“BOOK REVIEWS: 'Catching Fire' tackles suspense, romance, mystery - Wausau Daily Herald” plus 3 more |
- BOOK REVIEWS: 'Catching Fire' tackles suspense, romance, mystery - Wausau Daily Herald
- AUDIO-BOOK REVIEWS: Two Southern novels read by great actresses - Providence Journal
- Zombie Book Reviews Bring Humor and Entertainment to Reading - Transworld News
- Study identifies significant savings on venous leg ulcer dressings - EurekAlert
| BOOK REVIEWS: 'Catching Fire' tackles suspense, romance, mystery - Wausau Daily Herald Posted: 13 Oct 2009 01:56 AM PDT A girl who is forced to smile when everything is not all right, a choice between the boy who wants to fight back and the boy who wants to comply, and a country on the brink of rebellion. These are the issues of which "Catching Fire" is centered. Suzanne Collins' combination of suspense, romance and mystery elements make "Catching Fire" the book to read this fall. "Catching Fire" is the sequel to the very popular book, "The Hunger Games." The heroine of the books is Katniss, a teenage girl who lives in an America of the not-to-distant future. This futuristic America is run by a controlling, oppressive government, and instead of states there's one capital surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the government forces the residents of the districts to participate in the Hunger Games, a reality TV show competition where the contestants fight to the death. Now, Katniss has survived the games, but to do so she went against the government's wishes. She has to convince the people of the districts that what she did was an act of innocence, not an act of rebellion. Katniss is about to take off on her victory tour where she will be presented to every district and her performance is crucial. Can Katniss pull it off? And what happens when the tour ends? Will Katniss ever be able to stop the act and be herself again? I love these books. They are fast-paced, gripping and surprising. Katniss is an exciting heroine and narrator; I can't wait to hear more from her. "Catching Fire" is an excellent follow up to an outstanding beginning. Because both "Catching Fire" and "The Hunger Games" can be violent at times, they are most appropriate for ages 12 and older. All in all, "Catching Fire" is one book you won't want to miss. Note: At the library, we love these books so much we've planned events around them. Join us for our Teen Book Club at 6:30 p.m. today to discuss "Catching Fire" and for our Teen Read Week Party based on "The Hunger Games" from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 22. (Haven't read "The Hunger Games"? That's OK, stop by the party anyway!) Rachel Cornelius is a library assistant at Marathon County Public Library. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| AUDIO-BOOK REVIEWS: Two Southern novels read by great actresses - Providence Journal Posted: 12 Oct 2009 09:59 PM PDT You might think that this pair of novels about talented women — each set in the small-town South, and each performed by a distinguished stage actress — would be black-eyed peas in a pod. But though each has a lot to recommend it, they're far from identical. The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder, by Rebecca Wells, read by Judith Ivey. Unabridged, 14 hours. Harper Audio, $39.99. Wells zoomed to literary stardom with the best-selling 1996 novel Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, the middle volume in what would become a trio of books about a cast of vivid Louisiana characters. Now Wells returns to the Bayou State with a different fictional creation — Calla Lily Ponder, who grows up in the tiny river town of La Luna, the daughter of a mystical hairdresser who's also a dance instructor. Calla Lily's story meanders like the river, starting sluggishly but building in force as we get to know her through the years, from early-1960s childhood until the mid-1980s. La Luna is a tight-knit community, and Calla forms enduring friendships that carry her through love and triumph as well as disappointment and tragedy, on to a rewarding hairdressing career in New Orleans and back home. If the story is a tad short on plot, its ending a bit forced, it is still rich in the details of Calla's life, and in strong characters who feel like they have a life off the page. There's M'Dear, Calla's mother and proprietor of the Crowning Glory Beauty Porch, who teaches Calla to heal as well as style. Sukey and Renee, Calla's best friends in La Luna, one a party girl and the other a stalwart wife and mother. Nell, owner of the town roller-skating rink-cum-grocery store; Miss Elizabeth, the next-door neighbor who shows Calla kindness when she needs it most; Ricky and Steve, the gay couple she grows close to in New Orleans. And Tuck and Sweet, the very different men Calla loves at different times in her life. Reader Judith Ivey, winner of Tonys for Steaming in 1983 and Hurlyburly in 1985, is perhaps best known for her stint with TV's Designing Women, where she played B.J. Poteet in the show's final year. She brings all her decades of experience to bear on this story, offering a wide range of Southern voices and a wistful sincerity that bring the best from Wells' sometimes-purple prose. It's a winning combination. The Fixer Upper, by Mary Kay Andrews, read by Isabel Keating. Unabridged, 15 hours. Harper Audio, $39.99. The performance is even more crucial in this enjoyable romance, which Keating — Tony-nominated for 2003's The Boy From Oz — lifts to a higher plane with a perfect reading. It's the story of Dempsey Killibrew, a 28-year-old lawyer and Washington lobbyist who suddenly finds herself the innocent pawn at the center of a political scandal. Dempsey flees to little Guthrie, Ga., where her father's family owns a down-at-the-heels mansion whose last occupant, Great Uncle Norbert, recently died. The house is a rambling wreck in need of lots of restoration, and Dempsey has both the time and the inclination to make it over. But there's a major wrinkle: a cranky old woman named Ella Kate, a distant cousin who took care of Uncle Norbert in his final illness, is still living in the house and has no interest in leaving. Then there are Dempsey's difficult parents, a flaky jewelry-making mother and an overbearing father with a money-grubbing second wife. And, of course, a pair of handsome, charming men, extremely interested in a pretty new addition to Guthrie's social scene. Throw in some derring-do at the behest of the FBI to try getting the goods on Dempsey's former boss, and Andrews — best-selling author of such other Southern confections as Deep Dish, Savannah Blues and Little Bitty Lies — has a fun story that never gets too deep, but is always entertaining. Recipes are even included for three dishes mentioned in the story, something of a trademark for Andrews' books. But best of all is Keating's reading, making Ella Kate a Granny Clampett soundalike, Dempsey a modern young anywhere-American woman, and everyone else — from Dempsey's swains to the local handyman — a real individual, each just right for his or her age and background. Keating even captures the nasal Midwestern twang of a U.S. attorney who's only on for a bit part. It's a bravura performance that shows why listening to a book can be far better than reading it. Alan Rosenberg is The Journal's assistant managing editor for breaking news. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Zombie Book Reviews Bring Humor and Entertainment to Reading - Transworld News Posted: 12 Oct 2009 11:51 AM PDT The Zombie Today Show sees early success online New York, NY 10/12/2009 06:38 PM GMT (TransWorldNews)
It's a cross between the All My Children, The Daily Show and Shaun of the Dead and targeted to promote books. Book Trailer producer Circle of Seven Productions and author Heather Graham teamed up this summer to create an entire season of The Zombie Today Show a comedy that also promotes books.
Sheila Clover English, CEO of Circle of Seven Productions and Executive Producer at Reader's Entertainment TV where the show airs each Friday, won a Davey Award for her last web show The Lonesome Losers which had a couple of young men using romance novels to give out online love advice. "People want the most entertainment value for their time and effort," says English who in 2003 trademarked the term Book Trailer and went on to pioneer that market. English goes on to say, "This show is a great platform for engaging people, giving them the entertainment they desire and introducing them to some great 'Zombie Approved' books!"
The first episode received over 10,000 views within the first few days it was released. The Reader's Entertainment TV website traffic has doubled since the show first aired on October 2nd. Part of the advertising strategy includes having the 30 second commercial of the show play in a rotation prior to Evil Dead The Musical which plays all month in
The Reader's Entertainment site has offered book trailers, author interviews and original programming since it went live in 2006. It is a reader destination site and part of the Publisher's Weekly Book Life program. The Zombie Today Show has its own channel on the site where you can find the shows, zombie commercials, blogs and other entertainment. The Zombie Guide gives a synopsis of each show which boasts celebrity guests such as Elvis, Heather Graham and Michael Jackson among others.
New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham helped produce the show and has several books and guest appearances. Authors who have books reviewed include Lori Foster, F. Paul Wilson, Douglas Clegg, Alexandra Sokoloff and others.
There will be twelve episodes in total and accompanying blogs that help tell the back story of how zombies came to live in modern society. The first episode explains, "If they can be taxed, they can be citizens!" The shows include humorous commercial parodies including Crust Toothpaste, Diagra, DatingDead.com and AberZombie. "We hope people will have fun with it! That's what it's all about," says Sheila Clover English the show creator.
For additional information about The Zombie Today Show, Reader's Entertainment TV or Circle of Seven Productions contact:
info@cosproductions.com
info@cosproductions.com www.readersentertainment.tv
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| Study identifies significant savings on venous leg ulcer dressings - EurekAlert Posted: 13 Oct 2009 06:49 AM PDT ![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_txP8xmp8C3gQeNvc0Lt83mFCHtg9056GQa8Jqt5mXHkqvAUqcUegdyn1D4C27Ma3Z4cG4p8zp_yuoa0uYFGhzxnFIEaU1tdgiGsAa16d0=s0-d){kind=small} Public release date: 13-Oct-2009[ | E-mail |  Share ] Contact: Annette Whibley The UK National Health Service could save millions of pounds a year by routinely using inexpensive dressings to treat venous leg ulcers, after a study published in the October issue of BJS showed that they are just as effective as expensive silver dressings in the majority of cases. Researchers, led by Professor Jonathan Michaels from the Sheffield Vascular Institute and Professor Bruce Campbell from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, studied 213 leg ulcer patients who received either standard low-adhesive dressings or antimicrobial silver-donating dressings. There were no significant differences between the two groups when it came to healing rates and quality of life, but the silver dressings were significantly more expensive. Median healing time for the group treated with silver dressings was 67 days, with 59.6 per cent healing by 12 weeks, compared to 58 days and 56.7 per cent for the control group. By six months, 85 per cent of the silver dressing group and 77 per cent of the control group had a healed ulcer and by one year the figures were 96 per cent for both groups. But the average cost of treating a patient with silver dressings was 417.97, including staff time and materials, more than 30 per cent higher than the 320.12 for the control group. "Latest figures from the National Prescribing Centre suggest that wound dressings cost the NHS 100 million in 2006-7, excluding staff time, and that silver dressings accounted for a quarter of this cost" says Professor Michaels. "However, until now, no studies have been published examining the cost-effectiveness of using antimicrobial silver-donating dressings beneath compression therapy to treat venous leg ulcers." Venous leg ulcers are relatively common in older people and, as the population ages, the costs of caring for them increases. They occur when blood pressure in the veins of the lower leg causes fluid to ooze out of the veins beneath the skin. This causes swelling and thickening and the damaged skin may eventually break down to form an ulcer. Multilayer compression bandaging is now the standard treatment for venous leg ulcers, with dressings placed over the actual wound to promote healing. "A great variety of different dressings are used, but quality evidence for the benefits of specific dressings is sparse and systematic reviews have shown no statistically significant difference in the number of ulcers healed between any of the dressing types" says Professor Michaels. "The use of antimicrobial dressings has become widespread, particularly for venous ulcers, based on an anticipated advantage over simple dressings. As venous ulcers are common, and antimicrobial dressings are relatively expensive, their use has potentially large consequences for health services." The VULCAN study, funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme, was carried out over a two-and-a-half year period on patients who had had active ulceration of their lower leg for more than six weeks. Patients were recruited from South Yorkshire and Devon, mainly from primary care clinics specialising in leg ulcers. Patients with an average age of just under 71 were randomised to receive either silver or low-adhesive dressings by the trial research nurses. Products from a range of manufacturers were used, chosen by the clinician caring for the patient. The primary outcome measure was healing at 12 weeks, in line with national guidelines, and was defined as complete epithelialization of the ulcer with no scab. Secondary outcome measures were healing rates at six months and one year, health-related quality of life, costs and resources used and cost-effectiveness. "Our study clearly shows that there is no evidence to justify the use of the more expensive silver dressings in routine venous leg ulcer care, as they offer no real clinical advantage or improvement in quality of life, but are significantly more expensive" concludes Professor Michaels. Professor Charles McCollum, from the Academic Surgery Unit at the University Hospital of South Manchester agrees. In an editorial on the research, he points out that chronic venous leg ulcers affect more than three per cent of the elderly population in the UK. "They are difficult to heal and the annual cost to the National Health Service is estimated at 450 million, mostly for dressing materials and nursing time" he says. "There is no evidence that 'modern' dressing materials influence the healing process and expenditure on these products cannot be justified. "It is regrettable that, after three decades of research, there is still no evidence to justify using anything other than a simple, inexpensive low adhesive dressing under multilayer compression in the management of venous leg ulcers." Notes to editors Paper: Randomized controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis of silver-donating antimicrobial dressings for venous leg ulcers (VULCAN trial). Michaels J A, Campbell B, King B, Palfreyman S J, Shackley P and Stevenson M. BJS. 96, 1147-1156 (October 2009). DOI: 10.1002/bjs.6786 Editorial: Don't waste money when dressing leg ulcers. Sultan M J and McCollum C. BJS. 96, 1099-1100 (October 2009). DOI: 10.1002/bjs.6801 BJS is the premier peer-reviewed surgical journal in Europe and one of the top surgical periodicals in the world, with an impact factor of 4.921. Its international readership is reflected in its prestigious international Editorial Board, supported by a panel of over 1200 reviewers worldwide. BJS features the very best in clinical and laboratory-based research on all aspects of general surgery and related topics and has a tradition of publishing high quality papers in breast, upper GI, lower GI, vascular, endocrine and surgical sciences. Papers include leading articles, reviews and original research articles, correspondence and book reviews. www.bjs.co.uk Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or www.interscience.wiley.com [ | E-mail | Share ]
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