Today we will talk about best books ah, which came out in 2015. Our favorite authors never cease to delight us and create new masterpieces, and in addition to this, books that were previously not in demand or were simply not understood are being republished. So, we present to you, our dear readers, the 15 best books of 2015. We hope these books will add to your 2015 reading list.

"Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years" - Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami, one of the most famous authors of our time, presented a new book, which immediately became popular among readers.

The main character finds himself in a metropolis. He is still young and amazed by the greatness of Tokyo. He is scared and delighted, and most importantly, he has a home where he can return at any time. He had support in life, until one fine summer day he learns that his familiar world has collapsed. His stronghold of friendship and harmony disappeared. He was simply wiped off the face of the Earth. This news completely changes Tsukuru’s life and a difficult future and many trials await him.

"Marina" - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This book is published in the “Cemetery of Forgotten Books” series. The detective novel "Marina" was written in 1997. For almost a decade, the author struggled to publish the book, as many counterfeit editions were published, sometimes even with completely different text. But, nevertheless, the book found its readers of all ages.

The novel takes place in the 70s of the last century in Barcelona. It's spring outside. The main character, Oscar, disappeared for a whole week. All this time, his family, friends, acquaintances, teachers and police were looking for him. Where has he been all that time? To this question, Oscar simply answers that every person has his own secret. After which he begins to tell an amazing story about his meeting with the mysterious girl Marina.

"To the very ends" - Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk delights his fans again incredible story. The apocalyptic novel by the king of the counterculture will tell, and most importantly, clearly demonstrate hundreds of new possibilities for achieving female pleasure. This book, however, like all other books by the author, bears the age mark 18+.

Penny Harigan is an ordinary secretary who, by chance, attracted the attention of mega-billionaire Linus Maxwell.

Linus is known in very narrow circles under the nickname “The Menopause Boy” and he is very fond of rich, sophisticated ladies. But he invites Penny to dinner and after dinner drags her into a hotel room, where for several days in a row he gives her pleasures that she had never dreamed of before. Everything would be fine if Penny hadn’t accidentally found out that she had become part of an experiment to develop a new line of sex toys for ladies. These toys will be sold all over the world, and women will satisfy their base sexual needs every free minute. Penny decides to stop Linus and prevent him from gaining global erotic domination over all women.

"Una and Salinger" - Frederic Beigbeder

And again a book with an age limit of 18+. The author himself defined the genre of this book as “faction”: from the English “fact” (“fact”) plus “fiction” (“fiction”). In 1940 New York, young author Jerry Salinger meets Una O'Neill, the daughter of a famous playwright. He is 21 and she is only 15 years old. Love, passion and an idyll that lasted only a few days until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, after which the United States entered World War II. Jerry goes to war, and Oona auditions for a Charlie Chaplin film.

Una becomes the wife of a famous comedian.

Salinger went through the war. He made his way through his publications into the big world of literature and wrote the main novel of his life, “The Catcher in the Rye.”

But the most interesting thing is that the book is not about that. The author tells a wonderful story about the meeting of Una and Jerry, which turned into a lifelong separation. About the meeting that determined the lives of these people.

"The third humanity. Voice of the Earth" - Bernard Werber

Bernard Werber continues his socio-fiction series “The Third Humanity” with a new book “The Voice of the Earth”.

The book takes place against the backdrop of an imminent apocalypse. While all of humanity is preparing for the third World War, Gaia - Mother Earth is going to destroy people. But humans and microhumans do not pay attention to her warnings.

Environmentalists are unable to speak on behalf of the Earth. They can only see the near future. To understand what is happening to the planet, human rights activists environment they decide to ask the Mother herself what she thinks about people and everything that happens.

The answer from Mother Earth will help people evolve again, make a huge leap in development. After all, the desire to survive, and most importantly to live, is the best motivation for evolution.

“Planet Water” - Boris Akunin

The collection of Boris Akunin has been republished again and contains a large number of illustrations. The collection contains three detective stories.

"Planet Water" was written in 1903 and has the subtitle "technocratic detective story."

Erast Fandorin gives up the search for a sunken galleon with gold to help catch a maniac who is hiding on one of the islands of the Atlantic Ocean.

The nostalgic detective story “Lonely Sail” was published back in 1906. Erast Petrovich is investigating the murder of his former lover.

The last detective story in this collection is called “Where Should We Go?” and is idiotic. Fandorin is investigating a train robbery. A trail that reaches back to the revolutionaries themselves.

"Castle of Glass" - Jeannette Walls

This is an autobiographical novel where the writer talks about her past.

Jeannette talks about her difficult childhood in a large family, where very, very shocking and cruel methods of raising children were practiced. For many years the author hid her past until she realized that if she only freed herself from the burden of the past and terrible secrets, shame and hatred, she would be able to move on and live in peace.

“The sea is my brother. The Lonely Wanderer - Jack Kerouac

This year a collection of Jack Kerouac was published, which contains two novels, “The Sea is My Brother” and “The Lonely Wanderer.”

“The Sea is My Brother” is the writer’s first novel, which was considered lost for half a century. It was only published in 2011. “The Lonely Wanderer” gained popularity during the writer’s lifetime. "The Lonely Wanderer" is a travelogue. And “The Sea is My Brother” is based on the writer’s experience when he worked on a merchant ship. These two works reflect the writer’s style and, most importantly, betray amazing atmosphere lives of past years. This year, the writer’s work is increasingly in demand among readers.

"Half Code" - Sally Green

This book became the most anticipated in 2015. In some ways it is reminiscent of the story of Harry Potter, and in some ways this book is new and unique. One fact cannot be argued with - this book opens up a fantastic world of adventure and magic.

In England these days, magicians live next to the feins and ordinary people. The latter do not even imagine the existence of magic. In the world of magicians, power is controlled by the Council of White Witches, which hates half-breeds and monitors the purity of magical blood.

The main character is the half-breed Nathan. Mother is a White Witch, and father is a Black Sorcerer. A real hunt begins for Nathan and he has no choice but to run. He wants to find his father and receive three gifts that should help him find his Gift. But can Nathan hide his plans from the Council when he is constantly being watched and his entire family is in mortal danger?

"The Goldfinch" - Donna Tartt

Surely, you have already seen this novel on bookstore shelves. This novel won the Pulitzer Prize, and the online store Amazon named this work “Book of the Year.”

Donna Tartt worked on this book for over 10 years.

A book about art and how it affects our lives. At the center of the events is 13-year-old Theo Decker. He was the only one left alive after the terrible explosion that claimed the lives of his relatives. Theo ends up in the system and is now destined to bounce around in foster homes and shelters. His only consolation and meaning in life was the masterpiece of a Dutch old master, which he stole from a museum. This work of art could lead to the death of a lonely child.

"All the Light We Cannot See" - Anthony Doerr

The novel “All the Light We Cannot See” was published quite recently and only a couple of weeks ago appeared on the shelves of bookstores in Russian. The author did an incredible job of creating the book, which took ten years to complete.

The novel is about two children who, without knowing it, are going down different paths, but are moving towards each other. A blind French girl and a timid German boy. They are trying to survive in a world where the Second is raging World War. They are trying to survive and not lose human face, feelings and emotions, try to preserve their soul. A book about death and love. A book about war and what it does to ordinary people how it cripples not only physically and mentally. The book is about how invisible light can conquer even darkness.

"The Luminaries" - Eleanor Catton

The 2013 Man Booker Prize-winning novel was published in Russian for the first time. This book broke two records for this award. “The Luminaries” is not only the largest work of the award, but the author also became the youngest laureate.

The novel takes place in New Zealand at the height of the gold rush. 12 people got together to discuss some rather strange events that happened with their participation. A young guy who owns a huge share of the plots has disappeared. A prospector died and a treasure was found in his hut, and the “night butterfly” embarked on the path of correction. The conspirators tell everything to a stranger who happens to be among them. At the same time, they tell quite strange stories, including blackmail and revenge, and even a seance. The entire book is structured according to an astrological structure, which makes it all the more interesting to read this detective novel full of mysticism and mysterious events.

“Three apples fell from the sky” - Narine Abgaryan

Narine Abgaryan is an Armenian writer who writes about her country and its people. One of the most famous books of this writer is “Manyunya”.

And in the year of the centenary of the genocide of the Armenian people, the author released a new book that tells about a small village, lost somewhere in the mountains and the people who live there. This is a wonderful book about Armenia, traditions, love, death and the intertwining of human destinies. And most importantly, this is a book about incredible strength spirit and treasures of the soul.

"September Roses" - Andre Maurois

Andre Maurois is considered a classic of French literature of the twentieth century. Author of famous biographies of Hugo, Balze, Dumas and others.

“I Confess” - Jaume Cabret

The book was written in 2011, but was published in Russian and 19 other languages ​​only in 2015.

An antique shop in Barcelona, ​​where among the many valuable things there is an antique violin. Adria, secretly from his father, replaces the violin with his own, after which his father is killed. Adria feels guilty. Many years later, he becomes a scientist and collector, but the mystery of his father’s murder has never been solved, and may soon disappear forever. In addition, Adria is afraid that the love of his life, Sarah, will also disappear. He writes a diary, his confession, because he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The time has come for the annual “elephant distribution”. Last year, unlike, say, the previous couple of years, certain innovations emerged. Firstly, several very decent books by domestic authors have appeared that can compete on an equal footing with their foreign counterparts. Secondly, our publishers were quite active in introducing the public to hitherto unknown works foreign science fiction writers - those who have been waiting for translation for a very long time. And thirdly, the most fantastic new products are increasingly coming out of our hands practically off the shelf. This means that competition in the fantasy market will increase even more.

The most unusual book of the year

Maria Galina "Autochthons"

Contenders: Terry Pratchett “Feint”, Max Barry “Lexicon”, Sergei Nosov “Curly Brackets”, Stanislav Lem “Black and White”

10 Every now and then works appear that are quite difficult to attribute to any genre. Moreover, these are often very worthy books. And although they do not fit into the framework of pure “science fiction” or “fantasy”, why not ignore them completely? This is how the “most unusual book” nomination appeared, which this time included a philological thriller by Max Barry, a pastiche of a Victorian adventure by Terry Pratchett, a collection of journalism and essays by Stanislav Lem, and magical realism by Sergei Nosov.

And another magical realism won the nomination - Maria Galina’s novel “Autochthons”. Galina is no stranger to “near-fiction”; her novels “Malaya Glusha” and “Medvedki” received several genre awards, and they were also noted by our magazine. “Autochthons” is a very atmospheric, superbly written novel, richly saturated with symbols and metaphors. The thing is wonderful, but quite elitist. That’s why it wins only in a specific category.

The most awaited book

Lord Dunsany. Collected works in three volumes

Contenders: Michael Moorcock "Byzantium Fights", Peter Watts "Betagemoth", Diana Wynne Jones "Down the Great River"

9 In this category we include books with a “statute of limitations” that came to us many years after they were published in their homeland, or works by eminent domestic authors that “got lost” on the way to the reader.

This time, the collection of works by one of the founding fathers of fantasy, the Irishman Edward Plunkett, better known by his aristocratic title Lord Dunsany, was out of competition. His books have been published here before, but very rarely, from time to time. But the three-volume edition of the Veche publishing house became the largest edition of Dunsany in Russian. This includes ten collections and one novel by the famous writer. In addition, the three-volume book is illustrated with graphics by the brilliant English artist Sidney Syme. In general, an extremely worthy publication.

Anthology of the Year

Contenders:“Shadow Theater”, “Swords and Cogs”, “Soul Collector”, “Penny Dreadful”

8 For quite some time now, publishers have been actively filling the book market with various anthologies. And over the past couple of years, translated collections have increasingly been accompanied by domestic publications. Not everyone is equally successful, of course. But there were still several bright books, the best of which, in our opinion, was the steampunk anthology Swords and Gears. The collections compiled by foreign masters also did not disappoint - the postmodern “Scary Tales”, the tribute to Ray Bradbury “Shadow Theater” and the mythological “Soul Collector” especially stood out.

And the anthology compiled by the great editor Gardner Dozois and the outstanding fantasy master George Martin was beyond competition. The collection “Scoundrels” is dedicated to literary bad guys. Antiheroes are never deprived of public attention - and the compilers of the anthology have assembled an extremely bright team of charming scoundrels for every taste.

Author's collection of the year

Philip K. Dick "Total Recall"

Contenders: Neil Gaiman "Trigger Warning", Max Fry "Of Love and Death", Jonathan Carroll "Married to a Cloud"

7 The nominees for the title of best author's collection turned out to be quite a motley bunch. Among them is a recent book by Neil Gaiman and two Magrealist collections from Max Fry and Jonathan Carroll.

And the winner was a huge, almost one and a half thousand pages, collection of stories by the great American science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. This omnibus, compiled by the Eksmo publishing house, included as many as four of the writer’s author’s collections - almost all of the works of “small form” written by the American classic over thirty years of creativity. And a considerable number of texts came to the domestic reader for the first time. The meeting, however, turned out to be somewhat uneven - it included both later stories Dick, where his talent was fully demonstrated, as well as his earliest, still crude texts. But still, for true fans of SF, this collection is a priceless treasure.

Mystery and horror of the year

Contenders: Ellis Neer “Scary Stories for Wilde Girls”, Ekaterina Cote “Saturday’s Bride”, Vasily Shchepetnev “Death Gambit”, Edward Carey “The Spell of the House with Chimeras”

6 At the end of 2014, domestic authors dominated in the “horror” category. This time - parity. And multi-genre. All our nominees belong to different types mysticism and horror. Here you have a “fairy tale for smart people” by Edward Carey, and a conspiracy theory by Vasily Shchepetnev, and a Victorian detective story by Catherine Cote, and a postmodern fantasy by Ellis Neer. And the winner was a hybrid of youth fantasy, stylish detective and mystical horror.

Jonathan Stroud's novel The Screaming Staircase is the first volume of a series about young people from the Lockwood Agency, which operates in a world where ghosts interfere with the affairs of the living. Lucy Carlisle and her friends actively help people (albeit for a fee), constantly being exposed to mortal risk. But skillfully depicted battles with otherworldly forces are far from the main danger of this world. Flesh and blood people are much scarier than demonic ghosts. And both the heroes and the readers have to be convinced of this.

Children's and Youth Science Fiction of the Year

Contenders: Joe Abercrombie “Half a King”, Maria Semyonova “Brothers. Secret Warrior", Brandon Sanderson "Heart of Steel", Diana Wynne Jones "Down the Great River"

5 Modern youth fiction has firmly escaped from “childhood” - it has long been accustomed to serious themes, inventive plots and a tough style. And almost all the nominees fully meet modern criteria: dark fantasy by Joe Abercrombie, superhero fiction by Brandon Sanderson, ethnographic fantasy by Maria Semyonova. Unless Diana Wynne Jones's novel gravitates specifically towards children's classics - well, this book was written thirty years ago and simply delayed on its way to our reader.

And the first place was taken by the novel by China Mieville, the leader of the “new weird”, who is not the first time trying to write fiction for young people. But if his "Non Lon Don" was a specific children's fairy tale, then "Rails" is a much more expressive postmodern fantasy, an original remake of Herman Melville's classic novel "Moby Dick." The book by the British maestro deftly balances on the line between teenage and adult adventure fiction. And it can appeal to any audience.

Our review

Reader's Choice Award

4 The Witcher Geralt is still popular with us. And although almost a decade and a half has passed since the last novel about the White Wolf, the prequel-side-quel of the series about him, “Season of Thunderstorms,” appeared here and easily won the hearts of readers. In any case, in our VKontakte survey new novel The Polish master was far ahead of the other contenders. The people miss you!

It must be admitted that “Season of Thunderstorms,” for all its merits, is far from the best book about Geralt. It looks secondary and loses in comparison with the final volumes of the witcher saga, primarily with the masterpiece “Lady of the Lake.” But even the “secondary” Sapkowski is head and shoulders above the many adventure fantasy books that came out in our country last year. There is plenty of action, a lot of puzzling intrigue, the colorful surroundings of the witcher world are present, the rich language and signature humor have not gone away... So the success of “Season of Thunderstorms” among domestic fans of the genre is not surprising.

Our review

Artbook of the Year

"The World of the Witcher"

Contenders:"Dishonored: Dunwall Archives", "World games The Last of Us", "Game of Thrones. An illustrated guide to the world of the series"

Last year, a variety of colorful publications - art books on fantasy worlds, films and games, illustrated encyclopedias and reference books - went from being isolated pleasant surprises to becoming commonplace. Of course, the majority continue to remain in the categories of “goodies for fans” and “the best gift,” but this is a big step forward. Although many well-designed albums have a drawback: little information content.

But this definitely cannot be said about the reference book “The World of the Witcher” from the publishing house “White Unicorn”. This is both a colorful art book and a detailed guide to the world of Andrzej Sapkowski. In addition, each part is written on behalf of one or another inhabitant of this world. So readers can not only get interesting information, but also enjoy the game in style.

Fantasy of the Year

Alexey Pekhov “Blue Flame”

Contenders: Andrzej Sapkowski “Season of Thunderstorms”, Michael Sullivan “The Thief of Swords”, Elena Khaetska “Lake of Mists”, Stella Gemmell “City”

3 Unlike last year, when fantasy nominations were occupied exclusively by foreign authors, this time domestic masters of the genre released several very worthy books. The new novel by Andrzej Sapkowski about the witcher Geralt, the fascinating adventure of Michael Sullivan and the epic debut of Stella Gemmell are accompanied by the mythological fantasy of Elena Chaetska and the colorful novel by Alexey Piekhov.

It is Pekhov's Blue flame“We recognized it as the winner - this is the second volume of the cycle of the same name, where the author, one might say, “got back to the origins” of his work. The result is a great quest by a team of likable and psychologically credible characters set against the backdrop of a well-developed world. Already at the dawn of his career, Pekhov knew how to tell exciting stories. Over the years, he has honed his skills and once again demonstrates that it is not for nothing that he is considered one of the leading authors of Russian fantasy.

Our review

Domestic Science Fiction of the Year

Henry Lyon Oldie "Dash Escape"

Contenders: Alexey Pekhov “Blue Flame”, Maria Semyonova “Brothers. Secret warrior", Max Fry "The whole truth about us", Dmitry Glukhovsky "Metro 2035"

2 In recent years, our fiction has had a lot of strong, but not very bright texts. However, this time several of our authors really shined. Alexey Pekhov composed a worthy fantasy adventure, Maria Semyonova reminded of herself with high-quality youth fantasy, Max Fry finally pleased her fans with the fascinating “Echo” detective, and Dmitry Glukhovsky, the author of post-apocalyptic bestsellers, confirmed his reputation.

But it is especially worth noting the “two-headed” writer Henry Lyon Oldie. His voluminous novel in three volumes, “Dash Escape,” brought the space opera series about the worlds of the Ecumene to a new level. In addition to the fascinating adventurous plot with elements of romance, the science fiction concept of intelligent fluctuations, which should seriously affect the life of the Ecumene, received unexpected development. This means that the civilization of the future and its demiurge received new opportunities for development.

Our review

Book of the Year

Contenders: Henry Lyon Oldie “Escape to the Jerk”, Maria Galina “Autochthons”, China Miéville “Rails”, Lord Dunsany “Collected Works in Three Volumes”

Science Fiction of the Year

Contenders: Kim Stanley Robinson "2312", Henry Lyon Oldie "Snatch", Michael Swanwick "Dancing with Bears", William Gibson "Peripherals"

1 If for many years fantasy authors could boast of the most interesting and striking works, now the time has come for science fiction. This time, the winners were fought over by Kim Stanley Robinson's large-scale panorama of the future, Michael Swanwick's original post-apocalypse, Henry Lyon Aldie's brilliant space opera adventure and William Gibson's post-cyberpunk thriller.

And the champion was Anne Leckie's novel Servants of Justice. Moreover, in determining the winner, “World of Fantasy” was not at all original. This debut novel of the “new space opera”, published in English in 2013, in a couple of years collected almost all the most prestigious genre awards: Hugo, Nebula, Locus, British Science Fiction Award, Arthur C. Clarke Award, even the British Prize fantasy... Leki combined various ideas in one novel, mixed them in good proportions, diluted them with action and took an original approach to the stylistic component of the text. But Leki’s talent was especially revealed in world-building of the distant future. The universe of the Radch Empire in its exoticism and sophistication can compete with the worlds of Simmons' Hyperion and Herbert's Dune. And the heroes who inhabit the world of Leki are drawn simply wonderfully. But this is only the first book of a trilogy! In general, we have before us a non-standard text that can bring true pleasure to all fans of the genre.

It is not surprising that we recognized this outstanding work not only as the best science fiction book, but also as the book of the year. By the way, this happened for the second time in a row - in the previous “Results”, “The Martian” by Andy Weir followed the same path. Go science fiction!

You have already taken the first step on the path to happiness by picking up this book. Do not stop! This book, written by a participant and co-author of the film "The Secret", will become your reliable guide to your own happiness. Presented here unique program which will help you find happiness.....

The name of the Norwegian writer Jostein Gorder is one of the largest in modern literature. His books amazingly combine the best traditions of the world classics with novelty and freshness of view. A new book"The Orange Girl" is a touching and wise story centered on.....

The novel "Homer and Langley" is a kind of literary experiment. The heroes of the novel - the brothers Homer and Langley - had real prototypes: the Collier brothers, whose story at one time caused a lot of noise in America. The brothers voluntarily abandoned the benefits of civilization and became.....

Never break your engagement with the dark lord! Never! After all, one careless glance will be enough for the great Ryan Thiers to unravel the lie and think through in great detail the strategy of the most important battle in his life. Get ready, a whirlwind of exciting adventures awaits you, secret knowledge about ancient curses, the true history of the Dark.....

This book is written for those who are just about to get married, and for those who have been living with their spouse for decades. In this wise and long-awaited book famous psychologist and marriage counselor John Gottman reveals the secrets of love. Where does it come from.....

New case of Myron Bolitar - sports agent and famous amateur detective! A vacation on a tropical island is suddenly interrupted - Bolitar is given VERY BAD news... His client, baseball player Clu Heid, is murdered, and Esperanza Diaz, who has been working at... for many years, is suspected of murder.

How far are you willing to go to keep the man of your dreams? A successful hypnotherapist, Helen helps people cope with their problems. Helen has had several whirlwind romances in the past, and now what she most wants is peace and stability. Meeting Patrick inspires.....

Madeleine, funny, witty, passionate, mother of three children. She is always ready to come to the aid of her friend, to protect those who have been unfairly offended, but she is outraged that her ex-husband and his new wife have settled nearby, and their common teenage daughter loves her father more than...

2016 is the year of bright literary novelties. Translations of cult foreign writers were published, and modern domestic authors delighted us with wonderful novels and collections of stories. Summing up the results of the past year, we decided to make a small selection of the best books that were published by Eksmo Publishing House in 2016.

There were many applicants to be included in the list, and selecting 10 finalists among them was not so easy. But, after long and heated discussions among the entire editorial board, we finally managed to do it. We have already written about many of the books included in the selection in reviews of monthly new releases, and have even dedicated separate materials to some of them. So, we present to your attention our list.

A previously unpublished novel in Russian by the American writer Daniel Keyes, author of the famous and. The book tells the twisted story of a girl with a personality disorder, inside of whom live five different women.

For this book, Australian writer Richard Flanagan was awarded the Booker Prize in 2014. His novel tells the tragic story of prisoners of war who laid the Thai-Burma line during the Second World War. railway(the so-called Death Road). During its construction, more than 100 thousand people died from harsh working conditions, beatings, hunger and disease, and the ambitious project of Imperial Japan itself was subsequently recognized as a war crime.

The 2015 Man Booker Prize jury's selection has sparked much debate in literary circles around the world. After all, the high award went not to the American Hanya Yanagihara, but to “ Brief history seven murders" by Jamaican Marlon James. Despite the critics' dissatisfaction, James's book is an important milestone in the history of modern English-language prose, because the author put his native island, with its color and extremes, on the literary map of the world. Before A Brief History of Seven Killings, it was as if Jamaica did not even exist. By the way, an American writer did become a Booker laureate in 2016 (Paul Beatty with his novel “The Sale”), for the first time in the history of the prize.

“If the lesser evil is preferable, this does not mean that it is legal,” says one of the characters in the novel by the Booker laureate and living classic British literature Ian McEwan. What is more important: faith and beliefs or life at any cost? The heroes of “The Law on Children” are trying to answer this difficult question.

The publication of each new book by the recluse and man of mystery Thomas Pynchon is always a literary event. And the novel “The Edge Bang Bang” was no exception. Pynchon once again confuses the reader and makes him wander through the verbal labyrinths of the reality he created, or rather the perception of reality.

Pelevin is often compared to Pynchon. He is also called a recluse and a man of mystery, and the release of each of his new books always becomes a literary event. And he also creates amazing worlds in which reality is transformed in the most amazing ways, causing the reader to get lost in the palaces of the mind...

Haruki Murakami never ceases to amaze us. It seems that the Japanese classic has begun a new stage in his creative evolution. And the collection of short stories “Men Without Women” is a clear confirmation of this. “The world, one might say, is falling apart, but there are still people who care about the broken lock, and others come in good faith to fix it... Isn’t it the same? But maybe that's a good thing. Maybe, contrary to expectations, this is how it should be. Maybe the only way to stay sane when the world is falling apart is to continue to do your job honestly and diligently? - this is how the heroine of the short story “Samsa in Love” argues. Murakami also continues to do his job “honestly and diligently,” striving for excellence in what he writes.

A collection of early stories and essays by Charles Bukowski published in Russian for the first time. For all fans of the great American rebel, this book is a must-read. In it, the personality of the scandalous writer appears in a new light.

Finally, a collection of early stories by the American science fiction classic Ray Bradbury has been translated into Russian. These short stories are inferior to the author's later works, but allow us to take a fresh look at his creative evolution.

In his new novel, the living classic of Russian literature Vladimir Voinovich, with his characteristic sense of humor and irony, harshly ridicules modern Russian realities, from the worldview of people to the current political course of the country. “Crimson Pelican” is an encyclopedia of Russian life in the 21st century.

It was a great year for female writers, debut writers, long-awaited premieres by famous masters of the pen, and for critics who make up a wide variety of ratings. Whether you want to keep up with literary trends or are simply looking for something new to read, you're sure to find a worthy book among the 2015 premieres.

We've compiled a list of the 15 best novels of 2015. Let's start turning the pages!

1. Dark Secrets by Gillian Flynn

A new book from the creator of the bestselling Gone Girl.

Libby Day was seven years old when her mother and two sisters were brutally murdered. The girl survived and began to testify that the killer was her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben. Twenty-five years later, members of the "Murder Club" - secret society, obsessed with high-profile crimes, they find Libby and bombard her with questions about that terrible day. They hope to discover evidence that will help free Ben. And Libby seeks to profit from her tragic story: she decides to cooperate with members of society, but only for a fee. So the search takes Libby from a strip club in Missouri to abandoned tourist towns in Oklahoma, to the very place where she ran away from a killer twenty-five years ago.

2. “22:04” Ben Lerner

A year ago, main character book "10:04" was enjoying his unexpected literary success when he was diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease, and best friend asked to help her conceive a child. In New York, where things are happening more and more often destructive hurricanes and social unrest, he must continue to live with his illness and the prospect of fatherhood in a city that may soon be flooded.

Lerner, whose book has been hailed by critics as “funny, smart and original from the first line to the last,” reveals what it means to live right now, in the twilight of empire, when it is difficult to imagine the future without changing one’s relationship to the past and present.

3. "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Rachel takes the same train every morning. Every day he drives past cozy country houses and stops at the same place at the train signal to watch how, in her opinion, the ideal couple has breakfast every morning. She feels like she knows them well. Rachel even gives them names - "Jess and Jason." For her, their lives are perfect, unlike her own.

And then she sees something shocking. Just for a minute while the train moves on, but that’s enough. Unable to hide what she saw, Rachel tells the police everything and immediately becomes involved in terrible events. Did Rachel hurt herself more than help justice?

This is a wonderful debut novel by Paula Hawkins, written in the style of Hitchcock thrillers. The book instantly became a bestseller and took leading positions in the ratings of reputable publishing houses.

4. “I Confess” by Jaume Cabret

Adria Ardevol lived in this world for sixty long and at the same time terrible years. When Alzheimer's disease begins to rob him of his memory, he decides to write Farewell letter to your beloved. In it, Adria openly talks about her life, which was closely connected with the ancient Storioni violin.

Adria's father loved antiques much more than his son. But he had a special passion for the precious violin, which long years belonged to the Ardevol family. The father forbade his son to touch the exhibit, and when Adria broke his oath, the father unexpectedly died. Realizing that the violin has made his father crazy, Adria himself is unable to give it up, even for the sake of the woman he loves.

At the same time, the writer tells several stories that happened to people many centuries before Adria was born. But the link between all the characters is the Storioni violin, a mysterious and cursed instrument that for a long time ruthlessly interfered in people's destinies and destroyed their lives.

5. “The Pauline Principle” by Didier van Covelaert

"The Pauline Principle" is an elegant and unpredictable novel from French writer Didier van Covelrath, winner of the prestigious Prix Goncourt.

A successful writer, Quincy, while walking through second-hand bookstores, accidentally finds his first novel among the books. When he opens the book, on the first page he finds his signature: “To Polina and Max.” Once upon a time these two were the most important people in his life and played their role in it.

Many years ago, Quincy had just published his first novel, and the literary reading was to take place in the city jail. Pauline was a student who really wanted to go to the book launch, and Max was one of the prisoners. That day their destinies were intertwined. Their meeting became the beginning of a strong friendship and true love.

6. “To the very ends” Chuck Palahniuk

Penny Harrigan is an associate at a Manhattan law firm and lives in... small apartment in Queens and has no personal life. So an invitation to dinner from Linus Maxwell, a billionaire and lover of the most beautiful and educated women on earth, comes as a big shock to the girl. After dinner at Manhattan's most exclusive restaurant, he takes her to a hotel room where they have the most amazing sex of her life. Everything is great, if not for a small nuance. Penny discovers that she is just a new test subject for the development of a line of sex toys that will be sold in the chain of boutiques "To the Tips". So powerful and effective are these devices that women line up in the millions outside stores on opening day. Penny decides that Maxwell's plans for erotic world domination must be destroyed. But how?

7. “Una & Salinger” Frederic Beigbeder

Many years ago, in New York, aspiring writer Jerry Salinger accidentally met Una, the very young daughter of the famous playwright Eugene O'Neill. The young people immediately fall in love with each other, but their happiness does not last long. When America joins the liberating forces in World War II, Salinger leaves for the front in Europe. While Una waits for her lover to return, she decides to try her hand at cinema and goes to audition for Charlie Chaplin. The girl not only gets the role, but also becomes the wife of a great actor and director. Salinger returns after the war not to the arms of his beloved, but to an empty apartment and a lonely life. He begins working in magazines, and then creates his famous work, “The Catcher in the Rye.”

8. "Consumed" David Cronenberg

The sensational and exciting debut novel from cult Hollywood director David Cronenberg.

Stylish and work-obsessed, Naomi and Nathan thrive in the tabloid industry. Despite the fact that they are competitors, no one stops them from being lovers. They are always in pursuit of sensations and meet only in airport hotels.

One day, Naomi finds herself embroiled in a scandal between Celestine and Aristide Arostegai, a Marxist philosopher and libertine. Celestine is found dead and mutilated in a Paris apartment, and Aristide simply disappears. The police immediately suspect him of murder. With the help of a graduate student named Hervé Blomqvist, Naomi sets out in pursuit of Aristide. Delving into the details of Celestine's relationship, Naomi does not notice how her friendship with Herve is growing into something more.

Nathan, meanwhile, is in Budapest collecting information about a surgeon named Zoltan Molnar, who is wanted by Interpol for organ trafficking. After he spends the night with Molnar's patient, Nathan learns of a rare disease called Rufe syndrome. Nathan travels to Toronto to meet the man who discovered the syndrome. From Dr. Rufe, he learns that his now adult daughter is studying here, who is trying to hide a terrible secret behind her strange behavior.

These parallel narratives weave together into a captivating fairy tale in this provocative debut novel from one of the world's leading filmmakers.

9. "Funny Girl" Nick Hornby

Everyone in the film industry lives their own life, different from the perfect picture on the screen.

Writers Tony and Bill are comedy gurus, but each of them keeps his own terrible secret behind the walls of the film set. The project's director, Dennis, loves his job but hates his marriage. Superstar Clive feels he is destined for a better life. And the comedian and most popular girl on television, Sophie Strew, who changed her name and quit for the sake of her career old life, must decide whether to continue this way or “change the channel.”

Funny Girl is Nick Hornby's new comedy novel about popular culture, television, being young and old, fame and teamwork. This is the story of Sophie Strew, who went through a difficult journey from a provincial “protégé” to a movie star.

10. “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Wandering” by Haruki Murakami

Tsukuru Tazaki, remembering his past and present, tries to understand why his life went downhill sixteen years ago.

In the early 1990s, Tsukuru lived in his hometown of Nagoya and studied at high school. He had four best friend. The name of the color was hidden in everyone's last name. Tsukuru was called "colorless" and they all represented an "orderly, harmonious community." But in 1995, during his second year of college, Tsukuru's friends abruptly cut off all ties with him. His only college friend disappeared the next semester, and he felt empty, a man who had lost his color and his personality.

Now in 2011 in Tokyo, 36-year-old engineer Tazaki works for a railway company and builds stations. His new friend Sarah advises him to face his past, not as a naive, vulnerable boy, but as a grown man, and find his former friends to mend their relationships and find out why they rejected him. And so Tsukuru visits his old friends one by one, first in his native Nagoya, then in rural Finland. He goes in search of truth, himself and happiness.

11. Career of Evil by JK Rowling/Robert Galbraith

The last part of a not at all children's detective trilogy, from the famous British writer JK Rowling, creator of Harry Potter.

Private detective Kornomar Strike this time takes on the case of his own assistant, Robin Ellakot. One day she receives a box in the mail containing a severed woman's leg. Strike begins to conduct his own investigation, in parallel with the British police. When law enforcement agencies manage to catch a criminal, a private detective quickly proves his innocence. While the police are trying to track down the real killer, Strike suspects three people at once and, with his assistant, is trying to catch the cruel maniac.

12. “Downton Manor.” The Beginning" Margaret York

Novel “Downton Manor.” The Beginning" is the background to the famous British television series, which provides answers to many of the viewer’s questions.

This is the story of what really happened on board the Titanic, which almost destroyed Downton Abbey itself. In this novel you can learn how an arranged marriage between Cora and Robert turned into a true love story. How an independent American girl managed to enter the closed and conservative British society. For the first time, family secrets will be revealed, and the “skeletons in the closet” will be exposed to everyone!

13. “Repairing the Living” by Meilis de Kerangal

Surfer Simon Limbre gets into a terrible car accident in which he dies. More precisely, his brain dies. Modern equipment continues to support life in his unconscious body, as his parents believe that their boy is alive. The doctor asks them to sign papers and allow Simon's organs to be given to people who need transplants. But parents cannot imagine how to voluntarily kill their son and give a piece of him to strangers.

The writer tells the stories of many people who are connected by the still living heart of Simon Limbra.

14. Before the Beginning by Amy Plum

This is the long-awaited continuation of the fantastic bestseller “After the End” from the famous American writer Amy Palm.

When the Juneau clan disappeared, the girl lost much more than friends and family. She soon discovered that everything she knew about her life was a lie. She actually has secret powers that others are desperate to get their hands on. They want it so much that they kidnapped her clan.

Juneau's new companion, Miles, goes on a quest that takes them to the New Mexico wilderness. Now Juno's friends and loved ones are within reach, and she will stop at nothing to save them. But she's not the only one to hunt. There is a target hanging on the girl’s back, because it is the key to solving everything. To save her clan—and herself—Juno must discover her true abilities and understand just how much power she truly possesses.

15. "Horse Dancer" Jojo Moyes

Sarah's grandfather was a horseman with a rare talent that only a few at France's elite equestrian academy, Le Cadre Noir, could comprehend. But life has taken an unexpected turn, and now in a council house in east London, the Captain hopes to educate his granddaughter.

Natasha is a lawyer whose job is to represent the interests of children. Her confidence in her work was shaken, and her marriage finally collapsed. But meeting Sarah and her horse, named Boo, can help Natasha find herself and discover the true meaning of life.

Select several books from this list to always be up to date with literary news.