A short history of tractors in Ukranian (a novel by Marina Levitskaya)

It's time to tell about a really good book that I recently read. This is the book of the year for me. Funny, witty, touching, giving much thoughts for discussion with my husband. It is the kind of book which was worth being retold in details to my hubby as he could not read English. It is deeply psychological, revealing inner worlds of people beloning to different cultures, age groups and wealfare levels. A collision of ideologies. And I loved the subordinate plot about the tracors. The invention of caterpillar tractors under peace time conditions was later used for caterpillar tanks - this piece of information comes along with the scenes of fighting between two spouses who were meant to love each other till the end of time :)

I deeply regret that I hadn't taken any pictures of a cover or pages of the book or copied no paragraphs from it.
However here are some words to learn:
Dill - укроп
Parsley - петрушка
Self-seeded, grow wild
Propagate - размножаться, плодиться
Weeds proliferate - сорняки заполонили сад (размножились, распростр)
Yield - плоды, урожай
Animal yeld - приплод
This land yields well -Земля
приносит хороший урожай
Quince - айва
Greenhouse - теплица
Vegetable patch - грядка
Water butt - бочка
Dung - помёт, удобрение
Manure - навоз
Scarcity - дефицит, нехватка
Enroll - зачислять, вносить в список
Famine - Голод как бедствие
Simmer - кипеть, бурлить,
to keep at a simmer - держать на медл.огне
The kettle was kept on the simmer
Sweeping moustache - густые усы
A good dollop of jam - хорош порция (кусок) джема
She dolloped teaspoons of dumplings into the soup
His voice has gone all croaky - охрипший
To decipher a riddle, smb's handwriting
Cagey - скрытный, уклончивый, хитрый
Wry - искривленный, насмешливый, wry smile
On horseback- верхом на лошади
On high-heeled peep-toe mules - в шлёпках на высокомкаблуке
Wry look -Взгляд искоса
Coax - лиса, льстить
To coax smb out of his money
To coax a secret out of smb
Hoover - vacuum cleaner
Crap hoover is not picking up properly
To sign a Hire purchase agreement - покупать врассрочку
Clotted dust, clotted blood, clotted hair
Nape - затылок
Dismantle - take apart, remove the covers
To dismantle a car engine
To dismantle a house of its roof
To dismantle a chin of its beard - сбрить бороду
To coax fire to burn - терпеливо разжигать огонь
To skid - скользить, буксовать
The car skidded - машину занесло
Keep your nose out of it- не суй свой нос
Be sober, be vigilant - трезвитесь, бодрствуйте (библ.) бдительный
Stringy meat - волокнистое мясо, жилистое
Kilter - полный порядок
In kilter, out of kilter
His coat is buttoned up out of kilter
Myopic - близорукий
Undaunted - неустрашимый
Although outnumbered he was undaunted - Врагов было много, но он не сдавался
I could not get a word in edgeways - мне и слова вставить не дали
To oust the worms - изгонять глистов
A tv is on at full blast
Scamper - бегать, резвиться scamper away - yaдирать, разбегаться в разные стороны
Doing thisis not hardship - сделатьэто не так уж трудно

Babylon Beach (a book by Imogen Edwards-Jones & anonymous)

A collection of great material, a patch quilt of all sorts of problems which may occur in such place, dealing with VIP clients, dealing with staff, supply glitch, electricity break-down,bad weather conditions just anything. But where is the plot? I mean where is the intricately waven plot? Nothing ever happens in the book meanwhile shit happens all the time in the luxury resort. You can start reading this book in the middle or from back pages there will be no difference. There complaints and there is Mr.Solve-any-Problem who carries on through a week of a nightmare life in this resort.
I quit reading it at page no 157.
Here are the words to learn, as usual:

Overzealous - чрезмерно старательный
Rotund (ro'tand) полный, толстый, круглый
To have one's nose out of joint -потерпеть поражение, расстроить планы
We had a sixteen-minute firework display that was as grand as Millenium night in Sydney Harbour. A few of the staff thought it was a little extravagant - I think their noses were out of joint.
Occupancy ('okjupansi) размещение
Dissent - несогласие, расхождение
Purport ('pe:pet) смысл, подразумевать
Haven -убежище, гавань
I know it sounds mad to check out the guests at a resort that purports to be a get-away-from-it-all haven
Jetlag - нарушение биоритмов в связи с перемещением в другой часовой пояс
We needed around eight hundred staff to keep the show on the road.
There's too much sun, sea and bloody sand, they just have to make a run for it. If you last two years here you should get given a medal.
Foible - слабость, причуда
Gate-crasher незваный гость
Good evening, what seems to be the problem? - the best phrase Mr. Solve-Any-Problem may produce.
Booze - выпивка
I just make sure we get plenty of booze on the table.
Militant millionaires - воинственные миллионеры
To be on stand-by - в запасе, в резерве, наготове
Frond - ветка, лист расчлененный, как у папоротника, лист пальмы
Felling of fronds - рубка листьев
Abreast (ab'rest) вряд, на одной линии
To keep abreast of -Не отставать от
Abreast information - своевременная информация
All the villa hosts are on standby, waiting for their guests to wake up so they can inform them immediately of the problem with electricity. All the consumer studies that we have done here on the island tell us that if we keep people abreast of problems and keep giving them up-to-date information they are much more forgiving. Give people the information and they can make an informed decision, or at least that's the theory.
Bellboy - посыльный
To top up - дозаправить, дозарядить
Collide - сталкиваться
Draconian - суровый, безжалостный
Warden - инспектор, смотритель
Tepid breakfast - прохладный
There is a flurry of complaints as I walk in. - шквал жалоб
Digs - жильё, берлога
My digs are a shithole.
Brag - хвастать
Afield - вдали от дома, за границей
Glitch - затруднение, авария, внезапный отказ
Resort to - прибегнуть к
They resorted to violence
To make resort to somebody - обращаться за помощью к
Thatch - соломенная или тростниковая крыша
To re-thatch a roof
The rain is easing up now.

Baggage (a book by Janet Street-Porter)

I have just finished reading one nasty autobiographical book, 'Baggage'  by Janet Street-Porter
Nasty, because it gave me not many positive emotions, Janet loathed her mother, tried to 'eliminate' her sister, she had affairs being engaged and made two abortions before she met her man who was a stammer - which meant that she could talk about herself even more.

Your whole life lies before you
Like a sheet of pure white snow
Be careful how you tread it
For every mark will show.

She sized him up. Она измерила его взглядом.
Tempestuous - бурный, горячий
Tempestuous night, meeting, wind, relationship
Dwindle - сокращаться
The visitors dwindled.
On the wane - на исходе, убывать
The moon is on the wane.
The relationship is on the wane.
Persevere (pe:si'vie) упорно продолжать, настойчиво пытаться
Persevere in smb's search, work...
Keel over - turn over, tip over
Splodge - stain, big blot, splotch
Detention - задержка
To give a pupil detention
Detention after classes - оставаться после уроков
Stint - ограничивать, сокращать
No money was stinted - деньги тратились неограниченно, щедро
To stint oneself for one's children - отказывать себе в чем-то ради детей
Unruly child - непослушный
To disobey
Voracious - ненасытный
Voracious reader
Rend- отрыварь, разрывать
It rends my heart, heart-rending
Surefire - верный, надежный, не подведет
Unaided - Без помощи, самостоятельно
Plough up and down the swimming pool - бороздить туда сюда
Racking up more and more lengths вымучивая все большие и большие расстояния
To flap one's arms about trying to make it across the pool - плюхать руками чтобы переплыть
Contraption - gadget, device - приспособление, штуковина
Move arms in a circular fashion and kick your feet (and you will swim).
She seemed to be making a complete bloody attention-seeking meal of it to me.
Belated - запоздалый (поезд, гость) застигнутый темнотой
Belated view of smth -Устаревший взгляд
I found the church suffocating - strangling
I just used the experience as a way of getting badges and more certificates in everything from knot-tying to map-reading. It all appealed to my competitive spirit.
To thwart - перечить
Тo thwart smb's purpose - мешать
The lines thwart -Пересекаются
To taunt - насмехаться
To hit the notes - попадать в ноты
To go off pitch- фальшивить
To have no sence of pitch
Pious ('paies) набожный, праведный
oilcloth - клеенка, линолеум
City dweller - городской житель
To dwell abroad - обитать загран.
Тo dwell on a note -тянуть ноту
To go through niceties - обменяться любезностями
Rouse up - будить, поднимать
To get underway - отправляться в путь
We were roused up at dawn and always got underway before breakfast.
Accident-prone person - чел. с кем всегда что-то случается
Godfearing - богобоязненный
Tendon - сухожилие
Attention-seeking child - ребенок, которому нужна опека
Both parents were extremely concerned with what our neighbours thought, and would go to extraordinary lengths not to do anything that might draw attention to our household. sometimes the result was just plain ludicrous (смехотворный).
Blemish - недостаток
Without blemish - безукоризненный
Skin blemish- пятно, шрам
Overlap - перекрывать, внахлест
Gamesmanship - искусство игры
Goodly heritage - большое наследство
Stamina - выносливость, выдержка, стойкость
Bickering - перебранка, ссора, ругань, перепалка
Resourcefulness - находчивость, изобретательность
A bid for freedom - попытка бегства, борьба за свободу
A young girl answering my sister's description had been spotted in Bangor, North Wales.
Cowed - испуганный
Exhilarating - пьянящий, кружащий голову
Clandestine (clan'destin) тайный
Surreptious - тайный
Back-burner - второстепенный
Galvanize ('gelvanais) -побудить, заставить
Lopsided - кривобокий, искривленный
Lopsided relationship - односторонние отношения
Thrall - рабский, порабощенный
I no longer considered myself a schoolgirl. I could hold my own conversation, especially opinionated on everything to do with films, fashion and modern art, but I harboured enormous insecurities about how I would fare with my univercity applications.
Mundane ('mandein) - земной, светский
Dazzle - ослеплять
The sun dazzles the eyes
With such effortless artistry - с непринужденным артистизмом
Subversive act - подрывное, разрушительное действие
Hotbed - парник, рассадник, очаг
London was a hotbed of ideas.
To devise - придумывать, изобретать
Flea ('fli:) блоха - flea market
Deteriorate - ухудьшаться
Rectitude - честность
Moral rectitude - нравственность
Lulled by the crashing of the waves - убаюканная прибоем
Airbrush, to be airbrushed out of mind

Candy (a book by Kevin Brooks)

CANDY by Kevin Brooks
Not that I didn't like the book, I have nothing to say about it.
Not silly, not dull just a book to read and forget. However these are the words to learn:

Gig -концерт
Callus ('кэлэс) - мозоль
That is just callusses from playing the guitar
Fess up! - сознавайся, 'колись'
Bauble, trinket - безделушка, побрякушка
To give an ogle - влюбленный взгляд
Gawk - разиня
Don't gawk at it, do something! -хватит глазеть
Wad of notes - пачка денег
Otley's on the posh side of the town. Heystone doesn't do poor, it only does varying degrees of rich, and Otley's about as rich as it gets.

Pupil - зрачок
To amble - ходить медленно
Slumber - дремота, сон, дремать
Retracted appearance - отреченный вид
Sternly - сурово, строго, угрюмо
Stern father
Remorsefull - полный раскаяния
You're grounded. As of today, you're not to go out at the weekends, or after six in the evening, without my specific permission. It's half-term when I'm away, but the same rules apply, and I expect you to follow them without any help of your sister. She's got enough on her plate without having to watch over you all the time. I ned to know that I can trust you. I am giving you the responsibility for your own dicipline and if you don't take it seriously, the only person you'll be letting down is yourself.

I promise you. Scout's honour. Cross my heart and hope to die.
Skiving off school ('skaivin)- прогуливание, отлынивание
Cowardly - трусливо
Galore - в изобилии
With wine galore (ga'lo:) вино текло рекой
How have you sped? - как успехи?
Scantily clad women - полуголые женщины
Scantily lighted street - слабоосвещенная улица
Do not leave any tell-tale signs.
Pockets crammed with some stuff - набитые карманы
Dissuade- отговаривать, разубеждать
Apprehensive - опасающийся, предчувствующий неудачу
She grudgingly nodded her assent (a'sent) она неохотно кивнула
Estuary - устье, дельта реки
To seek sanctuary - искать убежища
Throes of a nightmare - муки ночного кошмара
Throes - Приступ, судороги
Scuttle - торопливый шаг, пробежаться
I know it's going to be hard but I think I've got my head around it now. It's like I see myself on the other side. IcanseewhatI want to be.
There's not many girls get the better of me in a fight. - не многие девчонки могут меня победить в драке.
Expendable materials - расходный материал
Everything that happened was down to her. It was her fault.
He was not forthcoming - он отзывался неохотно
Manslaughter - непредумышленное человекоубийство

Matilda (a book by Roald Dahl)

Some useful words and expressions I collected from the book 'Matilda' by Roald Dahl which I enjoyed very much, especially the page which I took picture of.

It's the way of the world - так устроен мир
Revolting behaviour - возмутительное поведение
Twaddle - вздор, чушь
Scorcher- едкий сарказм
Scorch - подгорать, подпалить
The pie tasted scorched
She dotes on her son - она души в нем не чает, любить до безумия
Doting parent- слепо любящий
Grub -личинка насекомого
Chrysalis ('kriselis)- куколка насекомого
Scab - короста, струп
Gormless, half-witted - бестолковый, тупой
Mooch around and watch the telly - doing nothing
Diddle - обмануть, облапошить
Customers are there to be diddled
To diddle away one's time - попусту тратить время
To tamper with a document - подделывать
Flam - ложь подделка
What do you need a flaming book for?
Chasten (чейсн) - карать, наказывать
Failure will chasten our pride
Sinewy wrists ('sinjui)- жилистые запястья
A hat with wide flaps
Flat-heeled brown brogues with leather flaps -башмаки с отворотами
The place stank like a sewer! - здесь пахло канализацией
Well nigh impossible - почти невозможно
The winter is nigh at hand - Зима на носу
To give private tuition - заниматься репетиторством
I choose looks and you choose books
You're left slaving away teaching a lot of nasty children the ABC - вы надрываетесь преподавая алфавит
Delinquent - преступник, правонарушитель,
Tax delinquent -неплательщик
Drop-out - бросивший работу, учебу, выбывший, исключенный
Gusty - ветреный
To dust off one's hands - потирать руки
Totter away - ковылять
Saunter away ('sonte)- неспешно уходить
To take an evening saunter - совершать вечернюю прогулку (медленно, неспеша)
To waddle - ходить вразвалку
To shuffle- шаркать, волочить ноги
He kept edging farther and farther away from her with little shuffles of his feet.
Pustule (pastjule) - прыщ, гнойничок
Brigand - разбойник, бандит
To get into one's stride -приниматься за дело
Belch - отрыжка
To raise stink - поднять скандал, шумиху
To sling (slung)-стрелять из рогатки, метать
To be fast on your feet - делать ноги
Whopper- beast, big ugly creature
Satchel - book bag
Tingle - покалывание, пощипывание (in the eye, in one's ears)
I have a tingle in the legs -онемели ноги
Culprit - виновный, преступник
To have a peeve on smb - раздражаться на к-л
Aloft - above, up high
The silver moon rose aloft the sea
The flag was aloft
Stop whimpering - хватит хныкать
Grimy (graimi)- dirty, soiled
Froth - foam
Topple over, topple down, topple off -опрокидываться, свалиться
Proceeding - поступок, поведение
Slack - слабый, провисший
The rope went slack
By sheer power of her eyes - only
No one has ever got the better of her yet - никто ее не побеждал