Svetlana's Reads and Views

  Name of Book: On the Edge of Sunrise Author: Cynthia Ripley Miller ISBN: 978-1-910282-1 Publisher: Knox Robinson publishing Part of a Series: The Long-hair saga Type of book: 448 ME, 450-451 ME, Rome, Emperor Valentian, slavery, widowhood, barbarians, Frankish tribe, nobility, romance, diplomat, slow burn, Attila the Hun, politics, treachery  Year it was published: 2015 Summary: When love commands, destiny must obey. Against an epic background and torn between duty and passion, Arria Felix, a Roman senator’s daughter, must choose between Rome’s decadent world and her forbidden love—Garic, a Frank barbarian noble. The year is AD 450. The Roman Empire wanes as the Medieval Age awakens. Attila the Hun and his horde conquer their way across Europe into Gaul. Caught between Rome’s tottering empire and Attila’s threat are the Frankish tribes and their ‘Long-Hair’ chiefs, northern pagans in a Roman Christian world, and a people history will call the Merovingians. A young widow, Arr...

  Name of Book: In another life Author: Julie Christine Johnson ISBN: 978-1-4926-2520-9 Publisher: Sourcebooks landmark Type of book: Languedoc, history, Cathars, France, wine, rich imagery, widow, widower, modern day, romance, origins, time travel, beliefs, reincarnation, secrets, death, repairing the past 2010s, 1208-1209  Year it was published: 2016 Summary: Historian Lia Carrer has finally returned to southern France, determined to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. But instead of finding solace in the region's quiet hills and medieval ruins, she falls in love with Raoul, a man whose very existence challenges everything she knows about life--and about her husband's death. As Raoul reveals the story of his past to Lia, she becomes entangled in the echoes of an ancient murder, resulting in a haunting and suspenseful journey that reminds Lia that the dead may not be as far from us as we think. Steeped in the rich history and romantic landscape of rural France, I...

 In some cases, so far, book-wise, I have gotten a lot of gems at the end of September, a lot I'm surprised by! In December I am eagerly anticipating the Juhea Kim debut, BEASTS OF A LITTLE LAND, which I will possibly get as a late birthday gift. I am also excited about getting some awesome reads from January 2022 up until March 2022 and I will begin reading those soon. Without further ado, here are some planned reads.  Possible Reads: The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabary Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel  Jane Austen and Shelley in the Garden by Janet Todd Irma's Passport; One Woman, Two World Wars, and a Legacy of Courage by Catherine Ehrlich  The Last Rose of Shanghai by Weina Dai Randel Wheel of the Fates by J. Boyce Gleason The Eighth Girl by Maxine Mei-Fung Chung Dust off the Bones by Paul Howarth 

The master and the maid - Laura Libricz  SR: October 23rd, 2021  FR:  Sown in Tears- Beverly Magid SR: October 11th, 2021 FR: October 23rd, 2021 On the edge of sunrise- Cynhia Ripley Miller  SR: September 26th 2021 FR: October 11th, 2021 The quest for the CROWN of thorns- Cynthia Ripley Miller  SR: October 29th, 2021  FR:  An OBSERVANT wife- Naomi Ragen SR: September 28th, 2021 FR: October 23rd, 2021 The last rose of Shanghai- Weina Dai Randel SR: October 23rd, 2021 FR:    Jane Austen and Shelley in the garden- Janet Todd  SR: October 23rd, 2021 FR: October 29th, 2021 A Heart Divided- Jin Yong SR:  September 25th, 2021 FR: October 23rd 2021 Nonfiction: A history of the Roman people by Allen M Ward SR: August 1st ,2021 FR: Irmas passport- Caherine Ehrlich SR: October 23rd 2021  FR: October 23rd 2021    People love Dead Jews- Dara Horn SR: October 29th, 2021 FR: October 29th, 2021

  Title of the book: The Hands on French Cookbook; connect with French through simple, healthy cooking  Author: Elisabeth de Chatillon Publisher: Self published Publishing Date: 2020 ISBN: 978-0-578-68382-9 Summary: If you think French food is complicated, decadent, and heavy, think again! If you think learning and exploring another language is difficult or boring, think again! And if you think cooking French food and learning French at the same time is impossible, teacher and home cook Elisabeth de Châtillon is here to prove you wrong. It might sound too good to be true, but The Hands On French Cookbook is full of healthy, simple French recipes that you can make for friends and family while you learn not only the French language but also a little bit about French culture in a relaxed, fun, tasty way.  Author Info: (From goodreads) Elisabeth de Châtillon was born in France, has an MA in Education and Marketing, and has taught extensively in both the USA and Europe. She is...

Name of Book: Josefina's Sin Author: Claudia H. Long ISBN: 978-1-4516-1067-3 Publisher: Atria Books Type of book: Mexico, 1683-1689, court, royalty, intrigues, friendship, women, reading, poetry, Sor Juana Ines  de la Cruz, Mexico City, infidelity,  roles, class, hacienda, motherhood, punishment, cunning, agenda  Year it was published: 2011 Summary: Mexico, 1683. Lured by the imagined grandeur and adventure of the Viceroyal Court, Josefina, a sheltered landowner’s wife, accepts an invitation from the Marquesa to come and socialize with the cultural elite. She is overwhelmed by the intensity of the Court’s complicated world. While fighting off aggressive advances from the Marquesa’s husband, she finds her marriage vows tested by the unexpected passion of the Bishop of Puebla. Amidst this drama, Josefina finds herself inexorably drawn to the nuns who study and write poetry at the risk of persecution by the Spanish Inquisition. One nun in particular, Sor Juana Inés de la Cru...

Name of Book: Cometh the Hour Author: Annie Whitehead ISBN: 978-1-78697-946-9 Publisher: FeedARead.com publishing Part of a Series: Tale of the Iclingas  Type of book: Marcia, England, Penda, leadership, kings, relationships, brotherhood, 604- 654, families, friendships, clans, bonds, christianity, paganism, daily life, wars, battles, multigenerational  Year it was published: 2017 Summary: In seventh century England, a vicious attack sets in motion a war of attrition which will last for generations. Four kings, connected by blood and marriage, vie for the mantle of overlord. Three affect to rule with divine assistance. The fourth, whose cousin and sister have been mistreated and whose friend has been slaughtered, watches, and waits. He is a pagan, he is a Mercian, and his name is Penda. By his side is a woman determined to escape her brutal past. She aids his struggle against his treacherous brother and their alliance founds a dynasty with the potential to end injustice and su...