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I started reading this one assuming it might be something like Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, but no. It was more like a critique of people’s willingness to rule others, hiding behind whatever ideology is handy for the situation at that moment, plus that strange thing where people want to be puppet masters but are actually in the same situation as everyone else — just one of millions.

And I think that in the end, the book landed in the same territory as Apocalypse Now, since in both stories the protagonists were forced to deal with reality from outside of it.

I just wanted to read another book by Anthony Bourdain, and it was perfect for the dark winter evenings we have here in the Baltics during January. It delivered exactly what I wanted—like one more, longer episode of those Anthony Bourdain TV shows we used to watch together with my dear wife on similarly dark winter nights not so long ago.

At first, I didn’t know that I liked science fiction.

Honestly, the last one I enjoyed was Orson Scott Card’s ‘Ender’s Game,’ which I read ages ago when my colleague from my previous job published its Latvian translation.

But somehow the style and story immersed me in the book, and I willingly freed up time to read it and find out what would happen next.

We’ll see when I’ll again have the willingness to read something like this. And it will probably be another Peter F. Hamilton book from this series.

This was the second Karl Ove Knausgård book I read.

At first, I was looking for something light, similar to his book ‘Autumn,’ where he reflected on the world around him.

But to my surprise, ‘Spring’ was much deeper. It wasn’t just a letter from a father to his newborn daughter — it was also a reflection on parenthood, family, and his role in his children’s and wife’s lives.

Unintentionally, this book entered my life at just the right time and situation.

Although most of the stories are fictional, this book was really very interesting. It is probably one of the best I’ve read recently.

I started reading because I was drawn to a story that seemed somewhat similar to The Last of Us. However, I found that The Road is even deeper and more complete, particularly due to the dynamic between the father and son. Perhaps it resonated with me so much because my youngest son is only four years old.

I felt the need to prepare for autumn, so I decided to start reading this.

In the end, I realized that this is the right way to grow old — reflecting calmly and peacefully on what’s around and what’s happening.

As I approach my 40th birthday, the book that resonated with me explores aging, reflection, and the world around us. It also encourages practical action, as demonstrated by Michael Pollan, who built his own small cabin to create space for reflection, writing, or even an afternoon nap. The idea of a small, orderly space resembling the archetype of a hut or shelter deep in the woods appealed to me. Alongside the physical building process, Pollan explores and analyzes the layers of meaning that have accumulated over millennia, shaping our current understanding of home and architecture in general.