22 ratings | 4 reviews | avg rating:5.00

Lara’s Year In Books

Lara’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Lara’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Lara’s 2024 Year in Books

Lara Gelya’s Followers (21)

Lara’s Bookshelves

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Muriel Akroyd

1,384 books | 25 friends

Sharon Hart-Green

138 books | 4,977 friends

Christina Bosworth

2,333 books | 54 friends

Andrew Baltasar

419 books | 1,789 friends

Iva Dimitrova

48 books | 161 friends

Jaden John

182 books | 267 friends

Kevin Moore

217 books | 109 friends

Liam Gregory

291 books | 196 friends

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Lara Gelya

Goodreads Author

Born

Ukraine

Website

https://www.laragelya.com

Twitter

lgelya

Genre

Memoir, History, Nonfiction

Member Since

April 2022

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Born in Ukraine and going to school there, Lara Gelya spent the next two decades in the Kyzylkum Desert of the Republic of Uzbekistan, working at geological sites and expeditions of the Mining Industry. At that time Ukraine and Uzbekistan were parts of one country -- the Soviet Union.

In 1989 Lara left the Soviet Union, lived in Austria and Italy before she, at last, found her way to the United States in 1990. Starting her life from ground zero again, and trying on so many hats, she was able to make a lengthy professional career that led to her eventual retirement on the shores of sunny Florida.

Now, enjoying her retirement, Lara fills her days with enriching activities like writing, creating videos and pictures, reading, gardening, cooking, ...more

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Combine Editions
Lara Gelya’s books

Average rating: 4.73 · 100 ratings · 83 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	Camel from Kyzylkum 4.73 avg rating — 99 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Camel from Kyzylkum: A Memoir of My Life Journey by Lara Gelya (Goodreads Author), Beth Deehan (Narrator) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

9 posts
Lara Gelya's Blog

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy New Year to All! Peace and Love from our home to yours!

As the old year gives way to the new, remember—you are the author of your own story.

Each new year brings the exciting promise of fresh starts and new beginnings. Perhaps that’s why we look forward to New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with such anticipation. Whether you have specific goals for the year ahea Read more of this blog post »

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Published on December 24, 2024 09:56

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Lara’s Recent Updates

Lara Gelya rated a book it was amazing Camel from Kyzylkum: A Memoir of My Life Journey by Lara Gelya (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Camel from Kyzylkum: A Memoir of my Life Journey. What does it take to leave everything behind in search of freedom? Born in Ukraine and later working in the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan, Lara Gelya spent the first half of her life behind the Iron Cur ...more
Oct 30, 2025 06:33PM · like · see review
Lara Gelya joined the groups ActiveAudiobookClub and Indie Voices: Authors & Books
Oct 30, 2025 06:31PM
Lara Gelya rated a book it was amazing Camel from Kyzylkum by Lara Gelya (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
What an honest and captivating account of a daring escape from Soviet tyranny to freedom! From the moment I opened this book, it was a page-turner and kept me on the edge of my seat. Even knowing that everything turned out well (since it's the author ...more
Oct 30, 2025 06:28PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Camel from Kyzylkum by Lara Gelya. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Camel from Kyzylkum by Lara Gelya <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lara Gelya made a comment on ಸುಶಾಂತ ಕುರಂದವಾಡ’s review of Camel from Kyzylkum " Thank you for your review. "
Oct 30, 2025 04:08AM · see review
Lara Gelya liked ಸುಶಾಂತ ಕುರಂದವಾಡ's review of Camel from Kyzylkum: ""Camel from Kyzylkum" is a memoir by Lara Gelya, detailing her journey from Soviet Ukraine to the United States. The memoir depicts life in the Soviet Union where she faced extreme climate, isolation among geological workers. Gelya's experiences in A" Read more of this review »
Oct 30, 2025 04:07AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Camel from Kyzylkum by Lara Gelya. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Camel from Kyzylkum by Lara Gelya <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lara Gelya liked a quote “Lost is not a hopeless place to be. It is a place of patience, of waiting. Lost does not mean gone for ever. Lost is a bridge between worlds, where the pain of our past can be transformed into power. You have always held the key to this special place, but now you are ready to unlock the door.” Evie Woods
Oct 22, 2025 05:50PM · like · more quotes by Evie Woods · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lara Gelya wants to read The Story Collector by Evie Woods (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 22, 2025 05:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Story Collector by Evie Woods. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Story Collector by Evie Woods <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lara Gelya wants to read The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 22, 2025 05:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lara Gelya made a comment on Deep Choudhary’s review of Camel from Kyzylkum " Thank you for the amazing review of my book! "
Oct 19, 2025 11:10AM · see review

More of Lara's books…

Quotes by Lara Gelya (?)

“A story told is a life lived”
― Lara Gelya, Camel from Kyzylkum

tags: inspirational, life-story, memoir

1 likes

Lara’s Quotes

“My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground on which I stand.”
― Nhat Hanh

tags: inspirational-attitude

1 likes

“Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.”
― William James

tags: inspirational-quotes-about-life

1 likes

“A story told is a life lived”
― Lara Gelya, Camel from Kyzylkum

tags: inspirational, life-story, memoir

1 likes

“Lost is not a hopeless place to be. It is a place of patience, of waiting. Lost does not mean gone for ever. Lost is a bridge between worlds, where the pain of our past can be transformed into power. You have always held the key to this special place, but now you are ready to unlock the door.”
― Evie Woods, The Lost Bookshop

68 likes