Svetlana's Reads and Views

  Title of the book: Author: Publisher: Publishing Date: ISBN: Summary: Author Info: Personal Opinion: This is something close and personal to my heart, in particular since I share ancestry and parentage of the people within the book, thus this is a very personal topic for me. Coming in from Soviet Union as part of the 90s diaspora, I learned the hard way that prejudices aren't eliminated but are hidden inside. Thus the explosion of Jew hatred (or Judophobia as I will call it in my blog instead of antisemitism) didn't surprise me, but saddened me instead. Yet, how quickly the world and American Jews forget the Judophobia that existed throughout the few centuries, and how it didn't go away at all but instead it felt as if we were the ostriches seeking a moment's reprieve amongst the hatred. As the title implies, the narrative focuses on Judophobia from earliest colonial times and remarks to post October 7th 2023, thus besides the Judophobia there is little history of Jew...

  Title of the book: Author: Publisher: Publishing Date: ISBN: Summary: Author Info: Personal Opinion: I love reading science books where I can learn fascinating new facts that I hadn't known before, and this book is just full of them! Every piece of inhospitable corner, from light to darkness to cold to heat is just overflowing with a lot of eye opening information on the type of life that survives and thrives in these harsh conditions, giving me hope that life can and will overcome adversity. I loved learning about various species that made these extremes their homes, practically all of them I hadn't known or heard of before. If you are looking to learn new scientific facts about life as well as endless possibilities of what we can learn about about ourselves and life, then this is a book to be treasured and enjoyed.  This was given for review 4 out of 5 (0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Go...

  Title of the book: F*cked up fairytales; sinful cinderellas, prince alarmings, and other timeless classics  Author: Liz Gotauco Publisher: W.W. Norton Publishing Date: 2025 ISBN: 9781324106333 Summary:  Bawdy, shocking, and hilarious interpretations of classic and rare fairy tales from a beloved TikTok storyteller. Based on the wildly popular TikTok series, F*cked Up Fairy Tales presents modern retellings of some of the strangest and darkest stories humans had the audacity to invent. Inspired by sources across the world, “Cosbrarian” Liz Gotauco conjures gossipy animals, homicidal royals, doomed commoners, and shape-shifting beaux—all reckoning with complicated, adult problems that “Disney versions” have sanitized. In entertaining asides, Gotauco offers insight into the stories’ contested origins, spills deliciously weird details about fairy tale authors like Madame de Aulnoy and the Brothers Grimm, and explores timeless themes that have long tickled the huma...

   Name of Book: Author: ISBN: Publisher: Part of a Series: Type of book: Fantasy, desert, colonialism, royalty, military, war, religion, hidden worlds  Year it was published: Summary: Characters: From some chapters that  I read the main characters are Luca, Touraine and yes, Pruett, Touraines former lover. The characters do grow and change parts of themselves as the story goes, questioning and wondering if their choices are the right ones. And yes they do make very questionable decisions.  Theme: It's possible to grow and mature  Plot: Story is in third person narrative from what seems like everyone's point of view, although the primary characters were Touraine and Luca, and Touraines former lover Pruett. I also will mention that one should read this immediately after reading THE UNBROKEN. Because there is no summary at the front at what to expect. It honestly felt as if the characters had matured and grown from some parts I have read and seen, yet the sto...