Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book: Tiger Tail Soup Author: Nicki Chen ISBN: 9781457531897 Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing Type of book: China, 1938-1946, WWII, occupation, international settlement, survival, hunger, lack of medicine and drugs, marriage, nationalism, friendship, family Year it was published: 2014 Summary: When the first bombs fall, An Lee is pregnant and her husband is missing. He won't be home to stay for another seven years. It's up to An Lee to protect her mother, mother-in-law, young daughter, and soon-to-be-born son. Surrounded by the Japanese military, An Lee struggles to survive, enduring hunger, loneliness, and fear. Then, on December 7, 1941, the enemy invades and occupies their little island on the coast of China, and An Lee's strength is put to the test. In this lyrical and emotionally charged novel, Nicki Chen paints a fascinating portrait of love and resilience in a time of war. Characters: The main character would be An Lee. In childhood sh...

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

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) 149. The Lemnian Women and King Cyzicus Issue: Description of Heracles going to serve Jason as well as the farewell party. A year before the departure, Lemnian women murder all menfolk, with exception of Hypsipyle who saved her father, King Thoas, secretly. The ship sailed to Lemnia, and the women convinced the men to stay with them for a while, with Jason begetting Euneus and the twin Nebrophonus. Eventually Euneus supplied Greeks with wine during the Trojan War. Soon though, the men left the island and the women discovered that Hypsipyle betra...

Name of Book: In the Mirror Author: Kaira Rouda ISBN: 978-0-9849151-4-9 Publisher:   Real You Publishing Group Type of book: Cancer, hospice, terminal illness, marriage, high school sweetheart, wealth, drive, ambition, reminiscing, first love, family and friends, facing death Year it was published: 2014 Summary: If you knew you may die soon, what choices would you make? Jennifer Benson has it all: a successful career, a perfect husband, two kids and abundant friendships. The only problem is she may be dying. IN THE MIRROR is the realistic love story about a woman facing a deadly illness, and her loves past and present. It's a story that unfolds with a delightful blend of humor and poignancy, ringing true in the heart of anyone who has ignored a warning of her own Characters: There are a lot of characters in the story, and some are pretty memorable as well as distinctive: Jennifer Benson is a young mother who is with terminal cancer shortly after givin...

Title of the book:  What Counts Most is How You Finish: Thoughts on Living Life to the Fullest Author:  Shelia Payton Publisher: Xlibris Publishing Date: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4653-6498-2 Summary: What Counts Most is How You Finish is a book of short essays that shares ideas for addressing life's challenges. The book (which uses experiences from the author's life and the lives of others) is written with two ideas in mind: • Each person has to find his or her own way in life • We can learn worthwhile things from each other To make it easier to find an essay that can help the reader address life situations in real time, What Counts Most is How You Finish is divided into seven topic areas: Being You, Taking Care of You, Dealing with People, Overcoming Challenges, Staying Focused, Achieving Success and Making a Difference. While the primary audience for What Counts Most is How You Finish is people between the ages of 16-25, the book has received positive feedba...

Name of Book: The Story of Land and Sea Author: Katy Simpson Smith ISBN: 978-0-06-235062-6 Publisher: Harper Type of book: America, Beaufort Virgina, 1771-1782, 1793-1795, travels, destiny, empire, heirs, slavery, saving souls, Catholic, American Revolution, sailing, privateer, flirting, marriage, childbirth Year it was published: 2014 Summary: Set in a small coastal town in North Carolina during the waning years of the American Revolution, this incandescent debut novel follows three generations of family—fathers and daughters, mother and son, master and slave, characters who yearn for redemption amidst a heady brew of war, kidnapping, slavery, and love. Drawn to the ocean, ten-year-old Tabitha wanders the marshes of her small coastal village and listens to her father’s stories about his pirate voyages and the mother she never knew. Since the loss of his wife Helen, John has remained land-bound for their daughter, but when Tab contracts yellow fever, he turns to t...

Name of Book: Inamorata Author: Megan Chance ISBN: 978-1477823033 Publisher: Lake Union Type of book: 1878-1879, supernatural, paranormal, Venice, art scene, talent, incest, secrets, scandals, lovers, fame for infinity, pact Year it was published: 2014 Summary: American artist Joseph Hannigan and his alluring sister, Sophie, have arrived in enchanting nineteenth-century Venice with a single-minded goal. The twins, who have fled scandal in New York, are determined to break into Venice’s expatriate set and find a wealthy patron to support Joseph’s work. But the enigmatic Hannigans are not the only ones with a secret agenda. Joseph’s talent soon attracts the attention of the magnificent Odilé Leon, a celebrated courtesan and muse who has inspired many artists to greatness. But her inspiration comes with a devastatingly steep price. As Joseph falls under the courtesan’s spell, Sophie joins forces with Nicholas Dane, the one man who knows Odilé’s dark secret, and her...

General Information: Name of Book: A Hero for the People: Stories of the Brazilian Backlands Author: Arthur Powers About the Author: (From Book Junkie Promotions Website) Genre: General Fiction/Literary Buy the Book Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository About the Author Arthur Powers went to Brazil in 1969 and lived most his adult life there. From 1985 to 1997, he and his wife served with the Franciscan Friars in the Amazon, doing pastoral work and organizing subsistence farmers and rural workers’ unions in a region of violent land conflicts. The Powers currently live in Raleigh North Carolina. Arthur received a Fellowship in Fiction from the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, three annual awards for short fiction from the Catholic Press Association, and 2nd place in the 2008 Tom Howard Fiction Contest. His poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many magazines & anthologies. He is the author of A Hero For The People: S...