Salar_Shushan

Salar_Shushan

Hello :)

I am a 20yrs married Mom homeschooling two great young people.. I have written a few poems, many essays, and the odd book -but only a few articles have been publicly published. I have been a bibliophile since I was knee high to a hickory stump. Books have always been a big part of my life, though my love of adventure games has...more »
  • VA, USA
  • member since Wednesday, September 19 2007

Profile: Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 126 reviews
  • Bad Prince Charlie
    • Rated 3 stars

    I really expected this book to be better. The synopsis was very promising, the excerpt was promising, even the first part of the book was very promising. So what went wrong for this reader? As near as I could tell the book took a left turn about the time you realize that everybody is double-crossing the Prince - and the plans don't intend to get him out of it. Its also a downer to see him deliberately provoking another decent fella - as part of the larger plans - rather than ever explain himself.

    I kept waiting for his vindication, but it didn't come. Didn't find the alternative 'happy ending' to really work. The bad reputation he would have earned for his role would have followed him everywhere.

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review 6 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Prime Cut (Goldy Culinary Mysteries, Book 8)
    • Rated 4 stars

    This was a page-turner - suspenseful, tense - to the point of not entirely being a cozy. Its very well written, however, and kept me guessing as to who had done what, and why. The answers, when they finally came out, made sense.

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • From Homer to Harry Potter: A Handbook on Myth and Fantasy
    • Rated 4 stars

    Focuses specifically on the timeless appeal of fantastical elements in story-telling. There wasn't that much discussion of Homer & other classical - or even medieval - authors save in the most generalized terms. I was hoping for a bit on Aristophanes or Plato. Alas - no.



    Despite a disclaimer in the preface, much of it WAS about Tolkein's views in his literary essays & as expressed in his fantasy writings, with frequent mention of the Hobbit & LotR. Also discussed were the best known works of Ursula Le Guin (classic fantasy), George MacDonald, Walter Wangerin Jr ('Dun Cow' specifically), Philip Pullman (as a negative ex of preachy fantasy), J. K. Rowling (who they also liked very much).



    It was worth my time.

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Survivors of Atlantis: Their Impact on World Culture
    • Rated 3 stars

    This is a confusing book.

    Deluge legends large and small, early and later ones, from many tribes and nations are examined as to their likelihood in supporting his premise that ALL civilization began (again) as waves of displaced citizens of Atlantis settled in other areas. He feels even the demonstrable similarity between Egypt & the fertile crescent societies and cultures along the New World's gulf stream flow from the fabled island of yore.

    Cultural ties between the old world and new, old Irish legends, famous monuments, and more are all suggested to be corruptions of this Altantean culture.

    Enjoyed many details from the old stories, but I didn't buy the premise. Some cultural impacts he made a good case for, others not so much. Why couldn't the ties come from the east to Egypt and Atlantis? Why couldn't there be cultural ties & trading from more than one source - as his own data suggested. Why does he think everything was moved by recurring meterorite showers. I think he ought to read Hancock's book on recurrent flood legends, and check out the underwater cities in other parts of the world (besides the the Atlantic) that bear out "Underworld"'s basic idea.

    Some of his story-linking makes sense, but some was surely coincidental, and some may be a case of cultural synergy - as different oral traditions encountered each other and meshed..especially given the global popularity of Noah's Ark & the great flood. ...btw He thinks Noah was an Atlantean. He also thinks the world before the deluge was also all about Atlantis. Kinda one-track minded there.

    Could his island nation have existed and shared its culture in many places? sure. Is it the definitive source of all legends, nations, and rituals in the Mediterranean & Atlantic basin? I rather doubt it.

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review Wednesday, September 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Bad Cat
    • Rated 3 stars

    some captions are cute, some are naughty, and others just miss the mark - but the cats are cute.

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review Wednesday, September 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Bad Dog: 278 Outspoken, Indecent, and Overdressed Dogs
    • Rated 1 stars

    Many captions were unnecessarily crude, mean spirited, and/or often not well related to the cute puppy photos. Some naughtiness would have been expected, given the premise, but its over the top in this one. "Bad Cat" was better done.

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review Wednesday, September 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Way Things Work
    • Rated 5 stars

    One of the best books for teaching the simple mechanical principles of many everyday devices in a humorous & memorable way. Its actually a pretty thick book, one to buy rather than borrow for your pre-teen & up

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review Monday, August 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Motel of the Mysteries
    • Rated 5 stars

    We still laugh about the mislabeled items 'of religious significance' (the archaeological catch-all guess) Well worth the time to any history buff &/or archaeology student.

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review Monday, August 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mosque
    • Rated 5 stars

    An detailed explanation of the major features of a mosque, as well descriptions and drawings of commonly added public-use structures often built with it - in the context of one fictional one being built in the Ottoman empire in 1596. good introduction!

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review Monday, August 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Rome Antics
    • Rated 4 stars

    for littler children. an introduction to Rome, its major landmarks, and associated history.

    Salar_Shushan wrote this review Monday, August 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )
Displaying 1-10 of 126 reviews


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