Svetlana's Reads and Views

Diverse Reads on my Blog #18 I have a question: what kind of world would you want to leave for your children? I know it sounds something people use when they are worried about the physical state of the earth; but I've been thinking a lot: the world I refer to is of the historical narratives that get passed down from one generation to another. We inherited the historical narratives that emphasize winners over losers, and are these narratives okay with us? These narratives also shut out different voices, different experiences from ours, and is it okay that our descendants will look at us the way we see our ancestors? Think really hard about the question. Blast from the Past Getting Physical by Jade Lee When savvy business student Zoe crosses paths with sexy international businessman Stephen--a Tantric master--she's about to get a transcendent learning experience  The sex is incredible, mind-blowing, life changing Unfortunately, it also comes with a time limit. Becaus...

Name of Book: DOOM, GLOOM AND the PURSUIT of the sun Author:  ANTOINE f. GNINTEDEM ISBN: 978-1-9834-2127-3 Publisher: Self published Type of book: Cameroon,  Africa, America, education, talent, government, corruption, favors, relationships, 1970s to 2000s, family, ambitions, Mississippi, teaching, degrees, college Year it was published: 2018 Summary: The town is famous in the region for its chronic stillness…Consequently, every ambitious person who grows up there eventually leaves in search of better opportunities. Life in Mbengwi, Cameroon, is not easy for Austin—or for anyone else. While growing up, he bears witness to the worst parts of life and the cruelties of human nature. These things keep his homeland trapped in a cycle of misery and suffering. In a country overrun by poverty, death, unrest, and corruption, he sees no future for himself. The only way to escape the cycle is to flee to a place Austin believes to be free of all these troubles, a plac...

Name of Book: Bitten Author: Alan Moore ISBN: 9781980200895 Publisher: Self published Type of book: Italy, gore, mosquitos, art authentication, secrets, demanding sex drive, disturbing scenes, mafia, connections, two parallel stories Year it was published: 2018 Summary: In the not-too-distant future, Italy is in disarray. It has voted to leave the EU in an attempt to regain control of its laws, finances and commerce. Even so, the country's economy is shrinking and its national debt rising. There is a marked escalation, too, in unemployment, bank loans and immigration. Production and service companies are in difficulty. The only thriving business areas are the black market and organised crime. There is discontent and protest on all sides. In Florence, the local Mafia boss, more accustomed to gunrunning and trading in plutonium, is involved in organising a silent auction for the sale of one of the world's most valuable lost paintings - a sixteenth-century mas...

Book Details: Book Title: The Boy Who Dreamt of Fire Trucks by Alvita Mack Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 26 pages Genre: Children's Books, Cars, Trains & Things That Go, Cars & Trucks Publisher: Mindstir Media Release date: September 26, 2016 Tour dates: May 28 to June 22, 2018 Content Rating: G Book Description: This story is about a little boy who is fascinated by fire trucks. Throughout his early life, he has dreams about the adventures at the station and the exciting life of a firefighter. The little boy holds his dreams close until one day they become a reality. To follow the tour please visit Alvita Mack's page on iRead Book Tours. ​ Buy the Book: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble Add to Goodreads Watch the book trailer:   Meet the Author: Alvita is a lover of writing, a teacher, and most importantly, a mom. Writing has always provided a creative outlet for which she finds sensibl...

Book Details: Book Title: Out of Time (A ray Lafayette Novel) by Thomas William Lowrie Category: Adult Fiction, 264 pages Genre: Historical Fiction, Military and War Publisher: Mindstir Media Release date: December 4, 2017 Tour dates: May 28 to June 22, 2018 Content Rating: PG-13 Book Description: Well, here I go again. All alone except for this suitcase of mine. I’m headed for a new place with new people. Not so bad considering it’s 1944. Lots of guys are in my shoes. We’re in the middle of World War II. Still not so bad. I’m a fireman in the Army Air Corps whatever they’re calling themselves these days. Once again, not bad at all. But I was born in 1963. There’s the bad part. I was not born with the name Ray Lafayette, but that’s what they call me. I didn’t have kids or smoke a pipe. Hell, I didn’t even like coffee. I do now. I was born into a different life than this, one with a lot of attachments. Now I carry my life in one bag. One really imp...

Book Details: Book Title: Poppy (The Montgomery Sisters, Book 2) by Kat Flannery Category: Adult Fiction, 170 pages Genre: Historical western romance Publisher: Picco Press Release date: May 18, 2018 Tour dates: May 28 to June 15, 2018 Content Rating: PG Book Description: Poppy Montgomery has always been good with a gun and could fight her way out of anything. Tough as nails and a sharp shooter, her beauty deceives the outlaws she’s after. Hot on the trail of the Clemmons gang, a group of outlaws who rob trains and killed an innocent woman and child a few months before, she is determined to make them pay for the sin’s they’ve committed by bringing them to justice. Pinkerton, Noah Shaw is investigating a ring of stage robberies and knows the Clemmons gang is behind them. Told to track down the infamous redheaded bounty hunter, Noah gets more than he bargained for when he arrests Poppy for assault. Handcuffed together the pair must work together...

Book Details: Book Title: Buckaroo Buckeye: A Little Nut with Big Dreams Author: Kristin Anderson Cetone Illustrator: Nadia Komorova Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 36 pages Genre: Friendship, Social Skills & School Life, Bullies, Growing Up & Facts of Life Publisher: KLAC Enterprises, LLC Release date: September 1, 2012 Tour dates: May 21 to June 15, 2018 Content Rating: G Book Description: Winner of the Mom's Choice Silver and OneBookAZ Awards! There's a new cowboy in town! Hit the trail with Buckaroo Buckeye, a lovable little nut who falls from his tree in Ohio, as he dodges the bumps and bullies along the way in a magical journey to find his true place in the world. Created by Reading Specialist Kristin Cetone, Buckaroo Buckeye teaches children 4-8 to: • Learn to ignore bullies • Improve their self-esteem • Connect with reading • "Dream, Believe and Achieve" no matter their size! Your child will be inspired by Buckaroo...

Name of Book: The Secret of Southern Charm Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey ISBN: 978-1-5011-5810-0 Publisher: Gallery Part of a Series: Peach Bluff Series Type of book: Georgia, secrets, marriage, hope, faith, mother/children relationships, friendship, south, summer, being for one another, MIA, tragedy, finding self, talent Year it was published: 2018 Summary: A 2018 Spring Okra Pick One of Southern Living’s Best Spring Break Reads Leaving fans “practically [begging] for a sequel” (Bookpage), critically acclaimed author Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with the second novel in her beloved Peachtree Bluff series, featuring a trio of sisters and their mother who discover a truth that will change not only the way they see themselves, but also how they fit together as a family. After finding out her military husband is missing in action, middle sister Sloane’s world crumbles as her worst nightmare comes true. She can barely climb out of bed, much less summon the stren...

Name of Book: before I Let You go Author: Kelly Rimmer ISBN: 978-1-525-82084-7 Publisher: Graydon House Type of book: Addiction, sisterhood, secrets, child abuse, surviving, thriving, loyalty, journal writing, religious sect, prohibitions, pregnancy, taking drugs while pregnant, laws, morality, choices, Alabama USA Year it was published: 2018 Summary: The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable. As weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job,...

Name of Book: Secrets and shadows Author: Roberta Silman ISBN: 978-1-64008-900-6 Publisher: Campden Hill Books Type of book: Holocaust, Germany, Berlin, blending in, marriage, 1989, 1940s, divorce, secrets, infidelities, secrets, betrayal, past, present  Year it was published: 2018 Summary: Berlin. Wartime. A city of secrets, secrets that destroyed Paul Bertram’s once-idyllic marriage, secrets that have threatened to consume him, secrets that almost destroyed his very life. When the Berlin Wall falls in 1989, Paul is finally compelled to confront his past. Seeking one last chance at redemption, he is pulled back to the city where he and his family almost perished. But how? With whom? In his anguish Paul turns to his former wife, Eve, and together they embark on a journey they never could have envisioned, a journey during which he is able — at last — to reveal the awful truths he has lived with for so long. A journey where she is able to face her own ...

Book Details: Book Title: A Reason for Living by Julian Jingles Category: Adult Fiction, 382 pages Genre: Historical fiction Publisher: iUniverse Release date: January 17, 2018 Tour dates: May 21 to June 8, 2018 Content Rating: R Book Description: It is the mid-1960s in Kingston, Jamaica, and the country is steeped in social, political, and economic inequities. Howard Baxter, the heir to a real estate empire, has no interest in seeking or managing wealth. Painting and deflowering Jamaican maidens are his passions. As he combs the streets looking for greater meaning in his pathetic life, it soon becomes apparent that Howard's journey will not be easy. Bernaldo Lloyd, a member of the Baxter clan, is a medical student who is sensitive to the hopelessness of the Jamaican masses. Inspired by his close friend and Howard's cousin, Ras Robin Pone, and their ties with the Rastafari movement that calls for social and economic equity, Bernaldo is determi...