Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book: The School of Night Author: Colin Falconer ISBN: 9781621252139 Publisher: Cool Gus Publishing Part of a Series: The William Shakespeare Detective Agency Type of book: William Shakespeare, Elizabethan England, 1593?-1594, family relations, mystery, acting, Kit Marlowe, strong heroine, comedy, daily life Year it was published: 2015 Summary: "My name is William Shakespeare. No, not that Shakespeare; and no jests please, I've heard them all. I'm the other one, the ne'er do well cousin, the loafer, known to family and friends as the dunce, the one who could not recite Cicero or Horace, who could never be as good as his clever cuz, the one who has just come to Bishopsgate from Stratford with silly dreams in his head and a longing to make something more of himself than just a glover's handyman." What he finds in London is Lady Elizabeth Talbot, who is willing to pass a few shillings to this blundering brawler if he will help her f...

Please join author C.W. Gortner as his latest release, Mademoiselle Chanel, is featured around the blogosphere from March 17-April 3, and enter to win one of three fabulously chic, Chanel-style black and white beaded bracelets! Publication Date: March 17, 2015 William Morrow/HarperCollins Formats: Hardover, eBook, Audio Book Genre: Historical Fiction DRAMA, PASSION, TRAGEDY, AND BEAUTY: C.W.’s new novel stunningly imagines the life of Coco Chanel—the iconic fashion designer whose staggering creativity built an empire and made her one of the 20th century’s most influential, and controversial, figures. Born into rural poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her sisters are sent to a convent orphanage after their mother’s death. Here, the nuns nurture Gabrielle’s exceptional sewing skills, a talent that will propel her into a life far removed from the drudgery of her childhood. Transforming herself into Coco—a seamstress and sometime torch singer—the petite brunette burns with ambition, an i...

Name of Book: The Prince's Doom Author: David Blixt ISBN: 9780615894430 Publisher: Sordelet Ink Part of a Series: Star Cross'd Type of book: 1328-1329, friendship, marriage, wedding, couples, Italy, Verona, Venice, politics, Padua, the feud, Shakespeare, Dante, incest, teenage rebellion, stars, love Year it was published: 2014 Summary: The explosive fourth novel in the Star-Cross'd series! Verona has won its war with Padua, lost its war with the stars. The young prodigy Cesco now turns his troubled brilliance to darker purposes, embracing a riotous life and challenging not only the lord of Verona, but the stars themselves. For once Pietro Alaghieri welcomes the many plots and intrigues of the Veronese court, hoping they will shake Cesco out of his torpor. But when the first body falls, it becomes clear that this new game is deadly, and will only to doom them all. Characters: There are a whole ton of characters, and it would take me forever to go...

Name of Book: Dog Crazy Author: Meg Donohue ISBN: 978-0-06-233103-8 Publisher: William Morrow Type of book: grief, loss, dogs, love, relationships, dog/human relationships, dog's roles in life, pets, foster pets, anxieties and phobias, 2000s, Philadelphia, San Francisco, conditioning, overcoming, moving on. Year it was published: 2015 Summary: The USA Today bestselling author of How to Eat a Cupcake and All the Summer Girls returns with an unforgettably poignant and funny tale of love and loss, confronting our fears, and moving on . . . with the help of a poodle, a mutt, and a Basset retriever named Seymour As a pet bereavement counselor, Maggie Brennan uses a combination of empathy, insight, and humor to help patients cope with the anguish of losing their beloved four-legged friends. Though she has a gift for guiding others through difficult situations, Maggie has major troubles of her own that threaten the success of her counseling practice and her volunte...

Name of Book: Solo Author: Kevin V Symmons ISBN: 978-1-62830-303-5 Publisher: The Wild Rose Press Inc Type of book: Domestic abuse, rape, romance, dreams come true, endless tragedies, 1988-2002, Boston, New Jersey, New England Conservatory School, writing, touring Year it was published: 2014 Summary: Jessica Long has the voice of an angel. But Jesse's cold beauty masks a brutal past filled with privation and cruelty. As the talented soprano approaches her final year at New England Conservatory, she is faced with a choice: stay with her striking young lover or accept the offer of a successful Broadway producer. She chooses the latter only to discover that fame can exact a cruel price. After years of yearning, the lovers meet again - at Jesse's ragged homestead on the Maine Coast. Matt will reveal the benefactor who's followed and protected Jesse as the lovers face a confrontation with the jealous pursuer who's tried to destroy her. One final choice aw...

Name of Book: Fiercombe Manor Author: Kate Riordan ISBN: 978-0-06-233294-3 Publisher: Harper Type of book: Gothic, supernatural, 1899, 1933, 1936, England, confinement, tragedy, postpartum depression and its effects, romance, hidden stories ,treatment, mental institution, helplessness, adultery Year it was published: 2015 Summary: A house as old as Fiercombe Manor holds many secrets within its walls. But which dark chapter of its history is haunting Alice, a young woman staying there during the course of a fateful summer? In 1933, naive twenty-two-year-old Alice is pregnant, unmarried, and disgraced. She can no longer share her parents' London home, so her desperate mother concocts a cover story and begs her old friend, Mrs. Jelphs, for help. The housekeeper at rural Fiercombe Manor, Mrs. Jelphs is moved by Alice's "plight" as a new widow and agrees to watch over her in the secluded English countryside until the baby is born and given up for adopti...