Litsy

I read this for #authoramonth and still think about it. Fascinating story in the capable hands of Kate Quinn. My favorite read in April. #12booksof2025

TheEllieMo

TheEllieMo This sounds like it would be right up my street! 2d

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GingerAntics

The Holocaust by Bullets: A Priest's Journey to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of 1.5 Million Jews | Father Patrick Desbois

I‘m really struggling with this one and it is 100% me and not the book. I read The Ravine first, and I am still caught up on the BEAUTIFUL work of scholarship that is, that this just isn‘t hitting for me. To be honest, he‘s doing really intriguing and unique scholarship as well, but the scholarship is not his point (and I‘m really wishing it was). His scholarship literally couldn‘t be done today, so my desire for more info is that much stronger.

GingerAntics If you are into scholarship/scholarly history, read this one FIRST, then

The Ravine: A Family, a Photograph, a Holocaust Massacre Revealed

GingerAntics #FatherPatrickDesbois #TheHolocaustOfBullets #audiobook 2w

GingerAntics His unique angle that couldn‘t be pulled off today is that he‘s taking Russian documents released after the fall of the iron curtain (that thus have credibility issues) and pairing them with firsthand accounts 50 years on (which have credibility issues of their own). Together, they fix each other‘s credibility issues to tell this story from a unique perspective. Obviously, the KGB/Putin aren‘t exactly welcoming scholars into their boarders ATM. (edited) 2w

GingerAntics No one could write this book now. No one could go on his journey today (for a multitude of reasons), so I want to know all about it. Unfortunately, that‘s not what this book is about. This is almost his travel log (both through Ukraine and his own childhood during WWII in France). That in itself is an interesting story. It‘s just that following The Ravine, I don‘t care about how he became a priest or his travel issues. 2w

26 likes4 comments

IriDas

Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster | Adam Higginbotham

pick

A fairly thorough account of the events leading up to, around, and after of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. I think it would be easier to follow if reading a physical copy just because there are so many people involved and it was difficult to follow each thread because so much happened. ⬇️

IriDas I appreciated that almost the entire focus was on the Soviet side of things, only mentioning the West when it was directly related. I dislike when an author tries to make stories from other countries relevant to people in the US by including things that are mostly unrelated or have no direct impact on the narrative. (edited) 2w

28 likes1 comment

IriDas

Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster | Adam Higginbotham

Uplifting Christmas tale about the vast generosity of humanity and… No, just kidding. The Soviet Politburo sounds like MAGA. Loyalty is rewarded, knowledge is silenced and ignored. Lies spread en masse, and bullying to ensure the compliance of the people. Inevitably, all is lost. The future of all authoritarianism.

TheBookHippie 💯 3w

AmyG People don‘t realize that this world is already at war. We are fighting authoritarianism, fascism, nazis. 3w

IriDas @AmyG yes, we were educated into complacency. Our teachers gave us a pablum designed to make us think that somehow the West was just interested in spreading Democracy and liberating people. The truth is a hard pill to swallow but necessary to move forward. 3w

26 likes3 comments

GingerAntics

The Holocaust by Bullets: A Priest's Journey to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of 1.5 Million Jews | Father Patrick Desbois

I guess I didn‘t expect this to be a memoir. Still intriguing and helping to block out all of the bleeding football.
#FatherPatrickDesbois #TheHolocaustOfBullets #audiobook

GingerAntics I feel like I‘m hearing more of Father Patrick‘s story than that of the Ukrainian jewish communities. Maybe it‘s just taking time to develop. 3w

kspenmoll If I remember correctly he does write of various communities & their collusion with the Nazis,also also a few brave anti Nazi actions. I had no knowledge of this part/geographic area during WWII, nor of the original mass murder with bullets prior to the camps. 3w

kspenmoll I knew it was a memoir going into it because I heard of him in the first NF book I read

The Ravine: A Family, a Photograph, a Holocaust Massacre Revealed

GingerAntics @kspenmoll I enjoyed The Ravine… well, enjoyed might not be the right word, but I absolutely ADORED the scholarship. That is one of the best pieces of scholarship I have ever read, and it‘s such an important topic. I guess I missed the reference to this book, I was so engrossed in her scholarship (couldn‘t shut up about it while I was reading it). This one just isn‘t hitting the same. I might but be in the right mood for it either. 3w

17 likes4 comments

Nebklvr

Stalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and the Depraved of Chornobyl | Markiyan Kamysh

pan

Is it lyrical or narcissistic? Is the author a brave explorer or a refugee from Darwin‘s law? It feels like he is in love with listening to himself ramble his nihilistic monologue. However, not all readers have partaken of the substances that make philosophers and poets out of every fool.

29 likes

GingerAntics

The Ravine: A Family, a Photograph, a Holocaust Massacre Revealed | Wendy Lower

So, I switched one of my wild cards with this month‘s pick “The Ravine” because I didn‘t want to have to decide between it and my other pick from this month (Pageboy) immediately. It may still come to that, but I‘ll have had more time to process.
#WendyLower #TheRavine #ElliotPage #Pageboy #ReadingBracket #BookBracket2025 #BookBracket #nonfiction

15 likes

GingerAntics

The Ravine: A Family, a Photograph, a Holocaust Massacre Revealed | Wendy Lower

I read a lot this month. Anything to avoid the 24/7 sports on TV.
#OctoberWrapUp #StoryGraph #WendyLower #TheRavine

20 likes

quietlycuriouskate

Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft: Slavic Magic from the Witch of the Woods | Madame Pamita

Happy Baba Yaga season, dear Littens!
I've baked rye bread, and there are gallons of tea: in other words, business as usual.

25 likes

BarbaraBB

Read the World | Pushpinder Khaneka

Adding five countries to #ReadTheWorld2025 for September and October: #Ukraine #Albania #Austria #Croatia and #Portugal, coincidentally all European.

I now have read 31 countries!

GatheringBooks

Bookwormjillk Impressive! 2mo

GatheringBooks Oh wow wow wow! Impressive indeed. I am at 37 countries now and 15 languages (translated) - I keep track here: https://gatheringbooks.org/readtheworld2025/ 2mo

Suet624 Amazing! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2mo

46 likes3 comments

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