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Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Readers should not be fooled by the title The Geek Who Came From The Cold: Surviving The Post-USSR Era On A Hollywood Diet by Leon Kaminsky has nothing to do with food or dieting at all. The “Hollywood Diet” mentioned in the title is movies, mainly those from the US. A little bit of knowledge about Russia and their policies would be helpful when reading this book but is not required.
Leon is a young boy growing up in Russia at the end of the 1900s. He has a nervous problem (possibly anxiety) and has a hard time at school and with other people in general. Leon quickly falls in love with movies, specifically those from Hollywood after seeing them for the first time. Like so many other people who are not exactly social for one reason or another, he trades social interaction for watching films. His love for movies over the years borders on the edge of obsession as he knows not only actors and directors but also the Russian’s who voice over the tapes to translate them. His daily and weekly schedule revolves around what movies are being played on TV or at the theaters.
He takes readers through the difficulty of obtaining some of the popular movies that can be found just about anywhere here in the United States. This difficulty is not only because of how much Russia censored movies from just about anywhere but because the titles are often changed as well. Leon shares his excitement and the challenges he faced to get his first VCR play and to transport his VHS collection when his family moved. He even talks about when owning a VCR was illegal in Russia and when people would give anything to have one, including offering to trade a boat for a VCR.
What I liked best was that the informative quality of the book was wonderful and the author clearly did his research (I even wondered at times if the book was based on the author’s own childhood). I appreciated the human qualities of the book, such as the struggles Leon faces at school. New facts about Russia was presented to the readers in a way that prevented anything from feeling too overly informative. What I did not like was the fact that the book ends fairly abruptly. I would have liked to see at least one chapter about after the family’s move to Germany. There were also multiple sections where it would begin on one topic and end on another, seemingly unrelated topic.
Movie fans will enjoy this book but it is recommended that they be somewhat familiar with movies from the 1980s (I think was the time period of most movies mentioned in the book, I myself am far from a movie buff at all) and newer. High school students may not be able to fully appreciate the cinematic history in this book and may feel more like a history book to them. It should also be noted as VHS tapes are already a thing of the past (I am holding on to a few to show my children in the future) upcoming generations may not know what the book is talking about without asking their parents or google. Finally, I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. This book is very informative about a topic not many people are probably aware of. Sadly this gives it a very narrow target audience. The way the book is written makes it feel like it is an autobiography about a movie lover growing up where movies are largely controlled. The plot of the book is frequently lost through during all the movie talk.
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Leon is a young boy growing up in Russia at the end of the 1900s. He has a nervous problem (possibly anxiety) and has a hard time at school and with other people in general. Leon quickly falls in love with movies, specifically those from Hollywood after seeing them for the first time. Like so many other people who are not exactly social for one reason or another, he trades social interaction for watching films. His love for movies over the years borders on the edge of obsession as he knows not only actors and directors but also the Russian’s who voice over the tapes to translate them. His daily and weekly schedule revolves around what movies are being played on TV or at the theaters.
He takes readers through the difficulty of obtaining some of the popular movies that can be found just about anywhere here in the United States. This difficulty is not only because of how much Russia censored movies from just about anywhere but because the titles are often changed as well. Leon shares his excitement and the challenges he faced to get his first VCR play and to transport his VHS collection when his family moved. He even talks about when owning a VCR was illegal in Russia and when people would give anything to have one, including offering to trade a boat for a VCR.
What I liked best was that the informative quality of the book was wonderful and the author clearly did his research (I even wondered at times if the book was based on the author’s own childhood). I appreciated the human qualities of the book, such as the struggles Leon faces at school. New facts about Russia was presented to the readers in a way that prevented anything from feeling too overly informative. What I did not like was the fact that the book ends fairly abruptly. I would have liked to see at least one chapter about after the family’s move to Germany. There were also multiple sections where it would begin on one topic and end on another, seemingly unrelated topic.
Movie fans will enjoy this book but it is recommended that they be somewhat familiar with movies from the 1980s (I think was the time period of most movies mentioned in the book, I myself am far from a movie buff at all) and newer. High school students may not be able to fully appreciate the cinematic history in this book and may feel more like a history book to them. It should also be noted as VHS tapes are already a thing of the past (I am holding on to a few to show my children in the future) upcoming generations may not know what the book is talking about without asking their parents or google. Finally, I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. This book is very informative about a topic not many people are probably aware of. Sadly this gives it a very narrow target audience. The way the book is written makes it feel like it is an autobiography about a movie lover growing up where movies are largely controlled. The plot of the book is frequently lost through during all the movie talk.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Black Wolf (Natalya Ivanova Thriller #2) in Books
May 22, 2019
A young woman is found dead on the outskirts of St Petersburg on a freezing January morning. There are no signs of injury, and heavy snowfall has buried all trace of an attacker.
Captain Natalya Ivanova's investigation quickly links the victim to the Decembrists, an anti-Putin dissident group whose acts of civil disobedience have caught the eye of the authorities. And Natalya soon realises she is not the only one interested in the case, as government security services wade in and shut down her investigation almost before it has begun.
Before long, state media are spreading smear stories about the dead woman, and Natalya suspects the authorities have something to hide. When a second rebel activist goes missing, she is forced to go undercover to expose the truth. But the stakes are higher than ever before. Not only could her pursuit of the murderer destroy her career, but her family ties to one of the victims threaten to tear her personal life apart.
A captivating, pacy thriller that plunges right into the beating heart of Putin's Russia.
Black Wolf is the second thriller in the Captain Natalya Ivanova series based in St Petersburg, Russia.
This sequel to Abson's debut thriller, Motherland, again features Captain Natalya Ivanova of St Petersburg's Serious Crimes Unit.
This is police procedural novel that is filled with drama, suspense, police and political corruption and lots of drinking.
The story has lots of twists and turns to keep you gripped.
The characters are well established and strong lead female also.
Well written story which I enjoyed.
Recommend reading.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers' for the ARC. This is my honest voluntary review.
Captain Natalya Ivanova's investigation quickly links the victim to the Decembrists, an anti-Putin dissident group whose acts of civil disobedience have caught the eye of the authorities. And Natalya soon realises she is not the only one interested in the case, as government security services wade in and shut down her investigation almost before it has begun.
Before long, state media are spreading smear stories about the dead woman, and Natalya suspects the authorities have something to hide. When a second rebel activist goes missing, she is forced to go undercover to expose the truth. But the stakes are higher than ever before. Not only could her pursuit of the murderer destroy her career, but her family ties to one of the victims threaten to tear her personal life apart.
A captivating, pacy thriller that plunges right into the beating heart of Putin's Russia.
Black Wolf is the second thriller in the Captain Natalya Ivanova series based in St Petersburg, Russia.
This sequel to Abson's debut thriller, Motherland, again features Captain Natalya Ivanova of St Petersburg's Serious Crimes Unit.
This is police procedural novel that is filled with drama, suspense, police and political corruption and lots of drinking.
The story has lots of twists and turns to keep you gripped.
The characters are well established and strong lead female also.
Well written story which I enjoyed.
Recommend reading.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers' for the ARC. This is my honest voluntary review.
El Lissitzky
Book
El (Eleazar) Lissitzky (1890-1941) was a vital force in the revolutionary period in Russia. Having...
Antosha and Levitasha: The Shared Lives and Art of Anton Chekhov and Isaac Levitan
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Antosha and Levitasha is the first book in English devoted to the complex relationship between Anton...
AI
Alexander I: The Tsar Who Defeated Napoleon
Marie-Pierre Rey and Susan Emanuel
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Alexander I was a ruler with high aspirations for the people of Russia. Cosseted as a young grand...
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Riot Days in Books
Sep 26, 2017
Brave account of fighting injustice from a Russian prison
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.
This is an intriguing diary of political activist and Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina. It is heartfelt and almost despairing at times when Alyokhina describes the squalid conditions that she has to be imprisoned in after protesting in a church in Russia. However, her heroic efforts in jail even allowed her to gain some small victories, which makes her an activist through and through. From hunger strikes to taking prison guards to court, her determination should be lauded.
The copy that I received was unformatted making it a little difficult to follow new threads, but reading it as a journal definitely makes more sense as there are small blocks of personal day to day meanderings and quotes.
This is an intriguing diary of political activist and Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina. It is heartfelt and almost despairing at times when Alyokhina describes the squalid conditions that she has to be imprisoned in after protesting in a church in Russia. However, her heroic efforts in jail even allowed her to gain some small victories, which makes her an activist through and through. From hunger strikes to taking prison guards to court, her determination should be lauded.
The copy that I received was unformatted making it a little difficult to follow new threads, but reading it as a journal definitely makes more sense as there are small blocks of personal day to day meanderings and quotes.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Escape from New York (1981) in Movies
Jun 18, 2019
Snaaaaaake!
Escape from New York is a 1981 dystopian science fiction-action film.
In 1997, a major war between the U.S and Russia is continuing and the whole of Manhattan has been converted into a giant free roaming maximum security prison. When Air Force One is hijacked and crashes into the island, the president is taken hostage by inmates. Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), a former Special Forces soldier turned criminal, is recruited to retrieve the president in exchange for his own freedom.
Dark toned action adventure spawning a cult franchise and heavily inspired the Metal Gear Solid franchise. (I mean its lead character is snake plissken)
co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter.
It stars Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau, and Harry Dean Stanton
In 1997, a major war between the U.S and Russia is continuing and the whole of Manhattan has been converted into a giant free roaming maximum security prison. When Air Force One is hijacked and crashes into the island, the president is taken hostage by inmates. Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), a former Special Forces soldier turned criminal, is recruited to retrieve the president in exchange for his own freedom.
Dark toned action adventure spawning a cult franchise and heavily inspired the Metal Gear Solid franchise. (I mean its lead character is snake plissken)
co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter.
It stars Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau, and Harry Dean Stanton
David McK (3425 KP) rated Me Bandy, You Cissie (The Bandy Papers, #4) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The fourth book in Donald Jack's Bandy series of novels, following a Canadian aviator through the early parts of the 20th century.
This is the first novel not set in (or related to) The First World War, as it is set in the 1920s, and follows the trials and tribulations of its titular character upon his escape from Russia and return to America: events that see him join (and then get fired from) the postal service, and eventually become an unwitting early Hollywood star.
While it's still fitfully amusing, I have to say I didn't find this as funny as the earlier books: maybe because it is set in America, and relates to events and characters that we (in the West) are not as familiar with as our American or Canadian counter-parts.
This is the first novel not set in (or related to) The First World War, as it is set in the 1920s, and follows the trials and tribulations of its titular character upon his escape from Russia and return to America: events that see him join (and then get fired from) the postal service, and eventually become an unwitting early Hollywood star.
While it's still fitfully amusing, I have to say I didn't find this as funny as the earlier books: maybe because it is set in America, and relates to events and characters that we (in the West) are not as familiar with as our American or Canadian counter-parts.
Licensed to Drill: Dentist on the Loose!
Book
Licensed to drill! Shots, Killing, Out Cold, Asphyxiated, Agents, Accomplices, Cocaine, the...