It is hard to ignore the horror that is the Ukraine, at the moment and on that unhappy subject, I thought I would share Brona’s reading and blogging event: Understanding Ukraine.
I must confess to watching the reporting of the war with horror and wanting to try to understand why this brutal invasion is happening. I was particularly interested in the links Brona provided to book lists on the subject. If you too are interested, check out the post: https://bronasbooks.com/2022/04/13/i-stand-for-peace-reading-event-may-sept-2022/
I was pleased to see one of the titles listed for understanding the war is available through the USQ library; Ukraine and Russia: from civilised divorce to uncivil war by Paul D’Anieri, only an ebook, not my favourite format, but I will be reading that one. I plan to read 1 to 2 chapters a week until finished. Hopefully I will find some other titles to read as part of this reading/blogging event. Would love some suggestions! Might try and dip into some Russian and Ukraine fiction and classics as well, what do you think I should read?
The other thing I have been listening to in regards to the present crisis is the BBC Ukrainecast. I can highly recommend this podcast for the first hand reporting it offers up, informative, sometimes confronting content but worth listening to for regular insight into this disturbing event. Let’s hope the war ends before Brona’s reading and blogging event finishes but I fear the war may continue for some time.
Gum trees and Galaxies 
Thank you Sharon and Brona. I have no doubt that none of these will be light reading, but it is important to understand what is happening on the other side of the world. I have shared your post on social media, Sharon.
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Thanks May, I think it will be some interesting reading.
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Hi Sharon, reading for peace sounds like such a good idea, much better than firing guns at each other. You would think with the 20th century being the most bloody of all time that we might have put an end to war for all time. I fear it will drag on too, and to what end? I am currently reading “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” by Tolstoy. Quite a short book, but there is a good quote in the early pages about people being glad that when someone dies, it wasn’t them. We don’t do death well in our society, and while Ukraine still makes the headlines, it is being overshadowed by other news now. Such short attention spans it seems. Perhaps “War and Peace,” also by Tolstoy, might be apt, although it is quite a brick. “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoyevsky is also good, although another brick. How about “A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian” by Marina Lewycka – on my TBR. The one from USQ sounds good – history from that part of the world is something we don’t understand very well at all.
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Yes would think humanity would finally learn but no we keep going back and perpetrating the same horrors. “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” sounds like a good choice, I keep putting off reading Tolstoy since the major works are such bricks. I did read Crime and Punishment many, many years ago, might be a good time for a re-read.
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The Death of Ivan Ilyich turned out to be quite interesting, especially towards the end as Ivan wrestles with the question whether his life, considered “good and proper” by society, was actually good. Had he wasted his life going in the wrong direction? Is work, wealth and ambition really the purpose of life? Very thought provoking.
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