Svetlana's Reads and Views

Summary: When his father dies, Finn Reardon must support his family by selling newspapers on the streets of Manhattan, where he finds himself in the middle of the Newsie Strike of 1899. When Finn Reardon's father dies, he decides to support his mother and eight siblings by peddling newspapers on the streets corners of New York City. But when the two biggest newspaper publishers, Hearst and Pulitzer, raise the wholesale price that Finn and his friends pay for the papers they sell, the boys band together and go on strike. Susan Campbell Bartoletti brings humor and wit to this classic David and Goliath struggle between the Newsies and the newspaper publishers. I actually wasn’t really looking forward to reading The Journal of Finn Reardon by Susan Campbell Bartoletti because when I previously read The Journal of Jedidiah Barstow by Ellen Levine, I didn’t like it.  But, much to my surprise, I instantly connected with Finn and found myself enjoying the world of New York in 1899. S...

Name of Book:  The Eight Fingered Fiend of Lake Porke Author: Fletcher Best ISBN: 978-1494983277 Publisher: CreativeSpace Type of book: Lake Porker Texas, rednecks, Ku Klux Klan, secrets, lesbian sex, bestiality, comedy, drugs, meth, murder, BDSM, cheating, adult, humor, racism Year it was published: 2013 Summary: Dark secrets lie just below the surface of the small town of Lake Porker, Texas. The long-time, yet much-despised mayor has been keeping his job by means of rigging elections with the help of the town clerk, a highly respected woman who secretly happens to be the mayor's dominatrix lover. The man that most of the town thinks is a successful stock day trader is actually a methamphetamine kingpin. His drop-dead beautiful and supposedly devoted God-fearing wife is not only plotting to kill him and take over his meth empire, but she's having sex with everyone and anyone she thinks will be helpful in advancing that goal. The new African-American deputy i...

HF Virtual Book Tours is delighted to introduce you to historical novelist Deborah Swift! Deborah’s acclaimed novels are set in turbulent seventeenth century England and have been described as “brilliant” and “a must for all readers looking for something out of the ordinary but grippingly alive”. Her previous life as a scenographer and costume designer shine through as the settings are beautifully evoked, immersing the reader in the sights and smells of the time. Deborah’s multi-layered and engrossing historical adventures will make perfect picks for reading groups. Reading Group Guides can be conveniently found in the back of each book and on her website. Find more information on Deborah's novels below and enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card (£15 UK)! The Lady's Slipper Publication Date: June 3, 2011 Pan MacMillan Formats: Ebook, Paperback England, 1660. The King is back, but memories of the English Civil War still rankle. In rural Westmorland, artist Alice Ib...

Title: Hope Street, Jerusalem Author: Irris Makler First copyright date: 2012 Type of book: Jerusalem, Judaism, culture, dogs, living, news-reports, 2002, 2004-2006, Islam, Israel, ordinary life, May/December relationship General subject matter: Moving to Jerusalem and beginning a life there with a mischievous dog as well as portraying a culture mixed of three viewpoints and religions. Special features: N/A Price: N/A ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-7322-9416-8 Author's Purpose: "I feel that Raphael and Mia are my joy and my fate. I thought I had come here to be a journalist. I could not have predicted that in this burning land it wasn't suffering that was waiting for me, but love. There are days still when I don't believe it, or don't know what I've done to deserve it. But Raphael has taught me that when your prayers are answered you say thank you. This book is my thanks." (312) a. Why did the author write on this subject rather than on some ...

General Information: Name of Book: Tree of Souls ISBN: 9780195086799 Publisher: Oxford University Press 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 the...

General Information: Name of Book: The Greek Myths 2 ISBN: 0-14-001027-0 Publisher: Penguin 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. " (Vol. I 22) 138. The Conquest of Elis Issue: Due to Fifth labor, Heracles marches against Augeias, King of Elis. Description of Augeias's nephews, twins known as Moliones, follows and their rule. During the war, Heracles's twin brother Iphicles passes away. He also deflowered a daughter by Olenus and killed her future husband the Centaur Eurytion. More deeds of Heracles are given, such as digging a canal, had widows and his soldiers repopulate Elis, establish Olympic Games in honor of Zeus, and then myths and stories of Heracles in Olympic Games fo...

Name of Book: The Debt of Tamar Author: Nicole Dweck ISBN:   9780615583617 Publisher: Devon House Press Type of book: Judaism, hiding religion, Spain, Ottoman empire, reincarnation, parallels, 1940s-1950s, Israel, art, betrayal, discovery of religion, timeless love, Holocaust, 1500s, 1900s, Present Day Year it was published: 2013 Summary: During the second half of the 16th century, a wealthy widow by the name of Doña Antonia Nissim is arrested and charged with being a secret Jew. The punishment? Death by burning. Enter Suleiman the Magnificent, an Ottoman "Schindler," and the most celebrated sultan in all of Turkish history. With the help of the Sultan, the widow and her children manage their escape to Istanbul. Life is seemingly idyllic for the family in their new home, that is, until the Sultan's son meets and falls in love with Tamar, Doña Antonia's beautiful and free-spirited granddaughter. A quiet love affair ensues until one day, the girl vanis...