Svetlana's Reads and Views

 Name of Book: Author: ISBN: Publisher: Part of a Series: Type of book: Based on Moby Dick, 1849-1905, Nantucket, Massachusetts, quest, South America, Europe, generational trauma, repetition cycle, travel, female-centric,  Year it was published: Summary: Characters: Main characters are Evangeline, Rachel, Mara and Antonia. Evangeline begins the story in 1849, when her husband is lost but she refuses to acknowledge the truth. She is charming, filled with secrets and is lonely. At the same time Evangeline wants to focus on present rather than worry about tomorrow, especially as it pertains to her future family. Rachel is Evangeline's daughter and she is curious, determined and wants to find out the truth badly, which causes her to make some questionable choices and decisions. Mara is Rachel's daughter and she is a lot like Rachel yet towards the end she also exhibits a lot of Evangeline's characteristics. Antonia is Mara's daughter and it is up to her and her grandfather ...

    Title of the book: Author: Publisher: Publishing Date: ISBN: Summary: Author Info: Personal Opinion: When one says Egypt, I imagine that the Egypt that is imagined is one of ancient pyramids and pharaohs or Alexander the Great, or Egypt of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. But Egypt that's not often thought about is one between Alexander the Great and Cleopatra; the Egypt of Ptolomies. This is the time period that is covered in this book, a bridge between ancient Egypt and Roman protectorate, and boy was I in for a wild and unpredictable history ride, especially as it involves ancient Iran and the truth of how Rome became the ruling power of Egypt. I thought I knew everything there was to know, but its a lie, and I learned a whole lot more. If you want to understand the Egypt before it became Roman protectorate as well as how the Ptolemaic Dynasty influenced the future, giving way to Roman Empire, and if you are looking for something beyond the typical ancient Phar...

 Name of Book: Author: ISBN: Publisher: Part of a Series: Type of book: Detective, mystery, 1950s, New York, murder, lawyers, mafia, life threatening, ex boyfriends,  Year it was published: Summary: Characters: Main characters would be Deborah "D.J" Ryan and Sam Monroe as well as the dead socialite Laura Nielson. Sam is a Korean War Vet turned lawyer who is perhaps looking for something long term and has high hopes in getting back with Laura. He is methodical, a risk taker, and often impulsive. He also desires to do things himself and involve other people as little as possible. D.J Ryan definitely matches Sam in stubbornness and is good at looking possibilities as well as providing necessary resources and money. Laura, well, I can't talk a lot about her without spoiling the story, but there is a whole ton that she hides underneath, namely trauma and how trauma has affected her.  Theme: Do you really know that person beyond their labels?  Plot: The story is in third p...

 Name of Book: Author: ISBN: Publisher: Part of a Series: Type of book: Fantasy, con, nobility, Italy based setting, masks, fortune telling, lack of trust, changes, lives, mysteries, numbers, magic, past Year it was published: Summary: Characters: Main characters would definitely be Ren, Vargo and Grey. Ren is a con artist who is now having to juggle multiple masks and identities at once; that of Renata, a sophisticated impoverished noblewoman, Arenza, a clanless szorza (fortuneteller) and Rose, a vigilante helper to the famous Rook. Having so many identities, along with being herself is tiring for Ren, but she does grow more vulnerable and trustworthy, in particular to Vargo and Grey. Vargo was perhaps the most intriguing character in the story, as the readers learn about the mysterious helper and watch him grow up from being selfish to somewhat selfless. Grey also went through some change, in particular deciding to reveal an important secret to Ren and maybe even Vargo. Definitel...