Tag: #BookReview

Моя жизнь по соседству (Хантли Фицпатрик) на английском – первые впечатления

Прочитала половину: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (Publication Date: Jun 14, 2012). Вроде ничего особенного, а оторваться невозможно! Отличная книжка и читается легко.

Beat it! = прочь!, вон! (George! Beat it!);
come to terms (with smth.) = примириться, привыкнуть к чему-либо (It only took Clay a little while to come to terms with the fact that I had teenaged daughters);
CVS = CVS Pharmacy = распространенная в США сеть магазинов аптечных товаров + товаров повседневного спроса (We go to CVS later that night);
every trick in the book = все (возможные) средства (Tracy pulled every bad-teenager trick in the book. She played with drugs and drinking, she shoplifted, she slept with too many boys);
hangnail = заусенец (Tim’s eyes are cast down as he tears at a hangnail on his thumb);
ministering angel = (обычно о сестре милосердия) добрый ангел (What, you don’t see my big sister as a ministering angel? I’m shocked!);
no sweat = никаких проблем, не волнуйся (“Thanks,” I tell Alice. She fixes me with a stare “No sweat.”);
ole = (ам. разг.) old (S’up with ole Jase Garrett and you?);
Q-tips = «кью-типс» – товарный знак пластиковых ватных палочек с ватой на обеих концах (I bought Q-tips, and almost nothing else);
R and R = от военного Rest and Recreation = отпуск, побывка (He came here for a little R and R);
take in stride = accept good or bad luck and go on (Am I somebody who takes things in stride?);
to a fault = excessively, extremely = чрезмерно, чересчур, бесконечно, слишком (Punctual to a fault, I’ve never understood the expression “I lost track of time”);
up-and-comer = что-то вроде – подающий большие надежды, обещающий (Our Timothy is an up-and-comer, Samantha. I’m so proud!);
windbreaker = windcheater = ветровка с вязанными манжетами и воротником (In some of the posters mom’s wearing a yellow Windbreake.

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.

Не все то золото, что…

Прочитала-вымучила: The Secret by Taylor Hart (Publication Date: March 24, 2013. Length: 259 pages).

Зря купилась на красивую обложку! В книжке лишь отдельные моменты ничего, а по большей части – скука несусветная… Зато выписала немного новых слов/выражений:

HOV lane = carpool lane = полоса движения, выделенная для машин, в которых едут два и более человека, включая водителя (I noticed the limo was in the HOV lane, going faster than what should be legal);
license plate number = регистрационный знак на автомобиле (Your friend memorized the license plate number);
make-shift = самодельное, временное, кустарно-сварганенное-на-коленке (Rob sat down at the make-shift computer station he’d put together at the kitchen table);
pinky = (ам. разг.) мизинец (I touched the lily with my pinky, catching it as it formed into the real thing before it could fall to the ground);
putz = придурок, идиот (You’re such a putz!);
sitting duck = легкая добыча, удобная мишень (We are like sitting ducks here, just waiting to be taken or killed);
sucker punch = a sudden surprise punch, esp. from behind (Shaking my head, I felt like I’d been sucker punched);
take a load off = присесть, дать ногам отдохнуть; что-то типа «в ногах правды нет» (The officers came in and Reed motioned for them to sit on the couches. «Take a load off».);
tarnation = a euphemism for damnation (Sheriff Boyle looked slowly around the cave. «What in tarnation has been going on?»);
tick off = (ам. разг.) выводить из себя, раздражать, сердить (He laughed again, which was starting to tick me off);
wear one’s feeling on one’s sleeve = скорее всего, равно по смыслу словосочетанию: wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve = не уметь скрывать своих чувств. Синоним нашего «рыдать и сопли рукавом вытирать», видимо (I could feel he has disappointed, but he hasn’t a man to wear his feelings on his sleeve).

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.


.

A great plot twist!

Прочитала и всем любителям YA-books советую:
Funny Tragic Crazy Magic by Sheena Boekweg. (Publication Date: December 8, 2013. 307 pages).
Amazon и Goodreads оказались правы. Действительно, интересная вещь! Да, есть небольшие пропуски (провалы) в повествовании, и стиль изложения довольно своеобразен, но эта книга стоит того, чтобы ее прочитали!
Надеюсь, что скоро будет продолжение, и одновременно боюсь этого. Достаточно кошмариков выпало на долю девочки – главной героини, пусть подрастет сначала. :)

Традиционно, фразы:
a tad = a little (While he looked at my hands, they felt a tad hotter);
bisabuela (Esp) = прабабушка (I could get my mother’s notebook back. It was my legacy. There were runes in there, from her abuela… maybe her abuela’s bisabuela);
bleeping = a word to block out or substitute swear words (Every day from the hours of three until five, I come into the cafeteria: the one room in this bleeping place that they allow us a computer);
dog ear = загнутый угол страницы (My notebook had a crease down the middle, and a few of the pages were dog-eared);
doodle = рисовать чертиков, или просто каракули, когда мысли заняты чем-то другим (Joe took out a black BIC pen and started doodling on the edge of my notebook);
drop cloth = чехол для защиты мебели от пыли и т.п. (There was a furniture inside covered with drop cloths);
faux = фальшивый (His hair has this sticky-up faux Mohawk («ирокез») quality, which I have never found attractive);
farmers tan = интенсивный загар открытых участков тела во время полевых работ (He had a farmers tan);
ground beef = говяжий фарш (My parents were in the kitchen talking about the price of ground beef);
half ponytail = прическа «Мальвина» (Ms. P. had long light brown hair pinned up in a half ponytail);
in a pinch = при крайней необходимости (I don’t usually lie, but in a pinch, I find I’m pretty good at it);
IOU = I owe you = я тебе/вам должен (Inside the car, on a post-it note stuck to the steering wheel, was a note – IOU one ride to school ~ J.);
my bad = my mistake (Whoops, guess I just spilled a Witch secret. My bad);
on a hunch = интуитивно (On a hunch, I opened my backpack);
on the dot = ровно, точно в срок, пунктуально, минута в минуту (Ryan got a haircut like every three weeks on the dot);
silver lining = a comforting or hopeful aspect of an otherwise desperate or unhappy situation (At least Joe was still in his right mind as they decided whether they should kill him or not. Silver lining);
USPS = United States Postal Service = почтовая служба США (A couple days later, when the hospital returned all my family’s belongings through USPS, my mom’s notebook was gone).

И еще одна фраза зацепила: «The house looked like chaos and felt like home». Хорошо сказано!



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.

Mexican drug gangs again

Дочитала:
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles. (Publication Date: April 27, 2010. 335 pages).
Вот эта книга живее, динамичнее, чем первая. Однако, по моему мнению, данная книга ну о-очень похожа на предыдущую. События, фразы и даже ругательства – настолько все однотипно, к сожалению.
Зато выражений выписано много. Выкладываю те, что поприличнее:

and then some = и еще немного в придачу, и еще сверх того («I’m yours, forever and always and then some»);
baby cakes = любимый/любимая (My best friend drapes his arm around my shoulders. «What is he talking about, babycakes?»);
crash = переночевать у кого-либо, перекантоваться, когда выгнали из дома и т.п. (I have two options. Go back in Madison’s house and find a place to crash, or sleep in the car);
flip off = показать средний палец («Be careful», I warn. She answers by flipping me off again);
for good = навсегда, навеки («Have a little faith in your novia, bro. If you don’t, you’ll risk losin’ her for good»);
fuzzy dice = furry dice / fluffy dice (British) = дословно «пушистые игральные кубики». Описание и предназначение: a pair of dice made of plush, fur, or other kinds of soft fuzzy cloth, that people back in the 50’s and 60’s popularly hung from the rear view mirrors in their cars. Many people still hang them in their cars even today («I need to go into town and pick up something from the auto-body shop», she said. «Please don’t tell me it’s fuzzy dice to hang on your rearview mirror», I begged her);
G = gee = grand = тысяча долларов, дословно – штука баксов («Does this mean you got to keep the fifty Gs?»);
go along with = согласиться («Wait until I call Tuck today and ask him to be a male model for my class. I think he might just go along with it»);
goody two-shoes = паинька, примерный мальчик/девочка («Have you been a Goody Two-shoes your entire life?»);
have (got) two left feet = быть очень неловким, неуклюжим человеком («Next time maybe you should dance with her», I say, «Make her feel young again.» Mr. Whittaker looks up at me «I’ve got two left feet…»);
hives = крапивница, сыпь («I hope this is the poor side of town, Alex», I said. «’Cause I get hives around rich people»);
it’s a go = решено, договорились (I’ll call Alex and tell him it’s a go);
not by a long shot = никоим образом, совсем не («Carlos, were you sleeping?» He chuckles «No. Not by a long shot»);
or else = or something terrible will result: used as a threat = что-то типа наших «а не то смотри у меня», «а то плохо придется» («Fine», he said to his brother. «But bring my car back in perfect condition. Or else»);
other way around = other way about = прямо наоборот («I’ll think about it», he said. «He’ll think about it? As if coming to my house would be doing me a huge favor instead of the other way around?»);
PC = politically correct, political correctness («Calm down, Carlos. Playing on a team with gays doesn’t make you gay. Don’t be a homophobe. That’s so un-PC»);
p’s = parents («My parents are around all the time, and my sister is a complete psycho, but I escape to Madison’s most days because she’s an only child and her p’s are never home»);
rec room = recreation room = a room in a house used by the family for relaxation and entertainment («It’s the rec room», Medison explained);
shoot the breeze = трепаться, болтать ни о чем («I’m sure Alex didn’t want to meet me here just to shoot the breeze»);
sic = (от sic him = взять его!) = науськивать, натравить (I want to lash out at the K9 officer, but he’s got a psycho dog he can sic on me);
street smart = «уличный мудрец», т.е. человек, способный выжить в жестоких условиях большого города («I’d like a guy who’s smart», I added. «Street smarts or book smarts?» he asked);
take attendance = проверять посещаемость, отмечать присутствие (I’m aware I’ll be late for study hall, but Mrs. Hadden (teacher) doesn’t usually take attendance and even if she does, I don’t care);
tanning salon = солярий («Did’ja ever hear of a tannin’ salon?»);
throw a fit = разозлиться, закатить истерику, прийти в ярость (I expect him to throw a fit, but he doesn’t);
to apply for a scholarship = претендовать на стипендию (A big, red C is written on the front of the paper Mr. F. just gave back to me. No good, especially if I’m going to apply for an academic scholarship);
what it takes = способности, данные («I’m a businessman, and you’re my newest apprentice, Fuentes. I’ve been told you’re got what it takes»);
Z-tabs = лекарственные средства для лечения тревожных расстройств и панических атак. (Побочные эффекты Занекса, Алпразолама и им подобных препаратов см. на следующей строчке);
zone out = отключаться, «зависнуть», становиться рассеянным, невнимательным (Her little brother – he’s so annoyingly energetic it almost makes you want to give him Z-tabs to make him zone out).

Третью книгу в серии читать не буду. Не смогу.
Очень кстати удалось заполучить с Амазона свежую пробу пера: Funny Tragic Crazy Magic by Sheena Boekweg (издана 8 декабря 2013г!). Судя по отзывам – интересная книжка. Ура!

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.

Cекс, наркотики, уличные банды. Моя первая книга Симоны Элькелес

Уф, прочитала:
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. (Publication Date: December 23, 2008. 368 pages).

Эх! Задумка была беспроигрышна, да исполнение немного подкачало. Только вроде начинает замирать сердце, как вдруг – упс!.. опять вылезла никому не нужная ненормативная лексика. Сорри, друзья, но с «факом» и другими выражениями, склоняемыми на все лады, в данной книге, на мой взгляд, явный перебор. Хотя… словарь мой существенно обогатился, да… :)

Словосочетания постаралась отобрать приличные:
a car with a stick shift = автомобиль с ручной коробкой передач (Of course it’s no surprise my dad bought me a car with a stick shift without taking the time to teach me how to master driving the thing!);
Beemer = a BMW vehicle («Almost getting run over by Brittany Ellis’s shiny new Beemer is my fault?»);
BFF = Best Friend Forever («Isabel! Do you think you’re BFF with blondie here now that you both wave stupid-ass pom-poms together?»);
bum a cigarette = стрельнуть сигарету (I bum a cigarette from a waitress across the street);
chicken pox = ветряная оспа («Who came to visit you every day last year when you got chicken pox?»);
detention slip = записка о задержании ученика после уроков. (При желании, в интернете можно найти много примеров);
duke it out = выяснять отношения на кулаках (Little do the other students know, Colin is a runner. This time he’s got backup, though, so maybe he’ll stay to duke it out);
earful = нагоняй, выговор, разнос (I gave your sister an earful this morning, Brittany);
even = рассчитаться, расквитаться (The next thing I know Paco’s fist is in my face. «Now we’re even», he says);
go by = to be known by, be called («I go by Alex», I say);
GPA = grade point average = средний балл в школе, университете («You probably shouldn’t have taken chemistry», my dad chimes in. «If you don’t get an A, your GPA’ll go down»);
have a screw loose = «того», крыша поехала (The woman is looking at me like I have a screw loose);
high = (разг.) под кайфом («Half the time Alex comes to school high», Darlene says);
MILF = a hot woman, a female who is pleasing to the eye («No offense, but your mom is strange. She’s a hot MILF, but totally off the wall»);
payback is a bitch = как аукнется, так и откликнется; не рой другому яму (She steps back and with all her might whips my keys into the woods. «No hard feelings. Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it, Alex?»);
PDA = Public Display of Affection = публичная демонстрация (проявление) привязанности (Before Colin and I seal our plans with a kiss, Alex clears his throat in front of us. «No PDA. Scholl rules»);
rip me (you) a new one = устроить головомойку, разнести в пух и прах (I can’t understand why Mrs. Peterson didn’t rip me a new one);
road rage = aggressive behavior by a motorist in response to the actions of another road user (The girl on the back of the motorcycle obviously missed the Road Rage lecture in Driver’s Ed);
set up = подставить, подвести («Why did Darlene set me up like that?»);
six feet under = в могиле (I’ll start carin’ about what other people think when I’m six feet under);
TMI = too much information («TMI», Brittany chimes in, covering her ears with her palms).

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.

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.

Москва – Архангельск, Архангельск – Москва

Что еще можно делать в самолетах? Только читать!
Из Москвы в Архангельск скорее пролистала, чем прочитала вот это:
My Mr. Rochester. Episode 1 (Jane Eyre Retold) by L.K. Rigel. (Publication Date: December 13, 2013. Print Length: 186 pages.)
В двух словах: не моё. Надо перечитать “Джен Эйр” Шарлотты Бронте, давно не читала.

Из Архангельска в Москву летела рядом с ну-очень-любопытным молодым мужчиной. Он, бедняга, чуть шею себе не вывернул в попытке читать вместе со мной: The Scientific Evidences of Organic Evolution by George John Romanes. London: MACMILLAN AND CO. 1882.
В принципе, было ради чего, ибо отличная книга! Слог, ритмика, стиль и смысл – все едино! И в который уже раз поражаюсь богатству языка людей, живших 100-150 лет назад. Да, теперь я точно знаю, какие книги читал Sir Charles Leicester при подготовке своего легендарного труда «Bloodstock Breeding» (1957).

З.Ы. Вообще, эти free Kindle eBooks – замечательная вещь! Всё больше и больше на них подсаживаюсь.

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).

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.