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.

So many books, so little time…

Just finished The Ivory Tower by Kirstin Pulioff.
What a read! This short story blew me away… Amazing, just amazing! I’m not a fan of dystopian fiction but I would highly recommend it to anyone!

What I’m reading now? A Measure of Disorder (Book1 in The Mother-Earth Series) by Alan Tucker.
I’m on chapter 8, about 31 pages in. The book is really good for language learning but the story itself is pretty boring sometimes, as if it was written for children under 10… Anyways, I’ll try to finish the book because I really want to know how it ends!

And finally, my To-Read List for this year (I hope):
– A Cure for Chaos and Mother’s Heart (the other two books in The Mother-Eath Series) by Alan Tucker
– The Perfect Chemistry Trilogy by Simone Elkeles
– Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
– Forever His: A Time-Travel Romance by Shelly Thacker
– How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon
– Once a Princess and Untill Forever by Johanna Lindsey
– Star Gate and Operation Time Search by Andre Norton
– Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (If I could get this book… In hard copy, or as an eBook – never mind!). Upd 20/01/14. Just got the book (eBook). Wow!
It’s a pretty short list, I know. But when it comes to reading in English I’m still a slow reader. :)

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.

Enchanted Castle by Chrissy-Peebles

Прочитала первую из скачанных Free Kindle eBooks:
Enchanted Castle – A Novelette (Book 1 in The Enchanted Castle Series) by Chrissy-Peebles. Publication Date: July 13, 2012.
Скучно. Язык прост настолько, что даже мне, жадному до букв языкоизучателю, выписать особо нечего:
Dang it = чёрт (She arched an eyebrow. “Dang it. Why couldn’t he jumped into my dream?“);
heck = чёрт (ага, снова – их там много…). (Eric’s piercing voice cut through the air. “What the heck?“);
Mr. Right = будущий муж, суженый (Just don’t get your hopes up, because he might not be your Mr. Right).
Последняя фраза – единственное, что понравилось. :)

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.

Зависла :)

Совершенно случайно обнаружила доступ к бесплатным книжкам на английском (Free Kindle eBooks) на моем любимом Amazon.com.
Пока всё интересное “for free” не скачаю – не успокоюсь!

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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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I’m so disappointed

I had never read Danielle Steel book before so I decided to give it a try. I’ve read two of her books recently “Big Girl” and “Dating Game” and I was hugely disappointed. I don’t know if she always writes like this but I will never read anything by this author again!
Her writing was boring and so repetitive. From book to book she said almost the same things over and over again. No depth, the characters are flat! I had to force myself to finish just because I finish almost every book I start.

But… maybe I’ve missed something? Danielle Steel is a bestselling author. Maybe her other books might be worth reading?

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.

The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit

Не пошел у меня что-то в этом месяце ГП-5 (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix). Зато дочитала, наконец-то, очередную детскую книжку: The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit. Тяжеловато было ее читать из-за обилия старых слов, которые не употребляются сегодня. Да и стиль автора, с детализацией природы/погоды, мне не очень близок. Но, все-таки осилила. Из интересного надыбала вот что:

alder – ольха;
ash (tree) – ясень;
bramble – ежевика;
gooseberries = goosedogs – крыжовник (ягоды);
pomegranate – гранат;
willow herb – кипрей узколистный, иван-чай;
yarrow – тысячелистник обыкновенный;

quicksilver – ртуть (дословно: быстрое, мягкое серебро);
‘tec = tec – разг., сокращ. от detective;

I clean forgot – я напрочь (совсем) забыл;
I couldn’t answer for the consequences – я не отвечаю за последствия;
it makes all the difference (in the world) – это (совсем) другое дело; это (существенно) меняет дело; в этом все дело;
payment on account = payment received on account – оплата по безнал. расчету;
payment on delivery – оплата при доставке; наложенным платежом;
(to) rise to the occasion – оказаться на высоте положения

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.