A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, 462 pages

This is one of my all-time favorite books.  It is the story of a Russian aristocrat who, instead of being shot in 1922 is sentenced at the age of 33, to house arrest in the Metropol Hotel in Moscow.  Count Alexander Rostov has already been in residence there four years but is moved from his swank suite of rooms to a small attic room.

This is a story of love in many forms, kindness, friendship and even adventure.  Almost all of it happening within the walls of the Metropol Hotel.  I listened to the book and enjoyed every moment of Nicholas Guy Smith's fabulous voice.    Two sentences on the book jacket of the print book sum up this book perfectly for me. "He can't leave. You won't want to." 

Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, 462 pages

Loved. This. Book.  Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to house arrest for life in 1922 due to a seditious poem.  He is sentenced to live in the same luxury hotel he has been living in for four years, but is moved from his suite to small servants quarters.

Alexander is in his early 30s when he is sentenced and quite a man of the world.  We follow his life for the next 30 years or so, all lived out in the hotel.  The book is full of friendship, love, coping, humor and a cast of wonderful characters. 

I listened to the book, which was read by Brit Nicholas Guy Smith.  Pure heaven.  I stopped listening for a few days because I didn't want it to end.  Alas, I had to finish it because ultimately, I had to know how it ended. 

Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown 253 pages

I can confidently say that most people in the world have at least heard of Tetris and many have played it, but how many know the story behind such a timeless and culturally important game. Brown shows the journey of Tetris from being a side project of a computer scientist from Moscow to a worldwide phenomenon. He also dives into how games have shaped society, and how it reveals things about psychology and human behavior. The artwork goes very well with the subject matter, showing the development of the game in such a way that makes it very understandable. This is a wonderful example of a non-fiction graphic novel done right.