Svetlana's Reads and Views

General Information: Name of Book: Tree of Souls ISBN: 9780195086799 Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Year it was published: 2004 Overall theme: "With only one God, heaven would be a barren place, at least in mythic terms. Yet the actual Jewish view of heaven is quite different. There are seven heavens, filled with angels and other divine beings, such as the Messiah [Not jesus!], who is said to have a palace of his own in the highest heaven. The clestial Temple can be found there- the mirror image of the Temple in the earthly Jerusalem- as well as an abundance of heavenly palaces, one for each of the patriarchs and matriarchs and sages, where he or she teaches Torah to the attentive souls of the righteous and the angels..." (xliii) "Drawing on the full range of Jewish sources, sacred and nonsacred, ten major categories of Jewish mythology can be identified: Myths of God, Myths of Creation...Each of these categories explores a mythic realm, and, in...

General Information: Name of Book: The Greek Myths Vol I ISBN: 0-14-020508-X Publisher: Pelican book Year it was published: 1955 Overall theme: "My method has been to assemble in harmonious narrative all the scattered elements of each myth, supported by little-known variants which may help to determine the meaning, and to answer all questions that arise, as best I can, in anthropological or historical terms. " (22) 73. Perseus  Issue: Abas is grandson of Danaus. Married Aglaia who had twin sons named Proetus and Acrisius. The brothers hated each other, had a war, no clear advantage, kingdom was divided between them. Acrisius wanted sons, but was told no more sons, only a grandson that would kill him. He imprisoned the daughter, but Zeus found her and made her pregnant. Acrisus didn't believe Zeus was father, threw Danae and Perseus to sea. A fisherman found them and they began to live with Polydectes. Perseus agreed to contribute Gorgon Medusa's he...

Name of Book: Joheved Author: Maggie Anton ISBN: 9780976305057 Publisher: Banot Press Part of a Series: Rashi's Daughters Trilogy Type of book: 1069-1077, wine, France, Talmud, debates, life, education of women, gender bending activities, Judaism, Jewish vs christian life, survival Year it was published: 2005 Summary: The first two novels in a dramatic trilogy set in eleventh-century France about the lives and loves of three daughters of the great Talmud scholar In 1068, the scholar Salomon ben Isaac returns home to Troyes, France, to take over the family winemaking business and embark on a path that will indelibly influence the Jewish world-writing the first Talmud commentary, and secretly teaching Talmud to his daughters. Joheved, the eldest of his three girls, finds her mind and spirit awakened by religious study, but, knowing the risk, she must keep her passion for learning and prayer hidden. When she becomes betrothed to Meir ben Samuel, she is forced to cho...

General Information : Name of Book: Mythology ISBN: 9780316341516 Publisher: First Black Bay Year it was published: 1942 Overall theme: "The Greeks did not believe that the gods created the universe. It was the other way about: the universe created the gods. Before there were gods heaven and earth had been formed. They were the first parents. The Titans were their children, and the gods were their grandchildren." (24) Part Seven: The Mythology of the Norsemen 22. The Stories of Signy and of Sigurd Observations:Signy is daughter of Volsung and sister of Sigmund. Father and other children had died. Signy married the man who killed the family, bore him children, had sex with Sigmund and gave birth to Sinfiotli; Sinfiotli and Sigmund killed Signy's other children and husband and she then killed herself. Another story, Brunhild disobeys Odin, he puts her to sleep, Sigurd, Sigmund's son, rescues her, but then forgets about her due to a potion and marr...

Name of Book: Rootless Author: Chris Howard ISBN: 978-0-545-38789-7 Publisher: Scholastic Part of a Series: Rootless series perhaps? (This is book 1 it says at the end.) Type of book: Science fiction, post apocalypse, lack of trees, genetic modification, big corporation, journey, coming of age, forests Year it was published: 2012 Summary: 17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using scrap metal and salvaged junk, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan's never seen a real tree—they were destroyed more than a century ago—his father used to tell him stories about the Old World. But that was before his father was taken . . . Everything changes when Banyan meets a woman with a strange tattoo—a clue to the whereabouts of the last living trees on earth, and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return. Those who make it past the pirates and poachers can't escape the locusts—the locusts that now...

Title of the book:  Anxious in love; how to manage your anxiety, reduce conflict & reconnect with your partner Author: Carolyn Daitch & Lissah Lorberbaum Publisher:   New Harbinger Publications Publishing Date:  2012 ISBN:  978-1-60882-231-7 Summary: Healthy relationships require trust, intimacy, effective communication, and understanding. However, if you suffer from chronic anxiety you may have trouble dealing with everyday conflicts and tensions that can arise in relationships. No matter how committed you are, anxiety can leave you feeling distanced from your partner. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to overcome the anxiety-fueled reactions that keep you from achieving true closeness in your relationship. Written by two experts on anxiety disorders, Anxious in Love offers easy-to-use techniques for calming anxieties and strengthening communication in your relationship. With this book, you will learn to stay centered when faced with ...

Books to be Reviewed: 1. Joheved by Maggie Anton The first two novels in a dramatic trilogy set in eleventh-century France about the lives and loves of three daughters of the great Talmud scholar In 1068, the scholar Salomon ben Isaac returns home to Troyes, France, to take over the family winemaking business and embark on a path that will indelibly influence the Jewish world-writing the first Talmud commentary, and secretly teaching Talmud to his daughters. Joheved, the eldest of his three girls, finds her mind and spirit awakened by religious study, but, knowing the risk, she must keep her passion for learning and prayer hidden. When she becomes betrothed to Meir ben Samuel, she is forced to choose between marital happiness and being true to her love of the Talmud. Rich in period detail and drama, Joheved is a must read for fans of Tracy Chevalier's Girl With a Pearl Earring. Anxious in love; how to manage your anxiety, reduce conflict & reconnect with your part...