Mother’s Heart

I finished reading the last book of the Mother-Earth Trilogy:
Mother’s Heart (Book 3) by Alan Tucker. (Publication Date: February 22, 2012. 348 pages).
Great books, all three of them! The author has created a unique and believable world with great characters and storylines. I love Jenni and Sara, Brandon and Bonnie, Alisha and Crank, Denny, Lori, Todd… even Mogritas. They are all so real! I miss them already. Hope to find more books as good as these someday!

Some interesting expressions from the last book:
drop a monkey wrench = throw a monkey wrench = to cause something that is going smoothly to stop = т.е. что-то вроде нашего выражения «вставлять палки в колеса» (Jenni hoped she had dropped a monkey wrench in Mogritas’ plans by delaying the additional help he’d requested);
if anything = пожалуй, если на то пошло (If anything, the great dragon had increased in size since she’d first seen him);
I’ll bite = я сдаюсь, (иногда) не знаю («Okay», Sara said. «I’ll bite. What are you going to do with us?»);
keep in the loop = keep in the picture = держать в курсе дела, информировать (Colonel sighed, «General O’Neil didn’t exactly keep me in the loop as to what he was doing…»);
knock one’s socks off = заставить обалдеть, удивить, поразить кого-либо (The friends were on winter break from school in Colorado Springs, but one them, Rick, was failing their Earth science class and needed a final project to knock the teacher’s socks off);
long story short… = если коротко, то…
nothing short of smth. = нечто иное, как; полное (The control these Masters’ have over the country seems nothing short of absolute);
off the wall = strange, out of the ordinary, stupid (Hard to figure out dreams some times. They can be so off the wall);
spring for = раскошелиться, раскрутиться на («I missed my birthday», Jenni said aloud. «Sweet sixteen! Most girls would have been busy with big parties, getting their driver’s license, and wondering if their parents might spring for a car as a present»);
tip the balance = turn the balance = turn the scale(s) = перевесить, склонить чашу весов («That boy’s future depends on us», Crank thought suddenly. «We need to do something to tip the balance of this war»);
up front = честный, открытый, искренний (He understood the logic of it all; he just wished Ba’ize and the others had been up front about it).

P.S. What to read next? Let’s see… The Perfect Chemistry Trilogy?.. Yes! I’m definitely looking forward to this series!

This entry was originally posted in my livejournal (LJ) but I don’t use LJ anymore so I’ve transferred all of my Livejournal content to this website.

Just finished the second book in the Mother-Earth Series

A Cure for Chaos (Book 2 in The Mother-Earth Series) by Alan Tucker. (Publication Date: January 24, 2011. 348 pages)
Can’t wait for the last book!

Some useful words and expressions:
a far cry = большая разница, как небо и земля, совсем не то, что (He had topped out at five foot ten, a far cry from the foot and a half he was when Jenni had first seen him);
death sentence = смертельный приговор (Despite the words, the emotions behind them sounded like a death sentence and Jenni had to turn away);
dog paddle (разг. америк.) = doggy paddle (разг. брит.) = плавание по-собачьи (He started dog paddling his way to the eastern bank);
in sequence = один за другим, последовательно (The bulb in the lamp post directly ahead of them burst, followed by the rest in sequence along the fence line);
make oneself scarce = удрать, улизнуть, стараться не попадаться на глаза (Alisha had made herself scarce as much as possible, retreating to her former quarters and enjoying the comparative wealth of comforts);
oh brother = блин («Oh, brother. Thank goodness I asked about it!»);
school of fish = стая рыб;
small game = мелкая дичь (Once inside the forest, the bowmen became more active, bringing down small game whenever they flushed some out of hiding);
square one = самое начало (He sighed. «So I guess we’re back to square one»);
to leave smb. to his (her) own devices = предоставить кого-либо самому себе (The next day, Jenni left her mother to her own devices);
water under the bridge = something that happened in the past and can’t be changed («Water under the bridge, Roger,» Mrs. Osorio said. «The past year or so has been hard on all of us»);
window-shop = to look at goods in shop windows without buying them (After they ate, the two of them window shopped in silence).

This entry was originally posted in my livejournal (LJ) but I don’t use LJ anymore so I’ve transferred all of my Livejournal content to this website.

I would highly recommend this book!

I finished reading A Measure of Disorder (Book1 in The Mother-Earth Series) by Alan Tucker. (Publication Date: April 30, 2010. 352 pages).
Well, I’m hooked! It’s a great read for YA and older readers. I really want to know what happens next! Looking forward to the second and third books in the series.

Some useful words and expressions:
be up and about = выздороветь, быть снова на ногах (A couple of days later, Jenni was able to be up and about again);
(be) out of one’s element = не в своей стихии, не в своей тарелке (He was completely out of his element);
call to order = открыть, начать (The meeting of the Council is called to order);
for all one cares = плевать, не колышет, нет никакого дела (This whole place could be used as a toxic waste dump for all she cared);
mom and pop business = семейный бизнес, небольшое семейное предприятие (She saw a couple of gas stations, a bar, and a few «mom and pop» businesses on the main street);
pack away = есть много (еды) (She couldn’t believe how much food they could pack away);
pull out all the stops = выложиться по полной, очень постараться (Alisha sat down at the table suspiciously. Mogritas had pulled out all stops for this dinner);
to give a wide berth to = обходить что-либо (кого-либо), избегать кого-либо (The army hurried to obey, giving the leader a wide berth);
velcro = застежка «липучка» (The pouch had a Velcro closure that held the player securely).

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The Salvation (Roswell High, #10) by Melinda Metz

Дочитала последнюю книгу из серии Roswell High. Жаль, что все закончилось! У автора редкий на сегодня талант – создавать у читателя мощнейший эффект присутствия. Ты не просто следишь за развитием сюжета со стороны, ты в нем живешь, да так плотно, что в какой-то момент теряешь ощущение реальности!
Кто бы мог подумать, что среди великого множества не-особенно-интересных Yound Adult books удастся отыскать такое чудо! Хотелось бы надеяться, что не в последний раз.
Интересные фразы:
Factoid = любопытный, но бесполезный факт, малозначащая статистика (Alex struggled to remember some factoid about the Carlsbad Caverns);
like hell = черта с два («Shi didn’t…» – «Like hell she didn’t», Kyle interrupted);
rocket science = an activity requiring considerable intelligence and ability (It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why…);
up to speed = в курсе дела, последних событий («I’m up to speed» – Michal said, cutting her off).
А еще, американцы очень забавно отсчитывают секунды: «One, one thousand; two, one thousand; three, one thousand…» Вполне вероятно, что такая система отсчета есть и у англичан, и у австралийцев, но мне она встретилась только здесь. :)

The Salvation (Roswell High, #10) by Melinda Metz

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The Rebel (Roswell High, #8) by Melinda Metz

Here are a few words and expressions from the book that caught my attention:
AIDS = Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome = СПИД (к стыду своему, не знала…);
at stake = at risk, in great danger (All our lives could be at stake);
big enchilada = (AmSlang) босс, большая шишка (Anyway, this other alien, DuPris, the big enchilada of aliens);
big-D = (AmSlang) = город Даллас (Since the big-D my mam and dad try never to be at the same place at the same time);
ding = (амер.) = вмятина, оставить вмятину (Doesn’t he realize that he has a better chance of getting his precious Mustang dinged when he takes up two parking places?);
FYI = сокр. от for you information = к вашему сведению, для информации (Oh, and just FYI, …);
in plain sight = на видном месте, у всех навиду (Edgar Alan Poe had given him the idea for hiding the Stone pretty much in plain sight);
making goo-goo eyes = смотреть влюбленными глазами (I saw you making goo-goo eyes at my brother);
sans = (AmSlang) without (I’m almost always sans car).
И еще, очень понравилось выражение: «be in guilty-until-proven-innocent mode».

The Rebel (Roswell High, #8) by Melinda Metz

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The Vanished (Roswell High, #7) by Melinda Metz

Нет ничего хуже, чем читать книгу, текст которой распознан коряво! С другой стороны, для практики иностранного языка, подобное чтение – очень даже интересный опыт. Плавного скольжения по тексту больше нет, приходится часто останавливаться, пытаясь постичь смысл слов:
Bluned (out) – на поверку оказывается blurted (out), непонятное слово hean – простейшим heart. Pan = part, snon= snort, staned = started, tum = turn и т.д., и т.п.
В общем, сложноватенько. :) Зато, в результате того, что текст приходится читать медленнее и внимательнее, интересных слов/выражений выловила больше:

A special on smth. = специальная цена для чего-либо (Shopping network had a special on metallic nail polishes);
catch = загвоздка, подвох (The has to be a catch);
doctored photograph = fabricated photograph = поддельная, сфабрикованная фотография.
(Кстати, то же касается и пары: doctored/fabricated evidence = сфабрикованное док –во);
draw a blank = (дословно: вытянуть пустой билет) – ничего не найти, потерпеть неудачу (I’m drawing a blank);
fountain pan = авторучка (не знала!);
in one’s tracks = on the spot = (разг.) на месте, немедленно (He froze in his tracks);
on the house = за счет заведения (The tea’s on the house);
PBS = Public Broadcasting Service = Государственная служба телевещания (США);
shoulder = (амер.) обочина (He slowed down and drove onto the shoulder);
shoulder blade = shoulder bone = лопатка (scapula);
small of the back = поясница (His hands clasped at the small of her back. – Wow!);
think the world of… = быть высокого мнения о… (Now I know why my son thinks the world of you);
zilch = (AmSlang) нуль, ничто (“Anything?” – she asked. “Zilch” – he said);
zip = см. zilch.

И еще одну вкусную фразу подглядела: «Your wish is my command!» Надо запомнить!

The Vanished (Roswell High, #7) by Melinda Metz

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The Stowaway (Roswell High, #6) by Melinda Metz

Позади еще одна книга о похождениях знаменитой шестерки из Розуэлла. Ой, уже семерки – про Адама-то я запамятовала. :)
Выписанных слов мало, но некоторые из них очень интересные:

1) Dixie = Dixieland = The Confederacy = (ам. разг.) «Юг» – т.е. южные штаты Америки, которые были присоединены к США после войны Севера и Юга (I’m talking to you, young lady, with your hair the colour of Dixie sunshine…);
2) no biggie = (AmSlang) не о чем волноваться, совсем не трудно, ничего особенного. (Предполагаю, что это сокращение от: «It’s not a big deal»);
3) on cue = at the right time (On cue, they opened their eyes…);
4) snowball’s chance in hell = snowball’s chance in Hades = никаких шансов, никакой надежды. И это правильно – ну какая может быть надежда у снежного шарика в Аду… (Neither Maria or Cameron had a snowball’s chance in Hades against Isabel);
5) up to speed = (разг.) в курсе дела, в курсе последних событий (She got us up to speed.);
6) varsity = university = (разг. сокр.) университетский;
7) wing it = (разг.) делать что-либо без предварительной подготовки, экспромтом (She’d just have to wing it).

А еще я нашла смешной ляп: «He felt sweat breaking out on his forehead and dripping down his back…». Не правда ли, прелестно!

The Stowaway (Roswell High, #6) by Melinda Metz

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Новости – English & Books

1) Дочитала Teach Yourself American English : As a Foreign Language by Sandra Stevens. Очень хорошая книжка!
2) Перешла на Happy English-3 от Т.Клементьевой и J.Shannon. Тоже книжка очень неплохая. Надеюсь, поможет хоть чуть увеличить мои познания в грамматике.
– have you ever been? = бывали ли вы когда-нибудь?
– had been = побывал (уже, давно);
– I was surprised… = я был удивлен…

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Еще один тест на английском

What American accent do you have?
Created by Xavier on Memegen.net

Mid-Atlantic. This is what everyone calls a Philadelphia accent although it’s also the accent of south Jersey, Baltimore, and Wilmington. Well, everyone that lives near there, that is. Outsiders can tell you talk differently from them even though they can’t tell what your accent is.

If you are not from there, you are probably one of the following:
(a) A New Yorker who, unlike most New Yorkers, rhymes “on” with “dawn”; or
(b) A Yat from New Orleans.
You are probably not from Eastern New England or the Great Lakes area, and certainly not from anywhere in the West or Canada.

Вот так! J

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