Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book: A Marriage in the making Author: Natalie Fox ISBN: 0-373-18690-8 Publisher: Harlequin Presents Type of book: romance, island, separation, father-son relationship, adult, 1990s Year it was published: 1997 Summary: The unmarried wife Karis had been married once, and didn't intend to repeat the experience She was devoted to her baby daughter, and she loved working as a nanny to five-year-old Josh. She didn't need a husband--and, even if she did, Josh's father would be the last man she'd choose But sometimes Karis felt more like Daniel Kennedy's wife than his employee. She shared a home with him, cared for his son...and found herself longing for his kisses And now Daniel was suggesting Karis share his bedroom. Would his next proposal be marriage? Characters: The author does try to add dimension to the characters but the characters, to me personally, tend to be boring and predictable. Daniel's his fiancee's relationship ba...

Spoilers from: Millicent Min, Girl Genius Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time So Totally Emily Ebers One summer, three kids, three separate points of view in three books... Millicent Min:  "June 7 I have been accused of being anal retentive, an over-achiever, and a compulsive perfectionist, like those are bad things. My disposition probably has a lot to do with the fact that I am technically a genius. Unfortunately, this label seems to precede me wherever I go." (page 1) With that opening paragraph, the reader is plunged into the strange and quirky world of Millicent Min, a Chinese-American eleven year old genius who will complete high school, attend college and wants a grand future of solving society's ills. Being a genius caused her to be unable to relate to kids her own age and thus, she was closed off from making friends, although she has tried multiple times, such as bringing Moon Pies to get people to like her which lasted for five minutes, or befriending a co...

Books I need to review: Sweet Valley Twins Series Jessica's Secret Elizabeth's First Kiss Books I'm Reading: Persuasion- Jane Austen 47/254 East Wind, West Wind- Pearl Buck 58/277 Les Liaisons Dangereuses- Choderlos DeLaclos 322/393 A Marriage in the making- Natalie Fox 112/189 Having the Billionaire's Baby- Sandra Hyatt 40/178 Homeland- John Jakes 332/1174 Tender Assault- Anne Mather 39/186 Gone with the wind- Margaret Mitchell 61/1037 Bury Me Deep- Christopher Pike 73/211 Fall Into Darkness- Christopher Pike 87/213 The Eternal Enemy- Christopher Pike 57/180 Ivanhoe- Sir Walter Scott 29/405 The Age of Innocence- Edith Wharton 32/362 Series: The House of Earth- Pearl Buck 2. Sons 177/313 The Story of the Stone- Xueqin Cao 4. The Debt of Tears 72/384 The First Native Americans Quartet- W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear 3. People of the Earth 56/587 The Storyteller Trilogy- Sue Harrison 1. Song of the River 67/560 The Tigress Sexte...

Name of Book: People of the fire Author: W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear ISBN: 0-812-52150-1 Publisher: TOR Part of a Series: First North American Series Type of book: Dancing, spiritual, families, fate, prehistorical, -8000, fire, adult, Native Americans Year it was published: 1991 Summary: It is a time of fire. A small band of pioneers struggle valiantly to keep their ancestors' dreams alive in an unforgiving, drought-stricken land. Driven by the promise of an awesome vision, a heroic young dreamer and a fearless woman warrior unite to lead their people to a magnificent destiny. A towering epic filled with tragedy and triumph, courage and conflict, People of the Fire is the second compelling novel novel in a majestic new saga of America's first peoples. Characters: The characters are much more round and memorable than in People of the Wolf. Fire Dancer is somewhat similar to Wolf Dreamer and despite him hesitating to do what is right, ...

Name of Book: The Warning Voice Author: Xueqin Cao ISBN: 0-14-044370-3 Publisher: Penguin Classics Part of a Series: The story of the Stone Vols I-V Type of book: China, Manchurian dynasty, 1700s, debt  deaths Year it was published: 1760s, (version I have 1980) Summary: Divided into five volumes, of which The Warning Voice is the third, it charts the glory and decline of the illustrious Jia family (a story which closely accords with the fortunes of the author's own family.) The two main characters, Bao-yu and Dai-yu, are set against a rich tapestry of humor, realistic detail and delicate poetry, which accurately reflects the ritualized hurly-burly of Chinese family life. But over and above the novel hangs the constant reminder that there is another plane of existence- a theme which affirms the Buddhist belief in a supernatural scheme of things. Characters: I'm not sure whether or not the characters changed, but we get to meet new characters and there is ...

Name of Book: The Count of Monte Cristo (abridged) Author: Alexandre Dumas ISBN: 0-553-21350-4 Publisher: Bantam Classics Type of book: Revenge, generations, sea, Chateau D'if, unjust imprisonment, god, control, wealth, 1815-1840s? Year it was published: 1844 (version I have 1956) Summary: Set against the turbulent years of the Napoleonic era, Alexandre Dumas's thrilling adventure story is one of the most widely read romantic novels of all time. In it the dashing young hero, Edmond Dantes, is betrayed by his enemies and thrown into a secret dungeon in the Chateau d'If- doomed to spend his life in a dank prison cell. The story of his long, intolerable years in captivity, his miraculous escape, and his carefully wrought revenge creates a dramatic tale of mystery and intrigue and paints a vision of France- a dazzling, dueling, exuberant France- that has become immortal. Characters: I found the characters to be flat, besides Edmond Dantes, but I think for...

Name of Book: Ready-made family Author: Frances Salomon Murphy ISBN:  0590020706 Publisher: Scholastic Type of book: foster children, siblings, struggles, school children, families, 1950s, beauty, finances, young adult Year it was published: 1953 Summary: Some money is missing! Hedy's foster mother doesn't know where it is but Hedy does. She knows who took it. Haven't her relatives always said that her brother Pete is a "natural born thief?" What will happen now? Will Pete be sent to a reform school? Will little Mary Rose have to live in an orphanage? Will Hedy have to go back to her horrible cousin Hattie- and leave the best home she's ever known? Characters: The characters are drawn realistically, with Hedy being frightened for her siblings that they would get beaten up or else abused and her being uncertain. But then thanks to the family she grows to become a mature young lady as well as discovering a number of unexpected friends. Th...

In honor of Women's Day which is widely celebrated in Russia by men doing special things for the women in their lives, I've decided to create a short list of 8 female authors I like: 1. Margaret Mitchell Why I like her books: I am still in awe in how one human being could combine so many different things to make an incredible written novel of the way the civil war affected the South. I do agree that the novel tends to be slightly racist in some parts and perhaps some people didn't feel comfortable reading it because the author chose to whitewash certain issues and not bring slave sufferings to light, but if one reads it, one has to remember that the novel only switches points of view once or twice; first from Brent's to Scarlett's and at one point briefly to Ashley's. Most of all Scarlett witnesses and sees the world as she does and unfortunately she never questions or witnesses the mistreatment of slaves. 2. Jade Lee (She's one in green) Why I lik...

Name of Book: Mansfield Park Author: Jane Austen ISBN: 0-19-280264-X Publisher: Oxford World's Classics Type of book: Regency England, navy, Portsmouth, 1800s, repressive, acting, Lover's Vows, rank, first cousin marriage Year it was published: 1814 Summary:  "Me!" cried Fanny..."Indeed you must excuse me. I could not act any thing if you were to give me the world. No, indeed, I cannot act." At the age of ten, Fanny Price leaves the poverty of her Portsmouth home to be brought up among the family of her wealthy uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, in the chilly grandeur of Mansfield Park. There she accepts her lowly status, and gradually falls in love with her cousin Edmund. When the dazzling and sophisticated Henry and Mary Crawford arrive, Fanny watches as her cousins become embroiled in rivalry and sexual jealousy. SHe struggles to retain her independence in the face of the Crawfords' dangerous attractions, and when Henry turns his attention...

Persuasion-Jane Austen SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: N/A East Wind, West Wind- Pearl Buck SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: N/A Les Liasons Dangereuses- Choderlos DeLaclos SR: January 5th, 2012 FR: N/A The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas SR: November 1st, 2011 FR: March 12th, 2012 A Marriage in the making- Natalie Fox SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: March 24th, 2012 Desert Prince, Bride of Innocence- Lynne Graham SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: March 16th, 2012 DNF Having the Billionaire's Baby- Sandra Hyatt SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: N/A Homeland-John Jakes SR: February 1st, 2012 FR: N/A Desert Prince, Defiant Virgin- Kim Lawrence SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: March 17th, 2012 DNF Tender Assault- Anne Mather SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: N/A Gone with the wind- Margaret Mitchell SR: February 1st, 2012 FR: N/A Ready-made Family- Frances Salomon Murphy SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: March 16th, 2012 Fall Into Darkness- Christopher Pike SR: February 1st, 2012 FR: N/A Bury Me Deep- Christophe...