Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book: The White Pearl Author: Kate Furnivall ISBN: 978-0-425-24100-4 Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group Type of book: 1941-1942, World War II, Malaysia, boats, twins, affair, murders, revenge, secrets, Japan Year it was published: 2012 Summary: Malaya, 1941. Connie Thornton [her last name in the novel is Hadley]. plays her role as a dutiful wife and mother without complaint. She is among the fortunate after all-the British rubber plantation owners reaping the benefits of the colonial life. But Connie feels as though she is oppressed, crippled by boredom, sweltering heat, a loveless marriage. . . Then, in December, the Japanese invade. Connie and her family flee, sailing south on their yacht toward Singapore, where the British are certain to stand firm against the Japanese. En route, in the company of friends, they learn that Singapore is already under siege. Tensions mount, tempers flare, and the yacht's inhabitants are driven by fear. Increasingly de...

Emma- Jane Austen SR: April 16th, 2012 FR: N/A Persuasion- Jane Austen SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: April 16th, 2012 Jacob the Liar- Jurek Becker SR: April 1st, 2012 FR: N/A East Wind, West Wind- Pearl Buck SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: April 21st, 2012 Les Liasons Dangereuses- Choderlos DeLaclos SR: January 5th, 2012 FR: April 25th, 2012 Summer of My German Soldier- Bette Greene SR: April 1st, 2012 FR: April 11th, 2012 Having the Billionaire's Baby- Sandra Hyatt SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: April 13th, 2012 Homeland- John Jakes SR: February 1st, 2012 FR: N/A Number the Stars- Lois Lowry SR: April 1st, 2012 FR: April 23rd, 2012 Tender Assault- Anne Mather SR: March 1st, 2012 FR: April 1st, 2012 Gone with the wind- Margaret Mitchell SR: February 1st, 2012 FR: N/A Bury Me Deep- Christopher Pike SR: February 1st, 2012 FR: April 24th, 2012 Fall Into Darkness- Christopher Pike SR: February 1st, 2012 FR: April 17th, 2012 The Eternal Enemy- Christopher Pike SR: Feb...

Name of Book: A Marriage in the making Author: Natalie Fox ISBN: 0-373-18690-8 Publisher: Harlequin Presents Type of book: romance, island, separation, father-son relationship, adult, 1990s Year it was published: 1997 Summary: The unmarried wife Karis had been married once, and didn't intend to repeat the experience She was devoted to her baby daughter, and she loved working as a nanny to five-year-old Josh. She didn't need a husband--and, even if she did, Josh's father would be the last man she'd choose But sometimes Karis felt more like Daniel Kennedy's wife than his employee. She shared a home with him, cared for his son...and found herself longing for his kisses And now Daniel was suggesting Karis share his bedroom. Would his next proposal be marriage? Characters: The author does try to add dimension to the characters but the characters, to me personally, tend to be boring and predictable. Daniel's his fiancee's relationship ba...

Spoilers from: Millicent Min, Girl Genius Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time So Totally Emily Ebers One summer, three kids, three separate points of view in three books... Millicent Min:  "June 7 I have been accused of being anal retentive, an over-achiever, and a compulsive perfectionist, like those are bad things. My disposition probably has a lot to do with the fact that I am technically a genius. Unfortunately, this label seems to precede me wherever I go." (page 1) With that opening paragraph, the reader is plunged into the strange and quirky world of Millicent Min, a Chinese-American eleven year old genius who will complete high school, attend college and wants a grand future of solving society's ills. Being a genius caused her to be unable to relate to kids her own age and thus, she was closed off from making friends, although she has tried multiple times, such as bringing Moon Pies to get people to like her which lasted for five minutes, or befriending a co...

Books I need to review: Sweet Valley Twins Series Jessica's Secret Elizabeth's First Kiss Books I'm Reading: Persuasion- Jane Austen 47/254 East Wind, West Wind- Pearl Buck 58/277 Les Liaisons Dangereuses- Choderlos DeLaclos 322/393 A Marriage in the making- Natalie Fox 112/189 Having the Billionaire's Baby- Sandra Hyatt 40/178 Homeland- John Jakes 332/1174 Tender Assault- Anne Mather 39/186 Gone with the wind- Margaret Mitchell 61/1037 Bury Me Deep- Christopher Pike 73/211 Fall Into Darkness- Christopher Pike 87/213 The Eternal Enemy- Christopher Pike 57/180 Ivanhoe- Sir Walter Scott 29/405 The Age of Innocence- Edith Wharton 32/362 Series: The House of Earth- Pearl Buck 2. Sons 177/313 The Story of the Stone- Xueqin Cao 4. The Debt of Tears 72/384 The First Native Americans Quartet- W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear 3. People of the Earth 56/587 The Storyteller Trilogy- Sue Harrison 1. Song of the River 67/560 The Tigress Sexte...

Name of Book: People of the fire Author: W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear ISBN: 0-812-52150-1 Publisher: TOR Part of a Series: First North American Series Type of book: Dancing, spiritual, families, fate, prehistorical, -8000, fire, adult, Native Americans Year it was published: 1991 Summary: It is a time of fire. A small band of pioneers struggle valiantly to keep their ancestors' dreams alive in an unforgiving, drought-stricken land. Driven by the promise of an awesome vision, a heroic young dreamer and a fearless woman warrior unite to lead their people to a magnificent destiny. A towering epic filled with tragedy and triumph, courage and conflict, People of the Fire is the second compelling novel novel in a majestic new saga of America's first peoples. Characters: The characters are much more round and memorable than in People of the Wolf. Fire Dancer is somewhat similar to Wolf Dreamer and despite him hesitating to do what is right, ...

Name of Book: The Warning Voice Author: Xueqin Cao ISBN: 0-14-044370-3 Publisher: Penguin Classics Part of a Series: The story of the Stone Vols I-V Type of book: China, Manchurian dynasty, 1700s, debt  deaths Year it was published: 1760s, (version I have 1980) Summary: Divided into five volumes, of which The Warning Voice is the third, it charts the glory and decline of the illustrious Jia family (a story which closely accords with the fortunes of the author's own family.) The two main characters, Bao-yu and Dai-yu, are set against a rich tapestry of humor, realistic detail and delicate poetry, which accurately reflects the ritualized hurly-burly of Chinese family life. But over and above the novel hangs the constant reminder that there is another plane of existence- a theme which affirms the Buddhist belief in a supernatural scheme of things. Characters: I'm not sure whether or not the characters changed, but we get to meet new characters and there is ...