During the first stage of the 5th season of the book award “Espreso. Readers’ Choice 2021” received 210 applications from 31 publishing houses of Ukraine. The organizing committee carefully checked all publications sent by publishing houses for compliance with the requirements. After that, Long lists of books for the competition were formed in three nominations: “Literature for adults”, “Literature for teenagers” and “Literature for children”.
By the second stage, 84 book novelties from 19 publishing houses of Ukraine made it to the Long List of Books in the “Literature for Adults” category.
The third part of the list:
“My journey to the Land of Marines. From the chaplain’s diary” Andriy Zelinskyi (“Stary Lev Publishing House”)
“My Journey to the Land of the Marines” is the diary of a chaplain and a marine. During the war in the East of Ukraine, Father Andriy Zelinskyi was side by side with the soldiers, shared with them their anxiety and restlessness, supported and escorted his comrades in arms to the light of day, looked into the eyes of death and appreciated each new day. This book is about how important it is to strive for victory and to understand that the most important victory is over oneself; about how important it is to dream, not to stop and to believe in the insurmountable power of good.
“20+1, or the Land of the Dead” by Pavlo Volvach (“Stary Lev Publishing House”)
“20+1 or the Land of the Dead” is a book in the crossover genre, in which Pavlo Volvach uses the classic means of memoir not only to create a gallery of iconic portraits of the time, but also to build his own biography as a weave of “cross paths” with all those diametrically different people. Next to the classics of Ukrainian literature, shadowy people from the lumpen-criminalized Zaporozhye “towns” have joined here, in one company there is a musician with a solid prison and heroin experience, “Zaporebyk” countercultural figures, forgotten domestic political prisoners, and this heterogeneity of Volvach’s prose drawings will allow the reader to get into the kitchens of absolute geniuses and true evil spirits, to hear the dead is to see the living.
“Discordia” by Ostap Ukrainets (“Fabula” publishing house)
Spring of nations. The Austrian Empire pulsates and explodes with rebellions. Everyone is trying to define their own place in the great empire, which is actually foreign to many. Ignatius Kaminsky served time in a Viennese prison and returned home to Stanislav. He has a certain authority among local revolutionaries and is actively involved in the debate between Poles and Ruthenians – to unite against the empire or to fight for their own. The third novel of Ostap Ukrainets from the Stanislav cycle tells about a turbulent period of Ukrainian history. This is one of the few works on this topic and, perhaps, the first in modern literature.
“Klaus Otto Bach’s Year of Debauchery” by Yaroslav Lytvyn (“Fabula” publishing house)
What can be the result of online acquaintance with a young and beautiful foreigner? Of course, the love of a lifetime! At least this is what 43-year-old Klaus Otto Bach, a resident of the German town of Kiel, thinks. Klaus leaves everything behind and heads to a foreign land with the sole purpose of finding the woman of his dreams, with whom he accidentally lost contact. Unfortunately for him, this land turned out to be a great and incomprehensible, generous and untamed Ukraine. Yes, Klaus will be called “the last romantic”. Yes, he will be mocked not only by random acquaintances, but also by fate itself, throwing up new adventures and challenges. But our “modern Don Quixote” will not back down. And in the end, fate will have mercy, giving Klaus a long-suffering and sweet moment of happiness, and the reader the most unexpected of all possible endings.
“About women over 50. Psychology of age changes.” Natalya Podlisna (Vikhola publishing house)
You are a woman in the prime of your autumn life. And it seems that suddenly something went wrong: the world has changed for the worse, everyone around you doesn’t understand you, and you don’t feel too well, you can’t keep up with the modern rhythm at work and constantly conflict with your family. what happened Where did you turn the wrong way? What changes did you not notice? In this book, psychologist Natalya Pidlisna will explain the peculiarities of women’s age changes, give examples from her own psychological practice, based on real stories, and convince you that nothing terrible has happened to you, and that the word “climax”, which is uncomfortable in our society, is not as scary as it is portrayed.
“Fruits versus vegetables. Why a watermelon is not a berry, and a tomato is a fruit” Oleksiy Kovalenko (“Vikhola” publishing house)
Peppers and tomatoes are not vegetables. Buckwheat is a nut. Cherry is not a berry. All our lives, having successfully ignored botany, we are guided by only one simple (and false) rule: sweet is fruit, and everything else is vegetables. In reality, it doesn’t work that way. In the book “Fruits against vegetables”, botanist, museum curator and author of the blog “Dovkolabotanika” Oleksiy Kovalenko will tell the true story of products that we see every day in the kitchen and in the supermarket, and will also teach how to distinguish a vegetable from a fruit, a nut from a nut, and a watermelon from a berry. In the book, Oleksiy will explain who tried to treat infertility and scorpion bites with cucumbers, how the salad was attributed the ability to influence male potency, where beets came to us and how to cook chestnuts at home and not blow your apartment to pieces. Before you is not a collection of recipes or even a textbook on botany, Oleksiy Kovalenko’s book is a real and witty story of the most common vegetables and fruits: from the peculiarities of their DNA and selection to the strangest myths and culinary life hacks.
“Hear Ukrainian. There are sounds [ў] and letters in the world” Olga Dubchak (Vikhola publishing house)
Did you know that vowels in the Ukrainian language are approximately five times less than consonants? Have you heard of unsyllabic sounds? And about Schrödinger’s letter? Did you know that sibilants constantly mimic other consonants of the Ukrainian language? To be honest: you know all this. And even if it seems to you that you have no idea according to which principle certain sounds should be pronounced, your language consciousness and speech apparatus do it flawlessly. The book “Hear Ukrainian” will not force you to learn rules or memorize language laws. Your Ukrainian language and literature teacher once did this. The task of the book is to explain the rules and regularities of the sound system, and also why our alphabet is almost perfect. And, of course, to convince you that the Ukrainian language is extremely interesting, easy and sometimes even useful.
“Evidence-based medicine and not so much” Andrii Sem’yankiv (MED GOblin) (Vikhola publishing house)
50% of medicines on planet Earth are prescribed incorrectly. On the same planet, 50% of patients take medicine incorrectly. Not very optimistic, indeed. Add to that alternative medicine, homeopathy, Instagram gurus without medical training who are giving out their advice left and right, and bacteria trained by our “prophylactic” use of antibiotics, and you get the full picture. The book by the doctor and author of the popular medical blog MED GOblin Andrii Semyankiv is a kind of guide to the medical underworld: from how drugs work and what is hidden behind traditional medicine, homeopathy and stem cells, to conspiracy and the skills of recognizing prescribed fuflomycins. Why are bacteria on the hospital floor more dangerous than those in your kitchen? How do anti-vaccination myths spread and why does the queen need a homeopath? Why can antibiotics usually be combined with alcohol (and what does beer, gonorrhea and syphilis have to do with it)? What do oxolin ointment and hematogen actually do and should you tape your body? The author of the book also talks about phytotherapy, inhalations of boiled potatoes, diets, injections, umbilical cord blood and other progressive (actually not very) methods, explaining at the same time how to critically analyze medical information.
“Bird story. Scandals, intrigues and the art of survival” Natalia Atamas (Vikhola publishing house)
What do crested tits and Ukrainian housewives have in common? Why do female penguins like smooth men and why did Darwin not like peacocks? Does swan loyalty really exist and how do ducks cope with impudent suitors? And why should Ukrainians be concerned about Kramer’s parrot, which has settled in Kyiv? Ornithologist Natalya Atamas knows the answers to these questions, who in her book talks about how birds live and how similar their behavior is to human behavior (or vice versa – our habits resemble those of birds). Natalya humorously explains why birds start harems and how they “edit” the number and quality of their own offspring, how they build nests and look for a mate, plan wintering and why couples break up and leave their families. A special place in the book is devoted to the culture of birdwatching, that is, to the observation and study of birds, and its therapeutic effect on people.
“The walls are in my head. Living with anxiety and depression” Volodymyr Stanchyshyn (“Vikhola” publishing house)
Imagine that the date of your dreams is waiting for you, but you are not a very confident person. You know that your partner is the pinnacle of all your fantasies, so you should be in the best shape of your life. Does this situation worry you? If not, close this book and buy the guide “How to learn not to lie”. If so, welcome to the club of “anxious patients”. Volodymyr Stanchyshyn’s book “Walls in my head” is devoted to anxiety, depression, social phobias, various mental disorders, which to a greater or lesser extent affect the usual way of life of a person in society. It will not cure you of unpleasant conditions, but it will help you understand that it is possible to live with them. All of us, the author claims, are anxious, and there is nothing unusual about that. The main thing is to understand that anxiety accompanies us all our lives and plays an important role in our existence.
“A black bird flew in the sky” by Anna Bilenka (“Tempora” publishing house)
Human souls are almost always covered with wounds. Some of them become coarser and turn into scars, others seem to have healed, and still echo with phantom pain. And some – it seems, will never be tightened, breaking even the strongest surgical threads every night. And the main characters of this novel – Lily, Irvan and Robert – are no exception. Their history stretches somewhere between the Netherlands, Ukraine and Syria, and above this geography there is also another — the geography of feelings. And in order not to lose their bearings, they will have to rely on that internal compass that will allow them to find the route they need — like the way home for migrating birds.
“Antero” by Tanya Kalytenko (“Tempora” publishing house)
Finland would have to become for Elena not only an ideal place for an academic internship, but also a space in which you can get lost, escape from the burdensome everyday life, be at least a little not yourself, starting a new chapter in life. However, under the blowing of the cold northern winds, the memory brought with him dissipates, acquiring almost physical dimensions: appearing first as goosebumps on the body, later in a warm coat, and in the end – in full-fledged armor, which, however, is riddled with bullet holes. And too much – when you are not the first of your kind to find yourself on this earth and tread the already left footprints on a new, but paradoxically familiar territory. Although you have to walk in the footsteps of army boots. And in this collision, in this combination, the reliving of one’s own and other people’s stories is born, the border between which becomes less and less clear with each step.
“Adventures of Cells” by Olga Maslova (“Tempora” publishing house)
Cells exist inside and around us. The whole world consists of tiny bricks that determine our actions, feelings, mood and even intentions. And although at first glance, cells are only building materials for living organisms, in fact they are independent and autonomous systems that not only produce and consume energy, but also communicate and adapt to the demands of the environment. Cells make us love and hate, take care of ourselves and seek pleasure. Immortal cells in laboratories endlessly divide and transform, and stem cells have potential that we did not even know existed. So if you didn’t know anything about cells before today, now is the time to start getting to know them
“Culinary journey to the Hetman region” Oleksiy Sokyrko (“Tempora” publishing house)
Secrets and mysteries of the old Ukrainian cuisine of the mid-17th-18th centuries with authentic recipes adapted by chef-technologist Vasyl Druchyk. Magnificent dishes, vodka, borscht, lard and dumplings – this is an approximate list of what Ukrainian cuisine of Cossack times is associated with today, sung in “Aeneid” by Ivan Kotlyarevsky. However, does all this really correspond to historical reality, and is it possible to put an equal sign between the food style of that time and Cossack traditions? Which dishes were available to the majority, and which were only available to the elite? How did tastes and ideas about healthy and unhealthy food change? After all, what from the gastronomic arsenal of the past has been lost without a trace, and what remains in our modern kitchen? This book is not only a study of the history of the gastronomy of the Hetman region of the middle of the XVII-XVIII centuries, but also an attempt to look through it at the broader context of the era: food as a marker of social status, wealth, education, culture, fashion. The author’s text is complemented by authentic old recipes adapted for cooking in modern conditions, as well as a dictionary of old Ukrainian gastronomic terminology, measures of weight and volume.
“12 ounces of love” Serhiy Demchuk (Tempora publishing house)
This is a story about a boy named Timofey. Or Timko. His youth neatly stretched into the stormy nineties in a provincial city, and youth came with a move to the capital and the anxiety of the beginning of the zeros. This is an extremely simple and sincere story of growing up against the background of difficult times. With first loves, brawls, summer camps and all the inconveniences that come with it. And there is also a lot of sports in this story: a bit of football, then karate and eventually boxing. Sport, which turns out to be a reliable shield, behind which lyricism grows in safety – so that, fueled by experiences accumulated over the years, immersion in the world of books left by his grandfather and memories of childhood, he blossoms into a creative impulse that can no longer be restrained.
“Cuba-that-wasn’t-there” Nataliya Dovgopol (“Tempora” publishing house)
Tamara is a nurse at the Kyiv hospital. In the summer of 1962, she went to work in “one of the socialist countries” as part of the Soviet contingent. Even the captain of the ship does not know the final destination, until the ship is directed to the mysterious tropical and undoubtedly friendly Cuba. However, such a positive image turns out to be misleading, the exoticism is unwelcoming, and the atmosphere of the victorious revolution is not so joyful. It is under such circumstances that a woman has to search and assert herself. And later – to fight for memory: your own and about yourself.
“The Reckless Little King” by Alisa Gavrylchenko (“Tempora” publishing house)
August 2015, Kremenchuk. Margo Perekhrist, who recently left such a familiar and comfortable job at the bank and joined the ranks of the newly created Patrol Police, faces rejection and ridicule from her colleagues – and all because of her vacation photos, which someone sent to journalists. And now her service is hanging in the balance. But this is a shame for the granddaughter of a local police legend! So now, in order to prove to everyone, and most importantly to herself, that she is worth something, Margo will take up the investigation of a strange murder, which just happened these days in one of the sleepy houses of Kremenchuk…
“What she is silent about” (Collection) compiled by Iryna Nikolaychuk, Slava Svitova (Creative Women Publishing)
“What she is silent about” is a book written by women for women. This collection contains the voices of women who dared to tell their personal stories so that others would also stop being silent. The book brings together about 50 texts about physicality and sexuality, pain and healing, the experience of motherhood and living with a serious illness, loss, toxic relationships, asserting personal boundaries and climbing Everest – metaphorical and real.
“Anatomy of a writer. How to create living texts” (Collection) compiled by Slava Svitova (publishing house “Creative Women Publishing”)
“Anatomy of a Writer” is not a book-pill that you can swallow overnight and wake up a “real writer” in the morning. This is a travel book, a tool book, a book of inspiration, in which modern Ukrainian authors and writers of the past have come together under one cover. This is an intimate conversation about creativity, during which you will learn about each author’s writing methods, their stories of success and failure, the sources of ideas, the endless struggle with writer’s block, and the rituals that help to write. And here you will find important tools and practical exercises for the development of writing skills and creativity. This book is for you, so that you believe in your abilities, find your author’s voice and start writing.
“Prison Song” by Olena Gerasimyuk (“Furious Business” publishing house)
Olena Gerasimyuk is one of the brightest representatives of the poetic generation of the tenth, who, having just started her literary activity, immediately became on a level with the most famous poets. Author of the famous “Shooting Calendar”, volunteer, paramedic of the “Hospitaliers” volunteer battalion. Has the award “For saved life”. “Prison Song” is the second book of poems by Olena Gerasimyuk. It is based on the poem of the same name, which is already familiar to readers; it was presented in April 2016 in the basement of Mystetskyi Arsenal, specially opened for the first time for this event. The reading of the poem was accompanied by a performance, the screenwriter of which was Natalya Vorozhbyt, and the main roles were played by fighters and former prisoners. Olena’s collection Gerasimyuk, known and respected in artistic circles under the name Gerych, is the apogee of thanatos given to us in our feelings. She is extreme and looks like a hot piece of truth, created by a mature master, full of fire, bells, dog barking and the smells of prison. Gerasimyuk’s poems impress with their stylistic and intonation richness, and, less so, it is difficult to think of another young poet who would rely so firmly on the Ukrainian cultural tradition in all its manifestations.
“The event in the basement of Mystetskyi Arsenal turned out to be not just a theatrical action, but a happening and a good example of the “art of participation”, when the audience becomes its co-creator. The smallest details worked for the effect of presence: strict guys in camouflage who led the audience to the location; a document about familiarization with the safety equipment at the place, disguised as a subpoena to the investigator; pans and rolling pins, with which the audience had to create prison music along the way plays. It can be assumed that the action posited the concept of “prison” as a state of national consciousness. There are no specific indications about the time and place of action of “Prison Song”: from time to time the heroes, – military prisoners, – mention the Maidan, the Lukyaniv prison. (Art Ukraine publication)
The book received the BookForum Best Book Award 2020, was nominated for the Taras Shevchenko National Award (nomination “Literature”); has a number of other distinctions. The first print run was 500 copies, but due to high popularity, the publishing house made a reprint of 1,000 copies the following month; total edition – 1500 copies.
“8000 Miles of Solitude” by Oksana Shavarska (“Furious Business” publishing house)
Stories from New York, from Kyiv and other points of our crazy globe… In Oksana Shavarska’s book, meetings with numerous eccentrics and equally numerous “average people” will bring readers not only heartbreaking, touching and philosophical life stories, but also that special feeling when you almost caught the answer to the question: “Who are you and why did you end up on this planet?”, almost understood the rules of the game in life. history is a sensual journey to oneself.
Oksana Shavarska – editor, screenwriter, blogger. For the past 13 years, he has been working on Ukrainian television, shooting various TV shows. Likes to travel, people and write. Her life is woven from thousands of human stories. At some point, there were so many of her own and other people’s stories that she decided to transform them into one whole. This is how the idea of writing the book “8000 Miles of Solitude” arose.
“People in search of happiness” by Artem Polezhaka (publishing house “Furious Business”)
A complete book of pages, abundantly sprinkled with drawings, made by the hand of the very genius of mankind. Artem Polezhaka — in his full creative bloom! Such luminaries as Yuriy Andruhovych and Yevhen Dykiy wrote their important words in the form of prefaces. This is the third, although not planned, but the most conceptual and colorful collection. For many of you, this will also be a wonderful soothing coloring book, not just a poetic oil.
“Three plus two” Oleksandr Irvanets (publishing house “Furious business”)
The collection of plays by Oleksandr Irvanets “Three plus two” contains five different texts. Three old ones are shorter, two newer ones are longer. Some of these plays were performed on the stages of Germany, the USA, Poland, Croatia, and were performed in Ukraine at the professional and amateur levels. The focus of these plays is our contemporary, progressive and aware of the responsibility of his social mission, which he had to fulfill in a difficult and harsh time. The book is intended to be read primarily by directors, as well as other lovers of Melpomene’s beautiful writing and art.
“Ceber without a bottom” by Vano Kruger (publishing house “Furious Business”)
Vano Kruger is a member of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine, a member of the PEN club, the author of the books of poems “Illich’s Farewell Kiss”, “Ziggy Freud & Cthulhu”, “Nertep na Kurenivka”. “Ceber without a bottom” is the author’s fourth book.
“Fighting for the truth. How my uncle overcame a lie” Oksana Moroz (Yakaboo Publishing)
Laureate of the All-Ukrainian rating “Book of the Year” 2020. Nomination “Obriya”, special and adaptive literature / lifestyle BookForum Best Book Award 2020 – Personal award of the director of the Ukrainian Book Institute Oleksandra Koval.
The book debunks the myth that the average person cannot recognize lies in the media and social networks. Maybe, but for this you need to observe information hygiene. Simple rules that can be mastered by everyone regardless of age. The main events take place from spring 2019 to summer 2020. The book has two main characters. Uncle Ivan, a simple, intelligent hard worker, who does not keep up with information and because of this constantly gets into trouble. He is a patriot, lives in Ukraine, but understands that everything is terrible in the country. He is a man of the Internet, but of an analog temper. He understands that everyone is manipulating, but he does not know how. And his niece, who is just busy setting up a rake for such uncles, manipulating them through the media and social networks. She grew up listening to her uncle’s stories about Soviet propaganda and how people tried to resist it. The book describes the turning point when the uncle finally got confused, and the niece decided to switch to the other side of the force. Instead of manipulating – teaching ordinary people to resist these manipulations. At first, she tried to understand why Uncle Ivan turned from a stubborn fighter against the lies of the Soviets into a person who steps on all the rakes of populists, fraudsters, creators of magic pills. She tells her uncle how it works information in the digital world. How online media, television, Facebook, Viber, YouTube, Telegram work and manipulate. How can he protect himself and become a fighter again. Uncle studies diligently. He even takes patronage over his friend Mykola. Together they go through the financial pyramid and the coronavirus infodemic. They see how much information kills people. They know by their example that there are effective and simple life hacks. Friends decide to teach fellow villagers to filter information. However, an unpleasant surprise awaits them here – people do not want this, they just want to live well. And the heroes of the book overcame this, although they had to sweat, but they still found an approach and taught information hygiene to some of their acquaintances.
“A book for adults. How to grow old, but not grow old” by Darka Ozern (“Yakaboo Publishing”)
Darka Ozernaya’s new book “Book for adults” talks about aging realistically. How to grow old, but not grow old”, which became the third in the series “Optimistic about health”. Actually, in our information space, the lives of all people even older than 35 years old are barely noticeable. How do “adults” live? And is it true that older people are all sick, boring, unmodern, don’t want sex and don’t like themselves in the mirror?… No, it’s not true. It’s long past time to revise the attitude towards age, aging, aging, and chronic diseases. Why not just “take it and stop getting sick”, but understand what’s happening to us, what are the risks and opportunities at each age, and continue to grow older, and not grow old.
“A book for adults. How to grow old, but not grow old” will help in this. It covers factors that slow or accelerate aging, preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer, living with diabetes and lung and bowel disease, taking care of the body from the eyes to the bone, mental well-being, general and specific nutrition tips, menopause, erections, sex, and how to live happily ever after. Only without magic and magic pills.
Darka Ozern, as always, easily, scientifically and evidently, with quotes from Oksana Zabuzhko, Evgenia Kuznetsova, Serhiy Zhadan, Yuriy Izdryk, Patriarch Yuriy Andruhovych, Ivan Semesyuk and Lesya Podervyansky, gives answers to unexpected and provocative questions:
Is there any basis in the meme about “a glass of water in old age” and what connection could there be between dehydration and delirium?
Which wrinkles can be prevented, and which can be smoothed out, as you wish?
Why is it really good to be sweet pies after seventy?
Why should you give your parents a few sex toys?
Do crosswords save from dementia?
Why does a very old neighbor think you are a prostitute?
Why do healthy apples and pumpkin give you a stomach ache?
Why is it sexy to give a bottle of red, but not a box of chocolates?
“Being okay. What is important to know about mental health” by Darka Ozern. (Yakaboo Publishing)
It is important for us to “be okay”. After all, our physical condition, ability to take care of ourselves, be successful in our profession and satisfaction with life in general depends on mental health. It is still shameful to talk about mental health in Ukraine, it is scary to think, it is expensive to consult a doctor – and it is not even known how to find one. In Being Okay: What You Need to Know About Mental Health, you’ll find not only basic mental health information with links to medical protocols, but also a set of guidelines. The author focuses on the Ukrainian context: what is being said about us, what stereotypes exist, what problems arise, what causes them and what are their possible consequences. The first part collects general information about the mental state of a person, its connection with the physical state, and also describes the principles of the brain and the expression of emotions. The second part deals with the most common mental disorders. The book “Being Okay” concludes with an examination of historical trauma as a factor affecting collective mental health.
In the second stage, each expert in the category “Literature for adults” will choose five candidate books from this list, which they will place in order of ranking.
Accordingly:
1st place (5 points) — winner and further
II place (4 points),
III place (3 points),
IV place (2 points),
V place (1 point).
The organizing committee, by counting points, will determine 3 books in the “Literature for adults” nomination, which will go to the third stage of voting. These finalist works will be presented at the discretion of readers in libraries throughout Ukraine. During this voting, the final winner will be determined.
Book prize “Espreso. Readers’ Choice” was founded by the “Espreso” TV channel and is supported by the NGO “Demforum”. Its presentation took place on May 18, 2017 at the “Book Arsenal” in Kyiv.
The award is designed to celebrate the best Ukrainian modern literary novelties of the year, to support the interest of Ukrainians in reading books by domestic authors. To help readers choose interesting books, and publishers to find a way to readers. The winners of the Prize will be announced at the beginning of December 2021 on the air of the “Espreso” TV channel, on the “Espreso.TV” and “Demforum” websites.
