Svetlana's Reads and Views

   Name of Book: Author: ISBN: Publisher: Part of a Series: Type of book: Italy, family, 1950-1951, six months, travel, affair, work, old vs new, diary, breaking society's roles  Year it was published: Summary: Characters: Main characters are Valeria and her family. There is Valeria who is longing to be more than just a housewife, but she feels constrained by society and her family to remain as she is. She is also dealing with a lot of changes when it comes to her family and society. While Valeria is struggling with roles and family obligations, HER husband DESIRES to have a change of career and to be more than he is, a mere provider. Her son wants to leave for Argentina and quite often is old fashioned on his views, especially as it relates to his younger sister. The youngest sister, Mirella, is perhaps a modern day girl who wants to break out of the societal constraints by working and having an affair with a married man.  Theme: It's amazing what diaries can reveal...

   Name of Book: Author: ISBN: Publisher: Part of a Series: Type of book: 1983, New York, Paris, 1980s to 2020s, counselling, winter, seasons, lost in language, colors, modeling, lost innocence  Year it was published: Summary: Characters: Main character is the sixteen year old girl, an unnamed narrator who sought fame but paid the price. She is from Scandinavia and lives in New York with her mother. However, one day she catches a photographer's eye and thus begins the story of bildungsroman and lost innocence. She often tiptoe a lot during the book, having the reader go on wild goose chases, at the same time the prose and revelations become less and less shocking as story goes on. There is also the girls mother who acts more as a sister than a mother and who is afraid of exerting her own authority.  Theme: Memory and experiences create strength and fragility  Plot: The story is in first person narrative from the girls point of view, and yes the time jumps around...

  Title of the book: Author: Publisher: Publishing Date: ISBN: Summary: Author Info: Personal Opinion: I am truly and honestly speechless when it comes to this book, and I mean in a good way. Written as both incorporating poetry and science, this is both a deep meditation and filled with facts and wonders about what we can learn from Earths history. Its definitely easy to take earths building blocks for granted. They were always there, and I doubt many people think of the how and why earth is the way it is. ( at least in my case, I admit.) However, upon reading Strata, I gained a lot of appreciation of how and why earth became the way it did. Starting from the time of Great Oxygenation Event about 2.5 billion years ago, and skipping to "snowball earth" 720 million years ago then to plants and mud 458 million years ago and at last to heat or time before dinosaurs 252 million years ago, I doubt readers will find the book boring or disappointing. If you are seeking something for...

    Name of Book: Author: ISBN: Publisher: Type of book: Medieval, England, 1152, fantasy, magic, angels, wizardry, manipulation, villages, kidnapping, shapeshifters, friends  Year it was published: Summary: Characters: Main character includes Once Was Willem, a preteen boy that died at a young age but then gets resurrected. There are plenty of secondary characters such as Once Was Willems friends like the shapeshifters Anna and her brother Kel, Unsung Jill, and Morjune. Although The story is from Once Was Willems point of view, I feel that we don't really get to know him as well the other characters. He is definitely wise for his years and isn't big on others suffering. Kel is a shapeshifter from the North who is capable of transforming into a bear and he has strong moral principles about right and wrong. Anna is his half sister but is extremely passionate and devoted to him and his wellbeing. Morjune was a healer and a magician of sorts who is accused of witchcraft. She...