“Union of Predators”, Maxim Shattam (“ABC-Atticus”)
The Paris Investigation Department has reached a dead end in a new case. In different regions of France, corpses of victims appear, killed according to the gendarmes, by different people, since the methods of torture and approaches to crimes are radically different. However, all incidents have one similarity: the symbol “*e” left at the murder scenes.
The case is being handled by gendarmerie sergeant Alexis Thieme and his colleagues Ludivine and Seignon. Desperate due to the lack of results, Alexis turns for help to the best criminologist in Europe, Richard Michelis, who has been retired for some time and, even after learning about the uniqueness of the case, does not want to return to the world of crime. Alexis and the entire investigation department will have to find out who is behind all this brutality and predict where the next murder will happen.
Thrillers and detective stories by Maxime Shattam sell millions of copies in France. The author is inspired by the works of Thomas Harris and Stephen King. The book “Union of Predators” is part of the “Paris Investigation Department” series.
"Station platform. Figures of people rushing about in panic. The howl of sirens, the red and white flashes of fire trucks. Faces distorted by fear, grief, misunderstanding. Pictures of panic. And a male voice behind the scenes, impassive, as if contrasting with what was happening, clearly pronouncing every word, as if this could reduce the degree of the nightmare: “...At the moment, the reasons for what happened have not been determined. According to the first witnesses, the act was a young man wearing a sweatshirt with the hood raised, covering his face. According to several eyewitnesses, he nervously walked along the platform waiting for the train to arrive. As the train approached the platform, the guy pushed three people onto the tracks, including a woman with a child in a stroller. An important detail: before committing his crazy act, the young man, according to the testimony of a number of witnesses, left a special sign on the wall of the station...”
Seignon looked at Lionel Takes: “What disgusting... Why are you...” “Look!” The camera turned around and focused on the wall of the station building. A symbol was spray-painted on the brickwork. At least a meter in diameter. An asterisk and a letter."
“Union of Predators”, Maxime Shattam
© ABC-Atticus
“Book house in Tuscany”, Alba Donati (MYTH)
This is an autobiographical novel about how the Italian writer Alba Donati, tired of the constant hustle and bustle, moved to the village in Tuscany where she was born and opened a small bookshop called Sopra La Penna.
Before moving, the writer worked as a publisher for many years, and her clients included prominent writers. The love of books always lived in her, and becoming the owner of such an establishment was her cherished dream.
The Tuscan village has a population of about 180 people, and many did not believe in the success and idea of Donati. Nevertheless, the woman took a risk and achieved what she had always dreamed of.
This is the writer's first book in the non-fiction genre. In it, she shares her story with her soul, remembers her childhood and reflects on when this dream appeared to her. Readers who love the atmosphere of Italy, cozy bookstores and libraries, as well as life-affirming stories will love Donata's work.
“Love happened in our village. One evening, while Julia was packing her suitcase in preparation for returning to Florence, I met my nephew David on the street and invited him to come and see my grandmother.
Fabio and David are two brothers, the first handsome men in the village; Only blond Michele, a fire extinguisher, can compete with them. But if Fabio’s beauty is calm and confidence-inspiring, then David’s is dangerous. David's charm is mysterious, vague. His eyes are rifts that emit oceanic vibrations. And if you happen to fall into this sea, you should at least be able to swim.
That evening, something was moving me in a certain direction: a destiny waiting for its time to come true. And so it happened. They glanced at each other briefly, not showing much interest. Then Julia asked him to help her carry her suitcase to the car. Julia is also beautiful and she can swim well. Black hair flowing below the back and a hot head. Two days later he moved in with her.”
“Book house in Tuscany”, Alba Donati
© MYTH
“A World without the Strugatskys” (AST, “Edited by Elena Shubina”)
In the book, 12 modern writers imagined what Soviet science fiction would look like without the Strugatsky brothers: who would be among the leading science fiction writers and what topics they would touch on.
The authors of the anthology wrote stories on behalf of other Soviet writers, such as Viktor Konetsky, Vasily Aksyonov, Vasily Shukshin, Yuri Koval. The topics covered in these works are varied, but they are united by the motives touched upon by the Strugatskys themselves - to believe in yourself, listen to intuition, not to bend under the opinions of others and not to offend. Each text is designed in the style of the writer on whose behalf it is supposedly written. The stories also contain biographical facts about the authors.
Readers will become acquainted with such heroes as the powerful Foma Fomich, on whose cowshed one day an object from outer space falls, or Biryuk, who works on the farm of the space station under construction.
“The district police officer, nicknamed Danuna, whose passport was Igor Nikolaevich, waited patiently for Stronichkin to approach. He immediately took note of Foma Fomich’s dejected look, mistaking it for repentance, so as soon as Stronichkin entered the invisible circle, inside which, as Danuna believed, it was possible to talk and hear each other, the district police officer shouted:
- Have you finished your game, dear? Did you conjure a spell? - and, once waving a clean handkerchief clockwise, he wiped his tanned, oily face.
He looked intently at Foma Fomich from the height of his height, from the width of his physique, from inside his police uniform. The motorcycle generously radiated metallic heat, but Danuna was not far behind. There were stars on Igor Nikolaevich’s shoulder straps, and his buttons glowed like rivets on a robot.
“You offend me,” Foma Fomich involuntarily shouted in response. — I’m not into explosions!
- Come on! - answered Igor Nikolaevich. - What unit are you in? Are you raising the dead? Or on the female sex, this and that, charm? To be honest, it doesn’t matter to me that nothing has happened yet, but if it has already happened, then I’ll take the soul out of you, but I’ll figure it out.
“I’m a catamant,” Foma Fomich said simply, but did not wait for Igor Nikolaevich to ask what a catamant is, he answered himself: “If I take off my gloves, then everyone nearby will rush to help me at breakneck speed.”
Some can really break your head. This is such damage. You know, a father takes a hammer from his son with the words “You can’t do anything, you idiot!” - and then hit yourself on the head or past the nail on your finger. This is what happens on its own if you don’t wear gloves.”
"A world without the Strugatskys"
© AST
“Sweet history of the world. 2000 years of sugar’s dominance in economics, politics and medicine,” Ulbe Bosma (“ABC-Atticus”)
Almost every product contains sugar. This seemingly ordinary product has taken over the bodies of millions of people around the world. Among other things, since its inception, sugar has made the history of the world: the sugar industry has elevated and broken the destinies of people, ruined corporations and became a source of hatred, wars and diseases.
Ulbe Bosma, Senior Research Fellow at the International Institute of Social History and Professor at the University of Amsterdam, shares the 2,000-year history of sugar and highlights the most important events and people associated with this sweet source of pleasure. The reader will be able to learn about when and where granulated sugar was first mentioned, which countries were the first to produce sugar, about sugar revolutions and much more.
“The leap from sugar, from a delicacy most people consumed in tiny quantities, to a key commodity of the transnational food industry, took less than a century and was only made possible by the emergence of powerful sugar corporations.
Gail Johnson, the eminent agricultural economist, concluded in 1974, in his damning assessment of the American Sugar Program, the protectionist quota system adopted in the United States, that people's love of sweets is based only in the smallest degree on cultural factors. traditions and is due in large part to “the high level of patronage accorded to what is generally considered a high-cost industry.” Sugar, glucose-fructose syrup and other bulk sweeteners are ubiquitous in branded and widely marketed food and beverage products. Most consumers do not realize the true extent of the presence of sugar in our lives...”
“Sweet history of the world. 2000 years of sugar's dominance in economics, politics and medicine”, Ulbe Bosma
© ABC-Atticus
“The Bookstore of Dreams”, So Sorim (MYTH)
The Korean mythical novel follows young Yeonseo, who quit her office job two years ago to become a children's literature writer. During this time, she was never able to find a publisher who would agree to publish her fairy tales with sad endings. Some believe they have no commercial potential.
After the seventh refusal, the angry and despairing Yeonso, walking in the park behind the house, does not even notice how she finds herself on the top of a cliff, in a remote area, where, having gotten lost, she comes across a bookstore with a mysterious owner, Soju, with eyes the color of the Coral Sea. He is young, but smart beyond his years. There is a sense of wisdom in his speeches and one gets the feeling that he has lived for a hundred years. When meeting him for the first time, Yongseo almost dies. After this incident, the heroine will no longer be able to live as before - she will be drawn to that mysterious shop.
“The owner of the shop spoke slowly, as if reading in a low voice:
- There is one story. About a man who sold his soul to the devil because he wanted to know everything in the world.
He pulled a book from the shelf. At the same moment, a sharp gust of wind suddenly flew into the store. The curtains began to flutter, and the objects on the table began to shake at the same time. The light bulb on the ceiling blinked, and before my eyes it became darker and then clearer. The book he was holding in his hands opened by itself. The wind quickly turned the pages. When everything stopped, Yeonseo saw the text in front of her.
- “If I say: “Stop, you’re too beautiful!” - You can chain me. For your sake, I am ready to fall... With joy...” the man read in a low voice.
The shop owner took a step forward and stopped right in front of Yongseo. A shadow hid the man's face. The girl could only see his mysterious smile. Standing in the dark, he whispered:
- Do you want to know? What was hidden in these words - a warning or a temptation?
Yeonso felt like the air itself was pressing on her shoulders. The girl doubted for a moment whether it was worth continuing this conversation at all. But when she met the eyes of the owner of the shop, she realized that she had to go to the end. The same mysterious look that she first encountered then on the rock..."
"Dream Bookstore" by So Sorim
© MYTH
"Cunning", Samuel Björk (AST)
Samuel Bjork is called the master of Scandinavian noir. Cunning is the latest novel in the Mia Kruger and Holger Munch series, which also includes The Owl, I Travel Alone, White as Snow, and The Boy in the Headlights.
The detective story takes place in the summer on the once quiet island of Hitra. One hot day, a local priest finds three dead crows hanging from the altar, and with them a piece of paper with a mysterious text. Later, the corpse of a woman is discovered, next to which the name Jonathan is written in blood. That was the name of the boy who went missing three years ago.
All these events, right up to the disappearance of the child, must be somehow connected with each other, and Mia Kruger will sort out the complicated cases. She turns to Holger Munch for help, and soon seasoned investigators find clues. They realize that evil is hiding right behind the sign with the name of the island.
The investigation becomes more complicated because not all local residents are ready to meet and reveal their secrets, even if they face death.
“Luka Eriksen felt growing anger as he got out of the car and headed towards Hitra Square.
He will never forget Amanda.
- Hello, Luka, how are you? - the guy called out to him with a joyful face and a wide smile peeking out from under his bicycle helmet.
- Oh, Pelle, hi, everything is fine. And how are you?
- Oh, good, great. I'll be leaving soon. The truth is, I received an invitation a few days ago.
Beaming with happiness, Pelle put his bicycle on the stand and, standing on the sidewalk, shifted from foot to foot.
- How great, remind me where you were going?
- To Jupiter. I am the chosen one.
Luka nodded, not knowing what to answer. Everyone on the island knew Pelle Lundberg. A little over forty, but behaves like a child. A tragedy, indeed. He worked for one of those who build boats, skilled hands, as they said about him. And then an accident. Something to do with a crane. The guy was crushed under the body, suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries, and since then he has changed. Sad story. Pelle UFO. Now everyone laughs at him good-naturedly when he rides around the island on a bicycle with a backpack packed for departure. Always smiling, like a happy little child.
I will leave soon.
They will come for me."
"Cunning", Samuel Bjork
© AST
"Song of the Prophet", Paul Lynch ("ABC-Atticus")
The novel won the Man Booker Prize in 2023 and has been described as an Irish version of George Orwell's 1984. This is a story about human survival in a collapsing world.
The story centers on mother of four children and microbiologist Eilish Stack. One day, employees of the State National Security Service come to see her husband, the deputy chief secretary of the Irish teachers' union. They interrogate him because of a complaint, but the man considers the accusations absurd. Later, after a protest, Larry disappears, and Eilish is faced with real horror: the state is on the verge of collapse, social institutions are collapsing, and the once quiet and cozy suburb becomes a place of military action at the behest of the government. The heroine will have to save her family at all costs.
According to foreign literary critics, Paul Lynch, like authors such as Franz Kafka or Fyodor Dostoevsky, is able to peer from above into human suffering and hold the reader's attention not only on the dialogue, but also on the fundamental strangeness of existence.
The novel is called a relevant, convincing parable and they note that the events invented by the writer look very real.
“Eilish wakes up from the realization that someone has entered the room, barely opens her eyes, rises on her elbows, hears the breathing of a figure sitting in a wicker chair, it must be Mark, she wonders what he forgot here in the middle of the night. The seat groans pitifully as the figure bends over and the light from the corridor falls on his face. This is Inspector John Stamp, Eilish’s throat is dry, she looks with fear at the child in the crib, listens to his breathing. How did you get here, she whispers, all the doors are locked, you have no right to enter this house. Judging by his voice, he is smiling in the dark. I have no right to enter this house. Yes. But that's what you think. It's not me who thinks so, it's the law. Fact. Yes, this is the law, and you have no right to infringe on our rights. Law supremacy. That's what I said. You talk about rights as if you understand what they are, show me on what tablet this is written, where it is clear that nature ordered it this way. She wants to answer him, but he gets up from the chair and moves closer to her, she is afraid to look him in the eyes, she is stopped by the smell, a mixture of food, cigarettes and something fetid that oozes from the pores of his skin, and she knows what it is , and this stench horrifies her.”
Song of the Prophet, Paul Lynch
© ABC-Atticus
“Fashion and TV series: from “Friends” and “Twin Peaks” to “Euphoria” and “Killing Eve”, Anna Bashtovaya (AST)
Costume designer and historian Anna Bashtovaya studied fashion in cult serial films and shared her findings in a new book. According to the author, many TV series influence the fashion industry, bringing once popular wardrobe elements back into trends. Using the example of popular paintings, the expert demonstrates to the reader how strong the connection is between the images of certain characters and fashion trends in the world.
The book is divided into chapters, each of which includes three series. For example, in the chapter “Sitcoms,” the writer examines the images of characters in the series “Friends,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “The Big Bang Theory.” Bashtovaya notes that the outfits of the characters in “Friends” were carefully thought out and reflected the fashion of the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as the characters of each character. Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston, is considered the most stylish in the project. After the first seasons, the “Rachel” haircut was very popular, and some of her outfits are still of interest to women around the world.
Readers will find out what is unique about Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, how many times the Manolo Blahnik brand is mentioned in the Sex and the City project, what makes Rita from the film Why Women Kill a fashion icon of the entire project, and much more. The book is illustrated with scenes from the series.
“Howard Wolowitz is Rajesh’s best friend and the main fashionista of the project. He loves turtlenecks and bibs, combining them with bright shirts (most often in large checks) and skinny trousers. Sometimes these trousers were so tight that the actor had to put them on and take them off with the help of costume designers. Wolowitz is a true fan of all kinds of accessories; one of the permanent decorations is a badge in the form of an alien head, which the hero attaches to the collar of a turtleneck or shirt on the left side. And on the wedding day, the badge adorns the lapel of his festive tuxedo, but on the right side. But Howard's biggest weakness is his buckles. According to costume designer Mary T. Quigley, the belt buckles were chosen daily by Wolowitz actor Simon Helberg.
Quigley constantly searched for and bought new buckles for Wolowitz throughout the 12 seasons, so at some point a separate costume room was needed for them.
The main colors in Howard's wardrobe are red, blue and all their shades. If he uses other colors, he prefers the most vibrant combinations. Wolowitz is the only one who carefully selects clothes by color and does it with enviable skill. As the actor himself says, the bright, tight suits and wild selection of accessories (including an eye patch in one episode) are tied to Howard's hope of attracting the attention of girls.
“Fashion and TV series: from Friends and Twin Peaks to Euphoria and Killing Eve,” Anna Bashtovaya
© AST