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Nicholas & Alexandra (Turtleback School & Library)
Nicholas & Alexandra (Turtleback School & Library) | Robert K Massie
History offers few eras richer in drama than the last years of imperial Russia. Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, Empress Alexandra, presided over a glittering world of huge palaces, lavish balls, and incomparable luxury. Then their cherished son Alexis was born. His hemophilia led to their tragic entanglement with the bizarre Siberian mystic Rasputin and eventually to the disintegration of their empire."Nicholas and Alexandra" is the unforgettable intimate account of the entire imperial family, now in a trade paperback format for the first time. Told with scrupulous historical accuracy and stunning narrative power, "Nicholas and Alexandra" is a masterpiece of the biographer's art.
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tphil10283
Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book about what has got to be the most significant love story of all time. I‘m not usually very sympathetic towards autocrats but I think people that can love each other as these two did can‘t be all that bad. It‘s a very well told story and I highly recommend it.

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hartofashieldmaiden
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Pickpick

As someone who loves history, I found this book utterly fascinating and incredibly sad. It's also humbling to think about how current events will be written about in the future, seeing as this was just only 100+ years ago so much changed so quickly.

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Lauraandherbooks
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So this just came in the mail.. I ordered it from eBay!! Such an interesting time in history.. The Romanovs!!!

rubyslippersreads One of my favorite books. 4y
Lauraandherbooks @rubyslippersreads i can‘t wait to get to it!! 4y
rubyslippersreads I just noticed another favorite in the background: 4y
Lauraandherbooks @rubyslippersreads yes it was a great book... but honestly the rasputin book was my favorite!!i couldn‘t put it down!! Very interesting story 4y
rubyslippersreads @Lauraandherbooks I‘ll have to move that one up the TBR list. 4y
25 likes5 comments
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Reviewsbylola
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Obsessed with the beauty of this book. 😍 #foliosociety #foliofreaks

Mitch Gorgeous photo 4y
Velvetfur That's a great picture! 4y
Megabooks 😍😍😍😍 4y
85 likes4 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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A little late but that‘s ok
1. Haven‘t had to use one.
2. The Romanovs or Women in the Revolutionary War or True Crime
3. Helen Rappaport is good also Harold Schechter is decent Robert K. Massie is fantastic
@ozma.of.oz #sundayfunday

BookmarkTavern Women in the Revolutionary War would be a fascinating subject! Thanks for sharing! 5y
OrangeMooseReads @ozma.of.oz oh they are. There were some bad*ss women involved in the Revolutionary War. 😊 5y
ValerieAndBooks Any recs for books on women in the Revolutionary War? I enjoy that topic too. I just started 5y
21 likes3 comments
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Reviewsbylola
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My #foliosociety order came in. 😍 Such gorgeous books, especially Nicholas and Alexandra. Check out that slipcase! #foliofreaks

Kalalalatja 😍😍😍 5y
TrishB Lovely ♥️ 5y
jillrhudy I WANT that Folio. One of the best biographies of all time. 5y
See All 6 Comments
LeahBergen Damn. Maybe I should‘ve sprung for Nicholas and Alexandra after all. 💚💚 5y
Reviewsbylola It‘s beautiful!! @LeahBergen 5y
Mdargusch Wow! Good choices! 5y
74 likes6 comments
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LittleMummyMe
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I just read about the 'midnight sun' in St.Petersburg in summer...I can't imagine, the sun up for 22 hours a day.

RJHowe It is pretty crazy. We have it in northern Canada aw well. 6y
LittleMummyMe @RJHowe I'd like to see it once. 6y
21 likes2 comments
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LittleMummyMe
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Kindle daily deal has a Romanov book.

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Suzze
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The tagged book has stayed with me. Loved it.
Celeste Ng, such excellent writing.
I loved Nightcap with Ali Wentworth. An inside look behind the scenes of a late night talk show. Very funny.
Nachos!

#ManicMonday #LetterN

JoScho 💜💛💜 6y
50 likes1 stack add1 comment
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GypsyKat
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This has been on my TBR list for a few years now. Yay for #KindleSales 😁

Ingerella Daily deals get me every time! I need this one too! 6y
GypsyKat @Ingerella I can‘t resist them! 😂 6y
OrangeMooseReads Excellent book. Massie is well versed in the Russian Imperial family. 6y
GypsyKat @OrangeMooseReads I have a few of his books on the subject on my TBR list, but this is the first one I‘ve bought. I‘m looking forward to reading it. 👍 6y
76 likes1 stack add4 comments
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erinreads
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Spent the afternoon yesterday with @silentrequiem and my favorite part is when she just comes up to me with a book and when I say I haven‘t read it, she just slowly adds it to the pile of books I‘m already carrying. 😂 Also, I stop into the Friends of the Library bookstore fairly often, yet I can still walk out with 7 books! #bookhaul

BookishTrish We must have similar tastes: I‘ve read all of these except the middle two. 7y
sprainedbrain Oh, The Historian. 😍 Which one did @silentrequiem add? 7y
SledgeReader FOL Book Hauls are the best!!! 7y
See All 6 Comments
erinreads @sprainedbrain The Tale of Gwyn. I‘ve never even heard of it, but it sounds good, so we‘ll see! 7y
silentrequiem @erinreads @sprainedbrain It was originally published as Jackaroo and it is one of my favorite books. I've bought multiple copies because I kept wearing them out! 7y
sprainedbrain @silentrequiem well clearly I need to check that out! 7y
97 likes6 comments
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readordierachel
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I really want to know why the previous owner of this book underlined "azalea." There must be a story there. ?

suvata Love a good mystery notation 7y
Billypar I always try to avoid buying used books with writing, but when I do get them I find it interesting to ponder some of the odder ones.. And then you have to think if you lend this book to someone else, will they attribute the comments to you...? 7y
LeeRHarry Name for a baby maybe? 😊 7y
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merelybookish Maybe they had to look it up? (Speaking as someone who just underlined 'gneiss' in a book.) 7y
readordierachel @Billypar I definitely won't buy one with massive underlining, but something like this bothers me less. It makes the book a little quirky instead of "ruined." Good point about passing it on! Makes me want to add a disclaimer or something "Any markings are the fault of a previous owner..." 7y
readordierachel @LeeRHarry Oh, good guess! That seems plausible 7y
readordierachel @merelybookish That's a possibility! Wait, was this your book? Do you know what an azalea is? 😉 7y
Cupofjo I love when I get a used book and find the underlining of others! 7y
saresmoore Could be one of those weird book serendipity occurrences. I find mulberry trees show up in my reading all the time. 7y
merelybookish @ReadOrDieRachel I am pretty clueless when it comes to plants. 😛 And rocks. 7y
readordierachel @Cupofjo It makes it interesting! 7y
readordierachel @saresmoore I like that theory! So weird how that happens. 7y
monalyisha In middle school, I wanted to start a band & call it “Azalea.” 😅🌸 7y
readordierachel @monalyisha Solid band name! I was one-half of "Salt N Pepa Jr." In middle school ?? 7y
monalyisha Omg like Clue or Scrabble Jr. 😅 Did you guys still “push it” or did you use some other juvenile-appropriate verb? 7y
readordierachel @monalyisha Haha! Exactly. Oh, we pushed it real good, with zero idea what that meant 😆 Ah youth 7y
84 likes18 comments
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thecurlybookworm
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I've been MIA & so very behind on my #riotgrams--took the photos but never posted! Apologies in advance for my catch-up spam...

Day 5: royalty

Did anyone else read/love the Royal Diaries series? For real royals, I'm quite fascinated by Nicholas II.

sunnyaltman I was obsessed with these books! Elizabeth I and Cleopatra were my favorite! 7y
thecurlybookworm @sunnyaltman I love the Cleopatra one! I don't think I've read Elizabeth I 😱 7y
19 likes2 comments
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PNWBookseller85
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And now back to reading this crazy beautiful book. Also pictured, my life beverage ☕️ that I‘m not sure I could live without because my 4 year old wakes up at 5:30 am every morning. Every. Morning. 💤 😴 💤

#riotgrams #bookandbeverage

scripturient I feel your pain. My 4 yo has decided that anytime between 4:30 and 5 AM is a perfectly reasonable time to wake up. 7 days a week. My only wish is to be able to sleep in once, just once. #mommysolidarity 7y
PNWBookseller85 @scripturient 😭 it‘s awful!! Got to be honest, I put him in front of the tv most mornings so I can go back to sleep. They grow out of this eventually, right? When they‘re teenagers we‘ll be complaining about the opposite problem. Now how to survive until then...🤔😴 7y
scripturient @BeckyMerilatt It is and I do hope it will get better. At least everyone says so. And I‘m actually looking forward to taking my sweet revenge when he‘s a teenager and wants to sleep in and I will decide that seven AM is a good time to vacuum his room. 😈🤣🤣🤣🤣 7y
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scripturient That‘s the only thought that keeps me going. 😂😂 7y
PNWBookseller85 @scripturient 😂 your comment made me genuinely chuckle like a villain. 7y
MicheleinPhilly @scripturient OMG! My mom used to do that to me when I was a teenager! 😩 7y
scripturient @MicheleinPhilly 😂😂😂🙈 7y
rubyslippersreads ❤️❤️❤️ this book (and coffee is vital to my existence as well! 😄☕️) 7y
132 likes9 comments
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PNWBookseller85
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Probably the sexiest book that I own. I‘ve had it for years and years and never got around to reading it. But after reading Victoria the Queen my mind was in just the right place for like, basically the sequel.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful picture 🧡🧡🧡🧡 7y
Mdargusch This is one of my all time favorite books! Love your photo. ❤️ 7y
LeahBergen It‘s so good! 7y
PNWBookseller85 @Mdargusch @LeahBergen it‘s good to hear that you guys liked it! I‘m already loving it and I‘ve only just started it. 7y
102 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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SarahMillerBooks
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Just barely in time for #LibraryShelfieDay — me and my veritable dragon‘s hoard of Romanov books.

LeahBergen Wow! That‘s impressive. 😍😍 7y
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OrangeMooseReads
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Pickpick

Well researched (as Massie‘s books are) and well written. He argues that it was Alix (Alexandra) who was the eventual cause of the Tsar falling. If she had not married Nicholas and had Alexis there would have been no Rasputin. He does not paint Alexandra in a favorable light that is for sure. As always where the Russian monarchy is the subject it was an interesting read.

BarbaraTheBibliophage This one‘s on my shelf! Thanks for the review. 7y
OrangeMooseReads @BarbaraTheBibliophage you‘re welcome. Hope you enjoy it. 7y
45 likes2 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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384 of 532 ... can‘t believe anyone would kill Rasputin shocking, just shocking!
Only 147 more pages to go. Wonder what happens to the Tsar and his family?

CoverToCoverGirl 🤔🙄🤣 7y
41 likes1 comment
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OrangeMooseReads
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1. People not parking right (not in the lines or super close to one line, leaving half a car space between cars parked in a line so more cars can‘t fit 🤬) also the constant use of the word ‘like‘
2. What‘s vacation?
3. Probably will be the tagged book
4. I don‘t read holiday books
5. If you could “have a beer” with any author (alive or dead) who would it be?
#friYAYintro @jess.how

MidnightBookGirl I'd love to have drinks with Stephen King! 7y
youneverarrived Bukowski! 7y
Owlizabeth Jenny Lawson, just for the laughs 7y
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julesG Just one beer with just one author? Not fair! I'd like to have a beer with Gaiman, Laini Taylor, VE Schwab, Lewis Carroll, Shakespeare, ... 7y
brandymuses Megan Whalen Turner 7y
OrangeMooseReads @MidnightBookGirl he would be fun to chat with 7y
OrangeMooseReads @julesG yes this time just one lol 7y
OrangeMooseReads @brandymuses I don‘t know her. I‘ll have to look her up. 7y
GondorGirl @Owlizabeth Jenny Lawson would be a great choice! 7y
claffy_reads Jennifer Egan, definitely. 7y
moranadatter Pat Rothfuss 7y
OrangeMooseReads @moranadatter I‘ll have to look them up. Name seems familiar though 7y
31 likes12 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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Tsar Nicholas had great facial hair

Lynnsoprano I read that years ago. Excellent! 7y
OrangeMooseReads @Lynnsoprano yes it is. I read Massie‘s biography of Catherine the Great a few years ago and it was really good. 7y
2BR02B Such fulsome moustachery. I wonder if he could tuck the ends in his ears? 7y
Suelizbeth It‘s quite Poirotish. 7y
readordierachel Indeed! 7y
38 likes5 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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277 of 532 ... those pesky Germans have declared war on Russia, who is only backing up Serbia. Next thing you know the whole world will be at war.

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OrangeMooseReads
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On this date 112 years ago ....

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OrangeMooseReads
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History!
Bed
Cocoa
Autumn (I loathe snow)
Depends on my mood. I love them both equally.
Hardback for looks, paperback for portability and easier reading
Paper
Notes 👍🏼
Depends on my mood. Love a good fairy tale but some times you need a superhero.
@slategreyskies #getingtoknowyou

Jerdencon I loathe snow too!!! 7y
Sace I love snow in the south. Just a dusting and I get to stay home. 😂 7y
OrangeMooseReads @RestlessFickleBookSlut it takes at least 6-8 inches here before they call off school or 2 inches of ice. 7y
DGRachel I detest snow, too. Two years in Boone cured me of my appreciation for the white stuff. 7y
44 likes4 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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This is what is left of my #TBR2017 list. How fitting 17 left. I‘m focusing on ONLY reading these books for the rest of the year. Hopefully I can get them read, a couple I can skim parts of because I read parts for class or a paper, but there are a couple that are real undertakings. 🤞🏽 I can do it. Several are my #litsyatoz picks

AlaMich Under the Banner of Heaven was super interesting! 7y
OrangeMooseReads @AlaMich it looks interesting 7y
Avanders Ooh I really loved 7y
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OrangeMooseReads @Avanders I heard and read really good things about it. 7y
AmandaL I listened to Under The Banner of Heaven, and it was fantastic. Krakaur reads his own books. 7y
OrangeMooseReads @AmandaL I‘ll have to check into the audio, thanks 7y
britt_brooke I agree with @AlaMich on the Krakauer. It‘s fascinating and horrifying. And A Confederacy of Dunces is one of my favorites! It‘s kind of a slow read (at least for me), but absolutely worth it. (edited) 7y
JaclynW Great books! I'm curious about The Obituary Writer. 7y
43 likes8 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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Up next ...

36 likes1 stack add
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msc1977
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A neighbour gave me this book yesterday, for no reason other than he new I was interested.
Some people rock!! #romanovs #tsar

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rubyslippersreads
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My latest #Folio acquisition is my pick for #backintheussr. #rockinmay #FolioFreaks

RealBooks4ever Lovely! 😍 8y
Jas16 Gorgeous picture 8y
Sace So pretty. 💙 8y
See All 10 Comments
LeahBergen 💗💗💗 8y
Cinfhen Everything about this post is gorgeous 💙💙💙 8y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful ❤️ 8y
elkeOriginal Absolutely stunning! 💖 8y
Hobbinol 👍🏻 8y
Moray_Reads Beautiful picture 😍😍 8y
97 likes2 stack adds10 comments
review
gossamerchild
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Pickpick

I found my favorite sentence of the whole book 🤣. But all laughing aside, this book... Was troubling. Massie did a fantastic job of humanizing Nicholas and Alexandra; I pitied the man and woman, even if the monarchs left me cold. Also, the book was published in the late 1960s, so the anti-Soviet sentiment is quite apparent. Overall, I enjoyed the book. So freaking sad.

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gossamerchild
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I keep thinking, maybe THIS time they'll be saved... I'm pretty sure that's not the way history works 🤔🙄

I'm very conflicted about this story. I feel pity, but then feel guilty about feeling pity. I need to read more Russian history that isn't specifically about the monarchy.

Tnovo If you want a good thorough read about Russia try this one. It reads like a story and less like a boring historical text. I loved this book. 8y
gossamerchild @Tnovo thank you! That's exactly what I need. I'm really enjoying Nicholas and Alexandra, but would like something a little more inclusive. 8y
27 likes2 comments
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gossamerchild
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My current read was originally #publishedinthe1960s. #huxleythecat accurately sums up my opinion of the last Tsar of Russia. #aprilbookshowers @RealLifeReading

Meg11726 What an adorable reading buddy!! 8y
gossamerchild @Meg11726 he's pretty sweet 😸😻 8y
KarenUK 😻😻😻 8y
See All 7 Comments
SharonGoforth 😻😻 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage This one is my shelf too - but I forgot to include it! 👏🏻👏🏻 8y
gossamerchild @BarbaraTheBibliophage it's fascinating. Dated, slightly problematic, but fascinating. 8y
Bookzombie 💕🐱 8y
29 likes7 comments
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gossamerchild
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I find this sentence troubling. What, it's not enough that her extremely sheltered son who had HEMOPHILIA was away from home (and her eyesight) for the first time ever, so she needs to be accused of not being able to stay away from the menfolk? Ugh. I know the book was published in the 1960s, but is that an excuse?

#amreading

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gossamerchild
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Here's my #currentlyreading #recentnonfictionread. Originally published in the 1960s, this book is a bit dated, but still fascinating. Massie tells a good story.

#marchintoreading @RealLifeReading

Reviewsbylola Wow, I had no idea it was published that long ago! 8y
gossamerchild @Reviewsbylola yeah, I would guess the research on hemophilia is a wee out of date 🙄 8y
43 likes1 stack add2 comments
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JacintaMCarter
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I love anything dealing with the Romanovs. In high school, I wrote a paper about Rasputin and I read all 800 pages of this book just for the 200 pages that talked about him. #NonfictionLove #17BookLove

Well-ReadNeck Is it just me or does Nicholas resemble Leonardo deCaprio? 8y
Reviewsbylola I had a period where I was obsessed with reading about the Romanovs. This was one of my favorites. 8y
Reviewsbylola I can totally see that. @Well-ReadNeck 8y
Wannabe_Quijote Loved this book! I read it in prep for my trip to Russia last month. 8y
OrangeMooseReads This is on my TBR for this year. I love all things Romanov. 8y
45 likes1 stack add5 comments
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gossamerchild
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Uhhh... Who does this make me think of? 🤔😢 #amreading

SuperPunkNinja 😅😅😅 8y
23 likes1 stack add1 comment
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gossamerchild
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For me, I don't really have a #favoritevillain in fiction. I'm not good at loving to hate characters. So after thinking about this for a while, Rasputin is the closest I could get. He's a fascinating historical figure and truly villainous to many people. I like how ambiguous his reputation is, though. I can't read enough about him. #riotgrams.

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Suzze
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Probably my all-time favorite book about Royals. I went into this knowing nothing about them. And was fascinated. I was in my twenties when I read this. Seems so long ago. 👑👑 #readjanuary #royals

rubyslippersreads ❤❤❤ this book! 8y
Graciouswarriorprincess I read this when I was 12 and have reread it several times since then. I agree, one of my favorites.👍🏻💕 8y
Mdargusch I have read this two or three times also. And shared it with many others. Definitely my favorite book about the Romanovs. 8y
See All 11 Comments
MaureenMc I have had this book on my shelf for years. Really need to get to this one. 8y
LeahBergen Loved this one. 👍🏼 8y
Reviewsbylola I loved this one too. 8y
ValerieAndBooks I find the Romanovs fascinating but I don't think I've read this particular bio 🤔. I'll have to look! (Not home until later tonight) 8y
kspenmoll Loved this as well; read in late teens.😍 8y
Hobbinol I've already stacked this, but you're making me want to stack it again! 8y
lynneamch If you haven't read this one yet, there is an incredible amount of research in 8y
Suzze @lynneamch Thanks! I'll look into that one. (edited) 8y
107 likes7 stack adds11 comments
review
bookishdawg
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Pickpick

Read "Nicholas and Alexandra" years ago and am now enjoying "Catherine the Great"... Robert K. Massie can WRITE. ?? #FunFridayPhoto

bookishdawg On my TBR! Thanks for the rec 👍🏼@shawnmooney (edited) 8y
7 likes2 comments
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Wannabe_Quijote
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Pickpick

Royal intrigue, hemophilia, Rasputin, war... I learned so much!

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Wannabe_Quijote
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First class upgrade means coffee in ceramic rather than styrofoam! 👍

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Wannabe_Quijote
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14 likes1 stack add
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Wannabe_Quijote
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Malbec, pizza, and Russian history pair super well!

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Wannabe_Quijote
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A pre-dinner read in the hotel's rooftop jacuzzi? Sure!

16 likes2 comments
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Wannabe_Quijote
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The view from my reading perch in #argentina that I'll miss. #litsyaroundtheworld

TrishB Gorgeous 😀 8y
23 likes1 comment
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Wannabe_Quijote
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I'm going to miss summer in December.

Blueberry I always miss summer :) 8y
Wannabe_Quijote @Blueberry You make a great point! 8y
14 likes2 comments
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Wannabe_Quijote
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I'm only 5% in but really enjoying it. There's nothing like a well-written history!

MrBook MMMMMmmm 😋!!! 8y
Wannabe_Quijote @MrBook Pretty soon I'll be home and have to cook my own food again 😩 8y
10 likes2 comments
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Wannabe_Quijote
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More prep reading for Russia!

10 likes1 stack add
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mllemay
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Pickpick

Fascinating and thorough look at the reign of the last Russian tsar and the demise of the Romanov dynasty. I especially appreciated learning more about the domestic life of Nicholas and Alexandra (including Alexei's hemophilia) and Rasputin's influence over them - what a sinister character. Also liked the look at WWI from the eastern front perspective, as that's not often discussed in our history classes.

Laura317 Did it mention anything about the one daughter possibly escaping? Anastasia, I think? 8y
mllemay @Laura317 yes, he disproves those theories and from the primary sources he uses, it seems pretty much impossible. I think he adresses that issue even more in depth in one of his most recent books that's only about the last days of the family. I'll be interested in reading that one too! 8y
Suzze That was such a touching book. It has stayed with me for many years. 8y
47 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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mllemay
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First snowfall 😍 (although nothing will stay on the ground). Meanwhile I'm warm and cozy under my blanket making my way through this monster. Over halfway through now - totally reads like a novel. Sometimes truth is crazier than fiction!

KVanRead You are making me homesick! 8y
mllemay @KVanRead I'm the first to complain about winter in the middle of January, but there's something about the first few snowfalls that is definitely magical! I def understand that you miss it! 8y
Reviewsbylola Fantastic book! 8y
See All 7 Comments
mllemay @Reviewsbylola yes! It's so fascinating! 8y
KVanRead @mllemay Exactly! 8y
oonaghmoon @mllemay I wish it was snowing here. Perfect for cosying up with books 8y
mllemay @oonaghmoon yes, reading in the warmth when it's cold and snowy/rainy outside is especially cosy ☺️ 8y
38 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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This cover 👌

DebinHawaii Gorgeous! 📚❤️ 8y
LeahBergen Such a good book, too. 8y
rubyslippersreads Beautiful cover on one of my favorite books. ❤️📚 8y
Graciouswarriorprincess Love this book and story!🎉 8y
50 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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rubyslippersreads
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One of my favorite nonfiction books, which started my interest in this fascinating, tragic family. #nonfictionlove #septphotochallenge #somethingforsept #day14

LeahBergen Me, too! 8y
ValerieAndBooks I find them fascinating, too! 8y
52 likes8 stack adds2 comments