Home - apsi - Personal - Culture

Author: apsi
apsi'at'iki.fi
Last revision:
21. mars 2021
 

Books read by apsi


Kitty Ferguson: Stephen Hawking, Elämä

(mars 2021; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: Life and some Science investigated by Monsieur Hawking
    • - I would read it again in... 5 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Annie Hawes: Extra Virgin

(Février 2021; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: Description of clash of cultures, also the way of Life in the Italia Liguria
    • - I would read it again in... 10 years
    • - I would recommend it... ... to some one interested obtaining somewhat a superficial, outsiders view on an Italian culture

Virpi Hämeen-Anttila: Muistan sinut, Amanda

(Février 2021; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: Description of adoslescents with broken families, one with a family secret to be resolved. Nostalgia about communistic times in the 70s
    • - I would read it again in... 20 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Anna-Leena Härkönen: Ei kiitos

(Octobre 2020; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot:
    • - I would read it again in... 5 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Anna-Leena Härkönen: Avoimien ovien päiv¨

(Octobre 2020; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot:
    • - I would read it again in... 20 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Pekka Hiltunen: Vilpittömästi Sinun

(Septembre 2020; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot:
    • - I would read it again in... 10 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Helena Miettinen: Hoida kolesteroli ajoissa

(Août 2020; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: Information and history on the development of a grocery product that has been claimed to reduce the "bad chloesteror" LDL. It gives scientific results, historical and anecdotical details, ...
    • - I would read it again in... 1 years
    • - I would recommend it... any one possibly having a suspicion on high cholesterol

Arto Paasilinna: Isoisää etsimässä

(Août 2020; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: The Grandfather escapes from the Wife, the Grandson is sent to catch and bring Him back; after various complications the World opens up to the Granson
    • - I would read it again in... five years
    • - I would recommend it... to relax, switch off the mind


Donna Leon Kuolema vieraalla maalla

(Août 2020; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: A murder in Venice
    • - I would read it again in... years
    • - I would recommend it...


James Fifty Shades Satutettu

(? 2019?; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot:
    • - I would read it again in... years
    • - I would recommend it...


Kari Hotakainen Sydänkohtauksia

(? 2019?; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot:
    • - I would read it again in... years
    • - I would recommend it...


Veikko Huovinen: Joe-set&aauml: aikalaisen kertomuksia Josef Stalinista

(Janvier 2019; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot:
    • - I would read it again in... years
    • - I would recommend it...

Takashi Hiraide: Kissavieras

(D&ecute;cembre 2017-janvier 2018; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot:
    • - I would read it again in... 20 years
    • - I would recommend it... to any one affected by cats, or any one trying to understand a cat-lover

(Décembre 2017; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: Daily life on Finnish country side at the beginning of 20th century
    • - I would read it again in... 10 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Emmi Itäranta: Teemestarin kirja

(Août 2017; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: Science-fiction about a tea master, scarcity of fresh water
    • - I would read it again in... 5 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Melisse Shapiro (M J Rose): Suljettujen ovien takana

(Août 2017; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: A secretive society of women and men encounter a series of kidnappings, investigated by a therapeut and a policeman
    • - I would read it again in... 10 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Eppu Nuotio: Paine

(Août 2017; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: An unsolved disappearance of the father of a main character; a side-plot of a woman pressurised by her ex-partner
    • - I would read it again in... 20 years
    • - I would recommend it...

David Foenkinos: Nainen, jonka nimi on Nathalie

(Août 2017; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot:
    • - I would read it again in... 10 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Anna-Leena Härkönen: Kaikki oikein

(Juillet 2017; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: How a win in lottery changes the life and human resources
    • - I would read it again in... 20 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Mari Mörö: Kuinka puhua naiselle

(Januar 2017; Finnois/suomi)
  • Plot: Recorded conversations on oral communiation (or none)
    • - I would read it again in... 15 years
    • - I would recommend it...

Axel Ulrich, Braig Renz: Die Kunst, weniger zu arbeiten

(Januar 2017; German)
  • Plot: Motivating people not to overwork
  • Includes a short history of appreciation of work in different times, a personal story of a person who stopped overworking
    • - I would read it again in... 5 years
    • - I would recommend it... to people having problems working too much

Tuomas Kyrö: Mielensäpahoittaja

(Januar 2017; Finnish)
  • Plot: Humoristic approach how to encounter Life
  • Short narratives of every day situations where the person writes complaints about how he thinks the situation failed.
    • - I would read it again in... 6 months
    • - I would recommend it... to any one wanting to see the sunny side of the Life

Maynard Solomon: Ludwig van Beethoven

(2014? 2015?-August 2016; English)
  • Plot: Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven
  • After many biographies written on the subject, this looks like a good compromise between not too many details (even if the discussion on unknown beloved is quite lengthy) and an overwiew of the career and achievements of the Maestro
    • - I would read it again in... 10 days
    • - I would recommend it... to any one interested in the Life and Works of Monsieur van Beethoven

Han Kang: Vegetarian

(May-June 2016; English)
  • Plot: Three perspectives to a slow tragedy of the central person
  • A woman gets mentally worse and worse, story told by three persons closely related to the victim. Two of them leave a non-understanding, egoistic perspective, the third one turns into a similar case. Not a very optimistic rendering
    • - I would read it again in... 20 years
    • - I would recommend it... to

Tuula Karjalainen: Tove Jansson

(December 2015/January 2016; Finnish)
  • Plot: A biography of Tove Jansson, a multi-talented artist, best known as the creator of the Muumit (Moomins)
  • Interesting facts and opinions by a person who has had been in contact with the artist during the latter's life. Somewhat uncritical, it requires some concentration to follow the logic of the author to group things via context, less by time; some more indications of the time of events would have helped to perceive the contexts, in particular toward the end of the book, where the author seemed to rush a bit more. The Muumit takes a central part, but the other side of the artists life and skills are also well characterised.
    • - I would read it again in... 5 years
    • - I would recommend it... to people interested in the person behind the Muumit and the artist otherwise

Laura Lindstedt: Oneiron

(December 2015/January 2016; Finnish)
  • Plot: Seven women meet in a state just after their death, to come to explain their last moments toward the end
  • Well researched material - plenty of details from different cultures, places - yet their meta-state remains somewhat superficial, just a frame to explain the details of their destinies
    • - I would read it again in... 10 years
    • - I would recommend it... to...

Pink revolution

(Septembre 2014 ; Anglais/English)
  • Plot: A description of a social movement and its leader/founder in India for the improvement of rights of women
    • - I would read it again in... 3 years
    • - I would recommend it to... every person interested in human rights, how to collect courage in front of an apparently-stronger entity

Humour with tumour

(Août-septembre 2014 ; Anglais/English)
  • Plot: The thoughts of a woman afte diagnosed with cancer
    • - I would read it again in... 5 years
    • - I would recommend it to... well, some one looking for an example of strength, courage in fighting a disease

Paulo Coelho: Adultery

(Août 2014 ; Anglais/English)
  • Plot: The thoughts of a woman in Switzerland going through some kind of boringness-crisis
    • - I would read it again in... 20 years; not very convinced about this one
    • - I would recommend it to... well, some one looking for very light reading

Bridget Jones, mad about the boy

(Juillet 2014 ; Anglais/English)
  • Plot: The "diary" of Bridge Jones, Part III, this time with a Family
    • - I would read it again in... 4 years
    • - I would recommend it to... any one wanting to relax and have occasionaally a smile

Anne Frank Tagebuch

(Mars-avril 2014 ; Allemande/German)
  • Plot: The diary of a talented yound lady writer, mainly during their hiding from the Nazi occupation
    • - I would read it again in... 2 years
    • - I would recommend it to... any one wanting to face the history and dark pages of humanity

Haruki Murakami : Die Pilgerjahre des farblosen Herrn Tazaki

(Janvier-fevrier 2014 ; Allemande/German)
  • Plot: The person processes the past loss of friendship(s), and tries to sort out the present one
    • - I would read it again in... 2 years
    • - I would recommend it... some one needing to clarify their Life

Jonas Jonasson : Satavuotias joka karkasi ikkunasta ja katosi / Le vieux qui ne voulait pas fête son anniversaire

(Dicembre 2013-janvier 2014 ; Finnois/Suomi)
  • Plot: Humouristic account of a 100-year old escaping from the nursing home, and reviewing his biography on the side
    • - I would read it again in... 10 years
    • - I would recommend it... any one to relax

Malala Yousafzai, Christina Lamb: Ich bin Malala

(Dicembre 2013 ; Allemand/German)
  • Plot: Biography with recent history of Swat Valley
  • Education for every one! Really touching story, amazing precision/analysis of details
    • - I would read it again in... 3 months
    • - I would recommend it... to all people having prejudices

Riitta Konttinen: Oma Tie, Helene Schjerfbeckin elämä

(May-June 2013; Finnish)

Ulla-Leena Lundberg: Jää

(February-March 2013; Finnish)

Nelson Mandela: Long walk to freedom

(January-February 2013; English)

Sofi Oksanen: Kun kyyhkyset katosivat

(January 2013; Finnish)
  • Plot: History of Estonia, ...
  • What made and makes the people to behave so
    • - I would read it again in... 3 years
    • - I would recommend it... to all people not too sensitive for tough human destinies

Robert Schneider: Schlafes Bruder

(September-October 2012; German)

Kari Hotakainen: Jumalan Sana

(2012; Finnish)

Christian Jacq: Ramses

(November 2009; Finnish)

Arto Paasilinna: Rovasti Huuskosen petomainen miespalvelija

(November 2009; Finnish)

Arto Paasilinna: Hirnuva maailmanloppu

(October 2009; Finnish)

Sofi Oksanen: Stalinin lehmät

(September-October 2009; Finnish)

Ernest Hemingway: Kenelle kellot soivat

(September 2009; Finnish)

Erlend Loe: Supernaiivi

(January 2009; Finnish)
  • Plot: A boy describes his thoughts, life
  • The telling tries to be very simplistic, listing the feelings and thoughts the person has. He has a passion for trivial activities, but no means vulgar. His interest and thoughts on Einstein's theory of relativity reveals his true illectual capacity
    • - I would read it again in... 10 years
    • - I would recommend it... to persons interested in different way of expressing the story

Zoë Jenny: Das Blütenstaubzimmer

(Autumn 2008; German)
  • Plot: A girl takes distance from her parents
    • - I would read it again in... 25 years

Eve Ensler: V* Monologues

(August 2008; American English)
  • Plot: Monologues of women in despair, raped, ...
  • Why should this be so controversial?
    • - I would read it again in... 5 years (to remind about the sad destinies women experience over and over again)
    • - I would recommend it... to all people not too sensitive for hard facts

Georges Perec: W eli Lapsuudenmuisto

(August 2008; Finnish)
  • Plot: The author remembers his youth, and mixes it with illusioned, similar story
  • The end of the "fictitious story" becomes very weird... Is there any connection to that story in the beginning??
    • - I would read it again in... 30 years (because of the memories in France)
    • - I would recommend it... hmm, to people interested in the you at difficult times

Douglas Kennedy: The Woman in the Fifth

(August 2008; American English)
  • Plot: An American male arrives in Paris in despair... Trying to find a living, no matter what. The Destiny throws him around, until (or especially?!) he meets a mysterious Lady...
  • A populistic beginning, reviewing details of Paris too much in detail. Interesting middle part. Very artificial solution of the "excitement".
    • - I would read it again in... 30 years (if no longer in Paris)
    • - I would recommend it... only to people passionate about Paris