Title: The Sheen on the Silk
Author: Anne Perry
Published: 2010 by Anne Perry
Pages: 515
Genre: historical fiction, mystery
Genre: historical fiction, mystery
Obtained: gift
Summary: Anna Zarides, disguised as a eunuch (a man that has been castrated), goes to Constantinople to prove that her brother is innocent of murder. As a eunuch and a physician, she is able to attend to both men and women of all classes and can speak with and form relationships with all types of people. This will make it possible for her to find out why the murder occurred and who is guilty of it. She hopes to free her brother from exile.
Thoughts: This story takes place in the late 1200's toward the end of the Crusades. It is woven with history including politics, culture, medicine, and religion. The time period was well researched by the author and she does an excellent job bringing the culture of the 13th century to life. I found it to be a very interesting time period. This was the greatest strength of the book.
When I opened the book and saw a list of characters in the front, I thought this would be one of those books where I get the characters all mixed up because there are too many of them. This was not the case. There were a lot of characters, but I always seemed to remember who was who. The characters had their own personalities. The problem was that most of them just were not believable.
The plot was okay. It was organized, but the main plot never had a climax. The subplots (of which there were many) had better climaxes. The author's writing was easy to follow, but some things were too repetitious. Also, sometimes descriptions were good, sometimes excessive. The book could do with some more editing.
There was a lot going on in this book. I found that I had to read it when I could concentrate on it without being disturbed or I would get lost and have to backtrack. Not being familiar with the time period could have also contributed to my need to be free from distraction when reading this book.
This was not a "light" read. The book was long. I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in this time period and in an in-depth novel. I would not recommend it to someone who is looking for a great mystery or a quick read.
Summary: Anna Zarides, disguised as a eunuch (a man that has been castrated), goes to Constantinople to prove that her brother is innocent of murder. As a eunuch and a physician, she is able to attend to both men and women of all classes and can speak with and form relationships with all types of people. This will make it possible for her to find out why the murder occurred and who is guilty of it. She hopes to free her brother from exile.
Thoughts: This story takes place in the late 1200's toward the end of the Crusades. It is woven with history including politics, culture, medicine, and religion. The time period was well researched by the author and she does an excellent job bringing the culture of the 13th century to life. I found it to be a very interesting time period. This was the greatest strength of the book.
When I opened the book and saw a list of characters in the front, I thought this would be one of those books where I get the characters all mixed up because there are too many of them. This was not the case. There were a lot of characters, but I always seemed to remember who was who. The characters had their own personalities. The problem was that most of them just were not believable.
The plot was okay. It was organized, but the main plot never had a climax. The subplots (of which there were many) had better climaxes. The author's writing was easy to follow, but some things were too repetitious. Also, sometimes descriptions were good, sometimes excessive. The book could do with some more editing.
There was a lot going on in this book. I found that I had to read it when I could concentrate on it without being disturbed or I would get lost and have to backtrack. Not being familiar with the time period could have also contributed to my need to be free from distraction when reading this book.
This was not a "light" read. The book was long. I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in this time period and in an in-depth novel. I would not recommend it to someone who is looking for a great mystery or a quick read.
Company: Art of Tea
Obtained: gift
According to their website, Art of Tea is a "tea importer and wholesaler based in Los Angeles, California". They "hand blend and custom craft the world's finest organic teas and botanicals". Their teas are "carefully selected directly from growers". They are a "market leader in Fair Trade Tea".
"Sleep Tight" is described on the package as a "calming bedtime inspired blend that will send you off to dreamland quickly". It is a caffeine free herbal tea blend made up of chamomile, spearmint, lemon balm, valerian, lemongrass, passion flowers, and rose petals. The tea is packaged in an air tight, foil-lined resealable bag which protects the tea from light and heat and keeps it dry. It is a plain looking package, but keeps the tea fresh.
When I opened the bag there was a very strong mint scent. The herbal blend is a pretty looking one. You can see the yellow centers of chamomile flowers, dried lemon grass leaves, dark pink flower petals, and a variety of green leaves of all shapes and sizes.
I poured eight ounces of water over one teaspoon of tea leaves as directed on the package. I brewed the tea for five minutes (the bag suggests 5-7 minutes). The liquid was a golden yellow with a light mint scent. There was a floral scent in the background. When tasting the tea, the prominent flavor was a lemony mint with an undertone of rose and chamomile. The flavors blended well.
I really enjoyed this tea. It was light tasting and calming. It would make a great nighttime tea. It would also be an excellent tea to sip when you are stressed out, anxious, or just want to relax.
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