"A vivid insight into the country life and seasonal activities of the year in the later middle ages.""--Cover.

A fresh examination of how the seasons are depicted in medieval literature.

Elegant representations of nature and the four seasons populate a wide range of Japanese genres and media—from poetry and screen painting to tea ceremonies, flower arrangements, and annual observances. In Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons, Haruo Shirane shows how, when, and why this practice developed and explicates the richly encoded social, religious, and political meanings of this imagery. Refuting the belief that this tradition reflects Japan's agrarian origins and supposedly mild climate, Shirane traces the establishment of seasonal topics to the poetry composed by the urban nobility in the eighth century. After becoming highly codified and influencing visual arts in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the seasonal topics and their cultural associations evolved and spread to other genres, eventually settling in the popular culture of the early modern period. Contrasted with the elegant images of nature derived from court poetry was the agrarian view of nature based on rural life. The two landscapes began to intersect in the medieval period, creating a complex, layered web of competing associations. Shirane discusses a wide array of representations of nature and the four seasons in many genres, originating in both the urban and rural perspective: textual (poetry, chronicles, tales), cultivated (gardens, flower arrangement), material (kimonos, screens), performative (noh, festivals), and gastronomic (tea ceremony, food rituals). He reveals how this kind of "secondary nature," which flourished in Japan's urban architecture and gardens, fostered and idealized a sense of harmony with the natural world just at the moment it was disappearing. Illuminating the deeper meaning behind Japanese aesthetics and artifacts, Shirane clarifies the use of natural images and seasonal topics and the changes in their cultural associations and function across history, genre, and community over more than a millennium. In this fascinating book, the four seasons are revealed to be as much a cultural construction as a reflection of the physical world.

A MILLER FOUND UNDER HIS WHEEL It's 1194 and Sir Faucon de Ramis, the shire's newly appointed Keeper of the Pleas, must do his duty and make an official declaration of the cause of a miller's death. Saddled with a clerk who names Faucon his 'penance', the shire's first Crowner must thread the tangled relationships between the sheriff, the village of Priors Holston and the priory that once ruled it. As a simple task takes a turn to the political, what seems obvious isn't and what appears safe turns out to be more dangerous than he could imagine.

The founder of Four Seasons Hotels shares the philosophy and values that have made his legendary brand How did a child of immigrants, starting with no background in the hotel business, create the world's most admired and successful hotel chain? And how has Four Seasons grown dramatically, over nearly a half century, without losing its focus on exceptional quality and unparalleled service? Isadore Sharp answers these questions in his engaging memoir, which doubles as a powerful guide for leaders in any field. He recalls the surprising history of his company, starting with its roots in his father's small construction business, which Sharp joined after getting a degree in architecture. Shifting into hotels wasn't easy, and he learned by trial and error. His breakthrough was a vision for a new kind of hotel, featuring superior design, top-quality amenities, and, above all, a deep commitment to service. Sharp realized that customers would gladly pay extra for a "home away from home" experience. But that would be possible only if everyone-from managers and supervisors to bellmen, servers, and housekeepers-was fully engaged. The front-line staff, who have the most contact with guests, can make or break a five-star reputation. Readers will be fascinated to learn how Four Seasons does it, year after year, in more than thirty countries around the world.

A handsome apprentice falls in love with his master's breathtaking daughter, a young woman promised to another. The conflict between honor, duty and undeniable love slices with a razor's edge, bringing them ever closer to disaster, and bringing the reader back for more.

In the second book of the Sweet Seasons series, Candace has decided to spend another season at The Zone amusement park. But while working as a screaming mascot in the maze is fun, the park has more than a few serious twists—and scares—to offer. Candace never thought she’d sign up for another season at The Zone, but the allure of working with her boyfriend, Kurt, and spending time with her new friends has made the job easier to bear. Though once she finds out her new job is working as Candy in the newest Halloween maze—a role based on her harrowing night in the park that summer that shifted into a wild story she was chased by a killer—things don’t look quite as promising. Her friend Josh makes things slightly easier to bear, but soon the stress of her family’s potential financial hardships, a suddenly strained relationship with Kurt, and the exhaustion of running and screaming each night begin to take their toll. Then dangerous things start happening inside the maze, and Candace starts wondering if maybe her urban myth is becoming a reality—which means her life may be in danger. The Fall of Candy Corn: is a YA contemporary novel with a fun, rom-com feel is written by New York Times bestselling author Debbie Viguié contains a suspenseful plotline with light chills is a coming-of-age story that mixes humor with real-life struggles is a clean read for young adult fans of any age

"Captivating from start to finish." -Amazon Reviewer "A Highland Autumn twists and turns its way to a very satisfying conclusion." -Amazon Reviewer When a no-nonsense Highlander afraid to love... The last thing Ronan Calder needs is marriage. He's got enough to worry about without a wife. His sister and mother both died in childbirth, and he has no interest in reliving such tragedy. If he could convince his father as much, everything would go according to plan. Unfortunately, his brutish father insists on parading potential wives before him as often as he can arrange it. Not once has a single simpering lass captured his attention. Not once, that is, until Ronan mistakes the clan's new scholar for his father's latest attempt to sway him to marry. Meets the only woman who's ever tempted him... There is absolutely no way Adelina is giving up on her dreams. She's going to be the first female scholar at Oxford, or die trying. And no, she's not overly dramatic if that's what you're thinking. When Adelina lands a post in some far-fetched corner of war-torn Scotland, murder and treason are very real threats to Adelina and Clan Calder. To complicate matters further, the beastly laird has a distractingly dashing son who won't leave her alone. It makes the stress of her new position a lot easier to take, what with all the kissing, but it's also interfering with her ability to prove her skills as a scholar. Their love threatens to destroy everything. Can Adelina take the heat, find the traitor, and save the laird to earn her seat at Oxford? Or will Ronan prove too great a distraction? If you love feisty heroines, heart-of-gold heroes, noble/commoner relationships, and luscious Highland landscapes, A Highland Autumn will keep you reading all night. A steamy, forbidden love Highland romance. Seasons of Scotland A Highland Autumn (Ronan & Adelina) A Wild Winter (Aidan & Gemma) A Scandalous Spring (Fintan & Sybilla) A Sizzling Summer (Donnan & Deirdre) To Love A Laird (Alec & Nora) - Prequel Novella Available to Newsletter Subscribers

A book that explores the history of church vestments plus directions for making them.