Recommendations from the Kyiv Independent: Books on our team’s summer reading list (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members, 

Thank you for your continued support. We’re here with a special edition of our series “Recommendations from the Kyiv Independent” to start August on a positive note.We wanted to share with you a short list of book recommendations, based on what our team members are reading at the moment. We know it can be hard to relax with the current news cycle, but just in case you do find a moment to add something to your summer reading list, we’ve got you covered. 

Pictured above, office manager Olesia reads in the Carpathians while the Kyiv Independent team was on its mental health retreat earlier this summer. 

We asked the team what they were reading. Here's what they said: 

Martin Fornusek, Senior news editor

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer 

This novel recounts the author’s fictionalized trip to 1990s Ukraine to discover his Jewish roots. He is accompanied by a trio of guides: a young Odesan Alex with a questionable (and hilarious) command of English, Alex’s morose and closed-off grandfather, and their blind dog Sammy Davis Jr., Jr. The protagonists’ search for Jonathan’s family's mysterious past leads them to the remnants of Trachimbrod, a Jewish settlement erased during the Holocaust, while a parallel narrative imagines the town’s history as envisioned by the in-book Jonathan.

I like that it is told in an offbeat but compelling style — what starts off as a quirky and humorous journey descends deeper into darkness with each page, uncovering the protagonists’ painful secrets and the tragic history of the town.

Kate Tsurkan, Culture reporter

Blue Lard by Vladimir Sorokin

I’m savoring this slowly, one hallucinatory page at a time. The plot itself is bonkers in the best possible way: It begins in the future with clones of Russian literary giants — Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Akhmatova, Chekhov, Nabokov — who sweat out a weird substance called “blue lard” when they write that is supposed to fuel a reactor on the moon. The story flips between Russia in the late 21st century and a twisted alt-history 1954 where Stalin’s Russia rubs shoulders with Hitler’s Third Reich. There’s also an “infamous” gay sex scene between Khrushchev and Stalin that made a lot of people angry when it was first published. If you want to read an author who understands the dark side that has come to embody contemporary Russian culture, Sorokin is your guy. Also, props to him for not scolding Ukrainians (like some of his contemporaries) for taking down Pushkin statues, which makes me appreciate his chaos even more. 

I’ve also just started reading Crimean Fig, an anthology of stories by Crimean Tatar authors newly published in English translation by Arrowsmith Press — look out for my full review soon in the Kyiv Independent.

Alla Us, Finance manager 

Sweet Darusya: A Tale Of Two Villages by Maria Matios 

This is a powerful drama about the shattered life of a family, reflecting how the Soviet occupation broke the destinies of ordinary people. Set in a small village in Bukovina, the story is enriched with vivid depictions of everyday life and traditions, immersing the reader fully in that historical period. It struck a deep emotional chord with me and left a lasting impression — one that continued long after turning the final page.

Elsa Court, Audience development manager

Bad Relations by Cressida Connolly

This book tells the story of one British family and their distant ancestors over 150 years, told from the perspective of different relatives. Even though it spans a huge time period and geography — from the battlefields of 1850s Crimea, to rural England, and eventually modern-day Australia — I still felt that the stories were deeply intimate and personal. A key thread running through the book relates to a Victorian soldier who fought in the Crimean War, and how his actions impacted his family for generations to come. I would recommend the book because it also considers how we deal with grief, whether through war or personal tragedy, and the different ways in which we remember those who are gone. The characters feel very real, and the book’s ending, despite some dark themes throughout, leaves you with a sense of hope.

Danica Stanciu, Head of fundraising 

Checkmate in Berlin by Giles Milton

Like so many books on my shelf, I purchased “Checkmate in Berlin” by Giles Milton after reading a glowing review, and it promptly sat on the shelf for two years. Earlier this summer, I decided to finally read it, and I'm so glad I did. It's a taut narrative that vividly brings to life the post‑war chessboard of Berlin — highlighting not only towering figures like Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin, but also the magnetic sector commanders such as Colonel Frank “Howlin’ Mad” Howley and Soviet General Alexander Kotikov. It's a thrilling account of the Berlin Blockade and subsequent airlifts that reads like a high‑stakes thriller and shows how the Allies not only broke the siege but also won hearts both in the city and around the world. Concluding with the formation of NATO, the book resonates deeply in today’s shifting geopolitical landscape, reminding readers of the enduring impact of those early Cold War decisions.

Zakhar Protsiuk, Chief Operating Officer

The Man with the Poison Gun: A Cold War Spy Story by Serhii Plokhy

In my opinion, Serhii Plokhy is one of the best Ukrainian historians in the world right now, famous for his books that explain complicated Ukrainian history in a simple yet accurate manner. Plokhy is also a great storyteller. This book tells the story of one of the most famous political assassinations of the 20th century, carried out by the Soviet Union. It uncovers the story of the assassination of Stepan Bandera, a famous Ukrainian nationalist leader. Plokhiy exposes the dark heart of Soviet espionage and the real-life events that even inspired fiction like James Bond.

Olga Rudenko, Editor-in-Chief

The Choice by Edith Eger

This book has nothing to do with Ukraine, but it’s about finding hope — and don’t we all need that now? If you haven’t read “The Choice,” you’ve probably heard of it or seen it on the shelves — it’s been everywhere. It’s a memoir of an American psychologist and Holocaust survivor. Her main message is that we have a choice in how we recover from pain and trauma. Our strength is in our responses, not our reactions. It’s not a new idea, but it’s one worth remembering. The book, and Eger’s work in general, was heavily influenced by Viktor Frankl, who wrote “The Man in Search of Meaning.” I finished “The Choice” a couple of weeks ago after having it on my reading list for a long time, and I think it found me at just the right moment. 

We also regularly send personal recommendations from the Kyiv Independent team to our members at the Champion tier ($10 per month) and above as a membership benefit. If you want to upgrade your membership, you can do so by following these instructions. 

If you have any questions, you can always reach out to us at community@kyivindependent.com. Thank you for your support.