Welcome to Litsy!

I listened to this because I wanted to better understand Russia‘s backslide (again) into a totalitarian regime. Gessen tells the story of the last 30+ years from the perspective of four different people, all born around the time when Russia should have become a democracy. Very well-written and smart, but also sad and terrifying.

Audio is narrated by the author, and they talk FAST. I had to slow down from my usual 2x. 😅

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you want to understand how Russia came to this moment read this book. If you want to understand why the recent congressional committee Supreme Court hearings focused so grossly on pedophilia read this book. Gessen‘s way into the history is from the ground up—average peoples‘ lives. The stories are riveting and illuminating, not to mention disturbing familiar in the alt rights current tactics in America. The future IS history.

I‘m giving my March #doublespin a so-so rating because I think it was me, not the book. I‘m sure this could be interesting, but on audio I couldn‘t keep everyone straight. It might have been better on paper, but I was too lazy to switch. I mostly kept it on in the background & I think I zoned out during most of it. On a side note, I thought the cover was a picture of someone in old fashioned scuba gear. On to April‘s pick!

https://lithub.com/lets-look-back-at-every-winner-of-the-national-book-award-for...

The tagged book has been on my tbr list for awhile now. Now that I‘m reading Midnight in Chernobyl, this book seems all the more relevant for me.

Through the lives of four of its citizens, Masha Gessen shows the reader the political morphing of modern Russia. This is more than a history lesson. Through her four central characters, their families, friends, and associates, Gessen examines the Russian psyche during the post-Soviet era, the use of disinformation and propaganda, corruption, and the legal system. If modern Russia interests you, then read The Future Is History.

I‘m down to my last few hours of housesitting at a home that is FAR more massive (and clean!) than my own, with many lovely outdoor seating areas in which to read. I‘ll miss the many hours of reading I can indulge in when I‘m not at home! But I‘ll be glad to get back to my routine.

Starting this super light & fluffy read at lunchtime. 😂

A little light reading😍

This book is amazing. I‘ve learned so much and I feel like I ran an emotional marathon but it was worth it.

Hellaciously sick but this account of Russia‘s redescent into totalitarianism is still riveting

I finished Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan's Disaster Zone by Richard Lloyd Parry last night and wanted to continue on my nonfiction streak.

Wow, this is a dense book. My book club agreed that this is easier to follow in print than as an audiobook due to our unfamiliarity with Russian last names. A great look at how a modern Russia, led by Putin, came to be.

I‘m not sure why, but I found this exceptionally amusing 🍗🍗🍗🍗

A fascinating bit of non-fiction. It combines some pretty heavy political and social writing with the stories of some seemingly ordinary Russians who grow into activist roles through the book. You end up with a reasonable idea of why the country is where it is today.

A bit of light reading about how totalitarianism has reclaimed Russia.

I was aware of all of the accolades this book received, and can say they are well deserved. Several stories of young adults growing up in post Soviet Union Russia are woven together. It also takes a long look at the psyche of Russian citizens who were on the cusp of democracy but prefer the stability of a totalitarian state.

#riotgrams Day 9 - Spine Poetry: shout out to the most poetic spine I know

Fascinating book on the history of Russia. Parts of it were a little over my head but overall I really enjoyed it.

A little light reading arrived😉

Went by the #library on my way home from work today. Remember hearing about this new release on @ReadingGlasses .

Depressing but engrossing look at the ways that Russia is a totalitarian state despite its brief flirtation with democracy-adjacent openness when the Soviet Union collapsed. The chapter on scapegoating and repression of LGBT people hit me especially hard. Not a light or easy read, but well worth the effort. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#CurrentlyListening to better understand Russia

With historical context, the book focuses on 4 young Russians, detailing how past/present ideologies affect them & how they make the best of it/fight back.

I recommend it, if just for the shock of the reality of present-day Russia (but skip the audio). Even though mentions of Russia frequent major news sources daily— so many details were totally unknown to me. Like, a gov‘t order (3 yrs ago!) to destroy literal tons of edible food from the EU.

Waiting for my laundry to get done so I can start packing for New Orleans! Can‘t wait to go back to visit all my friends! I am still so sad that I don‘t live there anymore, maybe one day the winds of fate will take me back.

Plans tonight: drinking, reading, and not watching the State of the Union address. 🥂

Oh @BookBee89 was giving me “the Look”. 🙂🙃🙂
The “Do-You-Really-Need-More-Books-At-Home Look”. And while it‘s true I didn‘t, I had to pick up some of these! #LibraryHaul

The Future is History won the 2017 National Book Award for nonfiction so I couldn‘t believe it was available!

After the End of the World is actually the second in the Carter & Lovecraft series (which I was not aware of). Let me know if I‘m missing out by skipping the 1st.

In the Soviet Union, there had been no public, precisely because there had been no conversation: "One Man of gigantic dimensions" must speak with a single voice, and only when called upon. (Art piece by A.A. Sundukov)

Forgot to post my first 2018 read. It was super interesting, and I learnt a lot of things I didn‘t know about recent history. I hadn‘t realised a lot of this stuff happened in my lifetime.

A super interesting look at Russia and Russian life in the last few decades. A great audiobook.

Fascinating!!!

The only thing worse than feeling like a loser was feeling like a member of a society of losers.

Little Octobrists are future Young Pioneers. Little Octobrists are studious kids. They study hard, love school, and respect their elders. Little Octobrists are honest and truthful kids. Little Octobrists are fun-loving kids. They read and they draw, they play and they sing, and they stick together. Only those who work hard and persist earn the right to be called Little Octobrist.

One time, Alexander Nikolaevich discovered, Stalin invited an old friend back in Georgia to Moscow for a reunion. They dined and drank—Stalin took pride in his hospitality and his menus, which he personally curated. Later the same night, the friend was arrested in his hotel room. He was executed before dawn. This could not be explained with any words or ideas available to man.

The Soviet regime robbed people not only of their ability to live freely but also of the ability to understand fully what had been taken from them, and how.

A state born of protest against inequality had created one of the most intricate and rigid systems of privilege that the world had ever seen.

Perestroika was an impossible idea...The Party was setting out to employ its structures of command to make the country..less command-driven. A system whose main afflictions were stagnation and inflexibility was setting out to change itself. Worst was the fact that people who had spent their lives securing power and individual leverage were expected to devise change that would dismantle the hierarchy of levers and might dislodge them.

This book is pretty amazing. The thesis on the re-emergence of totalitarianism is persuasive, and the author's tracking of the phenomenon is fascinating.

I found it hard to keep track of individual people and was surprised but interested in some of the directions the book took, such as the growth of psychoanalysis in the USSR, but I still recommend it.

Citizenry in a totalitarian state.

Also made me look up "antinomy"!

As the book continues, turns out only the latter seems true.

I was just telling someone that reading this book is really helpful to understanding current American politics- and then Emily Bazelon said the exact same thing on the #slate #political #gabfest #podcast !

A great look at the last ~35 years in Russia, how it went from a Communist regime to faltering democracy to totalitarian state. Gessen uses the lives of ordinary Russians to help the reader experience what it was like to live there during this time. We follow a few people while also learning about government changes and how those changes affected them. A great book to understand Russia and what might be influencing politics in the US today.

Looks like I'm enjoying the book more than this little guy, who arrived on Friday! Thanks everyone for the kind wishes! 😊😍👶

This book is really different than I was expecting. I also feel like it could have used, or at least I would have benefited from, a crash course on the past 100 years of Russian and Soviet history 😬

Ready to settle in for the night with a book and some Southern Comfort with lime. I‘m so ready for this long holiday weekend. #bookandbrew

It was great meeting @BarbaraTheBibliophage at the #MidtownScholar bookstore in #CentralPA to see Masha Gessen (in the background) interviewed and get our books signed. It was a great event, I‘ll have to keep my eye open for future author events, and check out their author interviews online.

Mr. B and I did a short road trip tonight to Harrisburg, PA to see Masha Gessen. (Midtown Scholar Bookstore) She‘s articulate, opinionated, and insightful. I‘ve watched a bunch of her interviews on YouTube and now I‘m excited to read her books.

And I got to meet up with @Riveted_Reader_Melissa - yay!!

#litsymeetup #authorevent #russia

Interesting discussion tonight with Masha Gessen.

Waiting for Masha Gessen to speak about her most recent book. Hoping @Riveted_Reader_Melissa and I can connect as well! #authorevent #russia #nonfiction

I‘ve read more Russian books (fiction and non-fiction) this year alone than I have in my entire life. I have two Shostakovich biographies coming up to continue the trend. This didn‘t disappoint. I also love when an author gives a great audiobook performance.