All posts tagged: spirits

‘Til Death (And After): Undead Romances Involving Ghosts, Vampires, and Spirits

‘Til Death (And After): Undead Romances Involving Ghosts, Vampires, and Spirits

Published by Jenni Sidey

In the romance genre, authors make a sacred promise to their readers that their protagonists will, by the end of the story, live happily ever after. That promise is a little trickier to fulfill in paranormal romances where one (or more!) of the characters is dead. How can a sexy ghost live happily ever after if they can’t “live” at all? That’s what draws me to paranormal romances starring ghosts, vampires, spirits, and other undead beings. I know I’m going to the happy ending I want, but chances are that the author will have to find a particularly creative way to get there. Paranormal romances aren’t exactly new, but I’d argue that they’re a rising trend walking hand-in-hand with romantasy’s explosion in popularity. Tons of fantastic paranormal romances are hitting shelves in 2026, and there’s no better time to enjoy them than autumn, as the weather turns chilly with Halloween on the horizon. Below are three new undead romances you can lose yourself in now, plus two upcoming books you can preorder for a ghastly …

Best tequila and mezcal for 2026, expert-chosen and taste-tested

Best tequila and mezcal for 2026, expert-chosen and taste-tested

Published by Sam Flores

If the thought of tequila brings back wild memories of vomit-inducing shots with salt and lime, it’s time for a wake-up call: you’ve been drinking this delicious agave spirit all wrong, and quite frankly, you’re missing out. Nowadays, most tequila is of the 100 per cent agave variety – a far cry from the budget mixto bottles poured in nightclubs back in the day. The very best brands available work with local agave farmers (jimadors) and distillers (maestro tequileros or mezcaleros) to produce high-quality, delicious spirits that are full-flavoured and artisanal in their approach, making them perfect for an elevated slow-sipping experience. With National Tequila Day upon us (24th July), now’s a perfect time to give Tequila another go, or should I say, shot? But where to start? As a drinks expert of more than two decades, here’s my personal selection of the best 100 per cent agave bottles you can buy, whether you’re looking for a smooth, sweet sipper, an indulgently smoky spirit or the perfect pour to liven up your Margaritas. Best tequila …

World of Fine Spirits launches as sister title to established wine brand

World of Fine Spirits launches as sister title to established wine brand

Published by Sam Flores

World of Fine Spirits World of Fine Wine publisher Ascend Media has launched a new title called World of Fine Spirits. The title already has a newsletter and is launching video content and an annual awards. Editor Alex Martin said: “It’s such an exciting time to be writing, and reading, about spirits. The market may feel difficult and unpredictable for brands, but for the drinker, there are more high-quality products than ever before. “We’ve assembled a team of contributors who have spent their working lives in this world and given them a simple brief: find the drinks worth talking about and tell the truth about what’s in the glass. “That level of insight only comes one way: going to the distilleries, meeting the people who make these spirits, and tasting everything we write about.” Contributors to the new title include Millie Milliken, Neil Ridley, Joel Harrison, and Brad Japhe. The World of Fine Spirits website includes an extensive searchable library of tasting notes. Editor of World of Fine Wine Neil Beckett said: “Alex Martin and …

Best Affordable Spirits To Stock Your Drinks Cabinet On A Budget

Best Affordable Spirits To Stock Your Drinks Cabinet On A Budget

Published by Akaay

Is your drinks cabinet in need of a refresh? Or are you setting one up for the first time? Either way, it can quickly become an expensive and slightly intimidating business, especially with so many brands jostling for space on the shelf. So, what should you actually buy? The trick is to set a budget, then decide whether you want familiar names or something a little more interesting. It also pays to buy one bottle from each of the major spirits categories. That gives you versatility, whether you’re pouring for yourself, hosting friends or shaking up a few classic cocktails. Below are seven bottles to get you started, all around or under the £40 mark (at time of writing), and all offering excellent bang for your buck. The Gin Citadelle Gin de France Hailed as one of the world’s first craft gins, Citadelle has picked up plenty of serious awards since its release in 1996. It was the brainchild of Alexandre Gabriel of Maison Ferrand, the highly regarded Cognac house, and is made at the …

Cambodian villagers honor guardian spirits to pray for rain and good fortune

Cambodian villagers honor guardian spirits to pray for rain and good fortune

Published by Sam Flores

PHUM BOEUNG, Cambodia (AP) — Hundreds of Cambodians on Thursday morning honored their village’s guardian spirits by holding a colorful centuries-old ceremony to pray for good fortune, rain and prosperity. The “He Neak Ta” ritual has been celebrated annually for several hundred years by the villagers in Phum Boeung, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh. The ceremony, which has become increasingly rare in modern times, coincides with the onset of the summer monsoon as farmers prepare for planting rice, a particularly water-intensive crop. Although most Cambodians are Buddhist, the ritual reflects a widespread faith in animism, the belief that spirits can inhabit all types of living and inanimate objects. Chamrouen Ratha, a 26-year-old blacksmith, said he was taking the day off from work to join other villagers in honoring the same spirits celebrated by his ancestors. “The significance of this ceremony is to pray for happiness and prosperity for all the villagers in this area and the participants who have joined this ceremony,” he said. Villagers of all ages congregate …

Around two pubs in Britain closing each day after tax hikes, figures suggest

Around two pubs in Britain closing each day after tax hikes, figures suggest

Published by Sam Flores

East of England, 16 closures to 3,682 pubsWest Midlands, 11 closures to 3,910 pubsSouth West, 13 closures to 4,582 pubsNorth West, 18 closures to 5,145 pubsYorkshire and The Humber, 10 closures to 4,235 pubsSouth East, 26 closures to 5,643 pubsLondon, 17 closures to 3,432 pubsNorth East, 2 closures to 1,926 pubsEast Midlands, 10 closures to 3,579 pubsWales, 3 pubs gained to 2,901 pubsScotland, 41 closures to 4,188 pubs Source link

House of the Spirits author feared certain scenes would look “ridiculous”

House of the Spirits author feared certain scenes would look “ridiculous”

Published by Daniella Wilson

Prime Video’s latest literary adaptation of House of the Spirits brings author Isabel Allende’s sweeping, multi-generational family saga to the screen. First published in 1982, the celebrated novel is a cornerstone of magical realism, weaving the fantastical elements into everyday life – something which Allende admits she was initially concerned could look “ridiculous” on screen. “I told them, this is very difficult to do on a screen because it looks ridiculous,” the acclaimed author told Radio Times in a recent interview. “But they did it in a very subtle way… they totally integrated it in a natural way, which was very hard to do with a film.” Magical realism – a genre that blends the supernatural into the everyday – is central to the story, particularly through the character of Clara del Valle Trueba (played by both Nicole Wallace and Dolores Fonzi). The clairvoyant matriarch predicts major events before they happen, levitates objects with her mind and communicates with the dead. The House of the Spirits. Prime Video But translating these elements on-screen can certainly be …

Adapting ‘The House of the Spirits’ for TV was ‘magical realism’

Adapting ‘The House of the Spirits’ for TV was ‘magical realism’

Published by Sam Flores

“Let me show you a picture of my grandmother,” Isabel Allende says. She disappears for a moment from her office into her house in Marin County, near San Francisco. Then she’s back, her scarlet blazer and marbled scarf bright against the white walls. She holds up a sepia photograph in a silver embossed frame: the clairvoyant Isabel Barros Moreira, her mother’s mother, her face placid, with dark hair and dark eyes. The creators of the new series adaptation of Allende’s landmark book “The House of the Spirits” — the first three episodes premiere Wednesday on Prime Video — had not seen this photograph, but her grandmother could very well be one of the actors, Allende says. Many of the characters in “The House of the Spirits,” Allende’s 1982 debut novel, are modeled after members of her family, including her grandmother, grandfather and mother. The story, known for its suffusive magical realism, follows three generations of the del Valle Trueba women through the turbulent history of a conservative South American country, inspired by Allende’s Chile. So …

Why Jesus Preached to the Imprisoned Spirits Between His Death and Resurrection – OpentheWord.org

Why Jesus Preached to the Imprisoned Spirits Between His Death and Resurrection – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

A strange Bible passages found in 1 Peter 3 says that between Christ’s death and resurrection, the Lord preached to spirits imprisoned during the days of Noah: “He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark,…” (1 Peter 3:19-20) Who were these spirits? We have one of two choices. They were either supernatural beings or the spirits of dead people. Some have wondered if these were the spirits of people who died during the flood. But the verse says these spirits were imprisoned while the Ark was being constructed. The flood hadn’t happened yet. Peter brings more clarity in his second letter, where he alludes again to imprisoned supernatural beings during the Days of Noah. This time Peter clearly states that these were angels (Greek aggelos) writing: For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, …