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Ojārs Kapteinis

ojars@book.kapteinis.lv

Joined 1 year, 8 months ago

🇪🇺 Europe, Rīga

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Ojārs Kapteinis's books

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2026 Reading Goal

8% complete! Ojārs Kapteinis has read 1 of 12 books.

Patrick Radden Keefe, Ariel Font Prades: Say Nothing (AudiobookFormat, Random House Audio)

“Masked intruders dragged Jean McConville, a 38-year-old widow and mother of 10, from her Belfast …

The Price of Hatred

The book is very exciting and engrossing because it is filled with events driven by anger and hatred. These emotions have so thoroughly consumed people's minds that they lose sight of the causes of injustice and oppression. Consequently, they no longer discriminate in their means to achieve their 'goal,' and those around them are not spared from their actions.

On the other hand, in old age, when they must answer for what they have done, they try to cleanse their consciences by hiding under the guise of the 'great goal.' The former freedom fighters and neighbor shooters have become cowards, preoccupied with their own lives.

Cormac McCarthy: The Road (Paperback, 2010, Picador USA, imusti)

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged …

The Road Beyond The Last of Us

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.

Karl Ove Knausgård, Ingvild Burkey, Vanessa Baird: Autumn (2017, Penguin Random House)

“This book is full of wonders…Loose teeth, chewing gum, it all becomes noble, almost holy, …

Preparing Myself for Autumn

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.

Michael Pollan: A place of my own (Paperback, 1998, Bloomsbury)

“A room of one’s own: is there anybody who hasn’t at one time or another …

Reflections on aging and space around

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.

Paul Bowles: Let it come down (1980, Black Sparrow Press)

Let It Come Down, with its title from Macbeth, tells the story of Dyar, a …

Grifting in the Shadows

As changes with the second Trump presidency are coming, I wanted to read a book about a place that no longer exists (Tangier International Zone), as it feels like the same might happen with the American empire. It was a place where people grifted each other, played shadowy games, and trusted nobody because they knew that those around them were just like them — frauds. So, it’s no surprise that the protagonist went mad while committing acts of grifting, as he was constantly running schemes in his head about how others might grift him.

The ironic part is that the protagonist mistook his madness for clear and rational thinking. I think there are parallels with present-day Americans because those grifters who have just gained power are also in the same mindset.