10 book novelties to read this summer

1. The Force by Naomi Alderman

The recently published book "Power" by Phantom Press (alternatively translation - "Power") is a dystopia about a future in which women have ceased to occupy the oppressed position. Social roles have changed, but is the world a better place? This is a very relevant novel today about the nature of violence, uncontrollable aggression, and how great power must go hand in hand with great responsibility.

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2. "Sister of Four", Evgeny Vodolazkin

Laureate of numerous literary awards, Evgeny Vodolazkin, did not get bored in self-isolation, but worked actively. The "Elena Shubina's Edition" published the book "Sister of Four" (so far only in electronic format, the paper version will appear on the shelves in September), consisting of four plays by the famous prose writer. The first of them, the title of which is in the title of the entire collection, tells about the writer and three more patients of the infectious diseases ward during an epidemic

coronavirus. The rest of the plays - about the death of a famous parodist, about the history of the creation of one museum, about defrauded equity holders and a candidate for mayor - are just as ironic and relevant.

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3. The Birth of the Pill by Jonathan Eig

Have you ever wondered what was behind the invention of oral contraceptives? The Birth of a Pill is a fascinating non-fiction about how four enthusiasts made the sexual revolution. Creation of magic pillshelping to lead a normal sex life without consequences, excited America in the 50s and 60s. Jonathan Eig will tell you how everything really happened and how important this invention was for women who finally received freedom, peace of mind and the ability to control their own bodies.

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4. Mirages of the Soviet, Anton Dolin

Why is the Soviet past so attractive to contemporary directors? Anton Dolin tried to answer this question. The new book of the most famous film critic of Russia is a conceptual collection dedicated to Russian cinema and how the cinema of the 21st century comprehends life in the USSR. The essays cover the widest possible time layer: from Dziga Vertov's films of the beginning of the last century to the sensational project "Dau" by Ilya Khrzhanovsky and the documentary film "Sorokin Trip" by Yuri Saprykin and Anton Zhelnov.

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5. "Plague", Lyudmila Ulitskaya

The screenplay by Lyudmila Ulitskaya, written in 1978 based on real events, was suddenly relevant. The story of the prevention of the plague epidemic in Moscow in 1939 today, during the coronavirus pandemic, sounds especially poignant. When human lives are at stake, the same tough decisions have to be made as 80 years ago.

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6. Cinderella and the Glass Ceiling and Other Feminist Tales by Laura Lane and Ellen Hawn

Published by Alpina Non-Fiction, the book of fairy tales by Laura Lane and Ellen Hawn is nothing more than a daring attempt to tell old stories in a new way. The authors of the book believe that in the modern world the time has come for other fairy tales and other heroines - not eternal victims who need to be protected, but active women, who themselves can save the prince and not forget about their pleasure. In these tales, women have the last word: they are independent and are not going to live according to the canons of patriarchy.

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7. “I Want You So Much,” Katie Acker, Mackenzie Work

The book by writer Katie Acker and media researcher Mackenzie Work is an epistolary novel, a correspondence dating from 1995-1996. This is not just a concentrated flirtation in emails, this is a conversation between two interlocutors who are not afraid to be "too much." They try to go beyond conventions and restrictions, to be free to choose gender, sexual preference and philosophy. The reader is invited to spy on talk about queer identity, pop culture and the avant-garde, about Blanchot, Bataille, Jelinek and many other thinkers. “If you’re wondering how botanical intellectuals were courted in a particular era, this book is for you,” writes foreword author Matthias Wigener.

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8. "Human Deeds" by Han Gan

A serious and important book about the Gwangju Uprising - one of the most dramatic events of the 20th century in South Korea. Booker Prize-winning Khan Gang tells a story of humanity and brutality in difficult times for the country. This book does not have the metaphor that is present in The Vegetarian, but there is a recognizable voice of the author.

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9. “Long 68th. Radical Protest and Its Enemies ", Richard Weinen

From the book you will learn how the student unrest arose in the fateful 1968, what preceded them and what they led to. Weinen examines the period from 1960 to the late 70s and talks about how the protests in the USA, France, Great Britain and West Germany influenced different social groups and how they changed life - social, political and sexual.

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10. "Soviet Literature: Myths and Temptations", Dmitry Bykov

Journalist and renowned lecturer Dmitry Bykov tells interesting facts about Soviet literature. On the pages of his book, there are familiar and dear names to us: Iosif Brodsky, Bulat Okudzhava, Daniil Kharms, Sergei Dovlatov and even Viktor Pelevin. You can start reading from anywhere.

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