Svetlana's Reads and Views

  Title of the book: Antisemitism, an American Tradition Author: Pamela S. Nadell Publisher: W.W. Norton Publishing Date: 2025 ISBN:  9781324050643  Summary: The powerful story of antisemitism in America and how it has shaped the lives of Jews for almost four centuries Jews met antisemitism upon landing in New Amsterdam in 1654 when Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. The founding of the United States changed little, as negative European stereotypes rooted into American soil. Jews faced restrictions on holding office, admission into schools, and employment in industry, while their synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. In recent years antisemitic incidents have increased. In Antisemitism, An American Tradition scholar Pamela S. Nadell investigates the depth of this fraught history. She explores how Jews battled antisemitism through the law and by creating organizations to speak for them. Jews would also fight back with their fists or join with allies in fightin...

  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...

   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...