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#gulag
review
TorieStorieS
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Pickpick

Wow—I can see why my uncle has been raving about this autobiography for decades! Victor Herman, his parents, brother & sister all left Detroit as part of a 3-year contract his father took to build cars in Russia in the 1930s.It took Victor over 40 years to return to America. Hailed as the Charles Lindbergh of Russia for his piloting, parachute jumps, marksmanship & boxing, his refusal to deny citizenship landed him in prison, then Siberian exile.

Suet624 Sounds fascinating. 2mo
TorieStorieS @Suet624 It really was! It‘s hard to find a physical copy (and I was too nervous of ruining my uncle‘s signed one!), but it‘s available on Audible for free with a membership! 2mo
Suet624 👍🏻 2mo
45 likes1 stack add3 comments
quote
StaceGhost
The Half Life of Valery K | Natasha Pulley
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I‘m not sure why I didn‘t hear any buzz about this book but it‘s brilliant ☢️ a student book rec

review
HaynesIndex
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Mehso-so

An enjoyable short read. I was expecting a little more in regards to the structure of the Soviet Union‘s meteorological network and the work they did. It was less about that and more focused on the life in prison and brutality the meteorologist, Alexey Feodosievich, had to endure as a review on the horrors of the Great Terror. Paragraphs often hop in time which confused at times, but an overall good read for those interested.

review
bookandbedandtea
The Half Life of Valery K | Natasha Pulley
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Pickpick

I loved Valery and I loved Shenkov and I loved Albert the octopus but I was heartsick about all the people living (suffering) in this town while being lied to by their government. I wish the end had been handled differently but I still really like Pulley's storytelling so this is another pick for me.

bookandbedandtea I did notice some things out of place (the TV remote! 🙄) but they didn't bring me out of the story so I was able to overlook them. 11mo
25 likes1 comment
blurb
bookandbedandtea
The Half Life of Valery K | Natasha Pulley
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My favorite read in November
#ReadingBracket2023

blurb
bookandbedandtea
The Half Life of Valery K | Natasha Pulley
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I love reading on snowy days. (And all other days as well 😉) Starting this one now.

TheBookgeekFrau There IS definitely something a little extra special about snow day reading ❄️🌨️ 11mo
jlhammar I‘ve got this waiting on my shelves - hoping to read in Jan or Feb! 11mo
35 likes2 comments
review
psalva
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich | ????????? ??????? ??????????
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Pickpick

This is a low pick for me. It‘s not that the story isn‘t impactful, being autobiographical fiction about a day in a Russian prison camp in the 40s. It‘s more so that the writing style made the story drag, even though it‘s only 140 pages. Nonetheless, I do feel that this was intentional. After all, time must be experienced differently in a prison camp like this, especially when one expects exile at best upon release. In the end, strong stuff.

review
Lieh
The Half Life of Valery K | Natasha Pulley
Pickpick

I deeply enjoy Natasha Pulleys plots and this one was no exception. Though I feel like her main characters have very similar voices and the books tend to follow the same beat. The ending felt rushed, which i felt with The Kingdoms as well. Nevertheless once i return this to the library, i will also make the rrip to the bookstore to pick up my own physical copy!

review
Lucy_Anywhere
The Half Life of Valery K | Natasha Pulley
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Pickpick

I picked this up on a whim from the library and I‘m so glad I did! I thoroughly enjoyed this Cold War thriller from start to finish. The emotional inner lives of the characters were wonderfully written and I was just immersed in the story. I need to read more by Natasha Pulley!

bookandbedandtea I love Natasha Pulley and had somehow forgotten I bought this book! Making a note to read it soon. I hope you like her others when you get to them. 2y
18 likes1 comment