I Passed!

I don't share much personal information on here, I have other venues for that. However, I was so excited that I had to share. I already tweeted it.

So, what is the big deal, what did I pass? My three month check up with my main specialist. Now let me reassure those who don't know me, it's nothing terminal or fatal. I have various and assorted chronic health conditions, some minor, some moderate, and 2 major, related, ones that dominate and rule my life. I saw the doctor who handles those today and I am doing well. At my last check up, three and a half months ago, I was doing reasonably well so we decided to lower the dosage of one of my maintenance drugs. That went well, after the first week, and I am now on the lower dosage on a regular basis. I have been scarily healthy the past few months, a co-worker even commented on it. That made my day because my health issues have been a huge problem at work. My employer has been less than empathetic though they have made some accomodations.

Anyway, I've been doing well. No flares, some minor day to day to issues but nothing that caused me to miss work, call an ambulance, go to the ER, or get admitted. My 2 big goals this years are to avoid trips to the ER and being admitted, for any reason, to the hospital. The year's almost half over and so far, I've been successful. I'm absurdly happy and also scared. The pessimistic side of me keeps waiting for the other shoe to fall.

In the meantime, I am reasonably healthy and that makes me happy. :)

Review of Heartsight by Kay Springsteen

Publisher: Astraea Press

Release Date: February 27th, 2011

More Info: Amazon   All Romance

Book Blurb:
On a secluded beach in North Carolina, three lonely people find hope in each other.

 Trish Evers is an artist and single mother, who has inherited her grandmother's Bed and Breakfast in a North Carolina coastal town. Though she must sell the house, she decides to bring her daughter to the beach for one last summer vacation in her childhood town.

 Bella is a six-year-old girl who has Down syndrome. Rejected by her father, Trish, is the only parent she's ever known. Bella likes to explore the beach and has a tendency to wander off. One day, Bella goes exploring on her own, and Trish finds her in the company of an intriguing stranger.

Dan Conway is a U.S. Marine, who had been born into a family of Marines. Now blind as a result of combat injuries and unable to "suit up," he feels he no longer has a purpose in life. He's come home to the beach, where he spends his days in solitude. Dan must learn to believe in himself and to love life again, which he begins to do through his interactions with Bella and Trish. When a hurricane strikes, and Bella wanders off again, her only hope for rescue is Dan.

Working within the confines of his blindness, he must overcome his fear of failure and recall his training in order to search for the little girl and bring her to safety.



My Thoughts:

I was uncertain about this book when I started it. Although I had agreed to review it when the author asked, a part of me worried that I would find it too sweet or mushy. I didn't realize, until after I read it, that the publisher (who also put out another book I reviewed, "The Perfect Rose") specializes in non-erotic, wholesome romances. Still, I tried to go into it with an open mind. I'm glad that I took the chance.

"Heartsight" is sweet, and definitely plays to your emotions but it's also nicely written and enjoyable. I quickly got into it and was caught up in the story. I did get frustrated at the continual will we/won't we have sex. The back and forth, and constant pushing away of each other got old really fast. I am perfectly ok with a sex-free romance but there are ways to write it that aren't so annoying, in my opinion.

That said, Springsteen did a nice job of fleshing out most of the characters and making them real. Bella's biological father, Gary, felt cliched to me - rich, controlling, emotionally and verbally abusive, etc., too much the bad guy with no redeeming qualities. He perfectly fits the role of the bad guy in the story and is easy to dislike. I wish Springsteen had fleshed him out more, made him less stereotypical. One thing that rang very true though was his rejection of Bella and that he and her mother got divorced, in part, due to her condition. Sadly, both of those scenarios are all too common in real life. A child with serious health issues or who is not "normal" (and I seem to be reading a ton of book lately with characters who make you question what is "normal") often leads to one parent rejecting the child, or to stress which leads to divorce, or both.

Bella, her mother Trish, and Dan are all pleasant people who feel like they could be your next door neighbor or a co-worker. The romance was sweet, and the story doesn't downplay the difficulties in becoming blind, being a single parent, or having Down's Syndrome but neither does it romanticize them.

If you are in the mood for a sweet, contemporary romance, give this a try.

The author provided a PDF for review.

Review of The Perfect Rose by Felicia Rogers

Publisher: Astraea Press  

Release Date: February 6, 2011


More Info: Author website  Amazon 

Book Blurb:

 Abandoned by his wife and left to raise a child alone, Caleb Reed falls short of the ideal work-from-home dad. He needs a woman to help him, in every sense of the word. At the suggestion of a friend, Caleb agrees to hire Ariel Lauren on a trial basis.

As an orphan, Ariel has more issues than just how to make it on her on. Yes, she needs the money that Caleb offers her, but more than anything she finds she desires his love. One calamity after another befalls her and jeopardizes her new job and her chance at having a family. But through it all, Caleb is by her side, his gruff exterior threatening to melt in the face of their shared attraction. Will they decide to continue life alone or will the magic of Valentine's Day bring them together?


My Thoughts:

"The Perfect Rose" is a sweet love story about two emotionally damaged people coming together. They learn to trust and to share. Caleb is divorced and a single father. His marriage and divorce left him bitter and wary of getting involved again. Ariel has never been able to be emotionally close with anyone, not family, friends, or significant others.

Ariel goes to work for Caleb as housekeeper and a babysitter for his eight year old son Joshua. Joshua is presented as being special, possibly a genius, and mildly autistic. Unfortunately, Rogers gives out those details and then forgets about them. Granted, this is a romance, not a story about the child, but I'd have liked to see those details be better integrated into the overall story. Though, that may just be the teacher in me reacting and not the reader. I am usually happy to see children, particularly those with special needs, as part of a story. Ok, got off track there, sorry.

Anyway, Ariel works for Caleb, which gives her some qualms. She's not at all certain that getting involved with her boss is smart (I'm inclined to agree) and it doesn't help that he gives mixed signals - kissing her, then avoiding her, etc. They go back and forth and dance around their attraction. I like that the attraction and their involvement built over time; so many books these days have it happen in such a short period of time and too often, that just doesn't work. Towards the end of the book, there's a complication involving the ex-wife. Honestly, I felt it was cliched but overall, the story was enjoyable. It's sweet and tender and worth reading.

A PDF was received from the author for review.

Review of The Language of the Sea by James MacManus

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: May 10th, 2011

More Info: Amazon   Book Depository


Book Blurb:

A lyrical and affecting family drama reminiscent of The Shipping News which challenges readers to re-examine their perception of nature. 

A striking blend of realism and contemporary myth-making, this unforgettable novel tells the story of marine biologist Leo Kemp. Having lost his teaching position thanks to outspoken views, Leo decides to go on one last field trip with his students. The outing becomes disastrous when the weather turns and Leo is thrown overboard. The evocative description of Leo’s journey explores what can happen beyond our perceived knowledge of science. James MacManus tests the bounds of reality with his cunning narrative set within the beautiful community of Cape Cod.



My Thoughts:


Leo Kemp is passionate about his work, to the point that his family life has suffered. He loves his daughter and still cares for his wife but he is devoted to his work and to his causes - his push for science to study the language and communication of seals, and his bone-deep belief that science, including his employer, are focused on the wrong things. He is in trouble over the latter with his employer when he gets washed overboard. At times it was hard to connect with Kemp or to understand him, Macmanus's portrayal of him was distant. Yet, that also underscored his distance from those in his life and their reactions to him.

The book is told from multiple third person perspectives - Leo's, his wife's, his friend Sandy,the omniscient narrator, and a few other people. The third person perspective allows MacManus to keep Leo distant so we don't get as connected but it also allows him to step outside of Leo's mind and see his life and the effects of his disappearance in a broader perspective.

I admit, when Kemp gets lost overboard, I expected things to go in a different direction, but I was not disappointed in how MacManus handled it. Kemp is still emotionally distant but his new life suits him very well. The ending of the book took me by surprise, I wasn't expecting it, and yet it made sense once I thought about it. It fit with the overall direction of the story.


One small niggle for me was MacManus's use of British terms and slang. Kemp and his wife are from Scotland so it makes sense that they would use those terms but it was jarring when the American characters used them. I had to stop and doublecheck whose perspective I was reading.

I had trouble at first with the book, I couldn't get interested, but by the time Kemp is swept overboard, on page 76, I was hooked and had to keep reading.

This hardcover was received from the publisher for review.

Plagiarism Update

During the past week, my online time has been devoted to removing reviews, checking reviews, and sending apologies. I am, I believe, nearly done with the latter. I've been relieved? gratified? I'm not sure of the right word, to the responses to my apologies. While some people have chosen not to reply, of the ones who have, all but one person accepted my apology. I had expected it to be the reverse, with most respondents (and I wasn't sure how many people would take time to reply) declining to accept. Even the person who declined to accept my apology was polite and respectful. It may be the politest, nicest refusal of any kind that I've ever received.

I've also been pleasantly surprised and gratified by the support I've received. Friends, strangers, bloggers, even authors have expressed their willingness to stand by me and even offer encouragement while also making it perfectly clear that they in no way condone what I did. Thank you to all of you. I appreciate it more than I can adequately express.

My actions were stupid, careless, and wrong. I am deeply sorry for the harm that I have done.

Review of The Girl Who Disappeared Twice by Andrea Kane

Publisher: Mira Books

Release Date: May 31, 2011

More Info: Amazon Book Depository

Book Blurb:

SHE COULDN'T STOP IT. NOT THEN. NOT NOW.

If she'd only turned her head, she would have seen the car containing her daughter, struggling to get out.

Struggling to escape her kidnapper.

Despite all her years determining the fates of families, veteran family court judge Hope Willis couldn't save her own. Now she's frantically grasping at any hope for Krissy's rescue. Her husband dead-set against it, she calls Casey Woods and her team of renegade investigators, Forensic Instincts.

A behaviorist. A techno-wizard. An intuitive. A former Navy SEAL. Unconventional operatives. All with unique talents and personal reasons for being part of Casey's group, they'll do whatever it takes.
Able to accurately read people after the briefest of encounters, Casey leads her crew to Krissy's home. There, she picks up the signs of a nervous spouse, a guilty conscience, a nanny that hides on her cell. She watches as secrets beg to creep into the open.

Forensic Instincts will dig through each tiny clue and eliminate the clutter. But time is running out, and even working around the clock, the authorities are bound by the legal system. Not so Casey's team. For they know that the difference between Krissy coming back alive and disappearing forever could be as small as a suspect's rapid breathing, or as deep as Hope's dark family history.

My Thoughts:


As I was reading this book I kept thinking it read like the first book in a new series - several info dumps concerning Forensic Instincts, an investigation and security company, and it's employees; lots of explanations for characters behaviors and actions; and in general, lts of time and attention laying out background and parameters. I couldn't find any information about this being the start of a series, perhaps that depends on how well this book does. However, at other times, it felt as if there I started in the middle of a series, particularly with the interactions of the various agencies and investigators.

Despite the attention paid to the employees of Forensic Instincts, it was the family who hired them who actually were detailed and brought to life. This isn't a quick, simple investigation or novel. The investigation into the missing girl is complex and layered; it quickly becomes apparent that the present day investigation is tied into an event from Hope's past. I figured out about 2/3 of the way through who took Krissy but was only partially right on the why.

There's a lot going on this book, and at times it got bogged down with details, particularly all of the abbreviations of various local, state, and federal agencies and their various procedures. Still, it was fascinating and was not easy to put down. If this become a series, I look forward to learning more about all of the various members of Forensic Instincts.

An ARC of this book was received  from the publisher for review.

Reviews and Plagiarism

This blog is temporarily on hiatus. Reviews that I have already committed to will still be published, unless the author or publisher requests otherwise.

I have been notified by a handful of people that some of my reviews contain plagiarized content. ETA: Disputed and problematic reviews as of 6:30Pm EST 6-1-11 have been pulled from here and from goodreads. If you feel that a review of mine is problematic please send me an email so that I can pull it. The email is Bea at beasbooknook AT gmail DOT com.

I am sincerely sorry for the plagiarism that occurred. It was inexcusable. I hope that some of you will be able to forgive me.

In view of some rude and abusive comments that the spam filter caught, I have temporarily disabled commenting. If you have sent me an email, and it wasn't rude or abusive, you will receive a reply, though it might take a while as I do have other responsibilities and obligations and I do not currently have working internet at home. I was offline for about 48 hours, for several reasons, and apparently some people construed that as my ignoring them. There was no intentional ignoring, I simply couldn't be in multiple places at one time.

I have begun emailing apologies to people whose reviews that I did plagiarize. I will email and email only my apologies to the people that I have wronged.

Again, I am sincerely sorry for the plagiarism that occurred. It was inexcusable.

I would like to add, that despite my deserved embarrassment and humiliation, I am in awe of how quick people were to respond and take action. Bravo to you all.


ETA: Update

Review of Spiky, Slimy, Smooth: What Is Texture? by Jane Brocket

Publisher: Millbrook Press

Release date: April 28, 2011

More info: Amazon, The Book Depository

Book Blurb:

Soft, gooey, fluffy, prickly--textures are all around us. What clever words will you use to describe the textures pictured in this book? Jane Brocket's appealing photography and simple, whimsical text give a fresh approach to a topic all young children learn about.

My Thoughts:

This book discusses the rich variety of textures all around us in a fun, colorful, and joyful way. It perfectly combines text and photographs, they balance and complement each other. We are shown the pictures accompanied by simple words describing what that specific texture feels like. Texture is a very tricky subject to talk about sometimes. Words like smooth, hard, and soft are easy to come up with but more descriptive words are not as easily thought of and of course, texture involves touch, not just words.

The book itself has a lack of textures. I wish that some of the pages would have incorporated textures to extend the discussion and allow children to connect the physical texture with the words. I did love the vocabulary that described the textures. There are two or more words for each texture, which is excellent for vocabulary building. Since it is very vocabulary rich and the pictures are so eye-catching, I think the book works for infants up to kindergarten.

The photography is amazing, very crisp and clear, with clear, contrasting colors. The pictures really pop and will capture the attention of the children. As mentioned, after every picture, we're given a description of how the item feels. I really loved that the author did that because not all children are exposed to the things in the book. Some children grow up never knowing what snow feels like, so I appreciated how descriptive the author is. For the most part, it was easy to see the textures. A few of the pictures don't do a very accurate job of showing the texture being described, such as the butterfly page and the watermelon page. However, the book as a whole does a remarkable job and has a good range of textures. The book uses a mix of everyday objects and more unusual objects. I liked that balance and think that most kids could find some object that they were familiar with. They were also close up but you could still identify what it was.

At the end of the book the author challenges the readers to discover the textures of things around them and to creatively come up with words to describe them. This is a great activity to do at home or at school and I think most kids will enjoy the challenge.

This eARC was received from the publisher via NetGalley.

NOTE: This is a revised version of the review that originally appeared.