Customer Reviews:
a delightful new series.......2007-08-15
I love how you learn about needlecraft along with the heroine. The heroine, Betsy, is a very believable character and I found that I could feel her pain when she thought about the loss of her sister. I look forward to reading more about Betsy and her needlecraft shop.
A pleasant surprise.......2007-07-29
I was a little skeptical about this series. I'm a knitter, not a needleworker, so I wasn't sure I'd be interested in the inner workings of an embroidery shop, even with a mystery thrown in. But the cast of characters was intriguing, and the plot had enough twists and turns to keep any mystery lover enthralled. Not the deepest book I've ever read, but interesting enough to make me want to read more of the series -- and maybe even try a needlepoint project some time!
Uneven Debut.......2006-03-29
Betsy Devonshire has just suffered her second divorce. Not sure what she wants out of life, she packs her belongs and sets out from California toward Minnesota and her sister. Margot Berglund is a widow who has made a name for herself in the small town of Excelsior running Crewel World, a shop devoted to needlecraft of all kinds. The two women were close as kids, but have grown apart as adults. Still, Margot is the only person Betsy felt she could turn to in her time of crisis.
Betsy doesn't intend to stay long in Excelsior. Just long enough to get her emotional feet back under her. But a job at Crewel World seems like a good idea to help pay back Margot for her kindness.
Then, one night, Margot is murdered in the back of the shop. The store was ransacked, and the police are convinced that Margot interrupted a burglar. Betsy isn't so sure. Her sister was much smarter then that. Betsy begins to poke around to figure out what really happened while dealing with her own emotional pain at the loss of her sister.
Okay, so I admit I'm completely the wrong audience for the series. I don't know anything about knitting or needlepoint or any of the other crafts that feature in the book. But I have found some great cozy series hiding under a disguise like this, so I gave the book a try.
The story is as much about Betsy as it is about the mystery. We are treated to chapters about her deciding what to do about the shop and her struggles to fit into a typical small town. It's only in the second half where she gets interested in figuring out what happened to her sister. Once the mystery really takes off, it does a good job of throwing the red herrings out there. I enjoyed the ride, just wish it had been given a little longer to develop. The ending, while logical and satisfying, seemed rushed, something that more time would have fixed.
Not that all the time spent on Betsy wasn't interesting. Her clashes with the shop's landlord and the woman who wants to run the shop were good reading. Betsy grows and by the end regains the confidence she must have had before her divorce. She is also beginning to make friends in the town. My favorite of these is Jill, the policewoman who unofficially assists Betsy in her quest for the truth. On the other hand, there are several scenes of Betsy's confusion at life in the town that got to be downright painful. It would have been nice to have some character that would explain things to her.
The book itself is well written. While most of the book is told from Betsy's point of view, a few scenes feature other characters and they add richness to the story.
This isn't a bad read, just not what I was looking for. Those looking for a mystery along with a slice of small town life will enjoy the series, as will the target audience of needle enthusiasts. Those looking for a bit more mystery will be disappointed.
Stitching The Clues Together.......2004-08-10
Margot Berglund, owner of Crewel World, a needlecraft shop in Excelsior, Minnesota was having a good day. Her shop was doing well and her older sister Betsy Devonshire was coming to stay with her.
Betsy wasn't having such a good day, driving cross country from California where she had just gone through a divorce from her cheating college professor husband, she was broke and at fifty-five, wasn't too thrilled about having to start over once again.
After arriving, Betsy wasn't sure how long she was going to stay. Was there room? She knew Margot had sold her house after her husband's death, but the small apartment over the shop didn't seem big enough for the two of them.
That problem was soon solved, when one night, Betsy finds the door of the shop open and going in, finds Margot, dead on the floor.
Who would kill Margot, who seemed to be loved by almost everyone in town.
Maybe Joe Mickels, who owns the building Crewel World is located and has been trying to get Margot out for months. Irene Potter, who was jealous of Margot, she wanted to open her own needlecraft shop and was now hoping to take over Crewel World.
Betsy is forced to investigate the crime, when Police Officer Mike Malloy decides it was a robbery gone bad. Would she be able to solve the crime before she ends up as a second victim.
Highlights:
Betsy is a great character. Margot is also a great character and it's surprising that she turns out to be the victim, you almost think she is going to be the main character.
The secondary characters are also very interesting, especially, Jill Cross, the lone female Police Officer and Goodwin - part-time employee of Crewel World. He knows everything about needlework and is also very funny. Irene Potter is a nut, but very entertaining.
I love the needlework information.
Lowlights:
Only problem is the mystery. I figured out who and why very early. I've found this is often true in first couple of books in a new series.
The book is still entertaining enough that you will want to continue with the series.
Well Stitched together.......2003-11-21
I enjoyed this one very much, so I bought all the others and was not disappointed. I really like the main character, she is real to me. Especially in the last book where she is depressed and having nightmares because of all that she has been through. In so many books the main character goes blithley on, unaffected by what they have witnessed or been entirely too close to. I have yet to do the patterns included in each one because, of course I already am stacked to the rafters with UFO's. In fact reading them made me drag out some of them and deal with them! I wish it was possible to read and stitch at the same time because I couldn't put these books down. It would be great to do like in Gone with the Wind, one reads out loud and everybody else is stitching. Much better than being blasted by the TV.
Average customer rating:
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The new world of crewel
Lisbeth Perrone
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
 General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Textile Arts
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0394489799 |
Average customer rating:
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Crewel World
Monica Ferris
Manufacturer: Prime Crime
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000SP16D2 |
Product Description
multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.
Product Description
Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.
Book Description
Finally in a Russian translation, the first book in the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ).
Customer Reviews:
"Harry Potter" in Russian.......2007-04-03
I've read the latest Russian language edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" released by Rosman in 2006. The translator is listed in the book as I. Oransky. I think it's not perfect, but done pretty well, and you can't get too far with the Harry Potter reading unless you begin with the first book in the series. So if your child is ready to start "exploring" "Harry Potter" in Russian language, here is where he has to start, and believe me, the start won't be too disappointing...
A Clunky Translation.......2004-04-13
Unfortunately, the first Russian-edition Harry Potter leaves a lot to be desired. The translation is awkward and stilted, and best skipped entirely in favor of the later Russian editions, which keep more to the spirit of the orginals.
Very poor translation.......2003-10-04
I am a Russian-English translator, and a fan of the Harry Potter books. A friend gave me the Russian version of the first book, and I was quite interested to see how it went. To be blunt, it is poorly translated, and appears to be the result of the Russian publisher hoping to get something on the shelves as soon as possible. A great deal of Rowling's humor lies in her turns of phrase, and the translator made only half-hearted attempts to convey these, if he made the attempt at all. I frequently wondered about his grasp of the English language. Most baffling to me was that the translator changed Neville's pet toad into a turtle--but only on some pages. I cannot recommend this book even as a curiosity, since that would only encourage the publisher to continue putting out shoddy work.
Harry Potter makes it to Russia.......2003-08-04
I have been reading the Harry Potter novels for ages, and they will always be my favorite. I first read them in English two years ago, since of the two languages I know, English would have to be my better one. But last year, while visiting my family in Russia, I found and bought the translated version of books 1-4.
In my oppinion, the translation wasn't perfect, and not as good as it could have been. Nothing much was changed, but I found a strange loss of humor. I was more than surprised to find that my friends were also reading these books in Russia, and I'm happy with the translation since it's better than nothing. I suggest if you know or are learning Russian, and have read Harry Potter in another language, that you definately buy this book to compare. It's the first book in the series.
harry potter and the triwizard tournament.......2001-06-05
a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
Book Description
“Women today not only deserve but should expect a pain-free, active lifestyle, no matter their age, no matter their previous experience.”
Pain Free for Women
In his famed San Diego clinic, Pete Egoscue has taught women of all ages and from all walks of life how to use the Egoscue Method for safe, effective, and permanent relief from chronic pain without prescription painkillers, physical therapy, or invasive surgery. Now he shares his specially adapted “Pain Free” program for women to use at home.
Whether you suffer from back or neck pain, joint discomfort or sore knees, or need more stamina, improved balance, and extra strength, here is a revolutionary and proven approach to self-care that promises optimal health through a simple set of exercises that will transform the way you move and feel — forever!
Egoscue shows women how to take back their bodies by recovering and restoring a precious health asset — full, free, flexible motion — that he believes has been drastically reduced by our modern lifestyle.
As Egoscue explains, motion not only develops a woman’s body but also maintains and rejuvenates it. Yet as her motion-deprived muscles disengage and weaken, it is common for a woman’s body to lose alignment, leading to repetitive stress injuries, persistent pain, and general bad health. Even the simplest activities — how she sits, stands, walks, works, lifts, and sleeps — can trigger problems.
Focusing on proper alignment, posture, and muscle engagement, Egoscue provides simple but powerful techniques to restore flexibility and function while at the same time boosting energy, revving up the immune system, even raising the body’s metabolic rate.
The remarkable “E-cises” included within have also been linked to improved ability to fight disease, cope with aging, and recover from accidents and injuries. The “miracle” cure Egoscue offers is, simply, correct motion.
Organized by the seasons of a woman’s life,
Pain Free for Women pays particular attention to age-specific concerns such as puberty, childbirth, and menopause, as well as special issues such as arthritis, PMS, and depression.
At the same time, Egoscue shows how women can build a framework of healthy movement that will prevent illness and maintain pain-free good health throughout the journey of life.
According to Egoscue, reversing the effects of poor musculoskeletal fitness provides astonishing benefits, including:
•Better balance, posture, and breathing, as well as increased resiliency
•Effective and safe weight management
•Healthy bone density and visual acuity
•Heightened sex drive
•Delayed symptoms of aging
•Peace of mind and general tranquility
Extensively illustrated to demonstrate proper placement, posture, and movement,
Pain Free for Women offers women of every age the possibility of feeling better than ever before.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Pain Free for Women works! Do it 3 times a week.......2007-09-15
The Book Pain Free for Women is a great tool in your healthcare routine. If you follow the easy yoga type movements, you will feel better. The steps are easy to do and if you stick to it-it will help you.
Good Resource.......2007-06-11
This book provides an excellent explanation of the functions of the musculoskeletal system and how it's function affects women. The exercise instructions are clear and pictures are large. A good resource for women of all ages to improve or maintain musculoskeletal system health.
Wonderful!.......2007-05-19
I have so many things to say about this I would like to use bullet points. I will cover what it has done for me, add some comments on the book itself and then make a couple of final notes.
Notes about what using Egoscue's method has done in my life:
* I have been using this and Pete Egoscue's other book "Pain Free" for a year and a half now. I am a female in my early 30's. I have sent a copy of this book to all the women close to me because it has helped me so much.
* I have a very severe case of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and had constant pain throughout my body. I tested only two pressure points short for Fybromyalgia. As I became more ill my overall physical health declined severely. I couldn't even stand to do dishes for long, let alone cook or exercise or many of the things I am now become able to do.
* Within the first two weeks of doing the e-cises (only about 30 min a day) I stopped getting night sweats and the pervasive, all-over body pain went away. I still had a lot of joint pain and realized I was very badly out of alignment (when standing comfortably my right foot was turned out and further forward than my left by 6 inches - no kidding!).
* Over the last year and a half I have become less chemically sensitive, I don't get dizzy as often, my stamina has improved (I had gotten so I couldn't handle even handle flying on an airplane). For years I had a yellow tint to my skin (my doctor thought it was normal), but this has now disappeared, my liver enzymes were mildly elevated, but are now normal.
* I haven't had ANY pain from my herniated disk for over a year now!
* You don't have to be in pain to benefit. For years I tried to do handstands, but never go good at it. Presently I can do them with complete ease. I never realized that it wasn't my arm strength that was lacking (I had really strong arms), but rather, shoulder strength and alignment.
* I've had a limp ever since I was 11 when I cut the tendon to my large toe. I can now proudly say that the limp is completely gone. :) I also don't lose my balance all the time when I walk like I used to.
* Almost best of all is that I had sleep maintenance insomnia, which has greatly improved. I used to wake on average once an hour every hour throughout the night. Now I wake perhaps once every three. This is continuing to improve.
* Most importantly, I had stopped being able to sweat years ago. I would simply overheat. After a year of doing e-cises I started sweating again!! Once I started sweating I found I can tolerate being around chemicals more (perfumes and such), I don't get as swollen, and I recovered from exposures faster.
Nothing else I tried really helped my MCS, but this has made all the difference in the world. I'm not sure I would have recovered to this point without it. The improvement in my quality of life has been worth every minute of it!
Notes about the book itself:
* This sort of thing is very difficult to teach from a book. I've found using "menus" from each of his books to be very useful.
* Some things you have to figure out for yourself. I started on my age group's restoration e-cises in this book and my knee pain got worse. That is when I figured out that Egoscue was really serious when he said that if you have pain in a specific joint that using the "Pain Free" book first to target it was best. I did the knee exercises in that book for about a couple months and then was able to return to the menus in this book without difficulty and found it much easier.
* I love the format of this book. It starts with infancy and how even babies and children can get inadequate movement. I found its detail in how we became "out of alignment" to be most useful and it really inspired me to get back into alignment.
* He also gives a restoration menu for each age group and a maintenance menu for when that one because really easy.
* For those who want to go further than the maintenance menu, he gives a strength menu and a strength menu with weights if you are interested in using them.
* He has a menu for people who are seriously ill and need "slow changes".
* He also includes menus for prepregnancy/1st trimester, second trimester menu, third trimester menu, and post pregnancy.
* The Supine Groin Stretch Does take a long time - but only at first. The first day it took me an hour each leg for the groin muscles to relax. The second day it was about 50 minutes each. The third day it took about a half an hour each leg. But within two weeks it only took a few minutes each leg and now, still, it only takes me about two minutes a leg.
* If you have a lot of problems in many joints or very severe joint pain I suggest starting with Egoscue's "Pain Free" book, but if you don't have many problems or don't have much pain then I would recommend this one.
A couple final notes:
The e-cises really must be done everyday to see the benefit. When I skip day, two or especially three I start getting pain back, not as bad as when I first started this, but I start losing ground. When I am consistent I see progress daily. My closest friends all use this and they keep coming back to me and saying how well it works to get rid of their pain and how much better they feel afterwards.
My husband is a professor in a medical school, not only does he use Egoscue's exercises from his "Pain Free" book, he recommends these two books to people regularly.
Excellent.......2007-01-13
This book is a wonderful guide for how to maintain or find and then maintain overall health, particularly for your back.
Gift for mother.......2007-01-10
I actually haven't seen this book myself but I have read and use the other book of the same author and found it very imformative and it really has worked for me!
Book Description
As those who knew him will attest, Francophile and food writer Richard Olney was one of a kind—a writerly cook who had a tremendous influence on American cooking via his well-worn cottage on a hillside in Provence. Born in the Midwest in 1927 and drawn to France at the tender age of twenty-four, Olney was unapologetically attracted to the style, flavors, and tastes of French cooking when most Americans were smitten by the wonders of the new prepared foods in their markets. With unrelenting passion and precision, Olney studied and explored the cuisine, carefully documenting all he had learned for future generations of chefs, cooks, and food lovers. His first of several landmark works, THE FRENCH MENU COOKBOOK was well ahead of its time with its authentic French recipes and then-unheard-of seasonal approach to cooking. Little did we know then that THE FRENCH MENU COOKBOOK would provide inspiration for Alice Waters and her compatriots as they built the groundwork for a culinary revolution in America. Brimming with the honest and enlightening explanations of how the French really cook and the 150-plus authentic recipes, this book is a masterful resource that is a must for every serious cook.
Customer Reviews:
A great supplement to Simple French Food.......2007-04-15
This book is a great addition to Olney's classic Simple French Food.
Possibly the most sophisticated cookbook in English.......2006-08-12
Looking back to 1970, the year this book was first published, puts its sophistications in context and underscores the enormity of its contributions. America was deep in culinary ignorance, eating out of cans and supplementing that metal-tinged blandness with gut-busting mountains of artificial 'foods'. America was lost somehwere between the post-war meat-and-potatoes era and the chemical concoctions of the 80s and beyond. Small glimmers of possibility illuminated the occassional suburban cocktail party, when hostesses under the influence of Julia Child trotted out a few hotel-food hors d'oeuvres, and a few ethnic enclaves still held up a candle of flavor, but America was largely a culinary wasteland. Servings were large, everything was bland, and mealtime had become TV time. Without flavor or family, American meals were effectively dead.
It was into this lunar food landscape that Richard Olney introduced several revolutionary ideas at once in The French Menu Cookbook. I should say that he RE-introduced these ideas, because they had existed, with varying degrees of sophistication, for as long as people had eaten, but an industrial food system had interrupted that great cultural memory. This book's structure is its message: the food is introduced not by category, but by course within menus, and the menus themselves are organized by season. For those of us who have heard the gospel of seasonality and regional availability and freshness from Alice Waters and Paul Bertolli, at al, it can be easy to forget that this idea is still, 36 years after The French Menu Cookbook, radical, and so against the grain of the industrial food complex as to be almost an act of treason. But Richard Olney's way with food started that revolution at possibly the most inoportune moment in Americna history.
A sample menu says it all:
An Informal Spring Dinner
Hors d'oeuvre of Crudites
Shrimp Quiche
Coq au Vin
Steamed Potatoes
Wild Green Salad
Cheeses
Flamri with Raspberry Sauce
all of the above matched with appropriate wines.
Notice the careful development through the courses, the constant shifts of flavor to keep the palate alive, the seasonal ingredients... All of this was deeply shocking at the time.
But there's one more big surprise: this book is every bit as good today as it was in 1970. It doesn't feel even remotely dated, like Julia Child's books do. Maybe, in hueing so faithfully to the principles of freshness, seasonality, and regional availability, Olney tapped into something timeless. And so this book was a classic the day it was published, and remains one of the most sophisticated, satisfying, and inspiring cookbooks ever published.
Very highly recommended.
Books:
- Cuentos españoles
- Dead in Vineyard Sand: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery
- Death at Wentwater Court: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery (Dunn, Carola. Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries.)
- Demon in My View (Laurel-Leaf Books)
- Detection Unlimited
- Dry guillotine: Fifteen years among the living dead (A Berkley Medallion book)
- Epitaph for an Angel: A Connor Hawthorne Mystery (Connor Hawthorne Mysteries)
- Fear on Friday (Lois Meade Mysteries)
- Grime and Punishment (Jane Jeffrey Mystery Series #1)
- Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)
Books Index
Books Home
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Hanging By A Thread
