Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book:  The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts Author: K.C. Tansley ISBN: 978-1-943024-00-1 Publisher: Beckett Publishing Type of book: Ghosts, time travel, Young adult, supernatural, romance, 1900s, curse, 2000s, Connecticut, wealth, secrets Year it was published: 2015 Summary: Kat Preston doesn’t believe in ghosts. Not because she’s never seen one, but because she saw one too many. Refusing to believe is the only way to protect herself from the ghost that tried to steal her life. Kat’s disbelief keeps her safe until her junior year at McTernan Academy, when a research project for an eccentric teacher takes her to a tiny, private island off the coast of Connecticut. The site of a grisly mystery, the Isle of Acacia is no place for a girl who ignores ghosts, but the ghosts leave Kat little choice. Accompanied by her research partner, Evan Kingsley, she investigates the disappearance of Cassie Mallory and Sebastian Radcliffe on their wedding night in 1886. Evan’s sc...

Name of Book:  Trust: Pandora's Box Author:  Cristiane Serruya ISBN:  9781489524508 Publisher: CreateSpace Part of a Series: Trust Trilogy Type of book: Erotica, marriage, trust, issues, England, realism, 2010-2011, plot, spy, Pandora's Box, philosophy, maturity, surprises, infertility, legends, family Year it was published: 2014 Summary: TRUST: PANDORA'S BOX, the last installment of the TRUST TRILOGY, follows Ethan, Alistair and Sophia as each one of them strives to live happily ever after. But a greedy man, who has uncovered the many secrets and wrong deeds committed by Ethan, Alistair and Sophia, realizes they could be worth millions. Many are invited to join his team. Each one has an agenda. Each one has a target. Things get out of control when Pandora's Box is opened and the demons are let loose. With so many enemies out for revenge, what will the future bring to Ethan, Alistair and Sophia? Eventually, wishes and nightmares come true... Will hop...

Name of Book: The Tide Watchers Author: Lisa Chaplin ISBN: 978-0-06-237912-2 Publisher: William Morrow Type of book: 1802-1803, Spying, running away, England vs France, Napoleon Bonaparte, wars, conquering, inventor, submarine machine, family ties and bonds, slight romance, abuse, murders, sadism Year it was published: 2015 Summary: n the winter of 1803, one woman stands between Napoleon and the fall of Great Britain The free-spirited daughter of an English baronet, Lisbeth defies convention by eloping to France. When her husband abandons her, she must find a way to survive and be reunited with her young son, who is in the care of her mother-in-law. A seasoned spy known as Tidewatcher, Duncan apprenticed under Lisbeth's father and pledged to keep his mentor's pretty daughter safe—a promise complicated by the wily Napoleon Bonaparte. The British believe he is planning an attack, and Duncan is sent to search for signs of invasion on the French coast—where ...

Name of Book:  '89 Walls Author:  Katie Pierson ISBN: 978-1-940014-55-5 Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing Type of book: Multiple sclerosis, abortion, liberal views, conservative, 1989, politics, government policies and rules, euthanasia, Cold War dampening down Year it was published: 2015 Summary: College is not in the cards for Seth. He spends his minimum wage on groceries and fakes happiness to distract his mom from the MS they both know will kill her. It’s agony to carry around a frayed love note for a girl who’s both out of his league and beneath his dignity. Quinn’s finishing high school on top. But that cynical, liberal guy in her social studies class makes her doubt her old assumptions. Challenging the rules now, though, would a) squander her last summer at home, b) antagonize her conservative dad, and c) make her a hypocrite. Seth and Quinn’s passionate new romance takes them both by surprise. They keep it a secret: it’s too early to make ...

Name of Book: The Sunrise Author: Victoria Hislop ISBN: 978-0-06-239609-9 Publisher: Harper Type of book: 1972-1975, future, Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot, riot, fighting, surviving, wealth, expense, gender roles, Cyprus Famagusta, hotel, affair, rape Year it was published: 2015 Summary: Internationally bestselling author Victoria Hislop delivers a stirring novel set during the 1974 Cypriot coup d'état that tells the intersecting stories of three families devastated by the conflict. . . Summer 1972—Famagusta is Cyprus's most desirable tourist destination in the Mediterranean. Aphroditi Papacostas and her husband, Savvas, own The Sunrise, a wildly successful new luxury hotel. Frequented by only the very wealthiest of Europe's elite, The Sunrise quickly becomes the place to see and be seen. Yet beneath the veneer of tranquil opulence simmers mounting hostility between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Years of unrest and ethnic violence come to a head whe...

Title of the book:  The Same Sky; A Traveler's Quest for redemption and peace Author:  Debbie Yee Lan Wong Publisher: Createspace Publishing Date: 2013 ISBN: 9781490997131 Summary: After a painful breakup, a young Chinese Canadian packed her bag, a journal and a camera and went on a solo journey through Southeast Asia. Brokenhearted and needing to escape, she embarked on a three-month trip that took her from the ancient Buddhist temples of Tibet, to the heights of the Mt. Everest base camp, through the bustling markets of Laos, and to the peaceful hallways of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Along the way, as she navigated the difficulties of traveling alone, she encountered locals who have lived through war, poverty and political repression. Their moving stories of loss and resilience inspired her to reclaim her independence and rediscover peace and strength after a traumatic event. A deeply personal story with universal resonance, The Same Sky will appeal to anyone...

Part XXVI: Why I will not Review nor Read veronica roth or Hunger Games For those that know me, I'm a story fanatic and often one can find all sorts of books on my blog from fiction to non-fiction and books that mix in different genres. Sometimes I review culturally popular books such as first book of Twilight, and E.L James' horrible series of abuse and domination that she claims is "romance" and "erotica." (Right, and I'm the wealthiest woman in the world-and richer than Christian Grey- if her books are actually romantic and are erotic...hmm where's my money?) Despite the liberty I give to practically all the books I have, there are some books that will not see the light of day on my book review blog and here are my reasons why: As a high school junior or senior, I was introduced to Lord of the Flies, which, as people know, is about a stranded group of boys that are stranded on an island and it tends to be a blueprint for the dystopia fiction ...

Publication Date: July 14, 2015 (tentative) Publisher: Clean Reads (formerly Astraea Press) Format: eBook Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance The red-headed Karin is strong-willed and determined, something she inherited from her father. She tries to keep her true nature a secret to avoid being deemed a traitor by those loyal to the king. Karin and her father butt heads over her duty to her family and the Czech Crown. She is then sequestered to the Royal Viscount’s hunting lodge. Not aware of everything that is happening, she becomes the target of an individual with murderous intent. Her heart soon becomes entangled though her father intends to wed her to another. The turmoil inside Karin deepens and reflects the turmoil of her homeland, on the brink of the Hussite Wars. The Lady Bornekova Available at Amazon About the Author Sara resides with her family in Middle TN. Though she has enjoyed her career as a Zoo Educator, Sara's great love of the written word has al...

Name of Book: Sword of the Gladiatrix Author: Faith L Justice ISBN: 9780692386491 Publisher: Raggedy Moon Books Type of book: Kush, Celtic, Romans vs Celts, 60-62 ME, Nero, gladiators, sport, entertainment, animals, lesbians, romance, interracial relationship African female/Celtic female, fighting, Pompeii, trading, cheetahs Year it was published: 2015 Summary: Two women. Two swords. One victor. An action-packed tale that exposes the brutal underside of Imperial Rome, "Sword of the Gladiatrix" brings to life unforgettable characters and exotic settings. From the far edges of the Empire, two women come to battle on the hot sands of the arena in Nero's Rome: Afra, scout and beast master to the Queen of Kush; and Cinnia, warrior-bard and companion to Queen Boudica of the British Iceni. Enslaved, forced to fight for their lives and the Romans' pleasure; they seek to replace lost friendship, love, and family in each other's arms. But the Roman ar...

Name of Book: Guy Erma and the Son of Empire Part Three Exile Author: Sally Ann Melia ISBN: 9781508959038 Publisher: Self published Part of a Series: Guy Erma and the Son of Empire Series Type of book: Science fiction, friendships, insects, plague, escape, alien/human relationship, disguises, different planets, young adult, class conflicts, proof, hidden secrets Year it was published: 2014 Summary: Thank God! 13-year-old Teodor has found a way to escape from kidnap, how long before he is safely home? 13-year-old Guy Erma has run away from everything he has even known and no longer knows what the future holds. They escaped through dark tunnels and back alleys but they also discovered a hidden terror that now threatens their entire planet. Two boys as different as two boys might be. Their adventure has forged an unexpected friendship, but do they really trust each other? Dare they share their darkest, deepest secrets? Characters: Some of the main charact...