Svetlana's Reads and Views

General Information: Name of Book: Aphanasian Stories ISBN: 9781481249478 Publisher: Createspace Summary: Three of Rhonda Parrish's beloved Aphanasian stories brought together in one collection for the first time! A Love Story: Z'thandra, a swamp elf living with the Reptar, discovers a human near the village. When she falls in love with him, she faces the most difficult choice of her life, a decision that will affect the Reptar for generations. Lost and Found: Xavier, the escaped subject of a madman's experiments, and Colby, a young lady on a mission to save her brother, must combine their efforts to elude capture and recover the magical artifact that will save Colby's brother before it's too late. Sister Margaret: A vampire hunter and a half-incubus swordsman are hired by a priestess to kill the undead pimp that is extorting, torturing and murdering vulnerable girls. Author: Rhonda Parrish (from goodreads.com) url http://www.goodreads.com...

Title: The Conquest of Constantinople (part of Chronicles of the Crusades) Author: Villehardouin First Copyright date: Written in early 1200s Type of Book: Crusades, Fourth Crusade, Greece, Constantinople, 1199-1207, simplistic General Subject Matter: Crusades Special Features: There are maps on the back, and glossary of various terms, Price: About $12.00? ISBN: 978-0-14-044124-6 Possible Purpose: I have read the entire primary source, and cannot figure out why he wrote this particular book. Perhaps from observations I can arrive at why: the book focuses more on events and is not in depth when it comes to human foibles. There is constant fighting and its hard to keep things straight. Besides piety nothing is stressed. It does seem to be chronological and it focuses more on names rather than on people behind the names. I would guess he wrote it like a textbook a bit and wanted there to be accuracy. a. Why did the author write on this subject rather than on some...

Book to be reviewed: 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 the Bern Inn, is adorable, popular, and most intimidatingly, the ex- long-term girlfriend of Ivy-bound, muscle-bound king of BHS and world class jerk, Ryan Stackhouse. But -- chalk it up to the magic of Al's inner beauty -- by the end of a summer vacuuming hotel rooms and goofing off together, he and Mia are officially "something." Albert barely has time to ponder this miracle before the bomb drops: Ryan has bee...

Name of Book: The Chosen Shell Author:  Katherine Sartori ISBN: 9780988374607 Publisher: Dream Traveler Press Type of book: Nuns, monastery, Catholicism, friendship, be true to self, religion, 1963-1968, family, sisterhood, hidden self Year it was published: 2012 Summary: "The Chosen Shell opens at a time of profound change in the nation and the Catholic Church. Its young heroine, Celie O’Rourke, is caught between a desire to live a life of divine purpose and a yearning for human love and connection. Author Katherine Sartori, once a nun herself, follows Celie’s journey from vulnerable adolescent to empowered adult with sensitive and poignant prose, while offering readers a fascinating glimpse inside monastic convent life. Although Celie’s transformation is rooted in the turbulent 1960s, her story offers a stirring and ultimately uplifting message that transcends that era. DeAnna Cameron, author of Dancing at the Chance and The Belly Dancer. Celie O’Rourke, sensi...

Name of Book: The Plunge Author: Sindhu S ISBN: 9781461159254 Publisher: self published? Type of book: 2000-2004? 2008? India, Shimla, adultery, obsession, affair, relationship status, marriage, friendship Year it was published: 2013 Summary: Love is madness… When a thirty-something journalist Anjali meets the charismatic Siddharth, she has no intention of becoming romantically involved with him. Anjali is a strong, independent woman, angered by the man’s world she lives in and traumatised by events in her past. She has no desire to fall in love. Anjali is certain that, after months of chatting online, when she finally meets Siddharth the charm will be broken. But she is surprised to find herself attracted to him – and shocked when they fall into bed together on their first date. Seized by new emotions that go against everything she believes in, Anjali is caught in a battle between her head and her heart, between love and self-protection. For the first time in her ...

Name of Book: Eclipse of the Midnight Sun Author: Timothy M Kestrel ISBN: 978-0-615-73008-0 Publisher: Published by Timothy Kestrel Part of a Series: The Rule of Ranging Type of book: 1853, 1750s?, Finland, America, enemies, rangers, famous personages, lost love, "phoenix" Year it was published: 2012 Summary: Even those waging the fiercest battles just hew to hard fast rules that separate the soldier from the savage. And when a man’s home is destroyed beyond restoration, it’s up to him alone to forge a code and carve a new place to live in peace. The Rule of Ranging 1: Eclipse of the Midnight Sun is the epic action-adventure drama by Timothy M. Kestrel that follows the fearless Finn on a journey paved with bloodthirsty aggressors, mysterious women, and the rough terrain of a fledgling America. Both grave and uplifting, it’s an absorbing flight of fancy and derring-do. Set in the eighteen century, Kestrel’s story is a work of historic fiction that relives...

Title of the book: Choose Well To Live Well the Five Fundamentals to Create a Fit, Healthy and Stronb Body and Mind Author: Laura Boniello Publisher:  Balboa Press Publishing Date: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4525-6082-3 Summary: Choose Well To Live Well is a way of living, a lifestyle, that I live and teach. It is based upon five fundamental practices to help you create a fit, strong, healthy body and state of mind. By practicing these fundamentals daily, you will be in charge of your health and wellbeing, and owning your power to choose. Other Works: From goodreads.com this looks to be her first book. Background: (from goodreads.com) No information is available unfortunately Theme: "Choose Well to Live Well is a lifestyle that needs to be practiced and lived one day a time." (vii) Problems addressed:  "We are here to experience life. Why not experience it with a healthy body and a healthy mind? We have a huge amount of control over the health and...

Book to be reviewed: Trust: Betrayed (Trust #2 (Ebook)) by Cristiane Serruya Alistair Connor MacCraig, a powerful banker, and Ethan Ashford, a steel tycoon, are both in love with Sophia Leibowitz, the ravishing owner of Leibowitz Oil. Sophia fells for Alistair's seduction. She is determined to have a relationship with him but a dark and terrible secret lurks beneath the surface she presents to the world. When she regains her memories, shame and fear will take control of her. Will she be able to find peace within herself? Alistair is in love with Sophia but he has difficulties overcoming his guilty over his daughter's death and his sexual preferences. Certain that he doesn't deserve to be loved, he would do everything to push Sophia away, despite his love for her. Will he be able to find redemption? Ethan, no less haunted by his secrets and lies, lives in an alternate reality because the loss of Sophia is too unbearable to face. He would do everything to have Sophia...