Torn by William A. Prin MD is a thought-provoking exploration of the complex and sensitive issues surrounding the pro-life and pro-choice debate. With a medical background that he regards with mixed feelings, Dr. Jack Conley provides a unique perspective that blends scientific insight with emotional depth, highlighting the stakes when the country’s fate hinges on these contentious discussions.
One of the book’s strongest attributes is its balanced approach. Prin doesn’t merely advocate for one side of the argument; he gives voice to both pro-life and pro-choice perspectives. This balanced view helps readers appreciate the nuances and deeply personal nature of the debate. The writing stands out for its clarity and accessibility, making complex medical and ethical concepts easier to grasp. Prin’s straightforward style ensures that even readers without a medical background can follow along and understand the key points. The book’s thorough exploration of its main arguments ensures that readers fully grasp the nuances of the pro-life and pro-choice debate. This detailed approach reinforces ideas and makes complex issues more accessible. Additionally, while the book strives for neutrality, it effectively sparks thoughtful reflection and discussion, encouraging readers to consider various perspectives based on their own viewpoints.
Torn is a valuable read for anyone seeking to understand the intricacies of the abortion debate and the interplay between health sector issues and politics. It encourages empathy and informed discussion, making it a significant contribution to this ongoing conversation. This book is a must-read for those looking for deeper insight into these critical issues.
Little Ships, by Sandra J. Scofield, offers a poignant exploration of grief, loss, and the delicate process of rediscovering joy in life. This novel is artfully composed, treating its characters with a tender yet determined touch that echoes Lynne Bryant’s The Mother Gene. Set in Oregon, the narrative centers on the Beckers and the Sunderssons, two families linked by the marriage of Nick Becker and Karin Sundersson. Nick, Karin, and their daughters, Juni and Tilde, form a close-knit unit. However, Karin’s sudden death uproots them to the Becker household—home to Nick’s parents, Eleanor and Walter, his sister Alison, and her daughter Fiona.
The story unfolds through their adjustments and accommodations, from reallocating space in the house to managing personal keepsakes like Karin’s jewelry and planning the girls’ weekends with their grandmother Helve. Eleanor, at 59, anticipates retirement but instead finds herself at the center of her family’s needs, embodying a quiet determination to nurture her granddaughters and support her son. Her efforts to reconcile with past resentments and cope with emerging family secrets add depth to her character and the family dynamics. Scofield’s narrative style combines clarity with evocative brevity, effectively painting vivid scenes and emotions without overwrought descriptions. The early chapters, laden with pathos, gradually transition to reveal the complex relationships within the family, offering insights into how everyday life can both challenge and heal those in mourning.
Little Ships stands out for its balanced portrayal of tragedy and the essential role of a supportive family network in fostering hope and resilience. This novel skillfully captures the myriad ways life’s everyday flow can both erode and soothe the sharp edges of grief.
Petunia the Perfectionist follows a young girl who is determined to achieve perfection in everything, usually forgetting to relax and just have fun. What was the inspiration for your story?
My oldest daughter, now 11, and I have something in common: we are both perfectionists. We strive to be “perfect” in all we do, even at the cost of relaxing and enjoying life more. This has been something I’ve been working on since I was in my 20s, but seeing it in my daughter really hit home: I knew I needed to work harder at letting go of the need to be perfect, so I could model the importance of making mistakes — and learning from our mistakes — for my child. Truly, the book was deeply inspired by her first grade teacher, Ms. Bruce. On their first day of school, Ms. Bruce told the kids that she loves when students make mistakes, because every time you make a mistake, your brain grows. This helped us change the negative narrative around mistake-making, and taught us that making mistakes means we’re trying and learning new things!
Children today are often overwhelmed with social media and seeing “perfection” online, leading to an unrealistic view of themselves. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
While Petunia doesn’t have social media in Petunia the Perfectionst, I agree that this is a huge problem in today’s culture (not just for children, but for adults too!). As I was developing Petunia’s character, I really wanted to portray her as the ultimate perfectionist — the child who is so afraid to make a mistake, that she’ll forgo having fun with her friends and family to read, color inside the lines, practice her guitar for hours, etc. She desperately wants to be perfect. This extreme personality trait was important to me so that when she actually does make a mistake — and realizes that something GOOD comes from it — it makes a bigger impact on readers.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
One major idea I wanted to convey in Petunia the Perfectionist is the importance of having a growth mindset and understanding that mistakes don’t mean we’re failures, but rather that they give us an opportunity to continue to learn and grow. I also wanted to convey the importance of self-compassion. In this book, Petunia lets her friends off the hook for making mistakes, but she won’t do the same for herself. Why? Why does she extend more grace and compassion to others, but holds herself to a higher standard? I want readers to understand the importance of SELF-love and compassion, and know that it’s OK to offer those things to ourselves, too.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
To be determined — but when I’m able to share it with you, I will!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Did you know that every time we make a mistake, our brains grow? Petunia does not like to make mistakes. In fact, she’ll do just about anything to avoid making one. So instead of enjoying her jam sessions on her guitar, Petunia practices ‘til her fingers ache. And rather than creating art with her crayons, she spends her time color-coding them instead. Petunia’s so busy trying to be perfect, there’s no time left in her life for being creative or having any fun! Though Petunia’s mom often reminds her that mistakes are important because they help us learn and grow, Petunia’s not convinced. That is until she makes a mistake that inspires everyone…even herself. Will Petunia finally understand that it’s okay to make mistakes, and begin to accept herself for who she is – imperfections and all? This book is PERFECT for perfectionists (children and grown-ups!) and belongs in classrooms, libraries, and every child’s bookshelf. Why readers will love Petunia the Perfectionist… Promotes Growth Mindset. Teaches children to view mistake-making as an opportunity for growth and life-long learning. Encourages Flexible Thinking. Helps children move from rigid, fixed beliefs about making mistakes to more flexible and positive ones; for instance, “People won’t accept/like/love me if I make a mistake,” to “Everyone makes mistakes, and I don’t think less of others when they do.” Boosts Self-Compassion. Illustrates the importance of offering ourselves the same respect, grace, and kindness we’d extend to others if they made a mistake or faced a challenge. Builds Resilience. Emphasizes the idea that we learn from our mistakes, which, in turn, helps build confidence and resilience, and gives us the courage to try again or even create something new from our error.
In its reexamination of entrenched narratives about the expropriation of Native land, Michael Witgen’s work is changing how Native people are situated in the arc of North American history.
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme
For the month of June, I read/listened to thirteen books. I am at 73/200 for Goodreads (which is ten books behind) and 51/150 Audiobooks and 6/12 for Library. Clayton has his first ball game which was fun to watch. Stay Caffeinated.
Last Week on the Blog
Cult Classic By Stephen Blackmoore (audiobook review)
To Slip The Bonds Of Earth By Amanda Flowers (audiobook review/ guest post)
Crossroads By Devney Perry (audiobook review)
#JIAM Mini-Audiobook Challenge Kick-Off (event)
This Week on the Blog
Shelterwood By Lisa Wingate (book review)
You Like It Darker: Stories By Stephen King (audiobook review)
Riddle of the Gods by Eric Schumacher (guest post/book review)
Barely Even Friends By Mae Bennett (book review)
New Arrivals at the Caffeinated Cafe
Learn more:
This Way to Murder by Shelley Shearer
A special thanks to Author Sherry Shearer
Around The Blogosphere
#JIAM Audiobook Challenge June 1st-through June 30th. Sign up!
Caffeinated PR
We’ve got a small-town romance open for a book tour. All social media accounts are welcome. ARCs are available now.
Open Events
Link Up Your Edition Of The Sunday Post
Before you link up: Please be sure your weekly post includes a link back to Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Post
Stay Caffeinated!
Never miss a post by adding Caffeinated to your Inbox
Fit for Service: Navigating the Crossroads of FitSM and ITSM for Seamless Implementation provides readers with an explanation of complex service management methodologies as well as case studies to give readers a better understanding of the information. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Writing Fit for Service was a significant undertaking for me because I wanted to demystify the complexities of service management methodologies. FitSM and ITSM are critical frameworks in the IT service management landscape, and yet they often seem inaccessible due to their complexity. By providing clear explanations and practical case studies, I aimed to make these methodologies more understandable and applicable for professionals in the field. I believe that by bridging this knowledge gap, I can help organizations implement these frameworks more seamlessly, leading to more efficient and effective service management.
The use of case studies to explain the methodologies you present is a great asset to this book. How did you go about collecting them, and what were the criteria you used to select the ones you did use?
The case studies in Fit for Service were collected through a combination of personal experiences, industry research, and collaboration with professionals who have successfully implemented FitSM and ITSM frameworks. The criteria for selecting these case studies were based on their relevance, the diversity of challenges they addressed, and the practical insights they offered. I wanted to include examples from various industries and organizational sizes to ensure that the book provided a broad perspective and was useful to a wide audience.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Several key ideas were important for me to convey in this book. Firstly, the importance of understanding the principles behind service management methodologies and not just the processes. Secondly, the value of adaptability and flexibility in implementing these frameworks in different organizational contexts. Lastly, I wanted to highlight the significance of continuous improvement and the role of feedback in refining service management practices. These ideas are crucial for anyone looking to implement FitSM and ITSM effectively.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Fit for Service?
If there is one key takeaway I hope readers get from Fit for Service, it is the understanding that implementing service management methodologies like FitSM and ITSM is not just about following a set of rules, but about fostering a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability. I want readers to feel empowered to tailor these frameworks to their unique organizational needs and to see them as tools for enhancing service quality and efficiency rather than as rigid prescriptions.
Fit for Service: Navigating the Crossroads of FitSM and ITSM for Seamless Implementation is an essential resource for IT professionals and organizational leaders aiming to elevate their service management practices. In this insightful book, readers are guided through the essential principles and practical implementation strategies of FitSM and ITSM methodologies, curated to optimize organizational efficiency and service quality.
Designed to be accessible and informative, the book targets a wide audience, offering valuable insights for IT managers, consultants, and decision-makers spearheading service management transformations. It thoroughly navigates critical areas such as framework selection, overcoming implementation challenges, and navigating organizational change, enriched with real-world case studies and expert insights.
Embark on a transformative journey with this guide, crafted to arm professionals with fundamental knowledge and tools for achieving service management excellence in our ever-evolving technological and business landscape.
The One Who’s Gonna See You Through follows a Black gay man who grows up in the Washington DC area with a nontraditional upbringing. Gregory’s story is so well written that it is like reading a memoir, not a work of fiction. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
Certainly, some aspects of my life inform characters and settings in the novel. For example, my father did stand trial for murder when I was a youngster and my parental situation in childhood was similar to GJ’s. However, many other aspects of the novel have been fictionalized.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
A Coming-of-Age story that explores early awareness of one’s sexuality.
An African-American father figure of a gay son who was not homophobic.
Dreams long unrealized can still be achieved if they are kept alive in one’s soul.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next novel is still in the ideas phase of conception so best to leave it there till it is realized as a manuscript.
GJ’s family is an anomaly. Samuel, his uneducated strongman father, respected for his brawn and violent aggression, acts as a conscientious, nurturing single parent, rearing his infant son in the 1950s when men were not their children’s primary caregivers. Despite his father’s typical Black masculinity, he intuitively understands his son’s emerging gay nature as innate. GJ’s mother, a child of Black middle-class privilege from the neighboring suburbs, is an absent parent, primarily engaged with living the rooming life, consisting of drink and abandon.
GJ’s young life progresses, and he is thrust forth into circumstances both familiar and violently surreal, from typical bullying to standing as the principal witness in a murder trial to defend his father. Colorful characters like wild Uncle NapPo, the seemingly unflappable Miss Carrie, and his father’s employer, the curious Mr. Blu, inform him of life’s complexity.
The wide-eyed boy grows into his teens and twenties and is altogether victimized, loved, and enlightened, leading him to experience the full range of gay life. GJ learns the culture and codes of Washington’s insular Black gay bar scene as the teen partner of a man in his thirties. As GJ starts to relish his gay existence, becoming more confident with his gay identity and his family’s unconventionality, he continues to question himself, fighting self-doubt and consternation about fitting into Black respectability norms or the mainstream world. GJ’s adult existence and early professional life extend into the integrated world of Dupont Circle gay bars and Georgetown professional offices, where he finds the love of his life and soulmate.
The One Who’s Gonna See You Through is a work that bridges the commercial/literary divide. The gay interracial theme here is seldom explored, and the absent mother/loving father configuration brings a different lens to this work. The approach to the story in The One Who’s Gonna See You Through sets the more familiar trope of the angry, Black, homophobic father aside and abandons the more well-trodden storyline of steadfast single Black motherhood. By story’s end, GJ recognizes that his father’s early and invaluable acceptance of difference laid the foundations for the happiness and realization he has experienced as a gay man throughout life. He resolves within himself that he must finally accept his legitimacy as both a Black man and an upper-middle-class one.
Humans’ Enhancements follows an artificially enhanced soldier who is reprogrammed by his father to serve the resistance. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I am a professional engineer who spent over thirty years in the military as an engineering officer. I also served over a year in combat. I have seen the best and the worst in men.
As a child, I was a fan of Star Trek and Star Wars; admittedly, I still am. However, I have been a strange puppy regarding education since I earned my first degree in philosophy and psychology, which made me question everything. My engineering was a result of joining the military and becoming an engineering officer and then going back to school and obtaining an engineering degree.
In addition, I enjoyed reading and was inspired by 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell.
The science inserted in the fiction, I felt, was well-balanced. How did you manage to keep it grounded while still providing the fantastic edge science fiction stories usually provide?
I tried to keep the reader in mind and strive to avoid being an ENGINERD, TECHNO-GEEK, or a MILITARY SHARPSHOOTER.
I do not expect the reader to have my passion for engineering, technology, and the military. However, I understand that people will marvel at their results.
On a personal note, I thank the Good Lord that I was blessed with two careers I love: a soldier and a civil engineer.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I was striving to explore the theme of avoiding giving up your humanity and freedom for a promise of security and stability. In addition, the STATE is capable of becoming tyrannical, and we need to ensure that our humanity is not sacrificed for AI enhancements or governmental/corporate efficiency.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
Book two has been recently published. This book is called ANOTHER WORLD. I plan to write a third book to complete the trilogy.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Humans’ Enhancements is an ominous futuristic story of an artificially enhanced soldier named Solon. This stoic-enhanced warrior is thrust into a dystopian world that is clearly dominated by the globalist elites. The globalist elites have instituted a self-serving utopia at the dreadful sacrifice of humanity for the TYRANICAL STATE. Solon’s enhancer, his father, prepares Solon by downloading skills and knowledge into Solon’s head, as well as enhancing his body. Solon’s devoted parents are part of the resistance, and they have placed their ultimate faith in their son.
In The Stanton Falls Mysteries, by Susan Reed-Flores, readers are treated to three captivating short stories: “Murder at the Museum,” “Murder at the Marina,” and “Murder at the Lakehouse.” Set in the picturesque town of Stanton Falls, Connecticut, these tales revolve around two dedicated local police detectives who find themselves at the heart of intriguing murder investigations. Each story is approximately 40 pages long, making them perfect for a quick and satisfying read.
In “Murder at the Museum,” Detective Dan Ross takes center stage as he investigates the murder of Jack Crawford, an employee at the town’s art museum. The list of suspects includes the museum board members and Crawford’s former lover and executive assistant, Charlotte Wayward. The second story, “Murder at the Marina,” shifts the focus to Detective Ross’ partner, Detective Anthony Scalari. Here, Scalari delves into the mysterious death of Joseph Camden, an Assistant VP at an insurance company. This installment also enriches the narrative with callbacks and further character development for Detective Ross and Charlotte. The third story, “Murder at the Lakehouse,” masterfully intertwines elements from the first two tales. Both detectives join forces to unravel the murder of an unidentified man near Detective Ross’ lake house, bringing together threads from their previous cases.
Susan Reed-Flores employs a formal writing style that, despite the grim subject matter, maintains a wholesome tone throughout the book. The detectives are portrayed not only as skilled professionals but also as individuals with supportive personal lives, adding depth to their characters. The seamless blending of the stories creates a cohesive and engaging reading experience. These stories are an excellent recommendation for fans of classic “whodunit” mysteries, those who prefer their crime stories on the lighter side, and anyone seeking a quick and enjoyable read.
The Stanton Falls Mysteries provides a delightful escape into a world of intrigue and well-drawn characters, leaving readers eager to see if personal conflicts might arise for Detectives Ross and Scalari in future installments.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
In its reexamination of entrenched narratives about the expropriation of Native land, Michael Witgen’s work is changing how Native people are situated in the arc of North American history.
In the investigative journalist Elena Kostyuchenko’s new book about Russia, resistance is carried out through small, discreet acts.
