"Bella" by Steve Piacente - 5 Star Quality Novel

"Bella," by Steve Piacente is a 5 star quality novel.

"A striking widow intent on proving the military lied about her husband's death lures a Washington journalist into the investigation. Working together, they discover the power of temptation, the futility of revenge, and the consequences of yielding to either." Book Cover Summary

Steve Piacente's first book, "Bella," is a smash hit. He is an author to be reckoned with...an author with his own "voice," and particular charm that I expect we'll soon be hearing much about in reading circles.

Mr. Piacente is Deputy Communications Director at the U.S. General Services Administration.  He formerly enjoyed a 25-year career in print journalism.  Among other educational accomplishments, he earned a Masters in Fiction from John Hopkins University in 2000.  He knows a bit about this story he's written, I'd say!

Written with such a snappy dialogue, quick quips, humor and irony that the pages spark with life. "Bella" is a read that both entertains and surprises.

 Piacente's tight, well-sculpted novel has the precision of a plastic surgeon's new face-lift; it's beautiful and practically flawless!  So smooth  it speeds along carrying one away in a momentum of mystery and angst, and so peppered with humor that I found myself refusing to stop reading for my mood's sake alone!

The main story honestly captured the essence and repercussions of a young athlete who was killed in Iraq by "friendly fire," and whose death was then "covered up" by military brass and government officials. Piacente's use of characterization, plot and description are stellar. 

I loved his news-jockey/journalist, Dan Patragno, who was at once sassy and serious, sharing an inner dialogue of a seasoned, wise and jaundice-eyed, investigative reporter.  Danny is a winning primary character with strengths and rough edges that made me long to know more about him and his journalistic exploits. The secondary plot of this book is good enough to stand alone, too.

All of Piacente's characters are mindfully created:  The "Bella" in question, Isabel Moss, widow of the lost soldier, is an atypical heroine; injured, sexy, intelligent, beautiful, and as dangerous as white oleander. A woman we can both learn to relate to, as well as resent.  

Danny's buddies Gus and Clay are such odd-men-out, geeky; yet, genius players that we only want more of them!  His primary school son, Robin, is a blooming little wisecracker to die for!!

You have to read "Bella," this year because it's a great book.  Read it because you don't want to be left off this rising star's first book trail.  And, read it because you won't want to miss his other Dan Patragno books which I'm begging him to write...and which I hear may be in the works.

See Piacente's website:  http://www.getbella.com  for more specifics on Steve's interesting career and more on "Bella."

Watch a YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/getbella

**Reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari and other bookish sites...

Your BookishDame/Deborah

Hope all of you had a happy Christmas and that your New Year's Resolutions aren't keeping you up nights.  I haven't made my list on that, yet.  Too busy reading and enjoying time back home this past couple of days.

I want to thank the authors and publishers who have provided me with books for reviews this past years.  They know who they are! I have enjoyed the reads, and hope my reviews have mattered. 

I especially hope my choices of books to read and review over the past year have meant something to my dear friends and followers.

With warmest regards,

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"The Highest Stakes" A Ride You'll Hold On For!

"Set against the sights, sounds, and excitement of the brand new sport of thoroughbred racing, "The Highest Stakes" is a story of drama, love, and retribution in a world where pedigree is everything and fortunes can be won and lost in the blink of an eye.""From the first day she learned to ride, Charlotte Wallace lived for the freedom that comes from tearing across the heath on one of her uncle's prized stallions.  But that freedom is shattered when her uncle makes her the pawn in his bet on a high stakes horse race."

These are the cover descriptions of Emery Lee's extraordinary book, "The Highest Stakes."  I'm never one to explain the story of a book, since that's something easily found on the covers or with a nod to the summaries already written. My goal as a reviewer is to tell more about the author's abilities to convey that story, and to give a personal sense of how it translates to the reader.

"The Highest Stakes," is a book that I took a risk on reading.  I'm not one who knows horses. Having been completely in the dark about them, I've never grown to appreciate their history or people's attachments to them.  But, when I saw Emery Lee's book, it seemed like a good time to jump in and try to see this side of things.  I started reading with a jaded mind, I didn't expect to finish the book.

Surprisingly enough, I was mesmorized!  Ms. Lee writes about horses, races, breeding horses, and riders as if these things were at the heart of all life. It is captivating!  I learned so much about the history of horse racing.  The breeding of horses and how they develop a racing horse was so interesting written from Emery's hand, and the training of a race horse became alive and almost sensual.  My heart raced when the races were described!

Emery Lee is a highly articulate,intelligent writer.  She has an infinite grasp of the English language of the times in which her book takes place and of the entire setting of her story.  Her characters are subtle and strong.  They are absorbing in their trueness and honesty, and their love of horses. There is a love story at the heart of this novel; however, it is beautifully balanced with the story of the horses as they are intwined.

This is an intelligent book.  It is a book to be taken seriously.  A book that will teach and thrill, I recommend it especially to those who know and love horses and English stories of the 1700's.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Deb/Bookish Dame

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Since one of my new resolutions for 2011 is to read more YA fiction, I'm claiming this book as one for my "Outdoing Yourself Reading Challenge."

Can you get over how gorgeous the cover is?  Children these days are simply so beautiful, it's breathtaking.  There's something about their awareness of themselves and the world around them that makes them different than the children of my timeframe and even of my childrens' times.  (My children now being in their 30's)   I say all of this because...just look at this girl on the cover.  Those are knowing eyes!

The reference to weaving drew me in, as well.  I'm a needlewoman and have been for nearly 50 years.  I adore French tapestries.  This one featured in part on the cover is from The Unicorn Tapestries...The Unicorn in Captivity, to be exact, which is now housed in NYC at The Cloisters.  A whole discussion in and of itself.

In a nutshell,  you see the whole concept given to you just on the cover of the book.  "Warped" the term often used in tapestry work...the weave of making of the tapestry in a warp and woof.  The warp is the first part that's laid in a loom.....the strings that are stretched the length of the loom.  The "woof" which is the old expression or the "weft" which is newer...are the horizontal threadings that will be made through the warp.   The cover further reads, "Tessa's life is about to unravel."   So, the warp and the woof are not secure.

This is a book written by Maurissa Guibord who seems to be either French or of some part French heritage.  She is vastly aware of tapestries...  interestingly enough.  She's given us significant symbolic information about her book. 

Without reading the summary that will be given below.  We can pretty much surmise that poor Tessa will be stretched to the inth of her abilities to survive her coming of age experiences.  I suspect that she will meet a young man (her unicorn) who is illusive to most people, except to herself...because a unicorn can only be tamed by a young virgin, after all.  And, this young man must be pursued by those who want to hurt him or jail him for some reason.  I'm guessing....

I can't wait to read this book which I understand will be out sometime in January, 2011, just in time for my Book List!

Here's the summary I took from Goodreads:

" Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. 

When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy. "

Please look on my sidebars if you'd like to check Amazon.com to pre-order or just see more about this book.

Have fun!  I can't wait to hear what  you'll be reading.  Please leave me a note.

Hope you're enjoying Christmas lights in your neighborhoods right about now!

Deb/YourBookishDame

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Hickory Polio Epidemic 1944: Interiew of Survivor #1

My mother contacted me by phone today and we talked about Joyce's book, "Blue," and the Polio Epidemic in Hickory, NC, of which mom was a part.  The following is a brief interview that I want to share with my readers and Joyce Hostetter:

Me:    So, Mom, do you remember much about the polio epidemic in Catawba County in 1944?

Mom:  In 1944 in Hickory?  Oh, yes!!  That was me!  I was there!

Me:  Yes, I thought so.  How old were you?

Mom:   I was 12, I think.  I think I was about 12 or 12 1/2 because I remember I was so embarrassed.  The doctor in the emergency room made me take all my clothes off and they wanted to see me walk and then stand against the wall so they could take pictures.  They wanted to see me walk.  Then they took pictures both front and back.  I was so embarrassed.  Yes, I remember because it was just as I was becoming a teen-ager and I was embarrassed.

Me:  So, how did it all happen?

Mom:   Well, it was the Summer.  I was staying with my cousins out in the country at the farm.  There was a big swimming area...a kind of lake with a river of water coming down into it.  It was very nice to swim in but the boys were always swimming there and they would swim naked.  I couldn't go there, and my friend and her brother who lived in the big house on one of the hills weren't allowed to go there, either.  So, we found another place to swim.  It was a pond with bushes and trees all around it.  It was private and small.  We swam there just a few times, and then all three of us got sick.

Me:  What happened?

Mom:   Well, the brother, I don't remember their names, he was badly paralyzed.  He ended up in a wheel chair, as I remember.  She was lightly injured like I was.  But, we all three were hospitalized in Hickory.

Me:  Do you know where they are now?

Mom:  No, I don't.  But, I could probably find out when I go back home sometime.  I only know that I heard he never really recovered.

Me:  How did you get to Hickory, Mom?

Mom:  I don't remember that part at all.  I just remember that I ended up in those big tents.  I was in a big tent as big as your living room and another room together.  They laid wooden floors down.  We were just put in beds in rows.  The tent was very big.

Me:  Did Grandmother get to be with you?

Mom:   No.  There weren't any visitors or family as I remember.  The person in the bed next to me was a young woman who had had twins.  She was very sick.  I know she wasn't able to see her twins for 2 years.  But, my mother was not able to see me.

Me:  Poor woman.  I wonder if the reason Grandmother didn't come also had to do with the fact that she had no car and that gasoline was being rationed, as well.

Mom:  I don't know.  But, I remember that they didn't want us to do anything by lay there, and I would slide down off my bed once I started feeling better, and I would put my hands on the bed and try to walk around it so I could go home.  I wasn't supposed to do that but I did anyway.

Me:   You tried to exercise because you were tired of lying there such a long time?

Mom:   No, I wanted to see my mother.  I wanted to go home to my mother.

Me:  Where did the polio strike you, Mom?  On your left side?

Mom:  Well, not really.   It was on my left and right sides at the top.  From my shoulders down my arms to my fingers.  And then at both of my thighs, mostly.  That's where it was mostly painful on me.
They would take army blankets, which were cut up, and put them in the old washing machines in very hot water to soak them.  Then they would put the strips through the ringer and then wrap my arms and shoulders, thighs and everything with those strips.  They were so hot!!  Just so blistering hot.
The doctors didn't give us anything at all for the pain.

Me:  Oh, that sounds just horrible, Mom!  Nothing at all for the pain for you?

Mom:  No.  I don't think they knew what to do except the hot wraps and they fed us soups and soft things.  They would come and sit people up, if they could sit up, and feed them.  They used to sit me up to feed me.

Me:   Did they have you do any sort of exercise?  Were you made to exercise your arms or legs at all?

Mom:  No, never!   It was just be in the bed resting.  They just wanted us to rest.  That was all we were supposed to do.  I just remember the tents and how big they were to me and laying there missing my mother.

Me:   Okay, well, we'll talk about this more later.  Would you like to?

Mom:  Yes!   I'd like to talk about it more.  I know all about the time and what happened.

To be continued.....

Your Bookish Dame/Deb

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Hickory, NC, Polio Epidemic of 1940's: My Mother Was A Victim & Survivor

I am so appreciative to my friend, Alex of The Children's War, WWII, who just wrote a review on a book called, "Blue," by author J. Hostetter which is written from a child's perspective about Hickory, NC, and the Polio Epidemic of 1944 during WWII.

This is such an important book to me, personally, because my mother is from that immediate area and was a victim of polio at that very time.  She became paralysed on her left side, spent time in a tent, then an iron lung and remembers much of the scene and times.  If she weren't off on a fun trip to Arizona for the next few weeks, I could interview her about it!  But for now, suffice it to say that she survived with relatively few crippling effects.

She remained "small boned" and thin most of her life, has always fought a weakness on her left side mostly in her hand, and now, as she's aged she has tended to have nerve problems in her face and weakness in the muscles in her arm and fingers on the left side, as well as her left leg. 

These things have not kept my mother down, however!  She was always and still is a Warrior Woman in spirit!  I'm sure she was a little fighter as a child and that spirit brought her through a time that could have crushed another, less strong-willed child.  Not to mention the fact that my family is a very long line peppered with Christians who, I'm sure, were praying the poles off the tents in Hickory!

Mother is about a 16th of Cherokee, which tribe is strong in that area of North Western NC,  just down the Great Smoky Mountains from Grandfather Mountain in Blowing Rock, and Boone, and, of course, what's known now as Cherokee, NC.  Mother's family originates from a French bloodline.  Her name is Louise, which is an old family name.  It seems evident that there was some French and Indian War mixing going on in the background!  I'm sure that also had something to do with her spirit and mind-set.  She's not one to keep down in a battle!

I do recall that Mom said she was about 13 years old when she contracted polio, it was the Summer, and that she had been swimming with her cousins in a pond on their farm in the country.  That would have been in Catawba County in 1944.  Hickory was about 30 minutes away at that time on what were probably just 2-way backroads.  Transportation would  have been difficult.  Not many of my mother's people had cars.  They either worked near their factory jobs, or were farmers with tractors and trucks.  I know as a child my maternal grandmother didn't drive and she called a taxi for us to go anywhere at all when I visited her.  Mother isn't sure how she got to the hospital.    We'll have to leave the rest of the story to her.....

I'm anxious to get Mom back for an interview here later...in January.  As far as I know she's only discussed her polio with me as I'm the oldest of 6 children.  She never really made a big deal of it, and it certainly didn't stop her having a houseful of children! 

Below are some facts which Alex linked to her blog and which I've lifted for interest purposes here:

The Polio Epidemic

1944 - Institutional Event
"I won’t ever forget the feeling in my legs when I lost the use of them.
It was just such a weird feeling.
It was just like it went through me,
just a surge went through my body.
I can feel it right now just thinking about it.
It was very frightening for a little 14-year-old girl to think,
gosh, my life’s gone, you know?”
—Addie Flowers Vance, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, 1996

The word “polio” no longer sends ripples of fear through parents across the United States. But as early as 1916, large outbreaks of poliomyelitis, or infantile paralysis, swept through cities and towns, crippling and killing thousands. The victims were mainly children—but not always. In 1921, at the age of 39, Franklin D. Roosevelt was left with severe paralysis from the disease and spent most of his presidency in a wheelchair. During his second term, he founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, known later as the March of Dimes.

Polio is an infectious viral disease that enters through the mouth or nose, then travels to the spinal cord. There it attacks nerves that control muscle activity, causing temporary or permanent paralysis. Usually polio affects leg, arm, stomach and back muscles. But if it paralyzes chest muscles needed for breathing, it can be fatal.

Just as World War II ended, the most severe epidemics hit the nation. Most polio outbreaks began in the summer. Since children were most frequently affected, communities reacted with dread, often closing down public swimming pools and movie theaters. The epidemic peaked in North Carolina and the United States in 1952, when a record 57,628 cases were reported nationally. Some referred to the national state of panic as “polio hysteria.”

The following year, Dr. Jonas Salk and his associates developed an injectable polio vaccine made from inactivated virus. Schoolchildren by the thousands were vaccinated, reducing the incidence of polio by almost 90 percent within two years. Later, the Salk vaccine was replaced by the Sabin oral vaccine, which was easier and less expensive to administer.

Today polio has been eradicated in the United States, where the last case caused by “wild” virus was reported in 1979. Worldwide, while vaccination campaigns continue, hundreds of new cases are still reported each year.

Polio swept across North Carolina’s western Piedmont region in 1944, centering around Catawba County.

The March of Dimes, a fund-raising organization, was founded by FDR as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in 1938.

Between 1949 and 1954, 65% of those who contracted polio were children.

North Carolina children wait in segregated lines for free Salk polio vaccinations.

Post-Polio Syndrome

During the 1940s and ’50s, polio patients were told their muscles would lose strength and flexibility if not used to full capacity. So they pushed their bodies, often beyond their limits. Many recovered to the point where they no longer needed crutches, braces, wheelchairs or iron lungs.

But 30 to 40 years later, the disease took a second toll on some survivors. These former patients began experiencing new pain and muscle weakness, in some cases forcing them back into wheelchairs. Doctors now believe these symptoms result from overworked nerve cells, muscles and joints.

Today, physical therapists encourage polio survivors to abandon the old “use it or lose it” philosophy in favor of a new approach: “Conserve it to preserve it.”

The Iron Lifesaver

Polio killed many victims by paralyzing the muscles needed for breathing. But many more survived, thanks to a device invented in 1929, the iron lung. The patient lay on a bed that could slide in and out of a large metal tank. At one end was a motor-powered “bellows” that pumped air in and out of the chamber. As air pressure increased in the chamber, it pushed down on the patient’s chest, forcing air out of the lungs. When the pressure decreased, the chest expanded, taking air into the lungs.

Some patients regained their ability to breathe on their own after a few weeks or months in an iron lung. Others remained dependent on the device for years.

The cost of an iron lung was high—about $1,500 during the 1930s, the average price of a home at that time. To help families afford respiratory treatment and medical equipment such as braces and crutches, North Carolina Blue Plans began offering additional coverage for polio.

The iron lung saved many thousands of lives during the polio epidemic.

An iron lung decorated with photos and cards. The mirror above the pillow let patients see visitors behind them.

Extra healthcare coverage helped families pay the cost of polio treatment and equipment.

The Miracle of Hickory

When a 1944 polio epidemic quickly filled hospitals in and around Catawba County, NC, the town of Hickory and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis went into high gear. Almost overnight, they turned a local camp into an emergency hospital. The first patients were admitted within 54 hours—a feat that became known as “the miracle of Hickory.”

Arriving patients remained in quarantine for two weeks, isolated even from parents in case they were still contagious. Afterward, they could have visitors only on Wednesdays and Sundays. But because of distance, lack of transportation or gasoline rationing, some families found it difficult to make the trip. Spending weeks or months away from their parents made the experience doubly traumatic for many young patients, who also had to cope with the boredom of passing the long hours between physical therapy sessions, unable to move.

“You just lay there in the bed. It wasn’t no TVs to look at, wasn’t no radios to listen to.”
—Samuel Jolley, Forest City, Rutherford County, 1996

There was no cure for polio, and theories about treatment differed. Some believed paralyzed limbs should be immobilized with plaster casts to keep them from growing crooked. But more adopted the “use it or lose it” philosophy. After the disease’s acute phase had passed, the treatment included intense, persistent exercise and heat therapy, both of which could be uncomfortable or painful.

Many patients slowly regained the use of leg muscles and began to walk again with the help of crutches, leg braces and even corsets to straighten their spines.

Polio victims often wore heavy braces to support weakened muscles. 

Because of distance, lack of transportation or gasoline rationing, some families found it difficult to visit their loved ones in quarantine. Photo courtesy of the Norfolk Public Library.

I would love to hear if any of you have family who were also polio victims and/or survivors.  And, if any of you are from this area of NC and remember these years....or have family who are and remember.


Thanks so much for stopping by!

(Admitting a young woman at Hickory, NC)

With warmest regards,
Deb/Your Bookish Dame

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"The Last Train from Paris"~Love, Art and Parisian Patriots in WWII

A novel about Paris, not just the beautiful "City of the Lights," but a city captured and terrorized in the grip of a hostile German army in WWII, this is a book I couldn't help dying to read. I love Paris above all European cities, and my heart just stops at the thought of anyone destroying a single piece of its architecture or fine arts.

So, I could hardly wait to tell you that this book will leave you breathless and pensive. From the very first paragraphs you will be taken in to the epic story of lovers and liars, artists and anti-heros...

Stacy Cohen paints with a gentle hand and deft stokes the story of an occupied Paris that is so confined and crippled that you feel the constraints of it as you read. We come to know and love favored contemporary artists Miro and the grumpy but irrepressible Matisse, who take under wing the talented but fledgling young artist, Jean Luc Beauchamp.

Jean Luc becomes the hero of this story as we follow his passions of art, true love for a beautiful Russian ballerina with a secret, and love of Paris...all elements of the human story and the battle of good vs. evil. Ms Cohen also provides us a German Oberst officer villian to heat up the struggles. He's interesting, darkly intriguing and easy to hate.

A novel that will set you adrift into another time, "The Last Train for Paris," will catch you up in a story that will rush over your heart and bring you to tears. It is a story that will create a righteous indignation about the savaging of the arts, and the art thefts of WWII. And, it is a novel that will remain with you should you visit Paris or when you think of its beauty and many treasures.

Hopefully, you will never find yourself taking the last train from Paris...but always going toward Paris. It is the most beautiful and mysterious of European cities. Just like cities all over the world in these times and in the past, it is worthy of our concerns and protection.

I'm grateful to Ms Cohen for reminding me of that. It took many brave hearts in the Resistance to liberate Paris and France from a hostile enemy. Theirs is a story that is beautifully rendered in "The Last Train from Paris."

Highly recommended and timely.

Your Bookish Dame/Deb

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Book Bloggers Hop!!!

The Hop is on from Dec. 3 - 6th, 2010!   Come join us from Crazy For Books new book blog.  We newbies are trying to stick together and get a good following of friends for our blogs!  Not to mention that it's fun to have and answer the Hop questions...

Go to the Crazy-For-Books site to join the Hop.

Here's information from it, as well:

"In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun!  This is a weekly event!  And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added!  We get over 200 links every week!! "     (You have to go to Crazy's blog to see this list!!)


This week's question comes from Marce who blogs at Tea Time With Marce:

 

 "What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?"

This is difficult to confess, but I did not enjoy Laurell K. Hamilton's last book "A Lick of Frost."  I'm ordinarily an LKH fan...I like her Anita books and her first Merry books, too.  But, she started getting too hinky for me.  I'm not a prude by any stretch so you can't confuse me with that issue, but I wanted more story and less strange tail/tale...if you get my drift.  Btw, I never reviewed the books.  I did read them, though.

Here's the whole collection of that Merredith Gentry series by LK Hamilton that you can find on Amazon...see my sidebar, just in case you want to read it.  Different (dare it say it!) strokes for different folks!!  :P

I'm passing this question on to my friend in newness: 

Crystal Jewell

at Crystal's Reading Corner

Please go check out her very beautiful and interesting blog, she'll be happy you did!

I hope you'll also be a follower of mine.  I promise to follow up with you, stop by your blog and become a follower of your blog, as well.

Thanks for stopping by.

Your Bookish Dame/Deb

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Freaky Friday~~Things You Might Never Have Known Day

WoooHooot!  I have to say that Friday has always been a happy day for me and now still is although I only work at home and feel released from the chains that once bound me.  That's why I'm going to love this new meme started by Parajunkee at http://parajunkee.com/ .  If you haven't been over to see her, yet, you have a treat in store.  She's a very precocious 17 year old reader extraordinaire of YA books...with a following that's killer!

At any rate, I'm a novice at this thing, and Para's going to come over and tutor me, but I think I'm just to answer her question of the week and there may be other things, but they have to come later...

I know there's a way you can sign up for this meme as well...but you'll have to go see her, yourself.   And, please follow me, too,  because I'm a new blog and need your support, please!!!

The Question is:

What do you do when you aren't reading/reviewing, for a hobby?

I love to be on my computer researching and emailing with friends from bookish sites and networks.  I like checking in on other bookish blogs and ebook sites and with publishing houses.  I love finding new books to read and review.  And, I make jewelry for my jewelry business:  Talis Bijoux.  You can see my fledgling site with some pictures at:  http://talisbijoux.com/

So that's my entry for my first Friday.  I hope you're going to leave me a "hello," or a small comment so I'll know you're there!

Have a great weekend of reading and relaxing.

Your Bookish Dame/Deb

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Gigantic Christmas Giveaway!!!

Splash of Our Worlds  is now offering this fantastic holiday Giveaway which I think all of us need to take advantage of!!   Please go see Yiota and tell her "hello" from me!  Below is a little bit about the Giveaway and her list of books.

The Reviews will only be accessible from Yiota's blog.  :]

Christmas & New Year GiveAway

So i was playing at Photoshop and i find that cute Christmas pic that i really wanted to use. Well..as a result you get the promised giveaway earlier. In our Christmas & New Year Giveaway, you will get the chance to win one of the previously review books in our blog (i will put a list in the post). Til the end of the contest, as more reviews coming, more books will be added in the list as well. But no worries, you will get to change your choice if you want a newly added. And if you are wondering why the name of the giveaway has the "new year" in, is cause it the contest will be on til mid-January.


RULES:
-You MUST be a follower (old or new).
-Deadline: January 15th, 2011
-Open International (where Book Depository delivers)
-Extra entries available in the form
-1 Winner will get to choose from the list down. As more books will be added later, the winner will have the chance to change the first choice if he/she wants.
-Winner will be picked by random.org

 Please read our GiveAway Policy and don't forget to fill the FORM (for any problem leave a comment).

List of Books:
-The Sugar Queen REVIEW
-City Of Bones REVIEW
-City Of Ashes REVIEW
-City of  Glass REVIEW
-Clockwork Angel REVIEW
-Artemis Fowl: Atlantis Complex  REVIEW
-Old Magic REVIEW
-The Named REVIEW
-The Key REVIEW
-The Dark REVIEW
-Personal Demons REVIEW
-Hush Hush REVIEW
-Ranger's Apprentice I REVIEW
-Ranger's Apprentice II REVIEW
-A Kiss In Time REVIEW
-Eon: Rise of The Dragoneye REVIEW
-Gentlemen And Players REVIEW
-Succubus Blues REVIEW
-Succubus On Top REVIEW
-Vampire Diaries: The Awakening & The Struggle REVIEW
-Vampirates I REVIEW
-Vampirates II REVIEW
-Vampirates III REVIEW
-Vampirates IV REVIEW
-Vampirates V REVIEW
-Shiver REVIEW
-The Way of Shadows REVIEW
More to be added....

Have fun everyone!

Deb/Your BookishDame

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Midnight in the "Twilight" Zone

"What if Bella had a little sister? What if after Bella married Edward and was changed, her sister moved to Forks? In this story all of that happens. In this story there is even a love triangle for Bella’s sister Arabella. Seth Clearwater who was once a minor character now comes to the forefront. Seth begins to fall in love with Arabella and she falls for him. But, Arabella also falls in love with the Cullen's newest family member Cyrus Hale. Arabella must choose who she will love. ... "


Oh, my!  This could be a very intriguing series, couldn't it??  I'm reading this new, self-published little volume put out on BookRix which is a wonderful site for downloading such books.


One of my first YA novels reviewed on this site, I hope to return to you with a review that will at least put a buzzzzzz in your ears!

"It started as an average day in the Cullen household but quickly turned to chaos when Alice had a sudden vision that would shake the foundations of everything Jasper had worked so hard to change. Maria is back and she's after one thing... Jasper. With no remorse for human life and no understanding of the bonds created by love, she'll destroy everything he holds dear unless he agrees to return to her once again. With nail biting twists and edge of your seat action, you won't want ..."


And, here you have another series off the same "Twilight" books.  I happen to like this, but I'm sure Stephanie Meyers must be fuming about it.  At least, I would be if it were my idea.  Can you copywrite ideas from books???  I'm not sure this is fair game....  I'm going to read them at any rate just to see how they are.


Leave me a comment and tell me what you think about this idea of splintering off of "Twilight."  :]


Your Bookish Dame/Deb

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Third Sentence Thursday!

Here's a fabulous idea by Sniffly Kitty for posting the third sentence of the book you're currently reviewing/reading and then commenting on it.  I love the concept!  So, I'll be doing this for my blog on Thursdays.  Here is my first one:

From the book I'm now reading for review:

"The Last Train from Paris"  by Stacy Cohen

"He had no choice but to keep walking."

Hmmmm.  Well, that's not the most exciting third sentence of Chapter 1, is it?  
 
The sentence says something about suspense, fear, anxiety in the "no choice."  It sets a tone for the lack of freedom that he has.  It takes away his security.  So we gather from this that he's in a place of  danger, right?  It also shows us that he's vulnerable because he has no transportation except walking...his own two feet.  He can't get away quickly so he has to rely upon himself in the situation.
This small sentence sets us up to sense the danger and tension coming in the book.  A man against some larger force...

So there!  Even in the first paragraph...the third sentence of a book we can get the sense of what's to come in a book.

Why don't you leave a comment about this and/or leave your own 3rd sentences of what you're reading or reviewing in the comments!

I'd love to hear from you,

Your Bookish Dame/Deb

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Swallow...Pleazzzzze!!!

 Roses called "Ophelia" .... the lady floating, dying in the lake .... choking on the beautiful flowers of the field

Rose:  Madame Laurette....or laurarette....a tie around the throat, perhaps?  Beautiful but deadly????

"Swallow"  A Novel  by Tanya Plank

     Tanya Plank is a fantastic writer of the young, priviledged, slightly disturbed and disoriented New York professionals. She's the voice of the over-educated, preppie, ivy-leagued-to-the-max, "now what do I do to one-up everyone" generation. She "gets it" and she's telling!!   LOL

     I thought her author's voice--her book was hilarious and riveting! It helps to know these Harvard-types she writes about, but I think anyone can understand a pompous person when they see or hear one...or read about them. Her characterizations are golden. Sophie, the swallower in question, is a loveable and genuine young woman for whom I immediately took a liking. I was on her side right away and kept by her like a glove to her hand throughout her struggles and humorous/humiliating revelations.

     Tanya is right on in her dialog and descriptions; particularly in her scene at the fancy art show with Sophie's fiance's Harvard friend, Alana. Oooo, as slick and slimy as they come in a tightly wrapped ivy package. As well as with Sophie's own would-be friend, Samia, who keeps referencing herself and Sophie as "when you're young," as if to say she is now so mature and beyond it all--and that living and working in New York for even a short time has jaded and matured them like hot house roses....which it may, in fact, have done. At the very least it's caused Sophie to choke, hasn't it?

     It's caused Sophie to revisit a childhood dysfunction...a fist-sized ball (FB) that blocks her esophagus and causes her to choke, actually not being able to swallow anything but tiny bits of food, drink or even her own saliva. Sophie is struck again by her swallowing FB shortly after her boyfriend proposes, and prior to a big Public Defender's Office advocacy case that she must orally present before a presumably hostile, multiple Justice panel.

     Sophie is diagnosed with a psychological problem called Globus Sensate, but not before it has run amock within the strictly held confines of her fragile life. Sophie's secrets of the pornographer father, the wacky sister who pops in to humiliate and horrify...and the fiance' who can't believe his eyes, ears and understanding about the FB!!!...all make for a fun ride!!

     I loved Tanya Plank's book. I loved NYC through the eyes of the Arizona girl and the Yalie mix. I loved the story through the words of a choking, swallowing dysfunctional lawyer!!! LOL What could be better than the image of a poor lawyer who can bearly talk for choking on her words! (with apologies to my sons)

     This is a wild and fun romp full of satire, symbolism and insight into the lives of the educationally priviledged and spoiled vs the "real" people. It's a look into the workings of the public defender's life and the big city lawyer's mindset. It's a glance at the young bucks and brave girls who come to Town with all the credentials and hautier but missing some of the heart and raw bones of real life. And, a look at the other young "brave ones" who come hoping to make a difference against some mighty odds that aren't in their favor.


     This is a book that's easy to swallow. Though, I have to admit, I suffered with Sophie when she was having problems swallowing. I felt myself closing up. I found myself putting my hand to my throat and getting a smothering feeling and practicing swallowing, myself. That's how good Tanya Plank is at writing!

     You have to get this book. Ms Plank is going to be heard from again, and you're going to be listening and loving her!! Just like I do.

With Warmest Regards,  I Remain,

Your Bookish Dame/ Deb



PS:  My husband and I were once having dinner with a couple (very prestigeous clients) at the Harvard Club in Boston. (His Club, not ours.  My husband (ex- was) a Dartmouth man)  Suddenly, the woman began to turn reddish and she had a semi-panicked look about the eyes.  I asked if she was okay.  She smiled and nodded yes.
I continued to watch....soon she began to show sure signs of distress...but we were in the Harvard Club, after all....and choking on one's food is really a big faux paux...not "the done thing!"   I finally could take it no longer, and singing out in an interruption of our husbands' very important conversation, I warbled, "Help!  She's choking!!"  She began to shake her head "no!" It seemed I'd created more distress.  But, by now she was really turning blue and couldn't talk. 
Her husband looked around, looked at her, and said she was fine.  My husband got up and called the maitre d'...whom her husband quickly brushed away.  Meanwhile, she's turning more blue and really can't breathe.  Now she's making cat with the hairball sounds. But, you know, appearances and all that taking precedence, it was a gamble of life over looks at that point.
Her husband lifted her from her chair and she stumbled gracefully to the foyer where she began to cough a few times while he patted her on the back.  He bent her double.  Out flew a HUGE slice of filet mignon which had not been chewed...just swallowed, or not....whole.   She wrapped it up like a wet, new born mouse. Yuck!

They returned to the table as if nothing had happened and she sipped at her drink daintily.  Meanwhile, I practically fainted from lack of breathing in sympathy!!!  But, there again,  I'm a Carolina girl with roots in Boston, and she was just a Jersey girl with roots unknown.   I had nothing to prove and I chew my food.

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Versatile Blogger Award ~~ A First For My New Blog!!!

I was so stunned and delighted to have received this awesome award from two of my new blogging friends!  The first was from  LJ of Reader Recommended , and the latest is from Crystal, of Crystal's Reading Corner.   Please go over and say "hello" to them.  They have beautiful blogs with great book reviews and gadgets to admire.


The conditions of this award are as follows:

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave this award
2. Write 7 things about yourself
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic
4. Contact the bloggers you've picked to let them know they've received the award.

Seven things about me:

1)     I'm a recluse.  I love to stay home reading, reviewing books, working on my blogs and doing artwork.
2)     I have Gwen Stafani colored hair and I love it!!
3)     My dogs are named Clara and Larry....they are a Yorkie and a Toy Poodle.
4)     I don't paint my nails...I hate sitting that long at the salon!!!
5)     My husband is an author.
6)     I'm considering writing children's books with my daughter.
7)     I need an illustrator for my children's books!!!


Passing the Versatile Blogger Award along to:


1)     Crystal's Reading Corner
2)     Sniffly Kitty
3)     LJ's Reader Recommended
4)     From the TBR Pile
5)     The Literary Lioness
6)     Booklover's Hideaway
7)     Readin' and Dreamin'
8)     Reading Mama
9)     Escape In A Book
10)   Aobibliosphere
11)   The Children's War of WWII
12)   Bermuda Onion
13)   Forever To Nowhere
14)   Mary (BookHounds)
15)   Once Upon A Bookcase

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"Not Just Spirited" (Sensory Processing/Integration Disorder) by Chynna Laird

Having struggles and successes with a child who has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) or Sensory Integration Disorder is an exhausting and bittersweet battle. Chynna Laird's book gives both hope and a sense of "you're not alone in this" messages to the reader who seeks more enlightenment on this somewhat obscure and misunderstood problem.

Often mislabeled in the categories of autism, Asbergers, or even "gifted," SPD is a neurological or  genetic problem that a child manifests as early as infancy, and which may be progressive up to later years if it's not discovered and facilitated for the child's health and well-being.

SPD is often recognized when a child fails to make eye contact, withdraws from or rejects human contact of any kind including being picked up and hugged even by parents, exhibits hyperactive or underactive behaviors at different times, has a multitude of issues with clothing, fine motor skills, eating foods, smells and noises, making transitions, and entering the outside world in general.

It is amazing to me how Ms Laird even had a moment's time to write her book! Her daughter, Jaimie, has a severe case of SPD requiring nearly constant care and intervention.  But her dedication to her daughter, her family of 3 other children, her husband, the therapists and doctors and teachers who worked in tandem to reach her child...and to families who may feel isolated as they wonder what is wrong with their child and how to find help, gifted her with what has to be a Herculean strength to set down a lighted path for others.  She is to be highly commended for her efforts and her love to all concerned.

This is a book written mostly for parents, family members, teachers and professional care-givers of children with SPD.  It's a word of instruction as well as a word of caution and hope. It's a book that deserves a hardback edition and much more press!

The only thing I found missing in all her suggestions to parents was an urging to take care of themselves!  Strangely enough, Ms Laird doesn't mention taking time out to refresh, recoup and relax so one can be ready to meet the challenges a child with SPD presents.  Of all the suggestions...I think this should be high on the list.  In her writings about recognizing and finding help for Jaimie, she never talks about taking time out for herself or with her husband and other children apart from Jaimie. As a mother who had gifted children who demanded my attention in a similar fashion; that is, they weren't on the average track of most children, I found this advice sadly absent from Chynna's book.

I hardily recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject matter, and in all seekers of "what's wrong with my child," as well as for therapists interested in a teaching tool for parents of SPD children.

It is also an interesting read for parents who may have a child such as Jaimie being integrated into their own child's classroom. 

 If you are an adult with such issues as described above, you may want to read this comprehensive book, as well.  I found it most helpful!

Congratulations to Chynna Laird for never giving up the fight for her child's feelings and better life of good health; for reading and researching, for being her advocate and mother, for being brave, for loving her anyway, for supporting everyone concerned, for keeping her daddy, for having enough for your other children, for caring enough to write this "letter" of love to other children and parents who suffer and wonder what will help and what to look forward to, for wanting the best for your child, and for keeping sane yourself.  You are a champion, Chynna, that's why God gave Jaimie to you.
And, the Blackbird at the top is for you!  :]


Deb/Your Bookish Dame


Please leave comments and visit Chynna at:  http://www.lilywolfwords.ca/

*Additionally, please read the comments left by Chynna to all of you and me recently, after she read my review:

Hi Deborah! Thanks so very much both for reading "Not Just Spirited" as well as for your wonderful post about it. I appreciate your support so much. I thought I would drop by and comment. =)

First of all I just wanted to talk a bit more about SPD in case any of your readers had questions. The nervous system has the very important job of taking in sensory messages from the environment through the various sensory systems then turning them into appropriate sensory, behavioral and motor responses. SPD interferes with this 'sensory processing' and the messages, then, aren't understood or processed properly causing what Dr. A. Jean Ayres (who discovered SPD and began the important reasearch on the disorder) described as a 'traffic jam' in the brain. In a nutshell, this means that children and adults living with SPD aren't able to interact with or respond to things or people in their environments appropriately because their brains aren't able to 'read' the messages from the sensory organs and, therefore, can't tell the body how to react to sensory stimuli effectively.

The symptoms you listed are what we noticed in Jaimie. These are not 'typical' of all children who have SPD as each child has a unique form of the disorder and will, therefore, display different symptoms. Jaimie's form of SPD is considered on the more severe side of things because all 7 of her sensory systems are affected and deals with tremendous anxiety because of that. She is in therapy now and is coping much better.

Another point is that many of the symptoms are 'comorbid' with other conditions (that just means that there are symptoms that resemble those in other conditions) such as Autism, Asperger's or ADHD. And, as you mentioned, there are gifted children who also display certain traits of SPD. Having SPD doesn't necessarily mean these individuals have the other conditions--only an appropriate professional can determine this.

What's important to mention is that if caregivers suspect their child struggles with sensory issues, they should seek the assistance of a trained professional who understands sensory processing, SPD and knows how to assess and diagnose it properly. I cannot stress enough how important that is. Find someone who will listen and guide you to the RIGHT resources!!

For more information about SPD, including finding a therapist close to you, please go to the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation's website (www.spdfoundation.net). This is the main portal for anyone wanting more information or direction for helping their child or loved one.

And on a sidenote, I thank you so much for mentioning the importance of parents taking that "Me Time". I do not discuss this in the book as much as I should have (and that's because I was so focused on helping JAIMIE first) but readers will truly understand WHY you need it after reading our story. I now write many articles on the importance of taking that time to recharge, regroup and get back in touch with ourselves and ways you can do it. VERY VERY important.
I hope this helps to clarify a few things and I welcome your readers to check out both my website as well as my blog (www.the-gift-blog.com)and feel free to contact me through either. I also have a Facebook page for the book that your readers are more than welcome to join, chat and share.

Thank you for participating in this blanket book tour.

Blessings,

Chynna Laird.
http://www.lilywolfwords.ca/

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Southern Writers and the Okra Picks Challenge

http://bermudaonion.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/okra-picks-challenge/ Click here to find out all about this "Okra" Picks Challenge

I have to admit to a favoritism for Southern writers.  There's just something about their gothic vision, their love of the grotesque, family secrets, dark arts, legends, mysteries, old customs and humor that's based in the roots of our people.  I love Southerners and those who write about them and all their idiosyncracies.  Anyone remember "A Rose for Emily," by William Faulkner?  That's the best short story I've ever read to date!  Here's a link just in case you want to read or reread it:  http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/litweb05/workshops/fiction/faulkner1.asp

At any rate, this blog entry has to do with a great Challenge not Oprah but Okra...having to do with reading Southern authors until March, 2011.  Such fun!  Follow the link above at the beginning to find out all about it.

I'm reading the following:

That's my reading list.  I didn't want to commit to more because of my reviewing schedule, but these looked really good to me.

Come join us!  It's going to be fun reading all the reviews for these few books.  Maybe some different perspectives on the same books...


Your Bookish Dame/Deb 

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