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100 Word Book Review – The Dark Side of the Earth: Russia’s Short-lived Victory Over Totalitarianism by Mikhail Zygar
Gorbachev’s tenure as leader of the USSR lasted from March 1985 to Christmas 1991- from when I was 9 until I turned 16. His policies, especially perestroika, shaped my entire childhood impression of that nation. Zygar (who was born in 1981) starts his exploration of Soviet politics in 1961 with the launch of the first man in space and provides a detailed account through Gorbachev’s resignation, with small pieces from his own family’s experience thrown in. I found this book incredibly fascinating, especially in how it interacted with my own experience and memories of the “end” of the Cold War. 4 out of 5 stars
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100 Word Book Review – Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire by Dan Hanks
This book has been on my TBR list since I snapped a picture of the cover in Powell’s a few years ago. Set in the post-WWII era, Captain Samantha Moxley (a former Spitfire pilot), her sister Jessica, Jessica’s boyfriend (both archeologists), and Sam’s mentor (an archeologist and former Spitfire pilot) chase down a mystical artifact while avoiding Sam’s former US Government coworkers (monsters, ex-Nazis, and Sam’s ex-boyfriend). I should have loved it; it was okay. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but when I wasn’t, I was ambivalent. (I had to renew the library loan to finish it.) 3 out of 5 stars
