Feed Your Mind
As you pick up a book, boredom falls away, knowledge expands with each turn of a page, and time becomes distorted. Fiction is an escape from lockdown reality, and non-fiction — your best weapon. It’s time to update your library, virtually or physically, with new reading recommendations and the best platforms for finding them.
Non-fiction, History
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. This book answers questions you didn’t even know you had, such as: How did language form? And more importantly: How did humans become the most powerful and dangerous animals in all of history? Harari’s book makes sense of the world’s current order and how we as a species have arrived at this point while explaining critical historical events in a way that the average Joe can understand. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind is available for purchase from Ukrainian publisher Yakaboo. Up next is Harari’s Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Now that you know where we came from, find out where we are headed next!
Non-fiction, Architecture
Balcony Chic by Oleksandr Burlaka. Ukrainian balconies: you’ve seen them, you’ve gawked at them, and sometimes you’ve been afraid they will collapse on top of you. Balcony Chic contains pictures of over 100 Ukrainian balconies with a brief insight into their history. Soviet architecture is centre stage in this book, and Burlaka’s skilful photography portrays the balconies in a beautifully artistic manner. Up next is Ukrainian Railway Ladies — a photo-project of Ukrainian women around the country by Sasha Maslov, a New-York based portrait photographer and storyteller. Release date is 25.06.2020.
Non-fiction, Culture
Be inspired by the lives of Ukrainians through unique stories you have never heard, told in places you have never been, in Ukraïner: Ukrainian Insider. This book will urge you to open your eyes and see what is around you, while you dream about taking off to see these raw and beautiful places. Over 200 volunteers have extracted the stories written in this book, and all proceeds are put back into funding this volunteer project.
Poetry
Lastly, Kateryna by Taras Shevchenko. One of Ukraine’s most celebrated poets, Taras Shevchenko, wrote this masterpiece in St. Petersburg in 1838 at 24 years of age. Many of his works are now translated into English and have earned recognition with an international audience. Kateryna is a story of betrayed love that is complemented with illustrations by the talented artist Nicolas Tolmachev.
Books mentioned in this article:
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (431 UAH)
https://www.yakaboo.ua/ua/sapiens-a-brief-history-of-humankind.html
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari (431 UAH)
https://www.yakaboo.ua/ua/homo-deus-a-brief-history-of-tomorrow-1601881.html
Balcony Chic by Oleksandr Burlaka (500 UAH)
https://osnovypublishing.com/en/balcony-chic/
Ukrainian Railway Ladies by Sasha Maslov (585 UAH)
https://osnovypublishing.com/en/ukrainian-railroad-ladies/
Ukraïner: Ukrainian Insider (400 UAH)
https://store.ukrainer.net/en/product/book-eng/
Kateryna by Taras Shevchenko (540 UAH)
https://book-ye.com.ua/catalog/klasyka/kateryna/
