Anastasiia’s Bookshelf
Hello, my name is Anastasiia. I am a Café Assistant at the Books of the Hill. I am Ukrainian and can talk about my country a lot.
I have a degree in music, and in my free time, I am either singing, doing music, reading, or learning languages (Japanese or English).
My hobbies are drinking coffee and traveling.
Serhiy Zhadan is a social activist, volunteer, musician, and one of the most prominent modern Ukrainian authors. Initially born in the Luhansk region and then living in Kharkiv, he became the authentic voice of the Ukrainian East. The novel shows changes in people's minds, which happened with the war in the East since 2014. Being very unconscious in a political way, the main character must see the truth with his own eyes to survive.
Lesia Ukrainka. The forest song
Lesia Ukrainka is the most well-known female author of Ukrainian modernism. She is also considered one of the first feminists in Ukrainian literature. The Forest song is her classic story about the folklore creature Mavka, who tragically fell in love with a musician. Despite the sad ending, the story celebrates the power of art and living in harmony with yourself and nature.
Michiko Aoyama. What you are looking for is in the library
It is a very comforting and therapeutic set of five stories about finding harmony with yourself, shows "the beauty of being here and now," and encourages you to go for your dreams. If you feel anxious and unsure about yourself and your choices – this book does magic.
Kazuo Ishiguro. Artist of the Floating World
The story describes the changes in Japanese society since the Second World War's end. Heroes of the past who aren't considered heroes anymore, and total rethinking of the recent imperial war history, which goes with remorse for crimes of your country and the anxiety about an uncertain future.
Will Gompertz. What are you looking at?: 150 Years of modern Art in the Blink of an Eye
After this book, I looked at modern art with new eyes. The author amusingly tells the history of processes and conceptions in contemporary art through the stories of artists and their masterpieces. You read it in one breath.