5 comments about Dead Men Don't Lye (A Soapmaking Mystery).

1. Harrison Black is an orphan; Ben Perkins is part of a large extended family. There's the difference between this series and the candlemaking one. Both guys are single 30-somethings who give artsy-craftsy lessons for a living - in the same town! Ben appears to be slightly huskier, but I cannot get a distinct, separate picture of each. Sorry, but it was really tough for me to buy into this series as more than a weak copy of the other. A strange differentiation occurs here in that Ben's case is covered by the local policewoman, whereas Harrison's are investigated by the Sheriff's Office.
   SPOILER ALERT ...
   The culprit here turned out to be roughly the same as in Harrison's latest, with an age/gender change: Instead of an older male "minding the shop for absent owner" we get a younger female "minding the shop for absent owners." How close is that!
   
   I put the book down for a moment, shook my head, and mumbled, "The author shouldn't have done that!" when Ben's brother says he wants to get home to read the new "mystery about a candle shop" (p. 192). I wondered whether there was an editor at all after reading the following (p. 211): " ... all the people I'd put through the ringer [sic] over this case."
   
   I will buy the next Harrison Black installment. If there is a sequel to this one, I would read it only as a library book; wouldn't even be worth buying a cheap used copy for something so insultingly derivative. I give it two stars because it could stand on its own without the other series, though not as well.



2. Thinking this to be another of the candle-shop books, I picked it up. Oh, well. It was a fun read anyway. To be sure, I did raise an eyebrow at the mention of the candle shop, but since it was an anonymous mention, I didn't think all that much of it.
   
   Ben Perkins, being the oldest son of a warm and loving family is quite a different character from the orphan of the candle-shop, in my opinion, and the details of the shop and the soap-making are fascinating. Who wouldn't want to know all the whys and wherefores involved if, in the course of your daily job, you stumbled over the very dead and somewhat mis-treated corpse of one of the suppliers to your business? Especially if that supplier had been dating your sister? Seems reasonable to me.
   
   All the red herrings were firmly in place, with a lot of interesting new folks yet to meet in this new series by Tim Myers. One thing is absolutely for certain, however. Tim creates the most appealing, clever and sometimes humorous names and concepts (or themes) for stores and businesses that I've come across in some time. He makes Harper's Landing into a very comfy place to live and work.
   
   Ben's widowed Mom is a tad pushy, but after raising seven kids, I guess she's entitled to be just that. But still, I think she's pushed them all in the right direction, even if only two of them are married so far. Let's see, that leaves at least five more books to come - one in which to get each sibling a mate - oh! and then two more, so that Mom and Grandpa (who didn't appear here) can acquire `friends' of their own.
   
   The townsfolk are an interesting bunch, as well. The next book in the series will be along in a couple of months, and I'll be watching for it.



3. This book has got to be the worst-written mystery ever. The plot itself is so-so (once you get past the idea that a small town has three soap stores in it), but the characters are one-dimensional and their relationships with each other are paint-by-number. Every so often the author gives a perfunctory nod to the fact that it's supposed to be a mystery and mentions the crime or the policewoman (for whom the narrator clearly has zero respect, despite their on-again off-again relationship). I'm not even going to give this book to my mother to read. I couldn't bear for her to waste her time reading it.



4. In the 1st book in the Soapmaking Mystery series, we are introduced to Benjamin Perkins, one member of the large Perkins clan who runs a specialty soap shop in North Carolina. All seven siblings work together in the shop, Where There's Soap, and support each other in the different stages of their lives. Ben, like several of his siblings, is single and finding it difficult to find love. But nothing quite compares to the disastrous love life of his sister, Louisa, whose boyfriend is found murdered on the back steps of their soap shop! The police immediately suspect Louisa, as she had recently discovered her boyfriend, Jerry Sanger, was unfaithful to her with several other local women. Led by their mother, the Perkins family beseeches Ben to poke around in the case, and to assist in their investigation. He investigates possible suspects along with his occasional date and police detective friend, Molly Wilkes, and also with his new potential love interest and lawyer, Kelly Sheer. Working with the help of the two women in his life, Ben works hard to discover the killer before his beloved sister is locked up for good.
   
   I have read and really enjoyed the candlemaking mystery series that is also written by this author, and was excited to try this one as well. I was disappointed in the first installment, however, and found that it didn't have the same flow or easy dialogue as I found in that series. I found a lot of the back and forth dialogue between the Perkins siblings to be a bit strange and distracting, and found Ben to be a somewhat effeminate character. I think the series has potential, however, and will read the next installment before deciding whether to continue with future books or not. If you like cozy mysteries, I would definitely try the candlemaking mysteries by this author starting with the book, At Wick's End.
   
   The next book in the Soapmaking Mystery series is called "A Pour Way to Die". Enjoy!



5. I enjoyed this book. The characters are not well developed, but they are pleasant to read about.

2 comments about Country Living Crafting Soap at Home (Country Living).

1. I didn't really expect much when I read that it includes M&P recipes, but I was pleasantly surprised at how useful it looks!

   Most of the book is concerned with recipes for CP soapmaking, with seven basic recipes (5 all veggie oil, one tallow, one goat-milk & veggie oil) and several specialty recipes. Without actually sitting down and counting recipes, I'd estimate that it's about 75% CP recipes, 22% rebatch/remilled CP recipes, and 3% M&P and other misc recipes. Lots of good photos of the soaps that are REAL - their rebatch pictures look like the lumpy weird soap I get when I rebatch, which I found to be refreshingly honest.

   I haven't actually tried any of the recipes yet, but when I run them through online calculators they come up pretty good. I'll probably take 1-2% off the lye for several of the recipes to be at about 5-6% superfat, but there are a few I know I won't be changing.

   Basic instructions looked good, accurate and concise, but might be a bit sparse for brand-new soapers if they have trouble following written instructions without any photos. Not a lot of charts and tables on the oils themselves, this is more of a recipe book than a reference book. Not a lot of pages are wasted on pictures of gloves and thermometers and little jars of oil - in fact there are no pictures of equpipment at all which I count as a plus...does anybody NOT know what a pair of gloves or a jar of olive oil looks like?

   In addition to soap recipes, there are also a few stray recipes scattered in there for things such as hair rinse, laundry soap, bath tea, shower gel, how to infuse oils, dish soap, etc. All very simple, without a lot of bizarre or hard to find ingredients.

   I was also happy to see that almost every recipe is vegetarian, and uses all natural ingredients. No synthetic fragrance oils or colorings are included in any of these recipes.




2. This book is my favorite soap recipe book. I purchased this book when I was beginning to make soap. The instructions are very clear. The recipes provided are wonderful. These are my favorite soap recipes so far. I would recommend this soap book to anyone interested in making soap. The authors also know a great deal about essential oils and healing properties. This book provides some of that information with the soap recipes as well. Happy soap making!

No comments about Gourmet Soaps Made Easy.

2 comments about Kids' Crafts: Soapmaking: 50 Fun & Fabulous Soaps to Melt & Pour (Lark Kids' Crafts).

1. This book is wonderful for teaching kids a new craft. You use basic melt and pour glycerin base that's bought at a craft store, and tons of other items to make a unique bar of soap. This book has recipes for dog soap (soap to wash your dog with), soap balls that look like eyeballs and happy faces, alaphabet soap that you use cookie cutters to cut out the letters, soaps you put small toys into, and moldable play-dough type soap. I really liked making the moldable soap for my friends who had children who hated taking baths. You'll also learn how you can paint designs onto the soap with candle/soap paints.
   All of the instructions are very easy to read and easy to follow so kids can't make a mistake. Toward the end of the book, an 11 year old describes how she turned a present into a hobby. She found that her soapmaking kit was so fun to use, she decided to sell her soaps to people and turned it into a business! She explains how other kids can do the same and what stuff they'd need for it.
   
   Overall, Soapmaking: 50 Fun and Fabulous Soaps to Melt and Pour is a wonderful book for kids and adults that want to learn how to make homemade soap.



2. Some easy and fun ideas for soap making. Well worth the price - you get a lot for your money here.

5 comments about The Soapmaker: Natural Handmade Soap from Your Kitchen.

1. This book contains alot of good information on making soaps that keep you from not having to deal with lye or other caustic chemicals. Essential oils are a bit expensive, but hey, who said that soapmaking as a hobby was inexpensive? I see alot of people complaining about not finding some of the ingredients. 100% pure Soap flakes are certainly NOT a detergent and can be found at the "better" soap making supply houses..you just have to take some time and search them out. You can also make soap flakes by grating a vegetable based 100% pure bar of soap, such a Ivory. Voila, instant soap flakes. Also, this book seems to originally been published in Europe, hence the hard to find ingredients in the U.S. When it comes to scents that you can't find, such as field mint, all you do is substitute it with another type of mint that you find pleasing. I applaud the author in the sense that she uses only essential oils and makes colors from natural ingredients. Yes, if you want cheap soaps that are made with disgusting synthetic scents and fake coloring, these things are readily available, but you get what you pay for. I for one, would only want to make pure, natural and organic soaps, as the author does.



2. Having goats I was interested in finding a book that would teach simple soap making techniques including using milk. I also wanted a book that would show natural soaps or soaps that would be healthy for my family and my skin. If you are interested in or make healthy foods you will have the items needed readily at hand. And the book is helpful because it lists where to get some of the ingredients for some of the soaps if your area doesn't carry them. Although essential oils can be found via the Internet as well. There should be one or two soaps (at least) that a person can and will want to make.

   Milk-Based Soaps: Making Natural, Skin-Nourishing Soap by Casey Makela is a book I also recommend for those who like myself make homemade soap using milk from my own goats. Milk soap is harder to make but is my favorite soap next to olive oil soap.




3. This book is not about soapmaking.
   If you are looking for a resource for learning to make soap, this book is not for you.
   If, however, you are looking for a resource on learning how to melt, mold, scent, colour and package soap, this is a pretty decent book.
   I was really looking for some good books on the ancient art of soapmaking: creating and controlling the chemical reactions between fats and alkali in order to create that wonderful handcrafted soap that my grandmother knew, made and used. Instead, when I picked up this book, I got an eyeful of information on using someone else's soaps to modify into whatever shape and colours that you want.
   That's all well and good... learning to hand-mill soap (that is really what this book is about, hand-milling soap... the process of reshaping and modifying previously-created soap) it a nice art in and of itsself but it is not soapmaking.
   If you don't want to really control what your soap is made from but just want to make something pretty, fragrant, or what-have-you, I would recommend this book for you. It has some wonderful ideas for scents, shapes, packaging and such.
   If, on the other hand, you want to become an artisan in the realm of soap... learning how to mix different fats in the proper ratios with the proper amount of lye to saponify, scent, colour and shape, and turn out a truly hand-made product, I would recommend that you find some other book. This is not for you.



4. Great book with a good variety of soap recipes. Good instruction on how to create her yummy soaps. Such a good book for those of us who can't use harsh chemicals. The cream soaps are a unique twist on handmilled soaps. This is great book for any soap or craft library.



5. This book is awesome! It does not teach you how to make soap from scratch, rather the recipes are from hand milled, melt and pour, and liquid soap bases. I love it. The pictures, setup and design are great. The author goes into detail about the right equipment, supplies, instructions, and essential oils and their properties. Then she gives recipes for whipped cream soaps, glycerin soaps, soap balls, other bath products and a fantasy collection. This is one of the better soap books. I just had to buy another copy because mine was in such horrible shape. I have made everything in this book to give as gifts and people GO BANANAS! They nearly break down my door for more. This book along with Making Scented Soap, Natural Soap Making, 300 Great Melt and Pour Projects,and Handmade Natural Soap- I have created quite a business. I highly recommend this book. The soapballs alone are worth it. People love them!

No comments about Paula Pryke's Candles.

1 comments about Beeswax Crafts: Candlemaking, Modelling, Beauty Creams, Soaps and Polishes, Encaustic Art, Wax Crayons.

1. This book was my introduction to crafting with beeswax. The book has detailed instructions and beautiful detailed photographs to follow along with. Six areas of beeswax crafting are introduced to the reader: candle making, beeswax modeling, making cone shaped crayons, encaustic art (melting crayons onto an iron and then "painting" it onto paper), furniture polish, and making beauty creams and soap.

   As I said this is a great introduction, and as such, sometimes there is only one project per category. I think this book is helpful for a beginner and if you find that enjoy these crafts and you want to do more of one the same, then you may either custom design your own projects (when applicable) or find other recipes or instructions from other books and/or sources. If you know and understand this before buying the book I think you will be very happy.

   The photographs are wonderful and I found them very helpful. The different kinds of beeswax are explained and important melting safety tips are clearly written. Many different types of candle making are explained, some using sheets of wax that are rolled by hand and others that used melted beeswax. Dipping candles, hand modeling candles, and using molds, both hard and flexible are all included here. Five recipes for creams are included, and one soap that uses beef tallow (fat). Five wood/furniture polish recipes are here, one of which is made with beef tallow. Instructions to make the crayons are here along with tips for successful sketching with them. Encaustic art is clearly explained although it still seemed a difficult craft, and requires specialty equipment, which does not make it easy or inexpensive to try out. (I had previously read about it without accompanying photographs and didn't understand what was being communicated. Other instructions I've read elsewhere don't fully outline the proper materials needed, so this book did a great job of explaining it.)

   A great introduction if you've never watched these crafts being made in person or if you are a visual learner and have a difficult time following directions that are not accompanied by photographs.

5 comments about Art of Soap Making (Harrowsmith Contemporary Primer).

1. Upon arrival I immediately read the book cover to cover and thoroughly enjoyed myself. This was the third soapmaking book I had purchased and found, that as with the others, the author had her own way of soapmaking. By taking information from all the books I had purchased along with borrowed books from my public library, I was finally able to make soap. I have found in my experiences that no one book is complete in itself, however this book is filled with valuable information and is a must for your soapmaking library.



2. Good information if you're Canadian. A little hard to understand at times if you're not, but most of the recipes aren't current.



3. I found this book to be boring and not at all helpful. I have never made soap but I am trying to learn. This wasn't something I found useful!



4. This book gives all of the basic information and includes lots of recipies. For a little book, it packs in a ton of information from the history of soap to your basic soap recipie to exotic soap recipies.



5. This is the thing..the book does have some good recipes,however, it is incredibly boring, and i really do not like the way this lady jumps from one subject to another. Case and point: I want to learn about rendering beef tallow, ok? She is doing o.k explaining this and then suddenly, she jumps to lard, then how storing your already rendered tallow near onions will make it smelly, how unclean tallow will make your soap smelly, cooking potatoes in your smelly tallow to make it smell better...oh, what were we talking about? Oh yes, the process of rendering... More like the inner ramblings of a seasoned soaper pretending to have her own talk show while she makes soap.

2 comments about Candlemaking: Creative designs and techniques.

1. this book was very, very easy to follow. I started making my own candles the same afternoon. I found the photos to be very inspirational.



2. I thought that this book was extremely useful towards experienced candlemakers in search of new ideas. Though I think the instructions were a little foggy. One has to have a pretty good idea as to how to subtitute thier own materials in leau of what was presented in the book. I think that it is a great book to have around on those rainy days one is starting to find thier old techniques a little on the dull side.

1 comments about Cut & Carve Candles: Beautiful Candles to Dip, Carve, Twist & Curl.

1. A friend of mine loaned me this book and I ended up buying my own copy! Very easy to follow and the candles are just fantastic. I used to see this type candle in malls when I was a kid and never thought I could make them.