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In this Locus Award-winning novel, young Tikat enters a shadow world of magic and mystery as he searches for the lover whose death and resurrection he witnessed. It's a wild ride that sets him on the trail of three cloaked women who are on a mission of their own.
"A beautifully written tale of love and loss, set in a world of hard-edged magic." --The New York Times Book Review
" A wonderfully astonishing novel... a
tour de force." --Washington Post Book World
Customer Reviews:
Delightful.......2007-08-01
In terms of length, The Innkeeper's Song is one of the shorter fantasy novels I've read; it's not a series, not a huge book, but for its modest length, it manages to achieve the depth sorely lacking in many works twice its size. To appreciate the book, it's best if you don't go in wanting or expecting a lot of action and adventure. Yes, there is a wizard, a warrior-nun, a sailor slash swordsman, and even something of a 'quest', but at its core, The Innkeeper's Song is not about magic or quests or swords. It's about people. It's about loss and love and things that go unsaid. It's about interpersonal tragedy and people who deal with their own private tragedies in different ways, all interacting with one another in whatever manner life has conditioned them to.
The prologue begins with a boy and girl, Tikat and Lukassa, childhood loves who are soon to be wed. One day, Lukassa falls into the river, and though Tikat tries to save her, she slips from his arms and drowns. As he sits awake mourning for her that night, he hears singing and looks up to see a black woman on a horse who has revived Lukassa with an emerald ring. The two ride off together, and though Tikat calls to Lukassa, she does not answer. He pursues them; the prologue ends by stating that he never sees the village of his birth again.
But Tikat and Lukassa are only two characters in this fantasy drama. The black woman, Lal (Lal Alone, Lal After Dark, Swordcane Lal; what an amazing character), has her own story, her own past which is alluded to but never fully explained. Lal is on her way to search for her wizard friend, whose sendings reveal that he's in great peril. As she and Lukassa travel, they encounter a brown woman, Nyateneri, who has escaped from a convent, and who carries with her a fox (who is not, in fact, always a fox). All of these characters take turns narrating the story in first person, recounted years later to some unknown person or people, and along with them, there's also fat, gruff Karsh, innkeeper at The Gaff and Slasher (where most of the novel takes place) and Rosseth, the stable boy who dreams of adventure. In another writer's hands, such characters could easily be types, but Beagle's superb characterization renders each with a unique voice and a unique story to tell. No one comes close to being a shelf character. Even the most minor character seems to come with nuances, depth, life.
Additionally, I can't review this novel without mentioning Beagle's exceptional descriptive style. The prose is lyrical without being overwhelming (though I did occasionally have to take breaks after reading particularly intense chapters), and there's something about the way Beagle writes descriptions that really makes you feel them all throughout your body. When Lal speaks of how Lukassa's soul cried out with such intensity that it hurt her all over, even in the soles of her feet, I could practically feel it. Much is hinted at but never elaborated upon, which is maddening, but it also leaves me with a great desire to read more stories about these characters and their lives. Greatly recommended.
The Innkeeper's Song.......2007-04-03
Peter Beagle's musical background seeps into most of his fictional works, but none more so than The Innkeeper's Song. Told from the rotating perspectives of the main characters, including a stable boy, an innkeeper and the three travelers who find each other at his inn, of music and magical power, coming of age and love-both physical and spiritual. The innkeeper is prickly, the stable boy curious, shy and fumbling. The three travelers as they are slowly revealed through the narrative are legends in Beagle's richly imagined world, students of a mighty magician who is now close to death. The three travelers unite purposes to save their dying mentor and combat the magician's nemesis who seeks to inherit his power.
The world of the Innkeepers Song went on to inhabit Beagle's imagination to such a degree that he created a collection of short stories (Giant Bones) that live in the same world, and in one case follow the protagonists of the book into their future adventures.
I would also like to gush..........2004-09-29
...about Peter Beagle. He writes simple stories that mean more to you the more you read them. He has a quirky and ironic way of writing that makes him fantasy's answer to Vonnegut. I read this book from a proof copy I found at a used book store, which meant it had quite a few typos and some missing lines, which did not make it any less endearing.
This story plays with the form, much like Vonnegut did in Slaughter-House Five. Instead of coming unstuck in time, Beagle's story comes unstuck in narrator, as each chapter is told from inside a different head than the last. By the end, you know all the characters so well it's hard to let go.
This book was a little hard to find, but the search made it sweeter. It is more mature than the Last Unicorn-- there is a sex scene that's probably too vivid for youngsters-- but if you're old enough to handle it, you will enjoy this book.
A heretical take on Peter S Beagle.......2003-11-30
I kept hearing about Peter S Beagle, so I kept trying his books. I read about half of "The Last Unicorn", and couldn't be bothered to finish it. I read "A Fine and Private Place", and it was OK - well written and unusual, but that's as far as I would go. Then I read "The Folk of the Air" and I thought: what is a writer this good, doing writing a book like that? Is it a famous author, writing a "genre" book under a pseudonym, or what?
And then I read "The Inkeeper's Song" and I fell hopelessly, shamelessly in love with it. Never mind the obligatory supernatural climax, which thankfully does not end the book. Never mind some quibbles about plot mechanics. The book is populated by compellingly vivid characters, who by the end become utterly real people, living in a real world. This is writing of a quality verging on magical, which leaves one with the lasting impression of knowing the book's characters in all their quirky, individual humanity - and caring for them!
So, ignore those who say that "The Inkeeper's Song" is not up to Beagle's best standard. It IS Beagle's best standard! Just don't read it in the "quick - what happens next?" frame of mind. Read it, and get to know Rosseth, Neyteneri, Lal (Swordcane Lal, Saylor Lal, Lal Alone, Lal After Dark) and all the others. It is worth it. Believe me it is worth it! And I don't rave easily.
Something new at last.......2003-05-30
I was waiting for this. A fantasy novel that doesn't involve games of state (I guess I should say kingdom), plots of kings and princes, teenage hero + party of five deliver world from evil doom, or the quest for the magic sword. Instead, you get treated to a very quiet tale about a couple of characters who all converge at an inn. No earth-shattering battles. Rather, the tale deals with questions of loyalty and friendship in a very personal way, never overdoing it, not going for the cheap drama. If the plot is rather simple, the book more than makes up for it with the characters and world-building. Beautiful writing and a fresh taste.
Book Description
With over 70,000 copies sold, this must-have guide has proven itself the best and most reliable source of information for aspiring innkeepers. Highly recommended by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, it presents the facts from the insiders on how to start, operate, and promote a successful establishment. Now completely revised and updated, So - You Want to Be an Innkeeper also includes new information on cottages, luxury properties, and spa services - a reflection of recent trends in innkeeping. Charts and worksheets for financial planning, property evaluation, and cash flow projection keep potential innkeepers' feet planted firmly on the ground. For anyone who has ever dreamed of opening their own cozy little B&B, here is the inn-side scoop from those who've been there.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent overall how-to.......2007-09-25
This is a very concise, well-organized overview of what it takes to run a successful inn. I really liked that it also includes a no-varnish look at the downsides to this business. Well put together and full of useful information, especially the financial data and analysis.
Must-read for aspiring innkeepers, though dated.......2007-07-09
This is a must-read for aspiring innkeepings, written by leaders in the industry, with a good balance of experiences. When reading, bear in mind that it was written before the Internet became the prime source of reservations for innkeepers, so all the computer related marketing and operations info is not current.
Best on B&Bs.......2005-10-04
This was the best of several books on B&Bs that I looked at from the library.
Best Information on Innkeeping out side of PAII.......2005-07-27
I have been searching for books on Professional Innkeeping and related Hospitality Management. This book is one for the collection.
Book Description
This long-awaited new edition of Chronicle Books' best-selling guide (28,000 copies sold) to running a bed-and-breakfast inn has been completely revised and expanded for the '90s. Highly recommended by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, this acclaimed volume contains savvy insider information on how to start, operate, and promote a successful establishment. With its substantial revisions and expanded scope, So You Want to Be an Innkeeper is more essential than ever for anyone who dreams of entering this creative profession.
Customer Reviews:
On my shelf for 10 years.......2002-07-11
I read this wonderful book 10 years ago while planning to become an innkeeper. Now that I am a successful innkeeper, I refer to it constantly and am incredibly grateful to the authors. I credit the information learned in this book as a reason for our success. It helped us ask the right questions, particularly about whether or not we had the personalities to make it in this diffficult business. Also, it was invaluable in creating our business plan. Don't open a B & B before reading this.
Submitted by the author of: "I'm Living Your Dream Life: The Story of a Northwoods Resort Owner."
So - You want to be an innkeeper?.......2001-05-24
You betcha!!! My middle name is Innes (no joke!!!!!) but it might as well be "inns"(!!!!!), that's how much I wanted to be an innkeeper, and Mary Davies' book is "inn" (!!!!!!) the right place "inn" (!!!) my bookshelf. No, but seriously, with my sense of humour and my wife Marjorie's overly solicitous manner and ability to project her prurient judgmentalism and dissaproval wordlessly, we had a headstart in that we were the perfect couple to run a Bed-and-Breakfast. Even the best need a hand though, and this book is a must-read for those who don't want to make a dog's dinner of this rewarding career.
Best financial advice in a short book!.......1999-04-26
As an accountant, I really appreciated the financial planning section of the book. It has helped us to realistically assess different properties in making our investment decision. This book is a must for anyone seriously considering a bed and breakfast or a small inn. Being able to estimate costs and revenues up front is imperative for success.
Great book for potential inn-keepers.......1998-07-23
This book separated the romantic notions of owning a B&B from the business end. It was eye opening and very informative.
Fabulous and comprehensive from all aspects.......1998-04-14
Very comprehensive. Is better for those considering an "inn" vs. renting the spare bedroom.
Average customer rating:
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Yankee Magazine's New England Innkeeper's Cookbook
Yankee Magazine
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| U.S. Regional
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0679432078
Release Date: 1996-04-02 |
Book Description
From the kitchens of New England's finest innkeepers comes a collection of over 270 locally renowned recipes, selected and tested by Yankee Magazine. Using time-honored ingredients such as Vermont maple syrup, these easy-to-prepare recipes range from the simple to the sublime. Illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Utterly charming!.......2006-02-10
I'm a seller here on Amazon, and I was coming here to sell a copy of this book. But I made the mistake (?) of flipping through it first, seeing as I'm a cooking enthusiast who dreams of one day opening a B & B. I sat here and wasted an hour.
So many of the recipes look absolutely divine, and none of them takes up more than a page. So easy and straightforward! Better yet, there are tons of little sidebars that describe time-saving and flavor-augmenting tricks that the various innkeepers have in their repertoires. I am definitely going to start using some of these! I like this one: "Kitchen Tool Hall of Fame: What ONE kitchen tool would New England innkeepers and chefs take with them to a desert island?" And it proceeds to list their answers. Most of the recipes are also introduced by the innkeepers or chefs who submitted them, with tips about what they go well with, or possible substitutions.
Normally in writing a cookbook review, I'd list a few of my favorite recipes (or the duds), but I haven't tried any of these yet. I never realized there could be so many ways to make breakfast eggs or muffins. I am going to try these raspberry lemon streusel muffins this very Sunday. There's an impressive array of appetizers, salads, soups, and chowders. There are also three meat sections which I'll be ignoring since I'm vegetarian, but the following chapter is dedicated to main- and side-dishes for people just like me! Oh, and then desserts! I better not look too closely at this chapter!
Needless to say, I will not be selling this one.
Book Description
Only two weeks from His crucifixion, Jesus has stopped in Bethlehem. He has returned to visit someone important--the innkeeper who made a place for Mary and Joseph the night He was born. But His greater purpose in coming is to pay a debt. What did it cost to house the Son of God?
Through this imaginative poem, John Piper shares a tale of what might have been. The story of an innkeeper whose life was forever altered by the arrival of the Son of God. Ponder the sacrifice that was made that night. Celebrate Christ's birth and the power of His resurrection. Rejoice in the life and light He brings to all. And encounter the hope His life gives you for today--and for eternity.
Customer Reviews:
Not at all what I expected.......2007-01-13
This book was an incredibly short read for me who is usually a slow reader. But the impact was felt long after the cover was closed, and I will return and read it again. Powerfully moving, filling in between the lines of the gospel in an area that the apostles didn't give much detail.
A Beautiful Gift.......2000-07-14
This book is a beautiful gift from John Piper. It was an advent poem written for his congregation in Minneapolis. It will touch your heart deeply and then, at the end, the gospel! I have given this book to many as a gift. Buy it for anyone you wish to bless with the gift of Jesus. The illustrations are beautiful sketches by John Lawrence. It may be given as a gift to a child with caution. (read it yourself first and decide.)
Product Description
"You can't make this stuff up." You hear this refrain many times throughout The Innkeeper Tales. Modeled loosely on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, this collection of stories is told by business travelers whiling away a long day, stranded at The Abacrombie by an early spring blizzard. With Herman (the real-life Abacrombie owner) keeping the food and conversations going, each traveler tells a story drawn from his own life.
All the stories are true, coming from conversations heard in the inn's breakfast room. Several men talk about how their career paths diverged quickly and completely from their original intent (and training). One talks about his Air Force experience. The "rebuilder" confesses his uncontrollable urge to make shiny new things out of collapsing old things. Tony, "the car guy", is moved to describe his many beauties and clunkers. A collector of rare books explains how he got hooked, inspiring another to share his tale of becoming addicted to his wife's auction scavenging and furniture restoration.
But at the heart of the Tales is another kind of restoration: the rebuilding of lives, the refurbishing of the teller's sense of self.
Like the listeners sprawled in the inn's breakfast room, the reader of The Innkeeper Tales will have a rich learning and laughing experience, with a big surprise at the end.
Customer Reviews:
Modern-Day Canterbury Tales.......2007-10-03
As an avid reader, B & B lover and traveler, this book appealed to me on many levels. Herman is truly a modern-day Chaucer who weaves such an artful tale that you feel like you're at the table with him. I only wish I had gotten to stay at the now famous Abacrombie before it left his hands! Anyone who enjoys a great story will love this book!
Excellent.......2007-08-12
In my world of reviewing, I find some authors that just have that certain touch in their words that grabs hold of you and won't let go. Our author John Herman posses such and I am glad that I have had a chance to taste of his words.
In his book, "The InnKeeper Tales," we become one of the guests at Abarcrombie Bed and Breakfast. Stranded by a last minute winter snow, we settle in and begin to enjoy good food, good drink, and hours of storytelling from our fellow travelers. Our peers of isolation at first maybe reluctant to open up, but after a while it is as if their hearts become bare with perhaps deep seeded long lost emotions of their life coming forth, almost relieved to have a chance to share their heart;and with each story we hunger for more.
Listening to these stories we sit in awe, share some laughter and joy, shake our heads in understanding of certain situations and happenings, wonder if others are true, and often feel the tear of perhaps a long lost hurt that for a brief moment was allowed to surface. The stories of each traveler are both entertaining and enlightening in so many ways. Life issues and moral values are discussed as we share victories and defeats and come away perhaps a little wiser by listening to our fellow man.
However, what our author says at the end of the book was a total surprise and one I am not going to reveal; truly the icing on the cake, if you will. If you like storytelling at its best, that promises to be truth told, get this book and settle back for an enjoyable reading and life experience.
An unexpected ending!!.......2007-03-21
Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader View (12/06)
One look at the book, "The Innkeeper Tales," and you know that you've come upon an establishment that offers nothing but class. The hunter green hardcover, etched with gold lettering seems a shame to cover up; but, the beautiful sleeve that takes the wear and tear reiterates the classiness of the book itself.
Open the pages and enter a life of complete relaxation as you meet the guests of the Abarcrombie Bed & Breakfast, while stranded in a winter storm that insists upon you staying one night longer.
Presented in a fashion that makes the reader truly feel like a guest in the B&B itself, you are gently introduced to many of the characters that have frequented the B&B over the years all while tucked away safely inside the walls of the Abarcrombie and served a continuous flow of spectacular food and drink. The many characters you meet will show the absolute diversity of characters the house itself serves. Starting with Enzo, the man who encompasses what work ethics once truly were and ending with the author himself, giving you an inside look of his own world.
Characters gather around the table to share their stories, some much more flamboyant than others. You learn some often very well-kept secrets as the characters open up to each other, knowing that this once-in-a-lifetime moment will never happen again and they will never have to truly ever save face with any of the other guests so why not tell it all. Nothing is held back as they easily let the stories of their life and dreams flow from their lips sometimes without care as to if it's being told properly and with taste. After all, this is the real world and their real life they're talking about and sometimes proper things don't really happen.
I found myself ready to shoot Randy, the very long winded businessman but every time I thought I was going to lose my mind he came up with yet another twist in his long but interesting story. Randy becomes the butt of a few jokes as he continues his life long history, making you somehow appreciate him as much as the guests he's with seem to learn to do. The touching and romantic story of the innkeeper's step-son and his newlywed wife will end the story with a smile. You will quickly appreciate their young love and determination as they work together to make the B&B a success. Laugh with Burt and sympathize with his wife as you hear about his escapades as a baseball team "owner," realizing that truth be told, nobody could make up these stories!
Each story's character finds a place in your heart as you cheer him on to win this race called life. Hardly a life situation seems to have been missed as the characters share their story. You'll find a womanizer, a businessman, a romantic couple, an aging builder and so much more as you open the pages of this wonderfully written book. Canterbury Tales move over, you have a more modern and just as classy competitor at your tail! Kudos to Mr. Herman, for a job well done, in his book "The Innkeeper Tales." And did I mention the ending? Let's just say it takes a little twist you weren't exactly expecting!
A compendium of true stories about a group of strangers who are snowed in at The Abacrombie.......2007-03-04
"The Innkeeper Tales is a compendium of true stories about a group of strangers who are snowed in at The Abacrombie (a bed-and-breakfast located in the cultural district of Baltimore, Maryland). These are stories told by the guests as they candidly share their life experiences with another - experiences that range from the heartbreaking to the heartwarming. It should be noted that entrepreneur John L. Herman, Jr. Owns and manages the Abacrombie Bed & Breakfast and so brings a great deal of personal experience and expertise to "The Innkeeper Tales", which is highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library collections as being an entertaining collection of stories that reveal life lessons for obtaining true success and happiness in our lives.
Product Description
This practical guide includes 20, step-by-step exercises, and dozens
of quotes from experienced professionals, to help chefs, restaurateurs, innkeepers, B&B proprietors, caterers farmer market entrepreneurs and other food professionals bring a product to market.
Book Description
A great bed and breakfast cookbook from the innkeepers of the Minnesota Bed & Breakfast Guild. Explore the uniqueness of each inn and enjoy their favorite recipes through the pages of this great cookbook.
Customer Reviews:
Minnesota B&B Travel Guide & Recipe Book.......2001-09-24
The book is aesthetically pleasing as you page through it, containing black and white drawings of each bed & breakfast. Each page is also bordered with drawings of lilacs.
All B&B's are highlighted on two pages. The first page gives a description of the B&B, the second page contains a recipe that is a specialty dish served by the B&B. The descriptions are very helpful because they not only list the address and telephone number of the B&B, they also list the B&B's e-mail address and website if they have one. This is very useful for someone that makes a lot of travel arrangements on-line.
Book Description
MY LADY INNKEEPER
"An attractive, sharp-tongued heroine."
--Kirkus Reviews
Though Miss Lyndell Markham's ne'er-do-well stepbrother took her money and bought a tawdry inn, Jasper Riddlex was hardly a spy worthy of the gallows! So Lyndell decides to disguise herself as the new innkeeper and trap the traitor herself. But her newest guest, the Marquis of Cheyne--war hero, ladies' man, and general rogue about the town--could ruin Lyndell if he knew her identity. And surely she was too smart to succumb to his seductive embrace. . . .
AN EARLY ENGAGEMENT
"A delightful tale."
--Affaire de Coeur
Though spirited and quite independent, Lady Emilyann insists that Major Lord Stokely honor the betrothal arrangement their fathers had made years before. And he sees no reason not to marry the scrawny, rather plain young woman. Yet while her new husband is away at battle, Lady Em blossoms from ragamuffin to beauty and becomes the toast of the town. So upon his return from the wars, the major discovers he has yet another battle to win--for the heart of his lovely wife!
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