"Vanishing Girls"
by Lisa Regan 

When beautiful Isabelle Coleman goes missing, everyone in town joins the search. They find no trace of the town's darling, but detective Josie Quinn finds another girl they didn't even know was missing. Mute and unresponsive, it's clear this mysterious girl has been damaged beyond repair. All Josie can get from her is the name of a third girl and a flash of a neon tongue piercing that matches Isabelle's.

The race is on to find Isabelle alive, and Josie fears there may be other girls in terrible danger. Someone in this close-knit town is committing unspeakable crimes. Can Josie catch the killer before another victim loses his or her life? Purchase at https://amzn.to/318BuUk. 

"The Laureate: Mystery in Renaissance Italy"
by Ken Tentarelli 

Called "page-turning and suspenseful," Nico Argenti returns from the university with a law degree. He is eager to begin his career, but instead finds his city of Florence engulfed in turmoil. Power-hungry aristocrats are using the death of Cosimo de Medici as the perfect opportunity to seize control of the Republic.

The Florentine Chancellor recruits Nico to help defeat the conspirators before they can destabilize the government. Nico learns that the conspirators have hired an assassin to eliminate the opposition. He must thwart the plot before the assassin is turned against him. The intrigue is balanced by the warmth of Nico's friends and family. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2Q4XSYd. 

"Silver Wings, Iron Cross"
by Tom Young 

A tense, authentic, and emotionally powerful saga of two enemy combatants - an American pilot and German U-boat officer - united by fate in an epic fight for survival.

Near the end of WWII, when Karl's plane is shot down behind enemy lines, he's forced to make the hardest decision of his life: trusting the enemy. When Wilhelm's U-boat is attacked in an air raid, he abandons ship and finds an unlikely ally: the pilot who bombed him.

They must lie for the other, fight for the other, or die with the other. But their alliance won't be put to the test until they reach the end of the line. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2YcrV4K. 

"Love"
by Casey Rislov 

Love is Casey Rislov's sixth children's book. The award-winning author was inspired to create a board book for babies and toddlers as a way to give them words and pictures to understand the feeling of love.

Love is inspired by the much-loved and well-known passage from the Bible (1 Corinthians 13:4-8): "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." Purchase at https://amzn.to/31aoVYF.

NOTE: BookBites is a continuing series bringing readers information and ideas for their next read. For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

In 1661 Madrid, Ana's young niece Juliana suddenly vanishes. Ana searches the girl's room and finds a diary. After a futile search in Spain, she comes to Juliana's final entries, and, discovering the horrifying reason for the girl's flight, abandons her search.

In 1992 Missouri, in her deceased mother's home, Rachel finds a diary by a woman named Juliana. Rachel recognizes the names Ana and Juliana: her mother uttered them on her deathbed. As she learns the truth about Juliana's tragic family history, Rachel seeks to understand her connection to the writings - hoping that in finding those answers, she will heal the wounds caused by her mother's lifelong reticence. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2Rajwv8. 

"The Best Part of Us"
by Sally Cole-Misch

Beth cherished her childhood family summers on a pristine northern Canadian lake. Theirs was an unshakeable bond with nature, family, and friends. But that bond was torn apart, first as rights to their island were questioned and then by nature itself, and the family was forced to leave.

Fourteen years later, Beth has created a new life in urban Chicago. There, she's erected a barrier between the past and present, no matter how much it costs - until her grandfather asks her to return to the island to determine its fate. Will she choose to preserve whom she has become, or risk everything to discover if what was lost still remains? Purchase at https://amzn.to/2wTaSuh. 

"A Wife in Bangkok"
by Iris Mitlin Lav

Crystal's husband, Brian, is being sent to manage his company's Bangkok office and he expects her and their children to come along. She reluctantly acquiesces. She doesn't want to leave everything familiar in their small Oklahoma town; it's 1975, however, and Crystal, a woman with traditional values, feels she has to be a good wife.

Crystal finds beauty in Thailand, but also isolation and betrayal. Fighting intense loneliness and buffeted by a series of shocking events, she struggles to adapt to a different culture and battle a severe depression and, ultimately, decide whether her broken relationship with her husband is worth saving. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2XFh9mE. 

"A Place Called Zamora"
by LB Gschwandtner

Niko and El are trapped in a politically corrupt dystopian city where brutality rules. After winning a cynical race where only one rider can survive, Niko tosses aside his chance to join the city's corrupt inner circle by choosing lovely El as his prize - thus upsetting the ruling order and placing them both in danger.

With the Regime hunting them and the children of the city fomenting a guerrilla revolt, they attempt a daring escape to the possibly mythical utopia of Zamora. But as events unfold, the stirrings of love El once felt for Niko begin to morph into mistrust. If they reach Zamora, will Niko ever claim his secret birthright? And what will the future hold if he loses El? Purchase at https://amzn.to/2Aovg7z. 

NOTE: BookBites is a continuing series, bringing readers information and ideas for their next read. For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Even during the COVID-19 era, falls remain the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older adults. Falls can significantly impact an older adult's quality of life. A fall can cause older persons to become socially isolated or fearful of leaving home and can lead to costly medical expenses.

One important first step toward staying safe is learning what aspects of your life can put you at greater risk of falling. The National Council on Aging (NCOA), a trusted national leader working to ensure that every person can age well, has created a free online survey to help you identify your falls risks - and offers practical steps to address them.

It's called the Falls Free CheckUp, and it's being launched as part of NCOA's annual Falls Prevention Awareness Week, Sept. 21-25.

"We want older adults to be their own agents of change in ensuring they age well," says Kathleen Cameron, senior director of NCOA's Center for Healthy Aging. "The Falls Free CheckUp provides an easy-to-use and confidential screen of falls risks as a first step in preventing falls. NCOA also offers practical and proven ways to address those risks."

The Falls Free CheckUp is available in both English and Spanish. It features 12 statements about reasons that are known to increase falls risk. Older adults answer yes or no to each statement and then see an explanation of why that reason matters. For example, "Sometimes I feel unsteady when I am walking," is followed by the statement: "Unsteadiness or needing support while walking are signs of poor balance."

After completing the self-directed survey, older adults receive a personalized risk score, along with practical steps they can take to prevent falls. They can share this information with their caregivers and health care providers to discuss how to reduce their falls risk and take action.

Next steps could include better use of a cane or walker, adjusting medications, getting a hearing or eye checkup, or adding strength and balance exercises with a doctor's approval.

In addition to launching the Falls Free CheckUp, NCOA will be hosting free English (Sept. 23 at 6:30 pm EST) and Spanish (Sept. 24 at 6:30 pm EST) Facebook Live events during Fall Prevention Awareness Week to highlight this important health topic.

For more information, visit www.ncoa.org/FallsWeek.

The Botanic Garden collection from Portmeirion brings vibrant color and traditional British charm to any table. The collection, designed by Susan Williams-Ellis in 1972, is based on early-19th-century floral illustrations. The realistic flowers are accented with butterflies and dragonflies and bordered with the iconic triple leaf design.

The Botanic Garden Collection allows you to create your own garden table with more than 23 floral motifs highlighted in the 30-piece dinnerware set. The set offers service for six, and includes six of each dinner plate, side plate, cereal bowl, pasta bowl, and tankard mug. Each piece has multiple uses; the side plate is ideal for appetizers, snacks, or desserts, and the cereal bowls work for ice cream or salad. The pasta bowl is perfect not only for pasta, but for soup or salad as well.

Each piece is made with care and attention, passing through 22 hands in the Portmeirion factory in Stoke-on-Trent, England, which is considered the birthplace of English pottery.

The Botanic Garden tableware is designed for everyday living. The items are dishwasher, microwave, freezer, and oven safe to provide maximum flexibility in meal preparation, cooking, and cleanup.

Here are a few tips to get the most from your tableware:

* Tableware items such as plates, bowls, and mugs can be placed in a warm oven (225 degrees Fahrenheit or lower), but should not be used for cooking.

* Cookware items including roasters, casseroles, and ramekins are designed to be used for cooking up to temperatures of 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

* When microwaving, "remember that ceramics will pick up some of the heat created in the microwave, so use care in holding handles or picking up plates," according to the company's website.

* Cleaning is easy in the dishwasher; the company recommends liquid detergents instead of the powdered variety to help preserve the design and color.

For more information about the Botanic Garden collection, visit Buybotanicgarden.com

To raise awareness and promote the value of financial planning for everyone, the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) is hosting the fourth annual World Financial Planning Day on October 7.

The FPSB Network represents nearly 190,000 certified financial planning professionals across 27 territories worldwide, and the World Financial Planning Day activities include a range of programs and events to educate consumers about improving their financial status and developing a plan to stay on track.

"As we continue to deal with a global pandemic, more people are feeling life and financial stress, looking to an uncertain future while dealing with a volatile present," according to Noel Maye, CEO of FPSB.

"Recognizing that the pandemic requires near-term adjustments which might overshadow long-term plans, our global campaign theme - Live Your Today. Plan Your Tomorrow - demonstrates how financial planning can help us make financial decisions that keep us on track for the future we envision," he emphasizes.

A key goal of World Financial Planning Day is to improve financial literacy across all populations, according to the FPSB.

Data from S&P Global suggest that only about one third of adults worldwide are financially literate, particularly women and young adults. Programs and events include topics for a range of life stages such as strategies for saving, debt management, home ownership, and retirement planning.

World Financial Planning Day also includes a video contest to encourage consumers to explore financial planning. To enter, participants submit a video of 30 seconds or less on the World Financial Planning Day website, worldfpday.org, with an answer to the question, "How could meeting with a CFP® professional help you plan your tomorrow?" Five entrants will win a session with a local CFP, plus $1,000 to be used to pay off debt, save for education, prepare for retirement, or put towards other financial goals. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older, and reside in an FPSB affiliate territory.

In addition, World Financial Planning Day includes a live global event for financial professionals on the topic of The Future of Financial Planning in the New Normal.

Visit worldfpday.org for more information and resources, and to find a certified financial planner near you.

You can participate in World Financial Planning Day on social media using by using the hashtag #WFPD2020 on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

A dying wish. A secret world. Can this grieving investigator stay on the right track? PI Kelly Pruett is determined to make it on her own. It's a good sign when a letter left by her late father at his detective agency ties into an unsolved case of a young woman struck by a train.

Hunting down the person who can prove the mysterious death was not just a drunken accident. Kelly discovers this witness is in no condition to talk. And the closer she gets to the truth, the longer her list of sleazy suspects with murderous motives grows.

Can Kelly pinpoint the murderer? Purchase at https://amzn.to/30gAIE1. 

"Boats Against the Current"
by Richard Webb 

The Great Gatsby may be one of America's essential novels. Boats Against the Current is essential for anyone who has read the book and wondered at the fantastical world whose story it tells. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald honeymooned for five months in the summer of 1920 in a modest house in Westport, CT, living a wild life of drinking, driving and endless partying after being kicked out of New York's finest hotels.

Boats Against the Current tells the real story behind the famous novel and its tragic hero, and debunks many long-held beliefs. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2D70Fxd.

"The Vessels"
by Anna Elias 

What if you could help those who've passed on to get a second chance - but at the risk of your own life? Four broken strangers volunteer to become the first humans to join the international Vessels program. Their bodies will host the Spirits who seek to right past wrongs.

Disguised inside a homeless shelter, the program is facilitated by a retired Army officer, former ER doctor, and tech-savvy teen who tracks the Spirits merged with their Vessels through an ancient ritual. The Vessels have seven days to succeed. But when the vengeful spirit of a serial killer enters one of them, they learn not all Spirits are here for redemption. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3hY2hrI. 

"Between These Walls"
by Michael Newman 

In the dying days of WW II, U.S. Army Medical Corps Colonel Samuel Singer comes upon the shot-up wreck of an SS Staff car, with a badly injured driver, nearby a dead German Army officer carrying the ID of a Nazi war criminal, and a young blonde woman, also dead in the back seat.

Forty years later, Daniel Singer, adopted son of Colonel Singer, receives a mysterious package from West Berlin. Daniel's quest to learn about its contents leads him on a voyage of discovery about his own roots. He unlocks the secrets of three families through tumultuous times and will be faced with a life-altering choice and the opportunity to right the most heinous of wrongs. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2DenoYt. 

NOTE: For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com.

"Ballast Point Breakdown"
by Corey Lynn Fayman 

A speedboat hurtles across San Diego Bay and crashes into the Admiral's Club, where a farewell party for the Navy's top-secret Dolphin Divers program is underway. As guests flee the ensuing fire, a woman named Janis Withers crawls from the inferno and screams her last words - "Arion has returned!"

Eccentric guitar-playing private detective Rolly Waters is pulled into the case when he connects Janis to a pair of dog tags left behind by Butch Fleetwood, a member of the Dolphin Divers who disappeared 20 years earlier. As Rolly races against the authorities to uncover Arion's true identity, his investigation begins to reverberate with his own painful history. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2EzNW6x. 

"Jersig"
by J.B. Whitehouse 

Quentin Dettweiler is a young man living a sordid, robotic life. Directionless and achingly comfortable in a complacency beckoning him to dive in, Q is on the edge when he encounters a man unlike any other: Jersig.

Jersig is a man with airs about him who seems to hold the key to the secrets of life. A wealthy, "self-made" Californian who prides himself on being able to spot talent hidden below the surface, Jersig sees something in Q that piques his interest. As a friendship is forged, Q actualizes what he believed always to be true: he possesses greatness inside him. Perhaps Jersig holds the key to the secrets of life ... or perhaps potentially dangerous ones. Buy at https://amzn.to/30htIHb. 

"The Edge of Belonging"
by Amanda Cox 

"A beautiful story about broken people coming together to find healing." When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she discovers her grandmother left behind more than trinkets - she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy's adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece is missing.

Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection. His desire to care for the baby is complicated by the fact that he is homeless. In this dual-time story, the truth takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2CZ2IDE. 

"Life is Big"
by Kiki Denis 

"This innovative and witty novel will delight logophiles and puzzle-solvers," says Publishers Weekly. Alma-Jane, a happy 11-year-old girl, is about to die due to a rare mutation. Ayrton, Alma-Jane's older brother and a math prodigy, declares war against Death, and leaves New York for Oxford, UK, to examine Albert Einstein's brain.

Meanwhile, Death and his brother, O.M. (Obituary Man), are in need of a short vacation. At the heart of all this, a motley crew of "Minor & Major Immortals" mingle. What connects them is the belief that "wise-thinking" leads to a longer and happier future, and that it's the only way to guarantee a "Life bigger than Death." Purchase at https://amzn.to/3hUigqZ.

NOTE: For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

These liver diseases may become life-threatening without any noticeable symptoms, which is why screening is vital. For people who are at high risk, such as those living with obesity, pre-diabetes, or type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor about your liver health and get screened as early as possible. In the past, the best way to diagnose liver disease was by performing a liver biopsy, a procedure where a small piece of the liver is removed using a long needle and then analyzed in a lab. Liver biopsies can be painful, risky, expensive, and unreliable. Complications can include bleeding, infection, accidental injury to a nearby organ, and even death. A typical liver biopsy can cost more than $7,000. Additionally, a biopsy relies on using a tiny fraction of the liver, which means more than 30 percent of liver biopsy diagnoses may be wrong.

Fortunately, there are now alternatives to biopsy. It is important for all healthcare providers and patients to understand that liver biopsy is not the only diagnostic option available. Some examples of non-invasive diagnostics include blood tests, ultrasound, and various different scans. Non-invasive diagnostics lead to fewer patient visits, quicker diagnosis, and are more cost-effective without the risks of surgery. Imaging tests can provide you and your doctor with a full picture of the liver, rather than just a small sample. If your doctor recommends a biopsy to screen for early liver disease, ask for non-invasive alternatives such as blood tests and imaging.

For more information about liver health and non-invasive screening for liver disease, visit www.globalliver.org/beyond.

Incluso durante la era del COVID-19, las caídas siguen siendo la principal causa de lesiones fatales y no fatales para los adultos mayores. Las caídas pueden tener un impacto significativo en la calidad de vida de un adulto mayor. Una caída puede provocar que una persona mayor se aísle socialmente o que tenga miedo de salir de casa, y puede ocasionar altos gastos médicos.

Un primer paso importante para mantenerse seguro es aprender qué aspectos de su vida pueden ponerle en mayor riesgo de caerse. Consejo Nacional para Adultos Mayores (NCOA), un líder nacional de confianza que trabaja para garantizar que todas las personas puedan envejecer sin problemas, ha creado una encuesta gratuita en línea para ayudarle a identificar su riesgo de caerse y ofrece medidas prácticas para subsanarlo.

Se llama Chequeo Contra Caídas, y se lanzará como parte de la Semana de Concienciación para la Prevención de Caídas de la NCOA, del 21 al 25 de septiembre.

"Queremos que los adultos mayores sean sus propios agentes de cambio para asegurarse de envejecer bien", dice Kathleen Cameron, directora del Centro para el Envejecimiento Saludable de la NCOA. "El Chequeo Contra Caídas proporciona una revisión confidencial y fácil de usar sobre los riesgos de caídas como un primer paso para prevenirlas". NCOA también ofrece formas prácticas y comprobadas de abordar dichos riesgos".

El Chequeo Contra Caídas está disponible en inglés y en español. Presenta 12 preguntas sobre razones conocidas que aumentan el riesgo de caídas. Los adultos mayores responden sí o no a cada pregunta, y luego ven una explicación de por qué esa razón es importante. Por ejemplo, "A veces me siento inestable cuando estoy caminando", es seguido por: "La inestabilidad o la necesidad de apoyo al caminar son signos de un mal equilibrio".

Después de terminar la encuesta autodirigida, los adultos mayores reciben una puntuación de riesgo personalizada, junto con medidas prácticas que pueden tomar para evitar caídas. Pueden compartir esta información con sus cuidadores y proveedores de atención médica para discutir cómo reducir el riesgo de caídas y tomar medidas al respecto.

Algunos de los pasos siguientes podrían ser el mejor uso de un bastón o andadera, ajustar los medicamentos, hacerse un chequeo de la audición o de la vista, o añadir ejercicios de fortalecimiento y equilibrio con la aprobación de un médico.

Además de lanzar el Chequeo Contra Caídas, NCOA organizará eventos gratuitos en Facebook, en inglés (23 de septiembre a las 6:30 p.m. EST) y en español (24 de septiembre a las 6:30 p.m. EST) durante la Semana de la Concienciación sobre la Prevención de Caídas para destacar este importante tema de salud.

Para obtener más información, visit www.ncoa.org/ContraCaidas.

"I was not happy when I read that Nigeria will have the highest contribution to the global burden of sickle cell disease by 2050 - if we continue at the present birth rate and the level of inactivity in newborn screening," says hematologist Obiageli Nnodu, M.D., the lead researcher in Nigeria for the Sickle Pan African Research Consortium (SPARCo), funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. "As a country, we can do better than that. After all, this is a disease where children die undiagnosed, and largely from preventable causes such as bacterial infections."

Sickle cell disease affects 20 million people worldwide, including at least 100,000 in the United States, mainly African Americans, but Hispanics and Asian-Americans, too. To help address the problem on a global scale, the NHLBI has been supporting programs in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 75 percent of the sickle cell disease births worldwide occur. SPARCo, with a hub in Tanzania, and additional sites in Nigeria and Ghana, works to develop an infrastructure for sickle cell disease research, health care, education, and training to take place in Africa.

"We are showing that with effective partnerships, significant advances in health and biomedical science can be achieved," says Tanzania-based Julie Makani, M.D., Ph.D., who leads the SPARCo consortium. SPARCo, in collaboration with the Sickle Africa Data Coordinating Center, led by Ambroise Wonkam, M.D., in South Africa, created Sickle In Africa, which has a growing electronic registry of more than 10,000 individuals with sickle cell disease.

"The genetic diversity of Africa's population allows scientific research that will increase our understanding of how a disease caused by a single gene can manifest in such different ways," Makani explains.

Newborn screening, as Nnodu notes, is the first step to reduce mortality and suffering for these children, and for that, they need good tests readily available at the point of care. That's why NHLBI supports research towards development of diagnostics, such as a new rapid result test that is relatively inexpensive, accurate, and can provide a timely diagnosis of sickle cell disease. The test does not require sophisticated laboratory equipment, electricity, refrigeration, or highly trained personnel - a critical advantage for countries with few resources.

On the treatment front, a large multinational NHLBI-funded clinical trial found that a daily hydroxyurea pill was safe and effective for young children living with sickle cell disease in sub-Saharan Africa. The NHLBI also has its sights on developing genetic therapies for the disease, as part of a newly announced NIH collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal of the partnership, which also addresses HIV, is to advance possible gene-based cures to clinical trials in the United States and relevant countries in sub-Saharan Africa within the next seven to 10 years.

"A person's health should not be limited by their geographic location, whether it's in rural America or sub-Saharan Africa," says Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., director of the NHLBI. "Harnessing the power of science is needed to transcend borders if we want to improve health for all."