Here’s a list of some of the books I’ve read recently. I’ve starred the ones that I especially liked or that were otherwise special.
2024
Click the fleuron ❧ to read the full review.
- Jääasema KOOMA by Jaakko Yli-Juonikas. The weirdness continues. This one has puzzling structure (heh heh).
- Mitä uudet Galgalim-silmäni näkivätkään by Jaakko Yli-Juonikas. Weird fiction masquerading as a play.
- Tahdon murskatappio by Jaakko Yli-Juonikas. Weird fiction masquerading as a young adult book. Yli-Juonikas is known for experimental literature, but this one was fairly normal.
- Pussikaljaromaani by Mikko Rimminen. Three good-for-nothings spend a day in Kallio, Helsinki. ❧
- Yhdellä meistä on kokemus epäasiallisesta kohtelusta by Irene Kajo. A story about sexual abuse at the Theatre Academy in Helsinki. Opposite of fun.
- Yö on viisain by Jaakko Yli-Juonikas. Weird short stories. They remind me of Harry Salmenniemi’s stories.
- Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells. Murderbot unveils corruption while trying to flee. Entertaining, but maybe not as good as the previous parts in the series.
- Lähdön läheisyys by Jussi Marttila. Private investigator Janatuinen unveils corruption once again.
- Building a Life Worth Living: A Memoir by Marsha M. Linehan. Autobiography of the psychologist who developed dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). They’ve lived an interesting and, at times, hard life.
- The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, translated by William Weaver. Monks investigate murders while debating the politics of the Catholic Church.
- The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. A human emissary gets intwined in the politics of an alien world. The big thing about this book is the aliens’ gender system.
- Kuolema on ikuinen by Liu Cixin, translated by Rauno Sainio (English title: Death's End). The attempts of the humankind to survive continue. Reminds me of Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. The gender thing is weird, not in a good way.
- Elolliset by Iida Turpeinen. Historical fiction on the discovery and the demise of Steller’s sea cow. A great topic, but the story is told in a bit too wacky way for my taste.
- ⭐ Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin. More mature than the earlier parts of the Earthsea Cycle.
- ⭐ Raukoilla rajoilla by Markku Eskelinen. On the history of Finnish prose literature. Iconoclastic. Super interesting.
- The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin, translated by Joel Martinsen. An intriguing plan to save the world.
- Varieties of Disturbance by Lydia Davis. Short stories. Didn’t hit me quite as hard as Our Strangers.
- ⭐ Our Strangers by Lydia Davis. Really quite short stories observing everyday life at home, at the airport, and elsewhere. ❧
- Villa Alpha by Arsi Alenius. A novel on being young again. ❧
- Alkoholi by Mika Lietzen. A graphic novel about alcoholism. ❧
- ⭐ Hello, Stranger by Will Buckingham. On strangers, hospitality, travel. The writing style is so cozy. ❧
- Ruukku rubiiniviiniä ja muita runoja by Omar Khayyám, translated by Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila. Quatrains about wine and debauchery. Funny. ❧
- ⭐ Katsotaanhan puhelimiakin by Arsi Alenius. A young literary critic is angry about how literature has lost its social cachet. ❧
Earlier: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
All-time favorite fiction
I rarely re-read books, but there are some books I keep thinking about.
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
- Historias de cronopios y famas by Julio Cortázar.
- The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.
- Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.
I look at this list and I realize I must have incredibly ordinary taste. Still, they’re good books.
In April 2020, I filled a social-media bingo card about my favorite books. I’m not sure if they’re my eternal favorites, but they felt like good books at the time. Ask me again in the future.
My reading projects
Lists of books read by other people
I’ve found the following lists especially interesting:
- Alvaro Videla’s Some Books For You Consideration
- Venkatesh Rao’s Now Reading page
- David R. MacIver’s three-book sets and book pairings
- Further reading for Meaningness