Wedding Books

Fortyish Lily Beckwith of Second Chance Wedding planners is considering marrying her boyfriend, Frank Forbes, but has a stipulation that she must not lose control of her late husband's fifty million dollar estate. However, any romantic endeavor like saying I do might mean her adversary, her ex-sister-in-law Antonia Beckwith, who controls much of the family fortune, could gain total access.

The other three partners are dealing with family issues too. Jo wants to be a great stepmother to her new spouse's twelve years old daughter, but her actions drive her husband to despair and his offspring to scorn. Elaine wants to marry her beau, but fears holy matrimony means the loss of her recently gained highly prized independence. Finally Sarah keeps an emotional distance from her boyfriend who wants more.

The fourth Second Chance contemporary tale is a well written story that continues the saga of four friends and partners. The recurring characters seem real and remain consistent so that those who have read the previous three novels will enjoy this entry though some of the euphoria of especially the first novel (see ONCE UPON A BRIDE) is diminished. New fans will be better off starting with the previous tales to learn more about the stars.

Harriet Klausner

This was definitely a different reading experience for me. At first I wasn't quite sure what was going on, or what the point was, but when I got to about page 75, it suddenly all started coming together. So a word of advice to anyone having trouble "getting into" this one: Just keep going! It does make sense eventually. I can't reveal too much without spoiling the story, but after the relatively long "set up" period, the story really does start to move. Once I understood what was happening, I couldn't put the book down, and finished it in a single day. By the time I'd reached the end, I was very impressed with Berger's work.

"To the Wedding" is narrated by a blind Greek street-peddler. He sells tamata, small metal charms supposed to bring relief to those who suffer. One day, a man stops at the stall to buy a tama for his daughter. "Where is she suffering?" the peddler asks. "Everywhere," the father replies. He buys a tama and goes on his way. The street peddler never meets him, or his daughter, again. But he tells us a story about the girl, Ninon, and the preparations for her marriage to a man called Gino.

This is a love story, but it is also much more. The more I reflect upon it, the more I get out of it, and I'm sure I would gain an even deeper appreciation upon reading it a second time. It explores what it means to love someone, the relationship of sex and love, and different ways to approach life in the face of knowledge of one's own mortality. If you know you are going to die in only a few years, what do you do? How do you live your life in the time between now and then? And is love in the present dependent on the possibility of having a future, or is it unconditional, in the moment? "To the Wedding" raises so many interesting questions, and offers multiple ways to view each one.

The format of the book may be a little off-putting at first. The primary narrator is the blind street peddler, but as he peers into the lives of others, the voice shifts from his own first-person viewpoint to the perspectives of his characters, told in first-person in Ninon's case, and third-person for the others - Ninon's father, mother, and Gino. We also jump from one person's life to another very rapidly, and sometimes it is hard to tell who is speaking, and whose eyes we are seeing through. Sometimes Berger will include something that seems to be of little importance, but do not overlook them - they invariably become important later on. I actually think that this fragmented story-telling style ultimately enhances the content of the book, but it takes a little getting used to.

I strongly urge everyone to read this book. "To the Wedding" has something to offer any reader that is willing to take a little time to reflect upon the themes it presents. It is a book I will treasure for years to come, and will definitely re-read every so often. Berger's story puts life into perspective, and offers hope to anyone who suffers. A very worthwhile read.

There is an event in this book that demonstrates the wonderful manner that John Berger consistently illuminates his readers, and his characters. The task in and of itself is of no great note; a small boat is guided from the shore to a small island. Gino who is taking his reluctant fiancé on the trip guides the boat. Ninon is not concerned about the trip rather Gino's insistence that they marry. The trip to the island is accomplished in several steps to allow for currents both known and unpredictable. When the crossing is accomplished and Ninon continues to question the point of the exercise, Gino explains it has nothing to do with the island as a destination, but the trip that illustrates, "how we're going to live".

The couple decides to marry but before they do human weakness steps in and irrevocably alters the future they had planed. Neither conventional wisdom nor anyone who knows either member of the couple believes the wedding should take place. The bride to be is amongst those who wish to see the union forever cancelled. Gino is the only person willing to see through what his love for this woman has become for him, a commitment without condition.

The Author surrounds this couple with all the variants of marriage. He includes the innocent moments that lead to the first shared intimacies, and he has the unions that have failed to overcome the difficulties they encountered. Throughout this process he forces the reader to make some difficult observations either personally or through a given character they may identify with. The Wedding that is supposed to take place is like a vortex drawing all the participants and observers to the main event, the core. When all the players have made their own journeys, Gino is no longer the odd man out. He has come to define an ideal; he has always known what is right and what the consequences would be.

A cynic might question Gino based upon the issue of time, however this would be an error. Time firstly is an artificial human construct, and even if used as a measure we know nothing about its allotment to each of us, not what will transpire during our portion. Gino does not suffer from the arrogance of presumption of time and its length. And the Author John Berger must understand this as well, for no one could communicate this more clearly, and with the contemporary relevance than he does, if it wasn't his own philosophy as well.

I am going to be the lone voice in the wilderness... I could not get into this book, could not make it past the first thirty pages. The narrative voice rambles from first person to third person, often it is not clear what is going on... I think this is a challenging book and most certainly is not a novel for somebody who is looking for a light read.

Berger's To the Wedding magically extends the author's critical vision which he has elaborated in both Ways of Seeing and On Looking. In those essay collections, Berger establishes himself as a champion of creative looking - looking as a way of gleaning knowledge, beauty and understanding. To the Wedding is narrated by a blind peddler of tamata, stamped metal charms, who is tied to two of his customers, a father and daughter, by a gift of intimate vision. He is the omniscient narrator, a blind man who has a keen cinematic sense, and his focus is on the unfolding life of the daughter, Ninon and her lover Gino. They are shown navigating a landscape of love and loneliness, confronting the tragic nearness of death, learning to trust and retain hope, and experiencing the great festive release of the titular celebration. The story is told with so much love and respect for the characters that it is impossible not to be greatly affected in reading. There is this side to Berger's work, where he compels his readers to turn away from his books and back towards the world with a new capacity for compassionate engagement. We are invited to see the beauty and suffering that is all around us. Berger's storytelling is a timeless art that nonetheless bears the imprint of a modern world that consistently brings new challenges to our attempt to live consciously and happily.

This book is both beautiful and devestating. It is lyric and direct. Heart wrneching and hopeful. This book is contradictory and yet realistic in its contradictions. This book absolutely changed the way I read, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Pull out the kleenex, though.

A friend of mine recommended this book to me in 1996. In the past six years I have come back to it time and again for its sheer beauty. This is not one to miss.

For Lutz' first venture, the novel is well written and engaging. I read it in about two days, and was interested in the characters' development. Zadie, the main character, is torn between being a good friend and telling the truth. She also finds herself in a bit of an ethical dilemma. Though parts of the story are completely unbelievable, the story is engaging and a light read.

This is a chick lit you simply cannot pass up! I started the book with apprehension, quite tired of reading similiar chick lit story plots with similiar characters. The book came recommended, so I thought "why not". To my GREAT surprise, this book was fantastic. The characters were very real and entertaining. The story plot was both humorous and fast-moving, and again, very relevant and realistic. I thought the teacher-student relationship was a bit sleezy, but I guess not so far-fetched in today's society. This is a great way to enjoy a crazy Bachelorette party without having to endure a terrible hangover!!

FINALLY! An author that GETS IT! I laughed the beginning, middle and in the end.. My only problem was that I wanted MORE! We all have friend like these characters such as the one upper, or the goody goody who really IS NOT the goody goody! I love the fact that the Zadie didn't end up with Grey, and that they remained friends. This book will make you laugh, talk to your girlfriends about it, and think about how important your friendships really are. I usually sell my books on ebay or amazon, but I am holding on to this one to either read again or pass on to my friends. GREAT JOB! Can't wait until her next one!

This book will have you laughing out loud. It is such a sweet and heartwarming read with unexpected surprises. The author has written a book with characters you can relate to and picture being friends with. I was up from 1am-5am trying to finish the book before I went to work. Sleep was not important because the book was THAT GREAT! But this book

This book was excellent; I literally laughed out loud repeatedly. What a treat. If you want some fun, enjoyable reading, read this one.

This book had authentic, accurate costume information with nice commentary from the author at the beginning. Also had helpful reference information to help understand and use the patterns. I felt I was a lady of the 1800's reading the magazine for the first time.

This book is a super bargain compared to original _Harper's Bazar_ magazines with pattern sheets. It's easier to use too--all the patterns have been disentangled and presented separately. Patterns are included for just about every woman's garment or accessory you'd ever want to make. The articles on sewing techniques are different from other 1860s ones I've seen reprinted, and better illustrated.

I do a little historic sewing (not a lot) but this is an amazingly beautiful book to look at. It has pictures of everything--clothes and hats and trims and sewing techniques and, well, just everything. The engravings are stunning and the production is superb. If you're at all interested in Victorian fashions, this book is worth having.

I am a Civil War re-enactor (female) who bought Reconstruction Era Fashions because I don't believe in restricting my research to just the war years. However, I was happy to discover it also contains material useful for my Civil War impression. There is a substantial section of instructions for dressmaking and pattern alterations that is suitable for the Civil War and, judging from the (many) illustrations, was reprinted in the late 1860s from an earlier 1860s source. There are large sections with other appropriate instructions for fancy buttonholes and buttons, netting, and crocheted tatting. The patterns and instructions for corsets, underclothes, and many accessories and trimmings are also fine for the CW. Although the bonnet styles are different from the war years the section on millinery techniques is very illuminating. The book is profusely illustrated--techniques are illustrated as well as the finished garments--and the production is very high quality.

I bought this book about a year ago and use it at least one a week for reference as well as to make items even though my re-enactment period here in uk is 1879 (british campaign against Zulu nation).
This is a must have book for EVERYONE! And for those here in uk it is worth the wait.

Overall, not as good as what I have expected. If you really want to make your own wedding favors, I found Martha Stewart website comes in very handy.

I was very dissatisfied. I looked at some of the projects and they were really not something I was excited to do. I was very disappointed with the project and the lack of creativity.

Wow, I didn't realize Amazon offered Video reviews ! Next time....meanwhile, I am returning this book. Not worth the postage in my opinion. And, from the look of the corners and edges, I may not be the first to have returned this particular book. That alone would have no bearing on whether I liked the book or not, I only mention it as a 'heads up' to others considering ordering it.
I consider most of the projects to be very time consuming,AND way out of proportion to the value of the finished piece. Funny thing is the text refers to the placesetting favors as treasured keepsakes,.... I think not.

There were some good ideas in this book. Unlike the invitation book, they didn't seem to be as origional. There were also favor ideas that wouldn't really be useful for most weddings. However, there were some cute ideas, I liked the tags they used for place settings. There were some tips that I wasn't aware of before reading the book. I do have to admit there are a couple of things that we might consider for our reception. I am looking forward to getting the other artful bride book.

Following from the previous review where I commented that the projects in this book could have been from 'Martha Stewarts weddings' imagine my amusement when I saw on the back of the book that the Author IS from Martha Stewart's living! Trust me, this book is truly banal.

Strange that credit for the original publications are not given. I have the original pattern books published in Chicago by Goldsberry and Doran in the late 1800s and it was their Diamond Garment Cutter System that is referenced in this book. I have six of these original publications, that include clothing for men, boys, girls, and women, which are amazing. I bought them at an auction years ago in a huge box filled with antiquated sewing stuff.
It bothers me that someone just went out and made photocopies of these booklets and the true publications are lost in the editing.

Excellent book. Frances has given us all an opportunity to "try" to recreate the patterns she has in each of her 4 books. You do have to read the instructions on how to enlarge them OR as I have done...take them to a drafting company and have them enlarged. I give her book a 10. She has done a large amount of research and I own all 5 of her books. ( Call me crazy but I love her books )

When I first got this book I had a lot of fun just looking at the fashions during that time period. I bought the book to make an outfit for a re-enactment. I read the instructions for using the Diamond Cutting System and the rulers provided on the back pages of the book, and although I read it all through a few times, I was very confused on how to draft the patterns. My sewing experience is limited to following the instructions that come with today's regular tissue patterns. I had never drafted a pattern before. But once I started the "hands on" work it suddenly made sense! I picked up some old curtain materials at garage and rummage sales for my project. I started with the simplest skirts and I even found it very easy to modify the draft to fit irregular body shapes using the rulers which I photocopied from the book, cutted out, and pasted to cardboard. Pattern paper is impossible to find these days therefore I drafted the patterns onto old bedsheets. I also had to use an ordinary carpenter's angle to work with the rulers. The only tool I don't have, which the book tells me that I need, is a scroll or french curve to shape the armholes, neck curves and some skirt curves. To make the skirts I found that I didn't need this curve tool for the simpler patterns. However, once I start into the more complex patterns it will become a necessity. Pattern instructions are scarce, but if you have some sewing experience this fact should not discourage you too much. Yardage required is also seldom given, so you will have to estimate how much you need once you have drafted the patterns - or just buy yards and yards of old curtain material to start with! I so pleased with this book that I intend to make many more outfits than I had originally intended to make before I bought the book!

This book features patterns for dresses, skirts, shirts, jackets, underclothing (etc.) for the years 1900-1906
25 (patterns) from 1900
18 from 1901
5 from 1902
16 from 1903
7 from 1904
5 from 1905
3 from 1906

This is a good book, well up to Frances Grimble's high standards. It contains many patterns but can also double as a sourcebook, as it contains many pictures of clothes from fashion plates. I would recommend buying it, but make sure to research these years to find out if you really want it.

Between this book and Grimble's "Edwardian Modiste", I'll never have to buy another antique "Gibson girl" pattern again. The illustrations in my opinion don't do the dresses justice; the garments themselves are just stunning when you actually make them. Having said that, these patterns are not beginner-friendly. If you want a quick-and-easy Edwardian ensemble you'll be very disappointed because these patterns require a lot of forethought, a lot of time, and a lot of work. They are not the modern "here's-how-to-sew-a-seam" kind of patterns you see commercially available today. Most of the tucks, for example, are not marked, nor are they allowed for in the pattern; you'll have to draft those yourself from scratch. The same thing goes for trimmings, lace insertion, and shirring. Also, very few patterns mark locations for fastenings, and many lack patterns for things like cuffs and collars, which can't always be made from a straight strip of fabric and still look right on the garment. You can substitute collars from other patterns in the book but there's no guarantee that they will fit properly. Plus, the patterns in this book must be scaled according to your measurements, which still involves a good deal of tedious arithmetic even with the "rulers" included with the book. Overall, I love this book to the point that it's starting to fall apart from use. However, the buyer should be aware that the patterns in this book are not for the faint-of-heart or the impatient.

this is a sequel to hard man to love. the story of the sexy Hardt brothers. This is a good sexy hot read. With a love story to go with it.

Dangit! I just recieved Hellboy The Black Wedding today-I opened it just a tad-and the spine cracks and pages start falling out! The book isn't even mine-it's my 13 year old daughters-I can tell you she isn't happy!

As for the story, it's okay for kid my girls age. As for the artwork-some of it's really good-some if it-all I can say is it could be better!

I really wish I could give ths book a better rating,it would deserve the 3 stars rating I gave it regarding the art-but since it started falling apart the second I opened it-it doesn't even deserve a 2. Even a paper comic version would hold up better than this thing.

You have 2 very dissapointed Hellboy fangirls here!

I remain a large fan of the illustrated Hellboy material out, including the animated films, which this book's style is based on. However, I feel that the quality presented here is just too low to really add much to the Hellboy story. The art is very "sketchy", the panel transition is not quite smooth, and I often found myself having a little trouble following the plot, which is bad because it's a very simple plot. This product seems rushed and is not essential for anyone concerned with keeping up with Hellboy.

Hellboy Animated: The Black Wedding is the first graphic novel based on the Animated Hellboy. While maintaining much of the canon of Mike Mignola's comic series, the books based on the animated version are really there own universe, even so far as making Hellboy purposely look different than the Mignola version. This book contains one long story, "the Black Wedding" as well as a shorter tale.

In the Black Wedding, Hellboy, Abe, and Agent Ecton are out to stop the witch Alexisa from using Liz Sherman as the black bride to summon a powerful demon. They battle hordes of creatures like bell worms to stop the ceremony before it can be completed.

"Pyramid of Death" is a tale from Hellboy's past when he was just a little demon who loved watching his favorite hero Lobster Johnson on TV. The junior Hellboy soon finds himself squaring off against a mad scientist and his goons...or does he? A rather amusing tale!

I truly enjoyed the art on both stories. Rick Lacy and Fabio Laguna captured the look of Hellboy animated right on the page. The cartoony style is perfectly suited for these lighter tales, as opposed to Mignola's grittier look. Not a must-have for Hellboy fans since it's outside of normal continuity but still a fun read.

Reviewed by Tim Janson