantasy. Indigo, on the other hand, is just plain awful and Stormwatcher manages to be only marginally better. Dark Sister, although not as strong as his best two novels, is certainly engaging and a good, suspenseful read. Darkside is not nearly as good as Dark Sister but manages to keep the reader's interest through the ending. Joyce's weaker points, however, are his endings and that's certainly the case here. After a good run the book entirely breaks down in a bunch of sound and fury which I found, unlike other readers, signified nothing. This is the Jerry Bruckheimer theory applied to writing -- when in doubt, blow everything up!

Average customer rating:

DREAMSIDE
Graham Joyce
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTR5LE

Book Description

The first comprehensive resource on CRP--a powerful new way to assess heart attack risk

Half of all heart attacks and strokes occur in people with normal cholesterol levels--a phenomenon that has long baffled doctors.

C-Reactive Protein, or CRP, is a newly discovered measure of inflammation in the body that some researchers believe is twice as important as cholesterol in predicting one's risk of heart disease. C-Reactive Protein is the first comprehensive consumer book on the subject.

CRP is quickly becoming a hot topic in the media, and public awareness about CRP is growing. The American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control now recommend that some 40 million Americans have their CPR levels tested as part of their regular physical. Written by an awardwinning cardiologist, this book explains what CRP means to one's health and shows readers step-by-step how to keep CRP under control. Readers will find:

Important advice on what to do if CRP levels are high
Lifesaving information on nutrition, supplements, and medications
Instructions for getting CRP levels tested and more

Customer Reviews:

The High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein blood test is a predictor of future heart attack and stroke.......2007-06-19

If your High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Blood Test is over 3, you are in serious danger of a heart attack or stroke. My test was 11.4 and after taking 4 to 6 grams of L-Arginine, 40 mg of Zocor and walking 3 to 4 miles each of 3 to 4 days a week, it decreased to 5.96 in 6 weeks.
I kept at it and in another 6 weeks, it was down to 1.79, so it was under the threshold danger level. I was made aware of a risk of a big potential problem with this test and it was in time to do something about it. A previous test of C-Reactive Protein was not high, but the "High Sensitivity" or "HS" C-Reactive Protein Test is a much better measure of inflamation in the artery and coronary vessel walls.
I think some doctors are very jaded about research and slow to buy into the latest tests and research because they have so many drug salesmen coming to their offices each day. Doctors need to order this test as a matter of routine.
Thank goodness for the ladies in the church's prayer group that started praying for me when I learned I had a problem from a EBT Heart Scan, which resulted in getting the blood test and finding the information to get it under control.

If you still think cholesterol causes heart disease, this book's for you........2006-09-15

Have you taken meat & eggs out of your diet? Are you still trying to limit saturated fat to less than 10% of your total calories? Are you popping statins to keep that cholesterol level below the maximum de jure? How about some pills for that hypertension? Do you need more little brown bottles sitting on the bathroom vanity? Don't be fooled by the title of this book. Scott Deron takes the politically correct route through the "cholesterol & saturated fat" minefield, choosing dogma over science at every turn. Where's the new information about CRP in this book? Eighty percent of this book is a rehash of the same bromides we've been swallowing for 30 years. Cardiovascular disease, meanwhile, has continued to climb unabated. If you're looking for the root cause of cardiovascular disease, you won't find it in this book. If you're looking for interventions that split with the already-disproved AMA/AHA doctrine, you won't find that here either. Do yourself a favor. Use your money to buy Colpo's "The Great Cholesterol Con", McCully's "The Heart Revolution" or Francis' "Never Be Sick Again". Your heart will love you for it.

Average customer rating:

Delicious Dish

THE WARM, WITTY BOOK DU JOUR

Great book from a great lady!

Fabulous recipes, friends, and fun!

Loved the Book

Dishing: Great Dish -- and Dishes -- from America's Most Beloved Gossip Columnist
Liz Smith
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Essays | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0743251563

Customer Reviews:

Delicious Dish.......2005-12-07

As the subtitle of DISHING states, author Liz Smith is "America's most beloved gossip columnist." By now, she's probably also the longest working practicioner of this medium, which she helped to form into its modern incarnation.

If there is one problem with her columns, it's that she's so nice. Yet it is clear from reading her books that this must be her basic personality, a personality which is clearly formed.

Having read all of her books, I can say that her wit, her shrewdness and her kindness all shine through the pages. Her claim that she is much-loved seems accurate, and this love also seems to be well-deserved.

Though her pages (and her life) are peopled with names that most of us only can imagine knowing, she remains realistic about these friends and their foibles, even as she is compassionate.

So many names are mentioned here--not dropped, but described organically, as very much part of Ms. Smith's everyday existence--that the width and breadth are dizzying. What a life she has led!

The recipes may be best of all. Where once I cooked my way through the books of Julia Child, I am now considering cooking my way through DISHING.

DISHING is delicious.

THE WARM, WITTY BOOK DU JOUR.......2005-04-20

What's better than gossip with your gnocchi, tell-alls with your tea, or rumors with your rib roast? Everyone loves to eat and, whether we'll admit it or not, we all enjoy hearing the lascivious latest. Liz Smith, who well knows her way around a table and a tantalizing tale, has combined dish with recipes in her latest book. The title is "Dishing," and it's all gravy.

You gotta' love a gal who schmoozes with the rich and fabulous admitting that she once took a children's course in table manners after being flummoxed by a finger bowl during lunch with Mrs. Vincent Astor. It was during this class at the Plaza that she learned the appropriate way to leave a table: "......"we must never explain why we are leaving the table if we do. Simply get up and say `Excuse me," and fold the napkin across the back of the chair so the waiter will know you plan to return."

This came as news to the former resident of Fort Worth, Texas, whose constant childhood dish was milk toast, and where her mother insisted that she and her siblings eat watermelon in the bathtub because it was easier to hose them off afterwards. However, Texas is, as we know, where the stars are big and bright - there must have also been a lucky one for Miz Liz to be born under because one of the first to become her friend in New York City was Sirio, a waiter. Later, Sirio Maccioni would own a famous restaurant, Le Cirque.

Another famous restauranteur, Henri Soule, taught her the proper way to eat caviar, and she hilariously recalls the time he gifted her with an expensive case of wine. Having no idea of the value of this rare Chateau Petrus, she served it to her friends along with chili.

There's very little, whether it's food or the famous, that this author has missed. There's a memorable dinner in Paris with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and she sat with Nicole Kidman as the svelte star polished off every roll and bread in the table basket.

Amongst all the glitterati with whom has she shared the most unusual meals? Malcolm Forbes. "My first meeting with Malcolm, she writes, "was at a private dinner given by Barbara Walters where Malcolm roared up on a motorcycle and came in wearing black tie, carrying his helmet. He offered me a ride home but I dislike flying through thin air at sixty miles an hours."

Theirs was a mutually beneficial friendship, as he enjoyed the publicity she offered his magazine while she enjoyed being a guest on his yacht and visiting the Forbes chateau in Normandy. (Who wouldn't?) Nonetheless, according to Miz Liz the most outstanding meal they shared was a breakfast at his office building which housed his museum quality collectibles. On this occasion Forbes had the table decorated with his Faberge eggs, scattered about among the napkins and silver.

"Dishing" is subtitled "Great Dish - and Dishes - from America's Most Beloved Gossip Columnist." And, dishes there are - recipes for everything from Elvis's favorite potato sandwich to "Chipped Beef a la Krupp Diamond" courtesy of Liz Taylor.

With her column now syndicated in more than 70 newspapers, Miz Liz knows how to write, and even though she's been thinking about "turning her apartment kitchen into a closet," she knows what to eat and where to eat it. "Dishing" is a fun feast - pull up a chair and enjoy it.

- Gail Cooke

Great book from a great lady!.......2005-04-01

This book is wonderful! Warm and witty, with awesome recipes describing why they're so special - and it is great fun to read about the celebs who loved them, served them, etc. A fun read and awesome resource. (There is more text than recipes, but more than enough recipes to make it well worthwhile for cooks.) My one and only quibble is that there isn't an index, so when you find a recipe you're dying to try (I found several while just flipping through the book when it arrived), affix a post-it note if you want to be able to find it again. But the book is wonderful!

Fabulous recipes, friends, and fun!.......2005-03-31

I love the recipes! You'll enjoy the "dish" about famous folks but the reason you'll keep this book is the recipes. I grew up in Texas so I love Liz's recipes for Chicken Fried Steak and Frito Pie and red-eye gravy. I've never served a meal like Nora Ephron did but after reading Liz's book I'm hot on the trail of Chateau Suduiraut so I can duplicate that dinner party! From down-home food to extraordinary meals you'll grab a pencil and paper to make your shopping list and when you serve the food you can tell your guests, "This is Ann Richard's favorite" or
"Liz Taylor made this chili famous." Buy the book. It is a keeper!

Loved the Book .......2005-03-31

I loved this book. Its a page turner. Liz writes with such down to earth humor that it feels like my favorite aunt passed down her favorite recipes. I also like the fact that Liz seems so warm, funny and kind. Filled with my two favorite subjects: food and celebrities. I read this book on a Saturday, finished it by Saturday night and was cooking her recipes Sunday. And regarding the past review, I did not find the part about Rao's offensive at all. I just bought an additional copy for a Mother's Day gift...It's is a great read.

Average customer rating:

Everything you need to know about pampering your pet

I expected more

To All Dog Parents - A Must Read!

The Home Spa Book for Dogs: Nose to Tail Treatments to Soothe the Soul and Age-Proof Your Canine Companion
Jennifer Cermak
Manufacturer: Quarry Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Care & Health | Dogs | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Dogs | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1592531733

Book Description

Are you giving your dog the treatment he or she needs? Dogs are like people because they too can become stressed and fatigued or experience poor health conditions due to lack of attention and care for their needs. Now, here is a guide where you can find all the tips and tricks for better canine health and grooming.

In this fun, informative handbook, you can easily learn how to treat your pet as well as you should. From tips on grooming, massage, and even canine yoga, The Home Spa Book for Dogs instructs you in the many ways of keeping your dog healthy and happy. In learning the simple techniques of complete canine care, your own home will double as a canine-care retreat. Not only will you save money in vet bills and grooming but, more importantly, you will have more one on one time with your dog--who will thank you for that.

Customer Reviews:

Everything you need to know about pampering your pet.......2007-07-03

This book makes me want to open up my own pet spa. Good information and wonderful ways you can spoil your pooch.

I expected more.......2007-04-01

Even though this book had "Search Inside" option and I checked it, I thought it would provide more info for our fur baby.

To All Dog Parents - A Must Read!.......2007-03-20

If you're a SERIOUS dog parent (and by that I mean you have no human children or you totally love your canine to death) this book is for YOU! I collect Dog books, Dog magazines and this had information I had never found in other Dog books. It was very informative and user friendly. You could easily read this book in less than a week. Doesn't your furbaby deserve the best?!? I think so!
A MUST READ!

Average customer rating:
The Knopf Collector's Guide to American Antiques: Furniture: Volume One - Chairs, Tables, Sofas & Beds (The Knopf Collectors' Guides to American Antiques)
Marvin D. Schwartz
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Furniture Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Furniture | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0394712692
Release Date: 1982-10-12

Average customer rating:

Flowers for Special Occasions

Beautiful creative ideas!

Absolutely Beautiful

Breathtaking!

This is a book you will keep lookiing at for a long time!

Festive Flowers
Paula Pryke
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Flower Arranging | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Flowers | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Living Color

Paula Pryke's Wreaths & Garlands

ASIN: 0847825035
Release Date: 2002-10-11

Book Description

Every season calls for celebrations and gift-giving, and each occasion is personal and significant, from romantic events such as weddings and Valentine's day to Christmas and new-baby celebrations. In Festive Flowers the visionary floral artist Paula Pryke reveals her latest designs for marking these milestones with lush, beautiful flower arrangements.

Over 60 arrangements are presented in full color, including both close-up details of the design and evocative shots of floral decorations at actual events. These are not just table arrangements, but also wreaths, corsages, garlands, and hanging bouquets that can be custom made for homes, rented halls, churches, or an outdoor wedding. Twenty projects are presented in step-by-step format to allow anyone to re-create these designs, adding personal touches along the way. Paula also provides anecdotes, tips and hints gleaned from her wealth of experience as a leading florist.

Incorporating a wide range of elements such as seeds, fruit, candles, even jelly beans, Paula's novel ideas will always delight and surprise lucky recipients or guests. Festive Flowers will inspire decorators, brides-to-be, and party-givers of all types to new creativity with flowers.

Customer Reviews:

Flowers for Special Occasions.......2007-03-09

This book by Paula Pryke is full of useful ways with flowers from the garden, markets etc. to use for specific occasions. It is good reference material and basic ideas altho less inspiring than others I have.

The reason I downgrade it is the quality of the soft cover version I have, and a big disappointment, that has been reprinted off too many times on lesser quality paper and the photos are very grainy in appearance.
Being the owner of two other of Paula's books of top quality material, this one does not rate with them.
Wish I had ordered the hardcopy (mind you dont know what the paper is like in that one either).

Beautiful creative ideas!.......2001-11-19

This book is packed with gorgeous, lush photos of creative floral arrangements. Absolutely beautiful, unique ideas with easily understood directions and pointers. A great buy!

Absolutely Beautiful.......1999-12-11

I first purchased this book while taking a course in floral design. The book was passed around the classroom with everyone doings ooooohs and aaaaahs. Even if you are not a floral designer, but simply a person who enjoys flowers or you want to have a spectacular looking party or wedding, this book is for you!

Breathtaking!.......1999-10-16

This is a book for flower fanatics at all levels. The arrangements highlighted in this book range from contemporary and sleek to out and out exquisite. The photography is superb and the colors of the flowers jump off the page - you can almost smell the roses and lilies! I will definitely be looking at more of Paula Pryke's books.

This is a book you will keep lookiing at for a long time!.......1999-07-25

I am presently taking a floral arranging class at the flower market in Los Angeles. We have been encouraged to get as many books as we can to show us the different designs possible. Without a doubt this book is the best I have seen. Absolutely beautiful and unique arrangements.

Step-By-Step Dried Flowers: Over 30 Projects for Garlands, Swags, Wreaths and Festive

Average customer rating:

Step-By-Step Dried Flowers: Over 30 Projects for Garlands, Swags, Wreaths and Festive
Pamela Westland
Manufacturer: Smithmark Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Home & Garden | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

Flower Arranging | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0831727381

Average customer rating:

Festive Decorations
Ming Veevers-Carter
Manufacturer: Sterling Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0806974745

Festive florals: 22 shimmering & shining Christmas designs

Average customer rating:

Festive florals: 22 shimmering & shining Christmas designs
Teresa Nelson
Manufacturer: Hot Off The Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1562310895

Little Book of Garlands and Festive Decorations

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Little Book of Garlands and Festive Decorations
C. L. Books
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785802851

The Dried Flower Arranger's Bible: Over 30 projects for garlands, swags, wreaths and festive arrangements using dried or pressed flowers and foliage

Average customer rating:

The Dried Flower Arranger's Bible: Over 30 projects for garlands, swags, wreaths and festive arrangements using dried or pressed flowers and foliage

Manufacturer: Hermes House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000G3E21O

Average customer rating:

Festive Flowers 2002 Wall Calendar
Universe Publishing
Manufacturer: Universe Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Calendar

Book Description

Festive Flowers 2002 features flower arrangements for every season from one of the world's leading florists, Paula Pryke. Beautiful and useful, this calendar gives abundant ideas for home decorating. The spectacular photographs are accompanied by instructions for holiday-and seasonal-specific flowers and arrangements and instructins for caring for flowers year round. Acclaimed as "the most brilliant florist in London" (The Independent), Paula Pryke is internationally renowned for her original, ingenious and dramatic flower arrangements. Her work has been featured in such magazines as Elle, Brides, and Good Housekeeping.

Festive flowers: Two dozen Christmas projects using silk flowers

Average customer rating:

Festive flowers: Two dozen Christmas projects using silk flowers
Betty Valle
Manufacturer: Plaid Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006Y5ASC

Book Description

Flavia Alaya was 22 years old, a radiant but sheltered Italian American on a Fulbright in Italy, when she met Father Harry Browne. When the attraction that began in a cafe in Perugia grew too compelling to resist, they embarked on a relationship that violated one of the most powerful taboos of the Church and of society, yet endured for over 20 years. By day, they were subsumed in progressive community organizing. By night, they were subsumed in a relationship carried out, even through the birth of their three children, in absolute secrecyâ€“sub rosa, or "under the rose."

"Those asking for well-written honesty will be handsomely rewarded. In a poignant, lucid language that combines the pace of fiction with the intimacy of a love letter, her 'memory-ghosts' bring private and social history to full circle, the story of an immigrant's search for freedom of expression. Under the Rose is the very model of memoir writing, of a woman's voice finally finding perfect pitch."-Foreword

"Flavia Alaya has written a memoir with a rare elegiac style. Deeply spiritual with love and tragedy, but finally, a woman triumphant."-Malachy McCourt, author of A Monk Swimming: A Memoir

"Here is a timeless passion, recalled with a historian's precision. But it is also a modern political document, because these lovers took the definitions with which their times tried to imprison them--definitions of woman, of priest, of powerlessness--and transformed them, first in their own lives, and then out in the world."-Nuala O'Faolain, author of Are You Somebody? The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman

"Flavia Alaya's richly textured story kept me up half the night, riveted by its dauntless passion and fierce insight. For those of us who are Italian Americans and sometime Catholics, Alaya's tale will have special power in its unraveling of mysteries and sanctities that shaped our lives. But her headlong rush toward remembrance of things past will have extraordinary resonance, too, for all who have lived, loved, lost--and won."-Sandra M. Gilbert, co-author of No Man's Land and The Madwoman in the Attic

Customer Reviews:

A Life of Purpose, A Life Shrouded.......2000-05-11

I was first intrigued by the topic of illicit but loyal love but after reading the book I became more interested in the strength of the author who was able to pursue a career even as she maintained her secret relationship with a public figure until he left the Church and as she faced the rejection of her parents and some family members. These two burdens alone could have felled an average woman today but she was also coming of age in an era of turbulent social mores which placed greater strains on her life and yet she persevered. This is a worthwhile read for those who are interested in immigrant assimilation issues, feminism, New York urban development, and Italian American issues. I enjoyed the first half of the book the most because it evoked such a passion for life but the last half of the book honestly detailed their relationship thus saving it from being just another storybook romance.

A personal view.......2000-01-07

Under the Rose by Flavia Alaya

Let me start by saying that I've known the author for many years. When I received a copy of this book I was curious. Within a few seconds I was plunged deep into her Italian immigrant family, so strongly depicted that you almost smell tomato and garlic sauce steaming from the pages. I had thought I knew them. Now I understand that I didn't even begin to know my own family, and I barely knew my friend.

She has remembered for us with unremitting honesty one womanlife impelled by the dynamics only possible in late 20th century America, emerging from the Roman Catholic traditions of Europe into the political upheavals of the 60s. She tells us what happened to her and how she felt about it, avoiding the pitfalls of psychological interpretation, self-pity and justification. This is how it was for her, driven by inner passion, perhaps not yet fully understood, into a impossible relationship nurtured by both defiance and high ideals, balancing a challenging public career, a hidden family life, and political action around her irresistible love. I knew she was always very busy; but of her indomitable strength and courage I had only inkling. While we were all wondering about managing a career and a family, she was taking on whole dimensions of additional stresses. I think it should be classed as a survival manual for those who demand everything life can possibly offer.

I laughed and I cried and I understood things about my own mother as the author discovered hers; I was stirred to question dozens of my own accepted assumptions. The book has moved and astonished me. I didn't know my friend could write like this.

-J.L.

Average customer rating:
UNDER THE ROSE : A CONFESSION
FLAVIA ALAYA
Manufacturer: FEMINIST PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KVBYMC

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