Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book: Benjamin Author: Aaron Powell ISBN: 9781478385691 Publisher: Createspace Type of book: 1990s?, isolation, abuse, alcoholism, violence Year it was published: 2012 Summary: The harsh winter and great outdoors of upstate New York provide Benjamin with the only solace from an otherwise agonizing existence. His mother's abusive alcoholic boyfriend, the bully on the bus, and a Math teacher who pays a little too much attention to schoolboys are slowly chipping away at his dignity and feelings of self-worth. Benjamin clings to any sense of normalcy until a series of compounding events drives him to the very edge of suicide. He begs God for help - a divine intervention - but his prayers go unanswered and he has an epiphany: God helps those who help themselves. Characters: Benjamin does have some depth in the book, and he is more a bit more complex than two other books I read, but somehow he still felt incomplete somehow, causing me to feel that I'm wa...

Name of Book:  Scream, "Aye, Sir!" Author: Aaron Powell ISBN: 9781479326556 Publisher: Createspace Type of book: erotica, adult, marine life, threesomes, fantasy, wish fulfillment Year it was published: 2012 Summary: Welcome to recruit training, United States Marine Corps Recruit Training, Parris Island, South Carolina. Follow Drill Instructor Sergeant Tice as he gives his first-hand account of life training United States Marines and the inappropriate relationships that result from the illusion of absolute power. **WARNING**THIS BOOK CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT** Characters: The characters are just there so to speak. Yes first person narrative is used, but we are just presented with the surface and very little depth. Why does Sergeant Tice does what he does? What motivates him to do it? The answers are never presented. I would have liked to see a book between two characters in Epilogue though. Theme: Apparently marine life tends to be strict...

General Information: Name of Book: This Möbius Strip of Ifs ISBN: 978-1-60494-723-6 Publisher: Wheatmark Summary: In this impressive and varied collection of creative essays, Mathias B. Freese jousts with American culture. A mixture of the author's reminiscences, insights, observations, and criticism, the book examines the use and misuse of psychotherapy, childhood trauma, complicated family relationships, his frustration as a teacher, and the enduring value of tenaciously writing through it all. Freese scathingly describes the conditioning society imposes upon artists and awakened souls. Whether writing about the spiritual teacher, Krishnamurti, poet and novelist, Nikos Kazantzakis, or film giants such as Orson Welles and Buster Keaton, the author skewers where he can and applauds those who refuse to compromise and conform. A psychotherapist for twenty-five years, Freese conveys a unique combination of psychodynamic thinking and Eastern philosophy while examining Exi...

Name of Book: Starstruck Author: Rachel Shukert ISBN: 978-0-385-74108-8 Publisher: Delacorte Press Type of book: 1938, Hollywood, glamor, glitz, dark side, hidden secrets, past, mystery, star, survival Year it was published: 2013 Summary: A golden age of glam . . . Every week they arrive in Los Angeles--beautiful and talented young hopefuls who dream of becoming stars. It's all Margaret Frobisher has ever wanted—and when she's discovered by a powerful agent, she can barely believe her luck. She's more than ready to escape her snobby private school and conservative Pasadena family for a chance to light up the silver screen. The competition is fierce at Olympus Studios and Margaret—now Margo—is chasing her Hollywood dreams alongside girls like Gabby Preston, who at 16 is already a grizzled show-biz veteran caught between the studio and the ravenous ambition of her ruthless mother, and sultry Amanda Farraday, who seems to have it all--ambition, glamour ....

Name of Book: Vanguard of Hope Author: Kathy Steinemann ISBN: 9780988089747 Publisher: self-published Part of a Series: The Sapphire Brigade Type of book: 1890-1895, 1912, childhood abuse, protection, marriage, mysteries, Sapphire Brigade, hiding identities, justice, doctor, racism, interracial romance, African American male/white female Year it was published: 2013 Summary: LISETVILLE, 1890 -- Murders are committed; homes are burned; family secrets are buried; an unexpected romance complicates lives. Amid the mystery and violence, a vigilante brigade emerges to administer justice. Flowing through the intrigue and drama is a dark undercurrent that will touch your heart as you empathize with the victims. Characters: When I first encountered Hope and Peter, I did not like either one, but as I learned little by little about Hope's fears and so forth, I grew to like her. When important events are revealed, I also liked Peter and how much he went from being som...

Book to be reviewed: Vanguard of Hope: (Sapphire Brigade Book 1 (ebook)) by Kathy Steinemann  (Ebook) LISETVILLE, 1890 -- Murders are committed; homes are burned; family secrets are buried; an unexpected romance complicates lives. Amid the mystery and violence, a vigilante brigade emerges to administer justice. Flowing through the intrigue and drama is a dark undercurrent that will touch your heart as you empathize with the victims. Stop me if you've heard this one before- David Yoo If Albert Kim has learned one thing in his tragic adolescence, it's that God (probably a sadistic teenaged alien) does not want him to succeed at Bern High. By the end of sophomore year, Al is so tired of humiliation that he's chosen to just forget girls and high school society in general, and enjoy the Zen-like detachment that comes from being an "intentional" loser. Then he meets Mia Stone, and all the repressed hormones come flooding back. Mia, his co-worker at t...