Aurora: Secrets behind Reality by Marina Latcko

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Get well soon, Alyssia.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Holy Crap! I'm confused!

I have problem with the names not being consistent. Ricky is Rico and Ric. Nikki is Nika and Veronica.
I don't trust Ricky. What's up with him telling her not to worry that he has had sex with girls younger than her? That would make me want to sleep with him. Not!
How did her dad get a picture of what she would look like on her 16th birthday before he died?
Who took the cross and Bible? Why didn't they take the chain?
What does Maya have to do with all of this?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

The name thing is confusing to me, too.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I just have to say...I HATE Shakespeare. This is going to be a long eight weeks of class :/

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I am so sorry Sheri! I hope it gets better.

[Lys]

Oh Sheri ... how can you hate Shakespeare?
Do you have a horrible teacher?
I don't understand!
What are you reading?

[Marina]

I think Sheri meant that 8 weeks of Shakespeare were too much and too long, didn't you, Sheri? :)

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Sorry Alyssia :) I was having a bad Shakespeare night. The class just started so I don't really know how the teacher is yet...but I spent so much time on my assignments I didn't get any reading done yesterday :/ I'll catch up tonight, though.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Alyssia, I am sorry but I found Shakespeare hard to understand when I was younger but haven't tried to re-read it lately.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

That's my problem. I don't understand the language. I went to Sparknotes where they have a side-to-side translation, which helped a lot. Once you can read it translated into "normal" language, it's actually interesting.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sheri, I will have to try that.

[Lys]

Oh man...
I love Shakespeare.
<3
I've taken ... three or four Shakespeare classes.
As electives!
Check out No Fear Shakespeare ... that's what I recommended to my little brother when his teacher assigned Midsummer Night's Dream.
--
Feeling much better today. A bit sniffly, but that's all. I collected midterm papers from my students (12 pages a piece!), so I am going to read a chapter in between each paper as a "break" for my brain.
I'll be up all night. :)
---
Sheri-
I've read every Shakespeare except a few of the histories. I've memorized quite a few of the sonnets. I <3 him, so if you have any particular things you want to talk out ... I am totally your lady. :)
---
Marina, by tonight I hope to A) have made a dent in my papers, and B) be back on track, or close to it.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Alyssia wrote: "Check out No Fear Shakespeare ... that's what I recommended to my little brother when his teacher assigned Midsummer Night's Dream."

I found that yesterday :) I am so messaging you with all my questions!

12 pages a piece! That sucks...Have fun with it. What courses do you teach?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Marina - I have to take a course on Russian Literature. That should be interesting. I probably won't take it until fall, though.

[Marina]

Alyssia :) and I thank you very much for that!

And we have absolutely wonderful translations of Shakespeare, and I loved everything I read (and quite a lot that was!:)), and I wish you could see our movies based on his plays - they're so amazing! And the Hamlet played by our genius Smoktunovsky - icredible depth and performance! here's a link if you are interested http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet_(...

I tried reading him in English, but honestly I coped only with sonnets, started Macbeth, but got stuck in it and switched to something lighter :)

That's why I didn't believe when Sheri confessed she, mildly speaking, didn't like him :)

[Marina]

Sheri wrote: "Marina - I have to take a course on Russian Literature. That should be interesting. I probably won't take it until fall, though."

Dearest Sheri, Alyssia, Leigh, in my gratitude to your reading my convoluted writing I will be happy to give you Russian lessons (via Skype, for example). So if you need my services or just feel like it, I'm yours! :)

[Lys]

I teach Exposition and Persuasion and Introduction to College Composition on a regular basis. I have also had experience with Intro to Eastern Religion, Intro to Philosophy and First Year Seminar, but those were at a university, and I was not the sole teacher. I teach at a community college right now.

----
I love Russian literature. Americans tend to look at it as remarkably dreary, but it's really among my favorites.
One of my favorite books of all time is The Brothers Karamazov, and I am writing on The Grand Inquisitor and Notes from Underground in two weeks when I take my *fingers crossed* prelim.

In general though, Russian fairytales are my favorite. I like drama too (theatre drama, not like ... fiction drama).

Marina, I would adore it if you wanted to recommend some Russian lit. Not right now though! Must focus! :)
--
Sheri-
I know 12 pages sounds awful, but it's not so bad. They have this due in week 12 of a 17 week course, so that the paper due in week 16 is only four pages. I put the huge research assignment in the middle (after other midterms, but before other finals), so that my students have some breathing room.

[Marina]

Alyssia, I will do it gladly - I love when people take vivid interest in our heritage :) So, just name a day, and I'm yours!

Happy readings, ladies, I'm off to sleep!

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

WTH! Rick and Dr. V are working together. I didn't like either one of them. Nikki is too trusting.
How did her grandma know exactly when she was going to die? She planned all the arrangements to the exact time. Do you think Nikki's dad told her what was going to happen? What is that rubber ball?

[Lys]

Slowly catching up.
Still not as far as you guys.

I'll admit it keeps twisting in ways I didn't expect. I also noticed that the writing does get less stilted and easier to understand as one continues.

[Marina]

Thank you, Alyssia! That's a relief - it's just practice makes perfect (not too perfect in my case, of course) but I mean I was learning on the way :) and till am.

[Lys]

Leigh, I need you to come to my class for a day and just ask questions.
I love all of your posts, because they're so
WHAT DO YOU THINK _____ ?
:D
You rock at discussion. :)

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Alyssia wrote: "Leigh, I need you to come to my class for a day and just ask questions.
I love all of your posts, because they're so
WHAT DO YOU THINK _____ ?
:D
You rock at discussion. :)"

I know, she makes you think :)

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Thank you :) I accept my role in this discussion. I will pose the questions while y'all come up with the best analytical answers. Y'all rock at those!

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I would love to have Nikki's time machine to transport me where I want to go including your classroom to watch you with your students.

I feel like I have been on one wild ride. This book is something else. You can't trust anyone including yourself. WTH!

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I am almost finished. Will post more later.

[Lys]

Leigh wrote: "Holy Crap! I'm confused!

I have problem with the names not being consistent. Ricky is Rico and Ric. Nikki is Nika and Veronica.
I don't trust Ricky. What's up with him telling her not to worry th..."

The name thing didn't bother me as much. I don't know if it's because I've seen it before, or what.
There were a few instances where the wording said the exact opposite of what the context suggested it did.
I have highlighted those and will be sending some info your way at some point, Marina.
---
This conspiracy angle is definitely not what I thought was coming with this book.
---
I'm still plugging away. I should finish tomorrow, if not tonight.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I should be finished tonight :)

[Lys]

Ohmygosh, it's getting so intriguing!

My kindle just died. I need my silly husband to bring the car (and my charger) home.
Now!

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I finished. I was not expecting any of the things I read in this book. I am conflicted on what to rate it. I enjoyed it and it definitely kept me guessing. The problems I have are the errors in translation and name usage. I think I am going to have to give it 3 stars.

Granny was not so nice after all. She got her son involved with this organization, messed with his mind and deprived Nikki of her father. She planned her own death, paid people to carry out her plan and fooled her family.
Did Rick really die? What is the ball? What did Marc leave in her bag?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Finished. I really liked the story, and I agree with Alyssia that the writing got better throughout the story, though this might be just because I was used to the style by then :) Like we said in earlier posts, the writing is not bad or wrong, it's just the translation is not completely Americanized. I also agree with what your other reviewer had said that the conversations are almost too polite – too stiff maybe. Once those things are addressed, I think you have a great story.

I'll be writing my review tomorrow, but here is a quick overview – the story was definitely unique and turned out to be very complex. I'm not really sure what I had been expecting, but it was a lot of fun with all the convoluted elements and seeing how they finally fit into place at the end. One of the things I liked best about the story is that at any given point you had no idea who you should be trusting. If I were Nika, I would have been pulling out my hair with all the hot and cold feelings from everyone – especially Rick and Marc. It definitely kept me on the edge and was full of surprises by the end. The whole intent of the story could have easily gotten lost in all the complexities – parallel universes, aliens, faked deaths, etc. – but it was pulled off and the conspiracies played out well.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I slept on it and I had to change my rating to a 4. I think if there wasn't the issues we discussed I would have given it a 5. It kept my mind spinning even after I finished and to me that's what makes it a good story.

Marina, you did an excellent job of keeping us on the edge of our seats. If I would have watched it on the big screen there would have been imprints in the seat in front of me.

I agree with Sheri the writing isn't bad. It just doesn't flow like a transitional American YA novel would so if you read it expecting that you will be disappointed.

[Marina]

Oh my dearest Sheri and Leigh,
That is so amazing to see your such (I am at a real loss for words on either language! :)) such (arg!) flattering (I searched for some other outstanding adjective but totally failed) and so encouraging words! And your stars - I just see how they're blazing me :))
And I write only when I first visualize everything on a big screen inside my head (it's sooo big :)) - Leigh, you absolutely felt me! So thankful I am to you all; now I will have guts to improve the writing to the best (with the invaluable help of one more exceptional friend I have found here!).
You are soo wonderful and I'm proud and excited I have found you and this place - Goodreads! So, so very thrilled! :)))
Infinitely thankful!

[Lys]

Still working on it.
Sorry for being so far behind. I'm not usually like this.
As a side note: Sheri, Leigh - I need to sit out the next buddy read. My prelim is ... 12 days away and my reading attention needs to be focused on studying for it.
I have this book to finish and one other review book, but other than that, I need to focus on my test deadline.
I hope you ladies know how much I adore you. I'll miss you, but I'll poke my head in when I need a break. :) And I'll be "back" soon, for better or worse. *crosses fingers*
--
I intend to finish this book today. More soon.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

We'll miss you, but school comes first :)

Leigh, anything you want to read? I'm up for anything I can get my hands on.

We can wait for until Alyssia can read it with us. Alyssia and I had also talked about reading through the series soon if you're up to it...

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I still want to read ...didn't you mention that one before?

[Lys]

I mentioned the Goddess Test.
Ohmygosh, I am so jealous.
It's just two weeks Alyssia. It's just two weeks...
:)
---
I supppppooooose I could read The Goddess Test. It's short and all.
I will need a break at some point, right?
Right?!? :)

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Lol! We've brought so many books into these discussions I don't remember who said what. I can wait on that. I thought it was Leigh :) Study!!!

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

How about ? We can wait to the next week to read Timeless.

Alyssia, good luck. We know you are going to do well!

Marina, I was happy to read your book and to meet you. Drop by our thread anytime.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I would love to read but can we wait for a few weeks.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I've read Under the Dome - loved it! Alyssia wanted to read the Psy series, too...How about One for the Money? My sister said those books were really good. There are like 19 or 20 of them, though.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I have all of them.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

They are coming out with a series based on the book Under the Dome.

[Lys]

I finally finished. I'll post thoughts tomorrow.
But woah. ;)

Btw, you wonderful ladies don't have to wait for me. Read what you want to! I will catch up. :).

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

One for the Money it is.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Leigh wrote: "They are coming out with a series based on the book Under the Dome."

TV series? I will need to watch that. Just downloaded One for the Money :)

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Alyssia wrote: "Btw, you wonderful ladies don't have to wait for me. Read what you want to! I will catch up. :)."

We don't mind waiting...it's not like there is a shortage of other books to choose from :D

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sheri, yes it will be a TV series but I dont remember what channel.