Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book: Nest Author: Esther Ehrlich ISBN:  9780385386074 Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books Type of book: Cape Cod, Massachusetts, New Jersey, holding on, death, tragedy, multiple sclerosis, psychology, family, nest, birds, friendship, destruction, Judaism, mental institution, 1970s, school, teens, lessons, suicide Year it was published: 2014 Summary: For fans of Jennifer Holm (Penny from Heaven, Turtle in Paradise), a heartfelt and unforgettable middle-grade novel about an irresistible girl and her family, tragic change, and the healing power of love and friendship. In 1972 home is a cozy nest on Cape Cod for eleven-year-old Naomi “Chirp” Orenstein, her older sister, Rachel; her psychiatrist father; and her dancer mother. But then Chirp’s mom develops symptoms of a serious disease, and everything changes. Chirp finds comfort in watching her beloved wild birds. She also finds a true friend in Joey, the mysterious boy who lives across the street. Together they c...

Title of the book:  Brunette Ambition Author:  Lea Michele Publisher: Crown books Publishing Date: 2014 ISBN: 978-0-8041-3907-6 Summary: The star of the hit show Glee shares her experiences and insider tips on beauty, fashion, inner strength, and more in an illustrated book that’s part memoir, part how-to, and part style guide. Lea Michele is one of the hardest working performers in show business. Whether she’s starring as Rachel Berry on Glee, rocking a glamorous look on the red carpet, recording her solo album, or acting as the spokesperson for L’Oreal, Lea is the ultimate multi-tasker. She knows better than anyone that it is difficult to be your best self and keep things in perspective when your to-do list is overflowing and you are faced with challenges, so she’s developed a foolproof system for remaining healthy and centered. In Brunette Ambition, she reveals the lessons and advice that have worked for her--from beauty and fashion secrets to fitness t...

Name of Book: Spy Island Author: Sophie Schiller ISBN: 9781481181716 Publisher: Createspace Type of book: WWI, espionage, folktales, genteel poverty, orphan, spying, secrets, Germans, West Indies, 1916-1918? Transfer, hurricane, nature, friendship, U-Boat, submarine, faith, Queen Coziah Year it was published: 2014 Summary: A forbidden friendship that blossoms into love between an island girl and a German U-boat deserter is at the heart of this colorful historical novel. In 1916, Abigail Maduro arrives in the Danish West Indies to live with her Aunt Esther, a bad tempered spinster, and her houseful of eccentric servants. Despite the island's veneer of tranquility, St. Thomas is a hotbed of German spies who use their Hamburg-America steamers to aid the Kaiser's war effort. When a mysterious stranger suddenly appears in town, Abigail is drawn into the conflict. In the scholarly Erich Seibold, she finds the friendship and love she has been craving, even afte...

Name of Book: A Better World Author: Marcus Sakey ISBN: 978-1-4778-2394-1 Publisher: Thomas and Mercer Part of a Series: Brilliance is the prequel Type of book: Speculation, 2000s, brilliants, political thriller, trying to make a world a better place, Wyoming, chaos, missing person, secret invention Year it was published: 2014 Summary: The brilliants changed everything. Since 1980, 1% of the world has been born with gifts we’d only dreamed of. The ability to sense a person’s most intimate secrets, or predict the stock market, or move virtually unseen. For thirty years the world has struggled with a growing divide between the exceptional...and the rest of us. Now a terrorist network led by brilliants has crippled three cities. Supermarket shelves stand empty. 911 calls go unanswered. Fanatics are burning people alive. Nick Cooper has always fought to make the world better for his children. As both a brilliant and an advisor to the president of the United Sta...

Title : Ash to Steele Author : Karen-Anne Stewart Publisher : Karen-Anne Stewart Pages : 342 Genre: New Adult Romance Format : Paperback/Kindle Purchase at AMAZON Emma Who I am and all I believe is marred with just one glance into angry, steel blue eyes. He seems to control my air, my ability to breathe. He makes me crave everything I know is a sin. Pure becomes tainted and lines are blurred. It's my fault; I'm the one who isn't strong enough. I've been damaged...broken. Breck's words haunt me...'There's a consequence for every choice you make.' Breck I've had so many women I can't even remember over half of their names, but none of them are mine; I make damn sure of that. I take what I desire and never look back. I don't need or want anyone, ever...not until I met Emma. Those eyes bore into what's left of my soul and her touch sears me, weakens me. I want to hate her for that. She is my ruin...my sweetest hell. Book...

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Name of Book: Behind You Author: Carly M Duncan ISBN: 9781494387938 Publisher: Createspace Type of book: Mystery, thriller, sins, adultery, who did it? motive, secret, 2000s Year it was published: 2014 Summary: When a mysterious attack lands Heather in the hospital on the brink of death, her family rushes to her side. Through an inconvenient maze of shadowed memory and family secrets, Heather can trust only herself to discover if her husband, parents, sister or aunt tried to kill her. During the course of their own narratives, each character confesses to their various crimes of passion, envy and ignorance, weaving Heather's mystery into an untraditional tale about seizing the opportunity to start over.​ Characters: For me personally, the characters are more of told than show, and I barely got to know any of them. I'll do my best to make the characters as spoiler free as I can. Heather is the main character, and on the surface she appears to have an id...

Title of the book:  Round the Bend: From Luton to Peru, to Ningallo, a Search for Life after Redudancy Author:  Alistair McGuinness Publisher: Matador Books Publishing Date: 2014 ISBN: 978-1-78088-390-8 Summary: From the Amazon to the  Andes  and Kilimanjaro to  Cape Town .  This adventure story captures the reality and exhilaration of leaving home to undertake Gap Year travel in  South America ,  Africa ,  Fiji  and  Australia . Three things happened simultaneously. The lioness charged, Alistair fled across the parched savannah and his wife screamed for him to run faster. Stuffed deep inside his tattered rucksack was a guidebook containing advice on what to do in wildlife emergencies, which he planned to read if he survived the next thirty seconds. Future plans to climb Kilimanjaro, teach English in the Amazon and live in  Australia  were temporarily forgotten as he turned to face the pouncing liones...

Name of Book: Brilliance Author: Marcus Sakey ISBN: 9781611099690 Publisher: Thomas and Mercer Part of a Series: A Better World is the sequel Type of book: Speculative fiction, gifted vs average, hiding out, government, 2000s, alternative reality, academies, protection, friendship, action, thievery, motives, game of chess Year it was published: 2013 Summary: In Wyoming, a little girl reads people’s darkest secrets by the way they fold their arms. In New York, a man sensing patterns in the stock market racks up $300 billion. In Chicago, a woman can go invisible by being where no one is looking. They’re called "brilliants," and since 1980, one percent of people have been born this way. Nick Cooper is among them; a federal agent, Cooper has gifts rendering him exceptional at hunting terrorists. His latest target may be the most dangerous man alive, a brilliant drenched in blood and intent on provoking civil war. But to catch him, Cooper will have to violate...

Name of Book: The Angel of Losses Author: Stephanie Feldman ISBN: 978-0-06-222891-8 Publisher: Ecco Type of book: Jewish mythology, Jewish folktales, hidden Jews, 2000s, marriage, conversion, sisterhood, Europe, hiding, brotherhood, siblings, angels, Wandering Jew, White Rebbe, New York, thesis paper, notebooks of stories Year it was published: 2014 Summary: The Tiger's Wife meets A History of Love in this inventive, lushly imagined debut novel that explores the intersections of family secrets, Jewish myths, the legacy of war and history, and the bonds between sisters When Eli Burke dies, he leaves behind a mysterious notebook full of stories about a magical figure named The White Rebbe, a miracle worker in league with the enigmatic Angel of Losses, protector of things gone astray, and guardian of the lost letter of the alphabet, which completes the secret name of God. When his granddaughter, Marjorie, discovers Eli's notebook, everything she thought she ...