Svetlana's Reads and Views

    Name of Book: QUINCAS Borbas  Author: Machado De Assis (trans Margaret Jull Costa and Robin Peterson)   ISBN: 978-1-324-09068-7 Publisher: Live right  Type of book: Brazil, satire, wealth, social class, 1860s-1870s, finances, mental health, Rio De Janeiro, dog, philosophy, parable  Year it was published: 1891 (2024)  Summary: Characters: Main character is Rubiao, a caretaker of a wealthy philosopher who has died. Rubiao has inherited a large fortune on condition that he keeps the dog. He is described as cruel, vain and generous, and someone without common sense. The other characters include a couple, one acting as a romantic interest and the other as a manager of the fortune. There are plenty of others such as other possible love interests and friends ( unfortunately I don't recall their names)  Theme: Money can mean little  Plot: The story is in third person narrative from everyone's point of view, and it was a very confusing experience for me. From what I understand is th

   Name of Book: Kim Jiyoung, born 1982 Author: Cho Nam-Joo (trans Jamie Chang) ISBN: 978-1-63149-867-1 Publisher: Live right  Type of book: South Korea 1982-2016, girlhood, womanhood, motherhood, working life, marriage, societal expectations and failures, economy, finances, demands, survival  Year it was published: 2016 (2021)  Summary: Characters: Main character is Kim Jiyoung, a second daughter who has an older sister and a younger brother. From early age Kim Jiyoung experienced the sacrificial life a girl/woman has to assume from an early age as well as parts where her feelings don't matter. She grows up being shaped by events from economy, conflicting messages by Eastern and western demands and so forth. While there were quite a few secondary characters, the main focus is on Kim Jiyoung.   Theme: How universal being a girl/woman is Plot: The story is written in third person narrative, as what reads like notes/files, and it takes readers from 1982 up until 2016, covering differ

  Name of Book: the WREN, the WREN  Author: Anne Enright  ISBN: 978-1-324-07603-2  Publisher: W.W. Norton  Type of book: mother/daughter relationships, time, abandonment, poetry, travel, curiosity, practicality, birds, nature, modern times, Ireland, lovers  Year it was published: 2023  Summary: Characters: Main characters are Carmel and Nell. Carmel is Nells mother, an extremely practical woman who closed herself off to emotions. A lot of times she has trouble understanding about why certain things can be enjoyed by others. She is also attempting to discover her father's legacy and what impact that legacy has had on her. Nell is perhaps best described as her grandfather personified; she is extremely careless, emotional, travels everywhere and seems to be without roots. She also is unable to get along with her mother.  Theme What feeds into modern day you?  Plot: It definitely depends, but most of the novel is either from Nells or Carmels point of view. One chapter does have Phil

Name of Book: How to become the dark Lord and die trying  Author: Django Wexler  ISBN: 9780316392204 Publisher: Orbit Part of a Series: Dark Lord Davi  Type of book: comedy, satire, fantasy, adventure, flipping the fantasy tropes, power of evil vs good, quest, humans vs other humanoids, mastermind  Year it was published: 2024  Summary: Characters: Main character is Davi, a snarky and sarcastic young woman who comes from 21st century of our world. She is very open, energetic, logical and is passionate. She also has a vicious streak of sorts, but at the same time compassion. She is also reckless as well. There is also her love interest Tsav an ogre? Woman who is practical, loyal and is willing to do what she can to make sure Davi survives. Amitsugu is a fox? Creature who is sneaky, too clever for his own good and often thinks with his feelings instead of brain. I am sure there are a ton of other characters I am forgetting, but they are worthwhile to check out.  Theme:

Name of Book: The Tower of fools Author: Andrzej Sapkowski  ISBN: 9780316423694 Publisher: Orbit  Part of a Series: the hussite trilogy   Type of book: Poland, 1420s, fantasy, foiled love, family, reputation, religion, Latin tongue, church, anachronistic women, wealth, middle class  Year it was published: 2020 ( original 2002)  Summary: Characters: The three main characters are Reynavan, Scharlie and Samson. Reynavan is a healer who does witch type magic. He is also a philanderer who often thinks more with his heart and passion rather than logic. Scharlie is definitely a favorite character. He is creative, intelligent and loyal. He is full of surprises. Samson Hineypot is also a fascinating and lovable character who is otherworldly and who is best known for strength and religious knowledge, although all three have that in spades and more.  Theme: I read it from cover to cover, but no idea what lesson i should have gathsred from it   Plot: The story is in third pers

Name of Book: these deathless shores  Author: p.h. low  ISBN: 9780316569200 Publisher: orbit Type of book: dark, Asian Peter Pan retelling, expectations, captain hook side, island, anorexia, romance, drug use and dependency, murders, real world vs Neverland, fantasy   Year it was published: 2024  Summary: Characters: Main characters include Jordan, Baron, Tier and Chay. Jordan is extremely abusive and manipulative. She disguised herself as a Lost Boy and almost pulled off the disguise until she is discovered and forced to go back. She is also a talented warrior. Baron is Jordan's friend and has a one way crush on her. He is an intellectual and has goals for being a doctor. I would guess he is opposite of Jordan. Tier didn't have much impact on story. He simply acted as a love interest for Chay. He is poor little rich boy.  Chay is acting as the mother for the lost boys and Peter Pan. She is very nurturing but often does dark things to herself to makes sure she ca