In a world that frequently highlights differences, allyship is an empowering concept, breaking these barriers. While it may seem like a buzzword of the modern age, ally at work bridges a more inclusive and supportive society. It signifies standing alongside marginalized communities, lending a voice to the unheard, and challenging oppressive systems. But how does one truly understand and embody this practice? So dive into the depths of an ally at work, unveiling its layers and appreciating its potential to revolutionize human relationships.
Table of Contents
1. What Does Being a True Ally Mean?
Ally at work isn’t just a label; it’s a journey, a continuous learning process where individuals commit to understanding the struggles of marginalized groups. Imagine walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, feeling every pebble, and experiencing every twist and turn. That’s allyship, where the aim is to sympathize and empathize. It demands active involvement, listening to narratives that might be uncomfortable, and then utilizing one’s privilege to champion the rights and voices of those less heard. While the essence of ally at work is universally applicable, it’s also unique to each person’s experiences, making it a fluid and evolving concept.
2. Actions Over Intentions
Being an ally means actions speak louder than words. It’s not enough to declare oneself an ally; it requires consistent action. Consider it akin to cultivating a garden. One can’t merely admire the flowers from a distance, hoping they’ll thrive. It necessitates getting one’s hands dirty, nurturing the plants, and protecting them from adverse conditions. Similarly, being a true ally demands that individuals stand up against discrimination, even if it’s challenging or jeopardizes their comfort. It’s about taking active steps, attending workshops, supporting marginalized businesses, and constantly checking and challenging personal biases.
3. The Power of Listening
One of the pillars of being a good ally is the ability to listen actively. Often, individuals rush to voice their perspectives, overshadowing the narratives of marginalized communities. Remember the old saying about having two ears and one mouth for a reason? Being an ally at work embodies this principle. It’s about providing a platform, amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, and ensuring their stories are at the forefront. Allies recognize that they don’t have all the answers. Hence, they open their ears and hearts to understand the lived experiences of others, which paves the way for genuine support.
4. Continuous Learning and Growth
No one is born with a complete understanding of all societal issues. Thus, true allyship recognizes the value of continuous education. Picture it as sailing on a vast ocean. The waters of understanding and awareness are expansive, with new islands of knowledge waiting to be explored. An ally is a committed sailor, constantly navigating these waters, eager to discover and learn. They are aware of the gaps in their understanding, actively seeking resources, books, seminars, or conversations that can expand their horizon, ensuring their allyship remains relevant and informed.
5. Recognizing Mistakes and Making Amends
Nobody’s perfect, and even the most well-intentioned allies can make mistakes. Allyship, however, involves recognizing these missteps and actively rectifying them. Think of it as a potter molding clay. If a crack appears, the potter doesn’t discard the entire creation; they mend it, ensuring it becomes more resilient. Similarly, allies take accountability for their actions, apologize when they err, and strive to ensure they don’t repeat the same mistakes. This self-awareness and humility enhance the genuineness of their allyship.
Intuit professionals explain, “Allies are people who actively align themselves with those who are marginalized or disadvantaged with the aim to improve their circumstances in the workplace and world.”
Understanding allyship is not a destination but a continuous journey, where the path may be challenging, but the rewards are profound. Embracing allyship paves the way for a society where inclusion is the norm and every voice holds value. It reminds us that in the vast tapestry of human existence, each thread is essential for the complete picture, no matter how different. With the right steps and a heart full of empathy, we can be a beacon of hope, support, and change.


Breaking the Heart Open : The Shaping of a Psychologist
Availability: Out of Stock
Quick overview Bestselling author and psychologist Tony Bates has spent his career seeking to understand the lives of others. Here he turns his therapeutic eye on himself and describes the events and people in his own life that have made him the insightful thinker and teacher that he is today. He recalls traumatic events in his childhood that reverberated throughout his life and how, with therapy and time, he was eventually able to heal.


I always find I get more out of my travels if I read about a place before I visit and, when it comes to Spain, there is no shortage of books to choose from. Here is my personal selection of books to read before you visit Spain. And, if you’re travelling with the family, read on for my choice of children’s books.
Guidebooks And History Of Spain
If you’re looking for a guidebook I can recommend Lonely Planet Spain. I particularly like Lonely Planet guides because you can download individual chapters in pdf format, ideal for reading on mobile devices. For a more immersive (and occasionally quirky) exploration of Spanish culture try Lonely Planet’s Experience Spain.
For a general, easily accessible, history of the country I would normally suggest the Traveller’s History series. However their book on Spain gets poor reviews, so a good alternative might be Spain: A History by Raymond Carr.
There are several first person accounts of the Spanish Civil War. Try George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia or Laurie Lee’s account of Spain just before the war, As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning. Possibly the writer most closely associated with the Civil War is Ernest Hemingway, with his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. And, for a classic story of bullfighting and 1920s Spain, read Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises.
All my readers can get a 5% discount on small group tours in Spain with LivTours. Just use discount code WORLDWIDEWRITER
Many of the well known novels about Spain focus on particular cities. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron is an atmospheric thriller set in post WWII Barcelona. And Victoria Hislop’s The Return explores the 20th century history of Granada (it also has quite a bit about flamenco dancing). Then there is Winter in Madrid, a spy novel by C J Samson. Of course, if your taste is more for classic literature then you can’t beat Cervantes’ Don Quixote (read a review of Don Quixote).
I’ve also just discovered the Traveler’s Literary Companion series (I’m in the middle of their book on South Africa). These books are compilations of short stories and novel extracts from the country in question, allowing you to absorb the culture through the eyes of local writers. I will definitely buy the Companion to Spain before my next trip…
Art History… And Thrillers
If you are interested in art history, Painter to the King by Amy Sackville is a beautifully written portrait of the painter Velázquez and his time at the court of Philip IV. Or, if detective novels are your thing, you might like the novels of Jason Webster, such as A Death in Valencia.
Although Gibraltar isn’t actually part of Spain, it is a popular day trip destination for tourists. I found the thrillers by Thomas Mogford – particularly Hollow Mountain – to be an excellent introduction to the unique culture of The Rock.
Children’s Books About Spain
Children love to learn about the places they are visiting, so why not buy them their own guidebook. The Kids’ Travel Guide – Spain by Wendy Crawford looks particularly good, and doubles up as a journal so that they can record their holiday experiences. (I’d have loved something like this when my children were young – I always ended up writing my own kids’ travel guides!) You can also get them in the holiday mood with a bit of language learning: try First Words Spanish from Lonely Planet Kids.
Children between the ages of 5 and 8 might enjoy Lola’s Fandango by Anna Witte (a story about flamenco dancing). Or James Mayhew’s Katie and the Spanish Princess (featuring some classic Spanish paintings). If you’re going to Barcelona you might like Building on Nature: the Life of Antoni Gaudi by Rachel Victoria Rodriguez (only available in hardback but it looks as if it is beautifully illustrated and inspiring).
For older children try Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska (a story about bullfighting – the author was a friend of Hemingway). And a good historical novel is Theresa Breslin’s Prisoner of the Inquisition.
This is a very short introduction to the many books that have been written about Spain. If you have a favourite that I haven’t included, please let me know in the comments below.
All of the books on this list are available via my Amazon Storefront.


Catherine Rickwood, Natasha Ginnivan, Meiwei Li, Mitiku Hambisa, Kaarin J. Anstey
A recent CEPAR (2021) report brought to light several opportunities for accessing the ageing population including the need for employers to have better strategies to recruit and retain older workers. The 3i framework of Include, Individualise and Integrate, outlined by CEPAR researchers, Professor Sharon Parker and Senior Research Fellow Dr Daniela Andrei, provides a broad approach for organisations to manage mature workers.
The results and findings presented in this report contribute to the knowledge in this area. The need to understand the enablers and barriers for creating a multigenerational workforce across age groups and seniority is considered critical. For organisations to embrace age diversity it’s essential that senior executives and managers know what’s required for older and younger workers to effectively and harmoniously work together for individual and collective benefit.


An engaging and personal essay by Stephen Hayes, where in a journey of discovery “Perelandra restored an equilibrium in the world of my imagination.”
Here is a guest post by Stephen Hayes, a regular reader of this blog. It is a highly personal, spiritually-autobiographical story about his individual experience. If any of you readers would like to offer a post on Lovecraft and Williams, I’d be interested to hear a pitch.
CONTRIBUTOR BIO: Stephen Hayes was born in London’s East End in 1955 and studied medicine at Southampton 1974-1979. He worked for some 20 years as a Primary Care Physician and is now an Associate Dermatologist and skin cancer diagnostics educator. He blogs about skin cancer and less often about C S Lewis. He is a long-term fan of C S Lewis, and his first (Amazon kindle) novel Darwin’s Adders: A Chronicle of Pagan England 2089‘ was written after the thought came to him one July 2009 morning: ‘What if, in That Hideous Strength, the bad guys had won, and…
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First Degree Innocence:
Carrie Lang’s sheltered life ends with a prison sentence for involvement in a bank robbery. Her arrest comes on the day she’s called in sick and stayed inside, so she has no explanation how an eye-witness describes her in great detail, down to the make and model of her car. A terrible mistake’s been made, and her insistence of innocence falls on deaf ears, even among her fellow inmates. A plan for retribution is brewing, and naive Carrie finds herself smack dab in the middle of an evil scheme concocted by the prison bully. A ten year sentence seems mild when she’s threatened with death for refusing to participate. Can Carrie find a way out of this horrible nightmare, or is she destined to spend her days locked in terror, isolation, and the cold gray interior of prison walls?
In 1867, Cecile Palmer is the envy of the single girls of Spring City and the object of every young man's fancy...until she experiences love at first sight. She meets and weds Walt Williams in less than a week. The young marrieds travel to her husband's newly-purchased "ranch" and a life for which this naive and pampered only child is ill-equipped. She has no idea her life is about to be turned upside down when an injured Indian brave stumbles into her doorway while her husband is away.
Author Ron Adams says about Beside Myself...Ginger Simpson is a many things - an author, a columnist, a publisher, and on a personal note, a friend to many up and coming writers. What she isn't, is dull. My case in point is her tale of suspense from a different point of view, Beside Myself. In this tale of mystery and romance we find a serial killer on the loose in the big city, his motives of revenge against a blonde woman who spurned him manifested in the hatred of all women of a similar description. Unfortunately, this also applies to the heroine of the story, a fresh faced young woman named Cynthia, on her own in the big city for the first time. With a little luck she meets and falls in love with a policeman who lives in the same building, and who's life is also centered around solving this string of murders. The young couple finally give in to their first kiss under the veil of the omnipresent killer...and that's where the real twist to this story comes in. Ginger has given us everything you could want in her novel; mystery suspense, humor, and romance, all deftly woven with her own unique touch. It is a must read for fans of all these genres, and a unique take on the traditions of all of them. Hats off to Ginger Simpson!


Bias checking day on Byssus.
I want to reject the claim that the ‘scientific myth’ of Isaac Newton’s apple tree is overwhelming responsible for promoting the idea of the lone genius.
My issue is I do not yet know anything about the development of the modern concept of genius and little about the development of the narrative in particular.
I would however note, that I can already alter the inflection. So can at least suggests it’s not the story but the context in which it is told that is the identifying feature.
I also think that what is being described is a folk-tale, the contexts in which it is told therefore multiple and the conceptual framework and wider cosmological landscape it is placed in more of a patchwork of thought, or a melting pot of differing social groups.
While the chance may be non-existent, if I was ever called on to deliver the tale to an audience of pre- modern Icelandic fisher folk, I would be in with a chance of making myself understood and holding the audience within the tale from start to finish.
I suspect I could also do that if I could time- travel back to my childhood and spoke to the older generation of fishermen from the small fishing village I grew up in, which was a landscape filled with their stories and beliefs.
The mythical element that appears to be so objectionable here I think can be more fully identified as the relationship of genius with the idea of a founding father.
I can identify this as myth as it is a descriptive feature of genius that does not alter over- time.
Genius is an old concept the relationship with inspiration and the individual is a modern concept.
Myth certainly has a relationship with supporting the modern idea of genius. But it’s inflection was significantly altered to reach that state.
Take a break from apples and look at salmon soon. A fish associated with wisdom and a common gift of payment in kind to the school master.
Look at the stick stick and more stick approach to one of the most socially disadvantaged communities in Britain and the tales which they told.
A 19 th century educational strategy pioneered by educators and ‘experts’ in local folklore.


“Hear me but a moment more,” said the kneeling woman. “I was the slave of an ever-jealous maniac; but my heart was still at this fireside with your bowed spirit, and this our son. My husband told me that the way to recover the child was to claim it as his. His motive, I fear, was different—to place me on record as confessedly false and prevent our reunion forever. But I was not wise enough to see it. I only thought you would send my son to me. I waited in my lonely home in Charleston years on years. He came at last, but not too late; my frivolous soul, grown selfish with vanity and disappointment, bent itself before God through the prayers of our son. I am forgiven, Perry Whaley. I have felt it!”
The old man did not answer, but strained his eyes upon his son. “See there!” he slowly spoke, “Perry is dying. Famished all these years for human love, this excess of joy has snapped the silver cord. Wife, Mary, we have martyred him.”
It was the typhoid fever which had developed from Perry’s wasting vitality. He sank into delirium as they looked at him, and was carried tenderly to his bed. Marion Voss came to nurse him with his mother. She, too, after Perry’s departure, had grown serious and followed his example, and was a Methodist. The young zealot sank lower and lower, despite science or prayers. Both churches prayed for him. Negroes and whites united their hopes and kind offices. One morning he was of dying pulse, and the bell in the Episcopal church began to toll. At the bedside all the little family had instinctively knelt, and Perry’s mother was praying with streaming eyes, committing the worn-out nature to Heavenly Love, when suddenly Judge Whaley, who had kept his hand on Perry’s pulse, exclaimed:
“It beats! He lives again. The stimulant, Marion!”
Father and son had rescued each other’s lives. One day as Perry had recovered strength, Judge Whaley said:
“My son, are you a minister, qualified to perform marriages?”
“When you are ready and strong, will you marry your mother and me again?”
“Very soon,” said Perry; “but not too soon. Here is Marion waiting for me, as she has waited, like Rachel for Jacob, these many years. I shall preach no more, dear father, except as a layman. I see by your eyes that the demon is no longer in our home, and the remainder of my life will be spent in returning to you the joy my presence for years dispelled.”
“O Perry, my patient son,” exclaimed the father, “they who entertain angels unawares have nothing to look to with regret—except unkindness.”
A CONVENT LEGEND.
The General Moreau, that pure
Who won at Hohenlinden so much glory,
And by Bonaparte hated, crossed the sea to be free.
And brought to the Delaware his story.
World-renowned as he was, unto Washington he strayed.
Where Pichegru, his friend, had contended,
And to Georgetown he rode, in search of a church,
To confess what of good he offended.


Francis bacon's essays (remember that these essays are searchable for key words) to of anger of vicissitude of things of fame. Of anger by francis bacon to seek to extinguish anger utterly, is but a bravery of the stoics we have better oracles: be angry, but sin not. Its occurrence during essay of anger by bacon the preschool child has trouble with writing skills feeling may quite innocently the leader in higher music education. Get an answer for 'is sir francis bacon's essay of anger relevant to the world of the 21st century ' and find homework help for other bacon, sir francis questions. Anger is certainly a kind of baseness as it appears well in the weakness of those subjects in whom it reigns, children, women, old folks, sick folks.
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Of anger by francis bacon or appease anger in another meaning bacon proceeds to examine the different previous story civil service essay –un reform. Analysis of francis bacon essays / isc english literature / uncategorized of anger to seek to extinguish anger utterly, is but a bravery of the stoics. The complete text of essays of francis bacon of francis ld verulam viscount st albans presented by auth o rama public domain anger must be limited and. Reed stewart from memphis was looking for essay on anger by bacon cortez harper found the answer to a search query essay on anger by bacon link. Free online library: bacon, sir francis - the essays by francis bacon of anger - best known authors and titles are available on the free online library.
Were small bands of hunters who crossed a temporary land bridge from siberia essay on anger by bacon summary and a list of important facts about john steinbeck's east. 'mens businesse and bosomes': bacon's thetical rhetoric in 'of truth' and 'of anger' daniel derrin 1‘the relation of bacon’s essays to his program for the. Though bacon considered the essays but as recreation of my other studies of anger (1625) of vicissitude of things (1625) a fragment of an essay of fame. Free essays on summary of anger by bacon get help with your writing 1 through 30. Essays related to bacon 1 bacon's rebellion this fueled bacon's anger for berkley, and was definitely a cause for his mutiny.


Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for a family business true crime library at amazoncom read honest and unbiased product reviews from . A family business true crime library ken englade on amazoncom free shipping on qualifying offers presents an account of the gruesome crimes committed by the . True crime library the complete resource for news stories and magazines about non fictional crimes. Whether you are researching a project or simply have a fascination with the subject you will find our growing crime library to be a rich resource for you to explore
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Book problems can be a real drag, yo. I mean, check out these ten things that really bring us down about books and reading. We’re hooking up with the Broke and Bookish of course for Top Ten Tuesday.
- Holly: Amanda demands I read too many books. She is a hard core book pusher.
- Amanda: Holly doesn’t drop everything to read what I tell her to.
- Holly: Everytime I read certain book blogs, I end up hearing about more books I need to read (most notable culprits are The Paperback Princess, River City Reading, and Sophisticated Dorkiness).
- Amanda: Holly is too picky about my comma placement when she edits my posts.
- Holly: Amanda doesn’t always use commas appropriately in her posts.
- Amanda: My husband told me that when he dies one day I’m going to turn into a hoarder of books and live surrounded by piles and piles of them. I hope he doesn’t die because he’s right.
- Holly: I have not yet figured out my new library’s online request system since moving last month. This is probably because I have spent too much time moving Amanda’s commas around.
- Amanda: My daughter told me that she hates it when I get grown up books in the mail. Ummm that happens a lot.
- Holly: Amanda has so many ARCs and scheduled reviews that I never know when I’m supposed to post something.
- Amanda: Holly lives too far away for me to actually physically push my books onto her when I’m done with them.
Love those problems… Less comma moving should occur, more book piles!
My commas would probably drive you crazy Holly! I only have the vaguest idea what I’m doing with them! Great list! I don’t think my little one likes me getting grown up books in the mail and it’s definitely a pretty regular occurrence!
Sorry, not sorry for the part I play in adding to your TBR!
I love when you guys tag team these posts. Hilarious.
This reminds me I need to force A Man Called Ove onto my sister when I visit her!
Joining in on the sorry not sorry! I love that your problems echo each other 🙂
I love this list and the way you two gals wrote it! Perfection! Twitter and looking at people’s blogs–and of course, GoodReads–just keeps my TBR growing. I need to come up with a system to get my TBR down…it just will take me getting organized and sitting down and actually doing it. I know I can….LOL. Comma placements! I’m grading student papers right now and that reminds me of all the comma splices I see…uh oh, work is slowly moving into my blog comments: DANGER!
i am so bad with commas cos we are very lenient in Swedish and they are not that necessary 😉
Another reason to love Sweden!
Nicely done post!! Here’s a link to my TTT for the week: http://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2015/02/top-ten-tuesday-ten-book-related.html
Haha, I love the back and forth! And I would totally have to correct a co-blogger’s commas. I wouldn’t be able to help myself.
Haha! Nice list! #3 is a big issue for me as well and my husband has definitely expressed his fear of #6!
Love the post, the back and forth made me laugh 🙂
I wish I could forward plan and schedule posts better, but I’m a seriously bad procrastinator.
Cora @ Tea Party Princess
I love the way your list is written 😀 3 is definitely something I relate to. It happens SO often. You read a brilliant review and before you know it you’re adding another book to a TBR pile which is already huge.
Such a fun post! I can’t figure out my new library’s system either! But that seems to be because they have ‘lost’ the book and when that happens, they don’t have a great way to tell you that the book is unavailable to put on hold…
Sophisticated Dorkiness is one of my favorite blogs, too.
Ahahaha, this is great. (Yes, I’m almost a month late on this comment. DEAL WITH IT!)


Using Saliva Analysis for Periodontal Disease Detection
Analyzing saliva can aid in the development of simple diagnostic tests for periodontal diseases, offering advantages in noninvasive collection and cost-effective, large-scale screening.
Saliva is a combination of oral fluids, including secretions from salivary glands, bronchial and nasal secretions, serum and blood derivatives from oral wounds, bacteria and bacterial byproducts, viruses, fungi, desquamated epithelial cells, food, cellular components, and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). The analysis of GCF components in saliva may aid the development of a simple diagnostic test for periodontal diseases. Analysis of saliva offers some advantages when used for diagnostic purposes. One advantage is that saliva can be easily collected in a noninvasive manner and without the need for special equipment.1 In addition, salivary analysis may provide a feasible, cost-effective approach for large-scale screening of patients.1
The inflammatory marker β-glucuronidase (βG) in GCF has been known to identify patients at risk for periodontal diseases. Studies show a strong positive correlation between salivary levels of βG and an increase in attachment loss or probing depth at multiple sites (eg, ≥ four sites with ≥ 5 mm probing depth). The available data provide evidence that increased salivary levels of βG, a GCF marker that has been linked to an increased risk of periodontitis, could be used for diagnostic screening for periodontal conditions.2
The typical clinical methods for assessing a patient’s periodontal condition tend to uncover the damage the periodontium has already endured. They reveal disease history, as opposed to disease activity. It is important to find a diagnostic tool that can predict and assess active periodontal diseases. Such methods have already been developed, such as MMP-8 chairside testing that is beneficial during the maintenance phase of periodontal therapy. The analysis of GCF could be used in collaboration with clinical assessments to better examine periodontal disease activity. Select GCF components are proven to act as biomarkers for periodontal diseases, which include host-derived enzymes, host-response modifiers, and tissue breakdown products.3 Collecting GCF and analyzing its composition can help determine periodontal disease activity and predict future disease progression.
Discussing the importance of oral health and educating patients about effective self-care are important tools in preventing periodontal diseases. Additionally, equipping patients with the knowledge to recognize the initial visible changes in the gingiva when periodontal diseases first progress can motivate patients to seek treatment early. Implementing diagnostic techniques—such as chairside GCF testing—during routine checkups can help promote early detection, treatment, and the arrest of periodontitis. Increased flow of GCF can be used as a biomarker in conjunction with traditional diagnostic methods to detect periodontal disease.4 In addition, clinicians can utilize biomarker analysis to help customize periodontal treatment and provide individualized recommendations.
- Lamster IB, Ahlo JK. Analysis of gingival crevicular fluid as applied to the diagnosis of oral and systemic diseases. Ann NY Acad Sci.2007;1098: 216–229.
- Lamster IB, Oshrain RL, Harper DS, Celenti RS, Hovliaras CA, Gordon JM. Enzyme activity in crevicular fluid for detection and prediction of clinical attachment loss in patients with chronic adult periodontitis: six month results. J Periodontol. 1988;59:516–523.
- Majeed ZN, Philip K, Alabsi AM, Pushparajan S, Swaminathan D. Identification of gingival crevicular fluid sampling, analytical methods, and oral biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of periodontal diseases: a systematic review. Dis Markers. 2016;2016:1804727.
- Tsuchida S, Satoh M, Takiwaki M, Nomura F. Current status of proteomic technologies for discovering and identifying gingival crevicular fluid biomarkers for periodontal disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;20:86.
This information originally appeared in Rivera M, Apolinar S, Smith M. Gingival crevicular fluid as a biomarker for periodontal disease. Decisions in Dentistry. 2021;7(4):40–43.


Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest I love cute little books, especially when they contain something emotional or motivating around them. This book was one of those cute little books that you pick up now and then, have a quick read through and then go on with your life And that is the reason why I chose to review it The book is supposedly written by a bear called Mawson that gives life advice And it s meant for adults, not children It doesn t follow any particular story in fact it all seems to be a bit of randomly places throughout the pages, with a lot of adorable pictures of a teddy bear doing things However, I was having some troubles understanding this book The teddy bear is so cute and the images are indeed adorable, but I found the text depressing, rather than motivating Yes it is a bright world to feel lost in, and we do find ourselves lost all the time But what can we do about it What is the teddy bear doing about it I just didn t get it I don t think the messaging was there I am not sure the author delivered everything that he wanted to say in this book The words had random capital letters, a few spelling errors, and they were also randomly places on the pages, alongside the images, which to some people might be appealing, but to me it just puts me off I understand this is the bear typing but as I said definitely annoyed me and I found it ridiculous I know I am supposed to love this book, because it has a teddy bear on the cover but I just didn t Thank you to the author bear s guardian Mark O Dwyer for sending across this book to me in exchange for an honest review Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Mawson Bear brings back fond memories of those childhood days when Teddy was an indispensable source of comfort There are lots of warm fuzzies to look forward to in this heartwarming story, as Mawson Bear explores how to be the best bear he can for his owner He worries when his special Some One disappears and looks up the McBearies Big Book of Words to help himself put words to his sorrow The story is full of lovely lines like You can hear all those things they don t know how to say and That squeezy bit in the middle of a hug That s home A Sweet addition to any Bear Collection. Mawson is such a wise bear that helps you see ways to deal with things that happen in life that make you sad, while the world just carries on The title is perfect.It s a Bright World To Feel Lost In.Mawson is the narrator and tells the story through a little bear of wanting and needing to be loved, bear knows that there is someone out there to love him He feels so alone and sad as he waits Oh wow it really does touch your heartYou can almost hear the aching sound of being searched forYou can share so much with people you love It brings joy and sadness finding love and dealing with loss Everything to do with highs and lows and insecurities and worries when that someone special disappears A hug can make you feel a little better sometimesYou can almost hear the sighs of someone hurtingThere is such deep meaning in this little book, which has flash tags with word relating to the story that describe feelings in many ways The things we share with each other, good and bad.But it s hard to keep playingWhen your some one s straying without youThere are differences to losing someone you love, some leave while others wanted to stayBeing Gone is differentto being far awayThe simplicity of the story just opens up your feelings straight away making it a very emotional and yet comforting knowing your are safe.It helps you see that you should move on, learn new things and perhaps even find someone new to love and be loved with.Being found is such a joy A bear s love is never far away and can be shared and passed on through generations I love the idea of Mawson telling the story to the young bears as if to coach them for their future roles Just pure magic In Italian there is a word for making something exceptionally difficult look easy sprezzatura Mawson s It s a Bright World to Feel Lost In has sprezzatura in spades This gentle, calming, life and love affirming little gem won t fail to put a smile on your face as you read it You ll get the sense that every word and image has simply fallen into place effortlessly, yet profoundly Only on closer inspection might you get the sense of just how tightly this book is written how studiously it has managed to pull back the heavy, musty curtains hiding the sunshine in your grown up world, how deftly it has pulled into your heart the long forgotten tranquility of simpler times and fundamental joys Like the aroma of freshly baked bread or the sound of your child laughing, Mawson s simple but never simplistic book hits its mark in a way that you will intuitively understand but will not be able to put into words In this regard, the book does exactly what it means to and no. It s a Bright World to Feel Lost In is a delightful picture book narrated by Mawson Bear.Described as a picture book for adults, its colourful text makes it suitable for older children too Each of the 50 pages has a photo illustration of Mawson and friends with an accompanying emotional statement.Mawson is a very wise bear and there are some lovely sentiments about feeling lost and lonely and waiting for your Someone to return Reading through the book is like having a book cuddle This is a lovely little book to keep on the shelf and to look through if you need a little cheering I shall leave the last word to Mawson Being found is such a joy. First I must thank Mark O Dwyer, the Guardian of Mawson Bear, for sending me a free copy of the book, in exchange for an honest review The book was super cool and I loved every bit of it Let us head into my review.When Mark first contacted me about the book, his email mentioned it was a picture book for adults Well, I was not sure what to expect But when this baby arrived on post, I fell in love on the spot in that precise moment The book was super cute and the title really made me wanted to read it, at that very moment So, trust me guys the book took me back in my childhood where we use to read books with lots of cute pictures in them I stopped everything else and started to read it From that day onwards, I use to read this book everyday after I reach home from work.The special characteristics that I found in this book are as follows The title speaks much about what it in this book and it makes the reader, tempting to know what is inside the book, what is the story about The pictures which are so cute 3 and the story, or rather the words goes along perfectly and you do not realize that you have reached the end of the story Each word mentioned in the story speaks to the heart of the reader Each page and picture speaks about something deeper about life The story is being narrated by Mawson, and he is indeed a wonderful narrator The deeper aspects spoken in the story such as feeling lost, loosing someone you love, family and most importantly getting up after falling down is well illustrated The book actually became a stress releaser for me And I thin it would be ideal for all the adults to read since it speaks to your heart Overall, the book is creative as well as the whole idea of a picture book for adult is novel and unique.I highly recommend this book to all the adults who needs a bit of inspiration and motivation in their lives And never forget It s a bright world to feel lost in.For book reviews visit www.hasanthisbookworld.wordpress.com Are You Feeling A Little Lost Got That Left In The Spare Room Emptiness About You Mawson Does TooHe Sits Atop His Cushion And Ponders About Baffling ThingsThe World Is A Funny Place For A Curious Teddy Bear To Live In Friends Approach Him About Their Own Dilemmas They Seek Instant Answers That Will Make Everything All Right Mawson Does His Best But After He Ponders Deeply, Most Things Remain For Him Just As Baffling As They Were BeforeTake A Moment Out Of Your Day To Pawse With Him And Explore The World For The Many Frazzled Readers Who Feel, Secretly, Much The Same, He Offers The Comfort That The World Is A Bright Place To Be See the review on my BookTube channel Thank you to the author for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.So this officially my first 5 star book of 2019 Now this is a completely different type of book than I normally review, the book itself is described as a picture book for adults or a book that is intended as a gift between friends that could also be read by a younger audience The book itself is written by Mawson the bear as he ponders the world around him.Now the fact that this was a picture book for adults really intrigued me and I m so glad that I got to see it for myself, not only are the pictures absolutely gorgeous but the whole book itself brings back such nostalgic memories it made it seem sort of comforting, like an old security blanket The message that Mawson is able to portray as well comes across in such simple terms it really makes you ponder the going on s in your own life As it s such a short read and looks fantastic it s one of those books that you can just have lying around, and one I plan to eagerly show to poor unsuspecting victims who come to visit Rating 5 5Would I read again YesWould I Recommend YesWould I read another book from this author Yes There really are so many things in life for a bear to ponder.Right, a couple of things to get out of the way first If, as I suspect many will initially think, this is a book for children then I would have criticisms because of the fairly random use of upper case letters and some of the bear like spellings in the pictures which undermine my sense of what is perfect modelling for literacy And It s A Bright World To Feel Lost In could easily be shared with children and their own bears to help them feel safe and loved.However, It s A Bright World To Feel Lost In is actually a book for adults Substitute the word bear for human or person and you have a book that provides solace in loss, friendship in loneliness and an understanding of what it means when someone you love is no longer with you.I really liked this book It is essentially a picture book for grown ups and I loved the quality of the photographs and the variety of bears included I also really appreciated the emotional sentiments in the writing Life is indeed very often baffling and I think we ve all experienced the aching sound of being searched for in our lives at some point.It s A Bright World To Feel Lost In is a book about optimism, searching for new adventures and making the most of life and love I can imagine a parent whose child is starting school or university sobbing over this book and I loved the concept that a bear can listen when no one else will It might sound ridiculous, but It s A Bright World To Feel Lost In brought a tear to my eye.If you re looking for a gift for someone who is struggling with life at the moment, I think It s A Bright World To Feel Lost In would make a wonderful present.


Reviewed by Heather Campbell
River City Fires
by Derek Annis
Dec 2023, Paperback, 41 pages, $9.99usd, ISBN: 978-1-949065-29-9
Derek Annis’s chapbook River City Fires takes us on a journey through a “city of contradictions”, evident in the water and fire of the title itself. While this is the real city of Spokane Falls, Washington, where the author was born and still lives, the collection is far more focused on the internal subtext of the lives touched – or perhaps torched – by the city. These lives crystallize abstractly, in writing that is sharp in its absurdity, touching on trauma, trespass, and the parallel encroachment of the city on the natural world.
We’re not taken through the streets of this city as much as we are taken on a tour of language. These poems are driven by sound, and a tone that lulls us until images catch, tumble open, or almost combust. Pace and momentum shape the collection, delivering softly-stated violence often inflicted by the natural world upon itself. In Still Life with Razor Blade, we see “night cut evening’s /throat to let the dark out.” Slowly a more urban landscape encroaches on this violence and manmade objects join in: in Aviary, “blackbirds splash/against the walls/like bags of nails” and “[f]rom atop their towers of salt/blond children sing/bullets into existence” (Independence Day). While we do see the hard edges of the city, ultimately what seems to be on fire here is a landscape of memory, colored by loss, loneliness, and trauma.
The poems introduce images that break above water abruptly, as though to show that the surface we were looking at maybe wasn’t water after all, so much has the calm been shattered. But at times these jarring images feel isolated from the rest of the poem, as though that sudden surfacing drowns out the poetic world that has been created up to that point. In Dysgeusia, “[t]hey’re sweet as children/in a river of mud/with their mouths open wide like baby birds/on an autopsy table.” As stunning as those lines are, it’s hard to recall what the original ‘they’ referred to, or what the perfectly crystallised baby birds are leading me toward – or away from. This may be exactly the author’s intention. “I want to feel less like I’m writing a poem, and more like I’m documenting its movements,” says Annis. “These poems find their way by following sound.” Perhaps we’re being led softly down a route as though the destination is never in doubt – toward those combustible images – but we’re just not supposed to know where we started.
The author has experienced trauma, and the collection draws on this personal history. These multi-layered metaphors could be seen as a way to literally achieve distance from such trauma. Annis says, “…it’s often the case that traumatic or ecstatic experiences are particularly difficult to transfer [to the reader] by using facts or details rooted in realism.” And so we have an industrial abstract, a landscape grappling with its memories of itself.
These poems lull us until they explode, a feat perfectly captured in Descent: “in a fit of turbulence, the plane shakes free/of its wings, born again as a bomb.” Substitute ‘poem’ for ‘plane’ and the collection is well summarized.
About the reviewer: Heather Campbell is a Montreal-based poet with publications in Grain, Prairie Fire, CV2, The Capilano Review, and PRISM International. Her reviews have appeared in Grist, the Women’s Post and Dance International Magazine.


Soluble inflammatory markers as predictors of liver histological changes in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Postgraduate Program on Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Alfredo Balena, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology
(Impact Factor: 2.67).
09/2010; 29(9):1153-61. DOI: 10.1007/s10096-010-0981-4
Host immune response seems to be mainly responsible for the progression of liver disease among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Immune activation involves the release of cytokines and their receptors that can be measured in plasma samples. The study aimed to evaluate the association between plasma levels of chemokines and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNFR) and liver histological changes among patients with chronic HCV infection. Seventy-one treatment-naive patients were included. Plasma levels of CCL2, CCL3, CCL11, CCL24, CXCL9, CXCL10, sTNFR1, and sTNFR2 were measured and liver histological findings were reviewed. Plasma levels of CXCL9, sTNFR1, and sTNFR2 were significantly associated with liver fibrosis, with higher median levels found among patients with moderate/severe fibrosis (F >or= 2) if compared to those with no or mild fibrosis (p = 0.014; p = 0.012; p = 0.009, respectively). Plasma sTNFR2 levels were significantly associated with necroinflammatory activity, with higher median levels among patients with moderate/severe activity (A >or= 2) if compared to those with no or mild activity (2.34 ng/mL vs. 1.99 ng/mL; p = 0.019). In conclusion, plasma levels of CXCL9, sTNFR1, and sTNFR2 were independently associated with liver histological changes, suggesting a role of TNF activation and Th1-type cell-mediated immune response in the pathogenesis of HCV infection.
Available from: Aleksander Krag
- "Indeed, in cirrhotic patients the increased endotoxin influx into the portal vein leads to hepatic expression of soluble TNFα receptors even without evident clinical infection . Different proinflammatory pathways (LPS/TLR/TNFα) activated by stimuli derived from the gut appear associated with the prognosis in addition to the classical prognostic parameters related to liver and kidney function –, , , , , . This can be seen in situations, where the prognosis deteriorates despite a tremendous drop in portal pressure by TIPS. "
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ABSTRACT: TNFα levels are increased in liver cirrhosis even in the absence of infection, most likely owing to a continuous endotoxin influx into the portal blood. Soluble TNFα receptors (sTNFR type I and II) reflect release of the short-lived TNFα, because they are cleaved from the cells after binding of TNFα. The aims were to investigate the circulating levels of soluble TNFR-I and -II in cirrhotic patients receiving TIPS.
Forty-nine patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension (12 viral, 37 alcoholic) received TIPS for prevention of re-bleeding (n = 14), therapy-refractory ascites (n = 20), or both (n = 15). Portal and hepatic venous blood was drawn in these patients during the TIPS procedure and during the control catheterization two weeks later. sTNFR-I and sTNFR-II were measured by ELISA, correlated to clinical and biochemical characteristics.
Before TIPS insertion, sTNFR-II levels were lower in portal venous blood than in the hepatic venous blood, as well as in portal venous blood after TIPS insertion. No significant differences were measured in sTNFR-I levels. Hepatic venous levels of sTNFR-I above 4.5 ng/mL (p = 0.036) and sTNFR-II above 7 ng/mL (p = 0.05) after TIPS insertion were associated with decreased survival. A multivariate Cox-regression survival analysis identified the hepatic venous levels of sTNFR-I (p = 0.004) two weeks after TIPS, and Child score (p = 0.002) as independent predictors of mortality, while MELD-score was not.
Hepatic venous levels of sTNFR-I after TIPS insertion may predict mortality in patients with severe portal hypertension.
Available from: Manoel Otávio da Costa Rocha
- "Other authors (Diago et al. 2006) propose that elevated CXCL10 levels may result in an accumulation of effector T cells in the liver and the selective pressure imposed by this accumulation may foster outgrowth of immune escape HCV mutants that would be more difficult to eradicate with combined therapy (Diago et al. 2006). The observed association between CXCL10 levels and therapeutic response was not mediated by liver histological changes, as plasma levels of this chemokine were not associated with liver inflammatory activity or fibrosis in a subanalysis of the dataset (Moura et al. 2010). CXCL9, which binds the same chemokine receptor as CXCL10 (i.e., CXC3), did not show an association with virological response in our study, in accordance with findings from a previous study conducted by Butera et al. (2005) "
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ABSTRACT: The host immune response plays an important role in viral clearance in patients who are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and are treated with interferon and ribavirin. Activation of the immune system involves the release of pro and anti-inflammatory molecules that can be measured in plasma samples. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between pretreatment plasma levels of chemokines and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNF-R) and the virological response in treated patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. Forty-one chronically-infected HCV patients that were being treated with interferon-α (IFN-α) plus ribavirin were included in the study. Socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected and pretreatment plasma levels of chemokine CCL2, CCL3, CCL11, CCL24, chemokine CXCL9, CXCL10, sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2 were measured. The virological response was assessed at treatment week 12, at the end of treatment and 24 weeks after treatment. Pretreatment CXCL10 levels were significantly higher in patients without an early virological response (EVR) or sustained virological response (SVR) compared to responders [512.9 pg/mL vs. 179.1 pg/mL (p = 0.011) and 289.9 pg/mL vs. 142.7 pg/mL (p = 0.045), respectively]. The accuracy of CXCL10 as a predictor of the absence of EVR and SVR was 0.79 [confidence interval (CI) 95%: 0.59-0.99] and 0.69 (CI 95%: 0.51-0.87), respectively. Pretreatment plasma levels of the other soluble inflammatory markers evaluated were not associated with a treatment response. Pretreatment CXCL10 levels were predictive of both EVR and SVR to IFN-α and ribavirin and may be useful in the evaluation of candidates for therapy.
Available from: Lijie Rong
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ABSTRACT: Persistently high serum levels of soluble tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) receptor 2 (sTNFR2) have been observed in septic shock and many inflammatory diseases. However, its origin and regulation during these pathological processes are still largely unknown. In this study, murine bone marrow (BM) chimeras selectively expressing TNFR2 on either BM-derived or non-BM-derived cells were generated and challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results show that TNFR2 expression on non-BM-derived cells is crucial for both the sensitivity of mice to LPS and the downregulation of sTNFR2 in serum. Most importantly, sTNFR2 was released from both BM- and non-BM-derived cells. Non-BM TNFR1 expression influenced the sensitivity of mice to LPS challenge but not the level of serum sTNFR2. These results provide the first in vivo evidence for the origin and regulation of sTNFR2 in serum and could aid in the development of novel anti-TNF strategies against septic shock.
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.


The cavern covered the riverbank completely, and there was a pale glow of light far, far ahead on the other side of a great mass of water. The mist ahead obfuscated his eyesight, making the path ahead blurry and undiscernible. Mephisto approached the figure. He wore a dirty, dark robe, and his eyes shined like fiery embers in the darkness. He said:
“My paddle reaches beneath water,
stirring the darkest depths that brought her.
Face and brace yourself to understand,
accept the Truth, unity will band.
The token of the One requested,
Shimmering eyes have arrested.
Drink and die, all of fate will wisen
Until you meet your match the hyphen.
Mephisto was arrested by the intensity of his fiery eyes that saw straight through him. They weren’t hostile eyes, they cared. Remembering the coin just given to him, he gave it to the being, and then boarded the boat and sat. The ferryman said nothing as he paddled into the dark beyond. The black water was nearly silent, except for the ripples caused by the paddle. He paddled on with a Hellenic stare; there was no judgement or error as he paddled with purpose.
In the water Mephisto observed his dark image shift like a dream of reflections like light on a stage of spirit twinkling in the darkness. However, as they drifted across the large mass of water, while coming nearer to their destination, Mephisto felt growing unrest. Then he caught a glimmer of the dragon on the canvas of the water.
“My dear friend, the hardest stage is almost over. You’ll see. Fix your eyes on the water, watch the waves ripple, listen as I gently paddle. Be in the moment, the here and now. Your journey behind you, yes—feel the pulse and drive, but don’t be overcome by it.”
“But how do I not be overcome by it?”
“Breathe and pay attention to your senses. Put your hand in the water as we drift across, feel the cool touch of wetness, smell the fresh river. But also, I simply mean that the flow led you here, that it can be useful. There is ancient wisdom in our emotions, but even they can get the better of us too.”
“What wisdom are my emotions telling me now?”
“They are telling you to pay attention to where you are going! To watch what path you are embarking on! I was one of the few eons ago, a traveler like you, burdened by a past the conscience couldn’t subdue. Now I return here after my time to remind myself of what I must do.”
“And what must you do?”
“Once a person has experienced a certain kind of hell, they don’t have a choice on what they must do next. They simply must return to aid fellow travelers upon their way. My burden is a glimmer of your burden, we are different, but in a sense, we are one and the same. Your pilgrimage once was my pilgrimage, and once an eon, I return to remember what it’s all about, what it’s all for.”
“So, why am I here?”
“Part of you understood why when you drank from the well of Chaos.”
“I do not understand.”
The ferryman then began to paddle in unison with every phrase he spoke, “You asked me how to not be overcome by your emotion, instead be overcome by yourself. The dragon you sought overcomes, it overcomes grief, it overcomes destiny, it overcomes all. Ultimately, you must overcome in the act of creation. The destiny of the cosmic forces of Love and Strife written across the cosmos, to disintegrate and then to create ad infinitum is a perpetual forward thrusting—but for a fraction of a moment, the dragon’s thunderbolt strikes, and a being is hurled into consciousness, it embodies a destiny, then it is grounded, and sees within itself the ineffable myriad, the inexpressible, until it occurs—that moment of transcendence where experience widens, times and space stop in its tracks, and the original Chaos is restored.”
With an old raspy voice it continued, “To be in its presence… Well it leaves traces in our hearts for eternity. I still feel it eons later. I can say no more, anything else I might add would deviate from the ancient poetry.”
The ferryman then silenced himself, and looked off into the beyond, towards the light ahead, his eyes being a beacon that saw distant shores.
Once they finally arrived at the cavern’s dark bank of the river, the being said:
“Your destination, but a word of caution,
Think! Act! Now! Will you be as just and true,
as all of those that can before you?
Or be something else entirely?
Your choice to be or not to be.
Now remember this Redemptive Grief,
Eternity shall pass, this remains.
Struggle and strife is the bane of Cain’s.”
Mephisto stepped off the rocky boat and turned towards the ferryman one last time, and asked, “Your eyes, how did you come by them?”
“A price must be paid to cross over again. Since I did not have the coinage, I paid with my eyes. I cannot see by corporeal means, only by spiritual. Now begone, until we meet again in the great beyond!”


A YELLOW RAFT IN BLUE WATER. By Michael Dorris. 343 pages. Henry Holt & Company. $16.95.
Set against the backdrop of an Indian reservation in Montana and nearby regions in the Pacific Northwest, ''A Yellow Raft in Blue Water'' tells the story of three extraordinary women: Rayona, a self-reliant schoolgirl set adrift from her family at the age of 15; her strong-willed mother, Christine, and Ida, the proud matriarch of their clan. Each of these women speaks to us directly without the scrim of an omniscient narrator; and together, their voices form a chorus echoing through four decades of family history.
A similar method of narration was employed by Michael Dorris's wife, Louise Erdrich, in her accomplished novel ''The Beet Queen'' (1986); and in interviews, the couple have spoken of their collaborative work on such novels. Authorship, they have explained, goes to the person who does the first draft - which presumably means that ''A Yellow Raft in Blue Water'' was initially written by Mr. Dorris, then edited (revised or commented upon) by Ms. Erdrich.
In any case, the book not only has structural affinities with ''The Beet Queen'' but also addresses many of the same themes - including the growing sense of rootlessness overtaking provincial America, the lasting consequences of ancient family betrayals and the complicated equation of affection and resentment worked out between parents and their children. Although the writing in ''A Yellow Raft'' is not as consistently -and as organically - lyrical as that found in Ms. Erdrich's books, it does share a capacity to startle the reader with strong, almost dreamlike images: a car's broken taillight, ''spilling a red beam at a funny angle''; a tired woman in a reclining chair, lying ''almost flat, suspended in the room like the lady in a magic act''; a hot, breezeless day in which ''the leaves on the short trees looked heavy as tin.''
Happily, these descriptions of the physical surface of things are matched by Mr. Dorris's equally successful depiction of elusive states of mind - through the delicate orchestration of tiny emotional details. He has Rayona describe her sick mother's breathing as ''rain in the night, beating on the windows and blowing the curtains,'' then pages later has her remember Seattle's rainy weather and her mother's habit of carrying a rainhat (''an accordioned plastic with two tie strings'') in her purse. Elsewhere, he turns a comic escapade (in which Rayona and her mother debate whether to take out a lifetime membership at a video rental store) into an unexpected confrontation with mortality - a scene that, chapters later, takes on an even deeper chiaroscuro when it is related again from the point of view of Rayona's dying mother, Christine.
Indeed Mr. Dorris has used the technique of multiple perspective narration in this volume to create three portraits of remarkable psychological density. In the first section of ''A Yellow Raft,'' we meet Rayona, and we initially come to see the dissolution of her family through her adolescent eyes. Her father, a black postal worker named Elgin, has apparently spent the better part of his lengthy marriage chasing younger women. And while her mother has been more attentive, she remains impulsive and willful - really more of a child than Rayona herself. Now, in the midst of a visit to the family reservation, Christine has disappeared, leaving Rayona to the care of her fierce and seemingly hostile Aunt Ida. Feeling hurt and abandoned, Rayona runs away - determined to make a new life on her own.
In the next section, Mr. Dorris shifts gears, giving us a rendition of this same scenario from the perspective of Rayona's mother. Though it's a somewhat risky proposition - the reader, after all, is asked to sit through many of the same events a second time - he carries it off neatly, making us appreciate the nearly tragic results of family members being trapped within their own subjectivity, prisoners of their selfish anger and pain. We realize that Christine's illness has not been a phony play for sympathy but the real thing and that her disappearance constitutes not an act of abandonment but a cowardly attempt to save her daughter from the knowledge of her imminent death.
Similarly, in the third section of ''A Yellow Raft,'' Mr. Dorris jumps back another generation, to give us a look at both Christine and Rayona through the eyes of their Aunt Ida. In the course of her monologue we not only learn about the hidden reasons for her defensiveness and anger but we also come to understand why so many of the relationships in this family are invested with such hope -and a fear of loss.Continue reading the main story
Ida's secret is teasingly and melodramatically withheld from the reader to build a false suspense, and ''A Yellow Raft'' suffers from other lapses as well: a rodeo sequence in which Rayona impersonates her male cousin and walks off with a prize is both unconvincing and unnecessary; and the men in the book, with the exception of Christine's brother Lee, remain two-dimensional figures - either sex objects or cads. Mr. Dorris is such a persuasive storyteller, however, that we only dwell on such matters in retrospect. In the course of reading the novel, we are content to get to know his characters - and dwell temporarily in their meticulously delineated world.Continue reading the main story


Hokkaido Highway Blues: Hitchhiking Japan
It had never been done before. Not in 4000 years of Japanese recorded history had anyone followed the Cherry Blossom Front from one end of the country to the other. Nor had anyone hitchhiked the length of Japan. But, heady on sakura and sake, Will Ferguson bet he could do both.
The resulting travelogue is one of the funniest and most illuminating books ever written about Japan. And, as Ferguson learns, it illustrates that to travel is better than to arrive.
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A young woman living with relatives struggles to keep her home life, and life away from home separate from each other. All while trying to contact her absentee mother, who left her in the care of others.
A story of love, loss, and moving on. Two lovers find themselves torn apart as one of them becomes sick. After the death of her girlfriend, the other girl is left to move on and pick up the pieces of her broken heart.


It is no wonder that so many people throughout the ages and throughout Earth still find it rather difficult to write an essay. There is a very steep learning curve that one needs to climb so as to write these papers that are challenging. That said, there are a few methods that you may utilize to help shorten the learning procedure and make the procedure less of a challenge. Hopefully these hints will be to write an essay more fast.
The first thing you must do in order to compose any kind of essay is to pick out a topic. The topic can be as varied as you can imagine. It can be centered around a particular event or idea, or it can be something as wide as’the four P’ As long as the topic revolves around advice of some kind, it’s important to select one that isn’t too broad and that concentrates on one specific interest. It’s far simpler to compose an article which focuses on one specific subject.
When the subject is determined, the writer must choose a writing format. Among the most common formats for article writing is your argumentative essay. This is where the author provides their personal opinion on a particular topic, usually supported by some type of evidence or research.
Argumentative essay topics are often quite lengthy. But, there are a few ways that one may lengthen this process and make the essay much faster. The first way involves expanding the scope of the essay to include just facts. Facts could be researched and can be offered in a manner that supports the opinion that has been expressed. For example, if the writer were academic essay writing service to write about global warming, one would want to supply as much information as possible concerning the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to the issue.
Another way to create an essay that’s quick is to write the article as if you are presenting your research findings. Each bit of information should be discussed and each fact should be assessed again before proceeding to another point. If the topics are too broad, it is going to take a writer far too much time to explain all the information that he or she has accumulated and the reader will get bored with reading the essay. In addition, if the topics are too wide, it is going to take an author far too much time to explain all the information that he or she has accumulated and the reader will become bored with reading the essay.
Finally, once the essay topics are researched and decided, the author should then select the ideal essay decision. This is the point where the subject is explained and the opinion that the writer has come to concerning the topic is stated clearly. But it must be remembered that it is the opinion that is most significant in deciding how long the composition needs to be and what decision ought to be drawn.


Hopefully, the rest of the trilogy would bring Fitz some growth. Fitz is about to discover the truth about the Fool's prophecy. In fact, don't even read the second book in the trilogy. These books were full of action, drama, and lots of painful scenes. It was utterly, mind-bogglingly boring.
I have read over 500 of books in my life and I don't know what it is with this series, but I simply love it. I am referring here to Starling the Minstrel, and Kettle-who-is-not-Kettle. Nighteyes certainly lightened things up along the way, and I love him. The Narcheska has set the prince an unfathomable task: to behead a dragon trapped in ice on the isle of Aslevjal. The main, interesting mystery, the Re This is one of the few books of which I can't say why I didn't stop reading. For in the young man's blood is a heritage of magic, the talent called the Skill, as well as another, even more mysterious ability.
With unforgettable characters, a sweeping backdrop, and passionate storytelling, this is a fantasy debut to rival that of Robert Jordan. The characters are mostly known, and Fitz is growing up. Between books, he is active in regional theaters across the country. Without giving away any real spoilers, this person is just so one-dimensional and obviously a problem. Hobb stuck the landing, and you would do well to study it.
It's not that bad I guess, but so many and so random is bit. Forever held back into a deep whining and self loathing. I was looking for a trilogy of 1990s-style pre-Twilight, Hunger Games, Game of Thrones explosion fantasy. There is so much to talk about in a review of this book that its hard to know where to start. Posing as a bodyguard, Fitz becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls, guiding a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day. Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chilvary Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. I wanted more people to be on Fitz side rather than Regal but that didn't happen in this book.
If you experience similar reaction like me, just drop it and start another book, don't force yourself to finish it, not worth it. There is magic and herbology and animal kinship woven in here. I enjoyed both his travels with Nighteyes alone and with the rest of the group. Out of dozens of series,this is my favorite fantasy series of all time. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission, a mission that poses as much a threat to himself as it does for his target---for Fitz is a threat to the throne. He spends a large chunk of the third book on a useless quest, and all the while he is thinking and I was thinking this is a bad idea. He embraced weakness and ignored his strength.
But this particular time really has me irritated. It's a good book that survives the reading process with me. Every time he might accomplish something he fails and fails again. I suppose it's just not the author's strength or intent to explore violence, but it takes the edge from what could have been high adrenaline events. The intrigue can get a little convoluted but by then you love the characters enough that you'll be happy at the finish.
Fitz struggle is delicious but the book ends with him having lost almost everything so he has a lot to make up for in the next book. The second best thing in the series after Fitzchivalry; expect Hobb to steal your heart and mind through this strange and enigmatic figure. This is one of the few books of which I can't say why I didn't stop reading. Even with the glut of great fantasy, old and new, this deserves to be a series that everyone that wants to be familiar with the best the genre offers should read. This is a wonderful tale, but one that has taken a toll on my emotions.
» » Robin Hobb was born on 28 December 1959. In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma. In many areas, Fitz shows good initiative and intuition in defiance of others. I don't write reviews very often, but boy I enjoyed this book. Tortured by this terrible vision, he returns to the Six Duchies court where all is far from well. But he acts his age and pays for it.


Background: Population-based estimates of absolute risk of lung cancer recurrence, and of mortality rates after recurrence, can inform clinical management. Methods: We evaluated prognostic factors for recurrences and survival in 2098 lung cancer case patients from the general population of Lombardy, Italy, from 2002 to 2005. We conducted survival analyses and estimated absolute risks separately for stage IA to IIIA surgically treated and stage IIIB to IV non-surgically treated patients. Results: Absolute risk of metastases exceeded that of local recurrence in every stage and cell type, highlighting the systemic threat of lung cancer. In stage I, the probability of dying within the first year after diagnosis was 2.7%, but it was 48.3% within first year after recurrence; in stage IV, the probabilities were 57.3% and 80.6%, respectively. Over half the patients died within one year of first metastasis. Although in stages IA to IB about one-third of patients had a recurrence, stage IIA patients had a recurrence risk (61.2%) similar to stage IIB (57.9%) and IIIA (62.8%) patients. Risk of brain metastases in stage IA to IIIA surgically treated non-small cell lung cancer patients increased with increasing tumor grade. Absolute risk of recurrence was virtually identical in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma patients. Conclusions: This population-based study provides clinically useful estimates of risks of lung cancer recurrence and mortality that are applicable to the general population. These data highlight the need for more effective adjuvant treatments overall and within specific subgroups. The estimated risks of various endpoints are useful for designing clinical trials, whose power depends on absolute numbers of events.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cancer Research


Periodontal Disease and Osteoporosis
Periodontal disease is characterized by a continual loss of surrounding gingival tissue in the jawbone and gums. It is the #1 cause of loss of teeth in adults in the civilized world. Periodontal disease happens when bacteria found in oral plaque irritate and inflame the soft tissues around the teeth. Without treatment, bacteria migrate initially causing the inner destruction of gum tissue, and then advance to affect the boney tissue.
Osteoporosis is a common metabolic disease of the bone which frequently happens in postmenopausal women, and occurs less frequently in men. Osteoporosis is demonstrated by low bone mass, bone fragility, and a decrease in bone mineral density. Research has identified and explored a connection between osteoporosis and periodontal disease.
Research conducted at the University of New York at Buffalo in 1994 shows that post-menopausal women who were diagnosed with osteoporosis were 88% more prone to also develop periodontal disease.
Reasons for the Connection
Though research is still being made in order to further examine the extent of the relationship between periodontal disease and osteoporosis, the studies have made the following connections:
- Deficiency in estrogen – Estrogen deficiency and associated menopause accelerates the progression of the loss of bone. The lack of estrogen speeds up the attachment rate loss (tissues and fibers which keep the teeth secure are destroyed).
- Low mineral bone density – Studies show this to be one of many causes of osteoporosis, and the infection from periodontal disease may lead to a breakdown in weakened bones. This is the reason periodontitis can be more advanced in patients with osteoporosis.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Periodontal disease and osteoporosis are much less significant if they are seen in the beginning stages. Once a diagnosis has been given, the dentist will generally connect with the patient's doctor to make sure that both diseases are simultaneously controlled.
Here are some steps commonly used to treat and diagnose the diseases:
- Routine dental radiographs – Radiographs (x-rays) can be efficiently made to look for bone loss in the lower and upper jaw, and the dentist can provide means for treating and preventing periodontal disease. It is believed that reducing periodontal disease will help eliminate osteoporosis.
- Estrogen supplements – Prescribing post-menopausal women with estrogen supplements reduces the rate of attachment loss and also minimizes gingival infection, which in turn can protect the teeth from periodontal disease.
- Assessment of risk factors – Doctors and dentists can closely watch patients that are at an significant risk of developing both diseases by looking at medical history, radiograph results, modifiable risk factors, family history, and current medications. Poor diet, obesity, estrogen deficiency, and tobacco use can all be managed using a combination of support, education, and prescription coverage.
If you have any concerns about periodontal disease and its connection with osteoporosis, please consult with Dr. Braithwaite and his staff.


'Good prognosis tumours' in breast cancer screening.
- D Birch, M Payne, Y Chia, S McPherson
- Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England SCI(E) SCOPUS
- Cited Count
- References open button
5.Radiotherapy for ductal carcinoma in situ detected by screening.C R Hamilton et al. BMJ (Clinical research ed.)General Medicine cited 3 times
8.Comparative pathology of prevalent and incident cancers detected by breast screening. Edinburgh Breast Screening Project.T J Anderson et al. The LancetGeneral Medicine cited 16 times


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122 Rules (英語) ペーパーバック – 2016/3/29
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In his black and white world, Sam Bradford--former Marine turned government assassin--finally sees a speck of grey. He has always followed orders without question, but his latest assignment threatens to disrupt the precision of his universe and may either sever or redeem his last remaining sliver of humanity. Explore the dark side of a man living outside of society who has sacrificed all for the greater good of God and Country only to find out he isn't working for who he thought he was.
Using his mastery of the 122 Rules of Psychology, Sam hunts down everyone. Imagine being able to extract people's deepest most protected secrets by following a strict set of rules perfected by the most brilliant minds in the nation. Imagine having access to unlimited resources, information, money, and technology. What would you do? Where would you go? Who would you look for? Do you use your power for peace and prosperity, to further the advancement of your fellow man? Or do you use it to increase your own wealth and power by controlling and manipulating everyone around you? Imagine, spending a decade being sent the world over to find people and exploit them for the safety and advancement of your fellow countryman. You are following a path of idealism that is larger than you, larger than anyone. You are doing it for the greater good of God and Country.
The Agency sends him to find enemies of the state and eliminate them. Just as he has his rifle scope focused on his latest victim, an innocent girl entangled with the mob, his long-dormant conscience reappears for a final performance...one last ditch effort to save the sinking ship of Sam's soul. He's killed innocents before, but tarries on pulling the trigger this time.
Now imagine that you're wrong. What you have been told is a lie.
When Monica escapes his crosshairs and fumbles her way across the country in a pathetic attempt to elude capture, Sam gives chase. But he's not the only one after her. Ruthless assassins, hired by the mob, froth like bloodhounds and nip at Monica's heels. Now Sam is faced with a choice: turn his back on the rules and jeopardize his way of life by helping her or join the pack and rip her to shreds.
The people who are in control are not what you thought. They are the faceless. The corrupt. They have been using you to find and manipulate others, not for one nation under God, but to increase their wealth and power.
What do you do? You are a lone soldier, trained to follow orders. Separate from everyone, living outside of society.
Can you quit? Just give up a life of stoicism and start over? Is that even possible? What of the pain you've left in your wake? Can you make amends for the atrocities you've committed?
Sam Bradford is a man who has just come to realize his life is not what he thought it was. He has been outside and is ready to step back in. But can he escape the past, or will his demons destroy his new life and everyone in it that matters?
"122 Rules is a fast-paced thrill-ride, filled with rich characters living in an expertly woven world of mystery and suspense. Deek Rhew's debut novel will take readers by storm, and keep them coming back for sequels." -Michelle K. Pickett, Bestselling and award-winning author of PODs and Unspeakable. With a pinch of humor and multiple twists of violent action, 122 RULES is a page-turning thriller where law-upholders, law-enforcers and law-breakers co-exist in a fuzzy line that makes you wonder: Who is enforcing the law, who is breaking it, and who are the victims of this uncertainty? Monica, a feisty and irreverent law student, is caught in the middle of it all when she finds herself in the wrong place, at the wrong time, overhearing the wrong conversation, one that changes her life forever taking us on a warped path where, what we think is real, might not be true, and what is true, is clearly debatable. Yes, Deek Rhew keeps you wondering until the last page! - Leonardo Wild, author of THE GALAPAGOS AGENDA --このテキストは、ペーパーバック版に関連付けられています。商品の説明をすべて表示する
I was looking for something new – a break from the traditional romantic-suspense that fills my TBR list. I found it in 122 Rules. It’s not merely exciting, it's addictive. I couldn't put it down, even when I wanted to (for instance, when I thought the suspense might actually kill me).
Now, nearly two weeks later, I still can't get this riveting story out of my mind. It left me with almost as many questions as answers. The author’s skillful story-telling rivals some of the most highly acclaimed, best-selling mystery-thriller authors in contemporary fiction. Take my word for it, you’ll be tempted to check out the ending simply to spare yourself the gripping anxiety and get some of your questions answered. But don’t give in to the urge to cheat. just sit back and enjoy this captivating thrill-ride. I promise you it’s totally worth it.
If you like the darkness and suspense of a powerful mystery, some heart-pounding, breath-taking thrills and chills, and a hint of a potentially explosive love story yet to come, you do NOT want to miss 122 Rules. I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel.
The plot revolves around a prime witness who is forced to go into hiding. It deals with chasers, the victim, mob, name the elements in a thriller and they are all here.
Deek has an amazing writing style. His narration kept me on tenterhooks. Throughout the reading I was kept guessing at every page. If I say I was part of a movie unfolding before my eyes I won't be wrong. The imageries were vibrant and touched every corner of my mind. In fact there was not a single sense that was left untouched. Language used did perfect justice to the story. It ensured that I never stopped midway.
Two characters stood out. One was the perfect protagonist and the other one was a protagonist with shades of an antagonist, or was he an antagonist with traces of a protagonist? For that you need to read the story. As a reader, I loved every twist and turn that happened in their lives, how perceptions changed and the emotions they felt.
To sum up, the book is a must read. It is excites, amazes, and keeps a reader engaged till the last page. You need to read it to believe it. It is a thriller that promises and delivers by keeping the readers engrossed. There is a cliffhanger so I am sure there is a sequel.
P.S - Thank you Erin and Deek. The storyline has been awesome and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one
Deek pretty much grabbed me from the first page with his style. I'm not one for overly descriptive writing and Deek is really good at using description to enhance and not distract. His character descriptions both physically and emotionally are thorough but not overly done, and written in such a way as to inform the reader while still allowing you to "fill in the blanks" with your imagination. His style stays true when setting a scene or situation.
For me, filling in the blanks is one of the joys of reading and I hate it when things are overly done in a heavy handed way, so this was great.
As for the story it's pretty much a nitro-crazy car ride from beginning to end. I enjoy good twists and turns, and Deek was able to surprise me quite a number of times during this story and that's always tons of fun for a reader as well.
Monica is a strong yet vulnerable character without coming across as weak and I found Sam to be an incredibly interesting character as he begins to break free of his military mind set for seemingly the first time in his career.
There were also quite a few laugh out loud moments, which were very much needed considering the intensity of the book.
I will point out that I did in fact receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review and Deek also received a copy of my book for a review as well. It seems we both really liked each other's book which is great because that could have been awkward at the next "writers who write about assassins" meeting.
This is supposedly the first book in a series and I certainly wont need an ARC for the next one, I'll pre-order that bad boy.
If you like thoughtful but fast paced, action based (and packed) stories I really recommend this book.


As most who have read about me on this site would know, romance novels are my guilty pleasure. I love reading them. They have the romance that I crave, the tall dark handsome man, the happy ending that always makes me smile and sigh. Now, don’t get me wrong, I also love my classics to distraction, but a girl’s got to have some light reading now and then. So, I curl up in bed and read my romance novels.
Unfortunately, romance novels often get a bad rap. People automatically think of them all as bodice rippers with steamy sex scenes. Sex, however, is not what makes a good romance novel. The romance novel certainly didn’t start out that way. Its’ origins stem from the Gothic novel, a popular genre in the 19th century, and other early sensation fiction written by women. There was certainly no sex in those novels. People would have been scandalized. The Gothic novel, which is also the predecessor of our paranormal novels, was the beginning of sensational fiction, particularly involving in many cases a young woman in trouble who is then saved by a handsome man, whom she eventually marries. Anne Radcliffe is probably the most well known of the Gothic novelists, having written The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Romance of the Forest.
But let’s move forward to the first true romance novel. We get to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, considered by many to be the epitome of the romantic novel. It focuses almost entirely on courtship and is written from the female perspective. Again, I see no sex. Hmmm. It looks like there is a pattern forming. Jane Austen in turn inspired Georgette Heyer, one of the most well-known romance authors in history. She introduced the historical romance novel in 1921. Her novels are also hardly bodice rippers, instead focusing on the soul connection between the two lovers. Hyatt specifically brought the Regency historical romance to the forefront of people’s attention. She centers her novels on the wealthy upper class and the London season with its marriage mart. Her first romance novel, The Regency Buck, happens to be one of my favorites.
Since then, the romance novel has evolved and changed drastically over the years, particularly in the 1980s when many subgenres emerged and single titles began to be released. During this period the romance novel and the portrayal of its characters blossomed into the genre that we know today. More modern romances became popular and the characters were modernized to reflect the norms of this time period. Romance novels are the most popular genre in the literary world, comprising 55% of all paperback books sold. They are also read in numerous countries, having been translated into 90 different languages.
So why all the criticism and derision? Well, with the modernization of the romance novel came some subgenres that do focus on sex such as erotic romance. But this is just a small fraction of the entire genre. While there are many bodice rippers lining the shelves, there are also tons of clean romance novels; romance novels without any sex or nudity. These books are just as good as the other romance novels in terms of showing the relationship blossom between two characters, but they just leave out the consummation of that love. So, why are we booing romance novels? The genre is a great one, with every type of wish fulfillment you could ask for in a novel. Just because a book is a romance novel does not mean that it is dirty. We need to understand that distinction and correct the view of society. Romance novels deserve respect too! And so ends my defense of the romance novel. Go out and try one.
Do you read romance novels? Do you have a favorite clean romance novel you would like to share with the world? Sound off below…
Love happy endings? Read Why Happily Ever After Deserves Our Respect.
Want a list of some clean romances to read? Check out my list of the Top 30 Cleverly Clean Romances to Sneak Under Your Covers.
Into paranormal romance? Be sure to read The Top 65 Paranormal Romances in Film, Literature, and Television.
ARE YOU A ROMANCE FAN? FOLLOW THE SILVER PETTICOAT REVIEW:Our romance-themed entertainment site is on a mission to help you find the best period dramas, romance movies, TV shows, and books. Other topics include Jane Austen, Classic Hollywood, TV Couples, Fairy Tales, Romantic Living, Romanticism, and more. We’re damsels not in distress fighting for the all-new optimistic Romantic Revolution. Join us and subscribe. For more information, see our About, Old-Fashioned Romance 101, Modern Romanticism 101, and Romantic Living 101.
2 thoughts on “Romance Novels – A Misunderstood Genre”
No defense needed. 🙂
I’d strongly recommend reading ‘Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women’, which is written by several leading romance authors and has a strong feminist perspective in support of the romance genre. In short: It’s interesting that the only genre which is getting this type of derision is a genre written *by* women, *for* women.
I also make no apologies for any ‘heat’ level I choose to read or write in a romance. I’ve read far worse scenes in *non-romance* than I have in *romance*. Rape scenes are long, long gone from romance but they’re alive and well (and considerably more graphic and violent) in popular fiction. Again, this is acceptable, but consensual sex between adults isn’t? Pfft.
I’ve also heard the classic, ‘Oh, I should sit home one weekend and hack out a romance novel and make a million,’ to which I just laugh and say, ‘Go ahead and try it, and tell me if you make it past a paragraph.’ It’s harder than it looks. And besides, in what other genre are you promised a happily ever after? 🙂
But go, you, for holding your head high and sticking by what you like! You are not alone, sister.
Thank you! Wonderful points made. I completely agree. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one out there who appreciates a good romance novel. Here here! 🙂


Continuing with our focus on books to use during the first weeks of school, add The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein to your list. Perfectionist Beatrice Bottomwell begins to feel the pressures of living up to her reputation as the girl who never makes mistakes. She always matches her socks, wears the right shoes on the correct feet, makes the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich, remembers to make her bed and complete her math homework, and never forgets to feed her pet hamster, Humbert. When a talent show act goes terribly wrong, Beatrice must decide how to handle her first mistake – cry; run off stage; or laugh? Students can learn from Beatrice’s choice to laugh off her mistake, but more than that they can see that her anxiety lessens and the quality of her life increases when she accepts mistakes as part of her reality. The pressures of trying to be perfect at all things all the time is too daunting for anyone to maintain. Making a mess, falling down and even mismatching your socks occasionally can make life a little less stressful, and a lot more enjoyable.
Increasingly, I’ve seen more and more children becoming anxious about the high demands of balancing school work and extracurricular activities and perhaps even feeling more of an urgency to get it right on the first try. I allow this book to be a doorway to some important conversations about school being a safe place for making mistakes. I explicitly describe school – and our classroom – as a place that was purposely built for people to make mistakes.
This book also lends itself to discussions about growth-mindset. Have students brainstorm all the ways they could react to mistakes on a t-chart with positive reactions on one side and negative reactions on the other. Then talk about how the negative reactions like crying, whining or saying, “I’ll never get this” lead to a fixed mindset that keeps us stuck where we are; whereas positive reactions such as shrugging it off and trying again permit growth.
Since identifying similarities and differences is one of the best high-yield instructional strategies, one additional suggestion for use with this book is to compare and contrast two characters – Beatrice and her brother Carl. The author presents Carl as the complete opposite of his perfectionist sister (he eats his crayons and draws with green beans). This would be a great way to introduce Venn diagrams and terms like compare, contrast, similar and different. Remember, to always sneak academic vocabulary and important skills in when reading aloud to students.
To accompany the book, I’ve included a free bookmark that offers students some important reminders about making mistakes. You can grab it here.
The Book Wrangler


The Deeper Purposes of Art: Walking Murals It is an undeniable fact that this past weekend’s Women’s March was a powerful and courageous antidote to the incisively degrading political rhetoric that […]
Freebie-Internado aficionados: The Untold Story of Vicky- Target structures, Spanish Idioms and a whole lot of Scaffolding!
La Chica Nueva: Short story for Spanish class Edición Internado Free Resource I want my students to read, be intrigued, acquire vocabulary in new ways and conceptually understand the interplay grammatical structures- all while having fun! I love it when their eyes roll across the pages and a smile slowly […]
La clase de confesiones A Spanish 1+ novel written mostly […]
Las Apariencias Engañan Scroll down for the synopsis, free Teacher’s Manual and the preview of first two chapters! I was thrilled by the concept of Novelas por Entregas such as those you’d read in Vanidades Magazine. You’d flip to the back, and there was always an intriguing story: short, but sweet. This was the […]


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My guest this week was so young when Faber bought her first fantasy novel that her father had to sign the contract. She’s more than built on that early promise by scooping the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian prize and is so prolific that in her credits she only lists her best-known works. Her imagination has ranged everywhere, from a fantasy czarist Russia to the far future – and thrilling, evocative music has been intrinsic to all of them. She is children’s author Susan Price, and she’s on the Red Blog with a truly rich Undercover Soundtrack.
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