100+ Books in 2025 discussion
2016 Lists
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Genndy's 101 books challenge in 2016
52/101 - Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson (4 stars)Short description: A quite entertaining book which somewhat reminds me of a modern Cathcer in the rye. It is a novel written in a form of a diary, with school essays implemented in it. Main character is rebellious teenager whose main concern is to show to everyone how much of an activist, free spirit, and a rebel is he, while in reality he is just a miserable, sarcastic kid obssessed with sex. Even though this is nothing special when it comes to art, I still quite enjoyed this novel.
53/101 - Open Secrets by Alice Munro (3 stars)Short description: This collection of stories started promising, and then went worse with each next story. I don't give a fuck about the fact that the author is a Nobel prize winner, this is not really an example of masterfully executed prose. Stories are too mystifing plotwise, themes are quite forgetable, and everything is too pretentious and too poorly described and explained that it just causes boredom and headache after some time. First story is by far the best in the whole collection, but still far from sensational.
54/101 - Titanic: izmedu povijesti i mitologije by Slobodan Novković (5 stars)Short description: A really readable book on the topic of the tragedy on Titanic, written by a Croatian author. He compiled knowledge from other most famous books dealing with this subject, and brewed it into a intrigueing text. Although it seemed to me that he is highly subjective on some matters, this book is an excellent source of informations on this historic event.
55/101 - Vetar sa Fudžijame by Matsuo Bashō (4 stars)Short description: Poems of Japanese haiku master Basho deserve a grade of 10, but this particular translation was not so impressive. It's all good and readable, but no effort was put into it - it is a translation of a translation, and it doesn't even try to follow the 5-7-5 pattern.
56/101 - Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury (5 stars)Short description: This is a book on how to be a successful and original writer, written by a successful and original writer. Most of books of this type are pure bullshit, but this one is a gem. In fact, it could be, along with glorious "On Writing" by Stephen King, one of most inspirational books on the writing craft. And it is not just an instruction manual (like that would be even possible when subject is writing) - it is also biographical. It consists of various essays on creativity written by Bradbury, and this book is itself a fine example of good art and of fine writing - it's language, it's style and it's vitality will leave you in awe, your fingers itching from the desire to get busy with typing.
57/101 - Zatočenici pernatog otoka by Gabro Vidović (5 stars)Short description: This is one of best Croatian kids novels from the Socialist period. It is a didactic adventure novel about 3 boys stealing a boat and going on an abandoned island near their village. Author is rather unknown, for it is a shame, because this kids novel is able to excite, teach and get you revved up for explorations. It is also much less pathetic and programatic than other socialist Croatian novels.
58/101 - Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality by Sigmund Freud (3 stars)Short description: Very interesting and even today provocative book on subjects of sexual perversions, and sex drives in children and infants. Unfortunately, Freud's style is not easy to decipher, he was not a very good writer. Also, this book is based mostly on guessing, and seriously lacks argumentation for wild theories presented in it.
59/101 - Gilgameš: Sumersko-babilonski ep by Anonymous (5 stars)Short description: It is amazing how a literary work written down 4100 years ago (and it's themes and myths are even much older than that) is still able to speak directly to the essence of modern man, dealing with universal human themes as fear of death and friendship. It's language, mythology and narrative are not "inapproachable" as in some other ancient epics. Because all of that, Gilgamesh is still, after 4100 years, an interesting, emotional and enjoyable read, which is a fucking amazing literary accomplishment, if there ever was one. Also, featuring texts of my Bosnian edition are very helpful as an introduction. They give context, but are not too scholarly or complicated, just what a beginner would need to introduce himself into ancient Babylonian culture. Excellent on all fronts.
60/101 - Izabrani politički spisi by Eugen Kvaternik (2 stars)Short description: This book is a collection of the most important political scripts of Croatian politician Eugen Kvaternik. The language of publication is difficult for the modern reader, for it is 19th century archaic Croatian. Discourse of Kvaternik is even harder to follow, for he jumps from subject to subject in a one mile long sentences. Additional difficulty is that his scripts are dealing with historical and political matters which are mostly ireelevant or unknown today. In the summary, it was very boring and life draining read, and I have no idea why I put myself through this. Maybe because there is a significant chance of me being his relative. There are some interesting passages in this book, and they are dealing with some universal subjects. For example, Kvaternik's implemented essay on the craft of diplomacy is brilliant. But those kind of passages are extremely rare. Most of it is obscure history and politics explained through difficult language.
61/101 - Blaise Cendrars: Poezija, život i djelo by Blaise Cendrars (3 stars)Short description: I honestly can't understand why was Cendrars such a literary sensation. After a period of being in awe after reading him, which was some years back, with every new revisit of his poetry, I am more and more disappointed. His Transsiberian Prose remained the only poem of his that can get me completely drunk of poetry. His Kodak bullshit is terrible, and his Oceanic Letters are a joke. The rest of it is average. All of it is unified in this collection of his poetical works. Interesting features are some interviews with him, and a prose of his daughter and granddaughter dealing with the subject of Cendrars. If only most of his poems were better.
62/101 - Zario ruku u srce by Tomislav Marijan Bilosnić (4 stars)Short description: A collection of haiku poetry from to me completely unknown Croatian author. This haikus are Western haikus, if you know what I mean. It is not a bad thing. They just differ from Eastern haikus by the logic behind of them. They are not like a simple sketches. They are not so graphical. They tend to have a point, there is a certain worldview behind of them, which is very much apparent, unlike in Eastern haikus, behind of which is also a certain worldview, but it never really shows clearly. This type of western haiku is more verbal, and Eastern haiku more "graphical". With that said, I must admit this haikus are really good. Some of them are somewhat hard to penetrate in, but it is worth of mental effort, because ther actually is something meaningful behind all those words, which is, by itself, quite rare in Croatian poetry.
63/101 - Titanic: Hrvati u katastrofi stoljeća by Slobodan Novković (5 stars)Short description: There are probably hundreds of books on the subject of Titanic in the world. But, this one is unique. It is the only book dealing with Croatians connected to the tragedy of Titanic, and it also gives standard but very expert infos and opinions on the overall tragedy and aftermath. It is in many ways a priceless book for an every Titanic enthusiast. Hope it some day gets translated so others can read it as well.
64/101 - Personality by Rabindranath Tagore ( 4 stars)Short description: It's a collection of Tagores lectures on various topics, such as art, education, freedom, purpose of life, god, individual and universal personality, etc. It is quite insightful book with some good toughts, but what will make liberals go wild is that Tagore is mixing religion with every other subject, like a real bhakti. Liberals are, as always, most unliberal. Only downfall of this book is the lecture on women, because it is obviously populistic, and full of degenerated presumptions (like - if women ruled society, there would absolutely be no expolatation, wars, etc, because, women, you know). In fact, this chapter is very chauvinistic towards men. Men are irrational bullies and all that. Sure. All power to women, and world problems solved. But, of course, I've seen some other reviews of femninist liberals mentioning it as unfair towards women. Of course. Makes me sick. Nice job brainwashing yourselves.
65/101 - Pjesnikovi krajolici (mojih prvih tisuću godina) by Živko ProdanovićShort description: This is a fair book of poetry by Croatian author. His poetry is bearable, and that is a success on Croatian poetry scene. His poems are sometimes very pretentious and hard to grasp, but are not hermetic and unreadable. Also, his metaphores are sometimes wild, and some poems are more human-like, so this was not a complete torture, but a solid read.
66/101 - On Certainty [original title: Über Gewißheit] by Ludwig Wittgenstein (5 stars)Short description: This philosophical book consists of notes Wittgenstein was working on until a few days before his death. Text is thought engaging, but at the same time (relatively) easy approachable for common reader, and that is a winning combinatiton for it shows authors ability to communicate his deep thoughts with the audience. Most other great philosophers fail in this matter, sounding almost illiterate or autistic, and ultimately, not transfering their realisations to the masses. Wittgenstein is approachable, which makes sense, because, if you want no one to be able to understand you, why do you even bother writing it down?
Topic of this book is particularly interesting, because it deconstructs the way human beings are perceiving the world and themselves. It is ultimately about our ability to get in the posession of truth and to interpret it properly. Wittgenstein's view on this matters is a highly sceptical one, but he saves himself from deconstructing our ability to "know" things by going backward in this process until the point of absurdity.
67/101 - A Night to Remember by Walter Lord (4 stars)Short description: This is one of the most famous books dealing with the sinking of the Titanic. And, it is also said it's one of the best written on that topic, too. While it is enjoyable and informative, something surely is missing in it to be perfect. Firstly, some informations I found here i didn't see in other extensive books on Titanic, but the author doesn't have strong evidences for those facts, just retold opinions and memories of passengers. Secondly, story retold here is highly fragmented, which prevented me from getting a full picture in crucial moments. I aprecciate the efford to retell the story of Titanic in less scientific and less "dry" manner, but sometimes the whole narration seems slightly out of context, especially because of starting in medias res. This is acertainly good and valuable book on the subject, but not the best I've read.
68/101 - Spleen Pariza : male pjesme u prozi [original title: "Spleen de Paris"] by Charles Baudelaire (5 stars)Short description: I am glad to see things moving forward in my life, because last time I've read this book was at the end of my teen years, and it didn't impress me much back then. But, now I find it quite a successful piece of art.
This is a collection of Baudelaire's so called poems in prose. I still don't quite understand the parameters needed for him to decide what is a plain prose and what a poetic prose, for some of works collected here are very poetic, metaphoric, visual, contemplative, impressionist, while others are plot driven like a regular prose. In spite of that, this book brings a contemplative joy.
69/101 - Licem u lice by Petar Šegedin (4 stars)Short description: This was quite a good collection of stories by this not largely known Croatian author. Šegedin's prose is full of ordinary that turns into extraordinary. His prose is gray, sometimes very hopeless and pessimistic, always deeply humane. I'd say that best stories in this book are the longest ones, while there are 2 short ones which are forgettable. All in all, recommended as a whole.
70/101 - A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (5 stars)Short description: This is a first book of the Earthsea series. Although it is overall a very typical work of high fantasy, it has some innovative elements. For example, the setting is kind of unique - no land, just hundreds of islands. Second, the main character is not perfect as usual. He is sometimes dumb, sometimes vain, and sometimes a coward. Not very often, but still. When it happens, it kind of surprises me. And lastly, main plot twist of this first book is not about saving a world as usual. The main antagonist is a strange shadow main protagonist created. It hunts him, stalks him, and she never stops, she creeps towards him and he is completely clueless how to escape or save himself until he becomes a hunter and not a pray anymore. It brings a unique feeling of paranoia not so common in this genre and being helpless, and it is a nice metaphor. All in all this was quite enjoyable. No clue whatsoever what to expect from next books, but I will check them out.
71/101 - Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (5 stars)Short description: There are few books on this world capable of transforming it completely, if only everyone read them, studied them, and understood them. This is one of this books. It contains ageless wisdom of daoism, a pacifist lifestyle (more than religion) which is very close to zen. Translation which I read was also approachable and enjoyable. I wish everyone once in a lifetime read this small book of verses.
72/101 - The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (5 stars)Short description: This is another interesting volume of the Earthsea series which continues the tradition of breaking some of stereotypes of the fantasy genre. In this book, plot is again not about saving the world, event though this is high fantasy. Main hero of the 1st volume shows up on 1/3 of the whole volume, and we no longer see the narration through his eyes, but through the eyes of a young girl which was proclaimed leader of an evil sect. That is an interesting twist. Characters are intrigueing, place where the polot happens also (labyrinth catacombs), and the whole volume seems like a small episode of some bigger, untold story. Interesting, to say at least. Liked it.
73/101 - The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin (4 stars)Short description: 3rd volume od the Earthsea series. Although interesting and well written, it is slightly less good than previous 2 volumes. Two reasons for it. Previous volumes intentionally didn't want to get involved in typical fantasy theme of saving the world, but that theme was introduced here, which I didn't like. Secondly, I didn't really like the abstractness of this sequel, it was hard to tell what is going on at some moments. Ending was anti climactic, too. We are introduced to a new character who hangs around the main hero from first 2 volumes, which is good, but that character is less interesting than Arha from previous volume. But, good book anyhow.
74/101 - Sto dana Azije by Juraj Bubalo (2 stars)Short description: To sum this up, author of this documentary novel of travels through Asia is a damn idiot, and he will make you cringe more times than you can count during the read. He is full of presumptions about places and people he meets in Asia, but seems not to realise it. In fact, he lectures about all the other travellers who are presumptious, and from which he is far superior. He is overly excited about buddhist themes, but seems not to understand buddhism whatsoever, because through the whole novel we are observing his ill desire to travel relentlessly, not being able to enjoy the stay anywhere because of the desire to keep moving at all costs. Thus he ruins the trip for his girlfriend and himself, and he is certainly not living in a moment and soaking in the new horisons of understanding, as he claims multiple times. Further, he pomposely brags of his knowledge of buddhism in front of some buddhist monks, trying to teach them about their own culture. He then bitches again and again about other travellers which are inferior to him and his open mindedness because they act like tourists and are not really interested in knowing the new cultures for real, directly, not through tourist attractions. While he is saying so, he goes from one tourist attraction to another, acting like a moron. He judges people he meets baset on his expectations. He then comes to India where he had a spiritual revelation 5 years ago. The moment he passes the Indian border, he falls in a pathetic trance and starts acting and writing like he is enlightened, which is pathetic, delusional, and dishonest. There is much more literary sins in this book, too much to be counted, so I'm gonna stop at this. I'd definetly not recommed this book to anyone.
75/101 - Život u kući slijepih by Milan Fošner (1 star)Short description: This is garbage, period. This suppsed book of poetry is made by one of the worst and shameless Bukowski clones, and will make you sick even if you are die-hard Bukowski fan. Author copies his style in every single line, somewhere practically stealing expressions from Bukowski. And on top of that, he writes really really bad, like a pissed off 15 year old, so he is not even a good Bukowski clone, but one of the worst I've seen.
76/101 - Big Sur by Jack Kerouac (4 stars)Short description: I almost quit this novel after 30 pages because it was boring gibberish, but I'm glad I didn't. I thought this will be one of the shitty Kerouac's works, like Subterraneans, Mexico City Blues, and Dharma Bums. But it was actually good, and different from his usual works. In this novel, after years of delusional hippie talks about how everything is fine and splendid, reality hits Kerouac really hard. REALLY hard. And he almost goes insane in an horrendous nervous breakdown / delirium tremens. This is hard read, sometimes undecypherable, somethimes claustrophobic, revolting, idiotic, sad, nerve wrecking. It is his most honest work. It is worth a read.
77/101 - Dimenzije by Željko Grabarević (4 stars)Short description: This is a strange one. It is a publication by a Croatian biologist and veterinarian who is writing about string theory, higher dimensions, fractal geometry, transcendence, god, meaning of life, and he spices it up with some of his (actually pretty good) poetry on the top. And although this is conceptually a strange mash-up of everything, although he is writing about stuff he aknowledges he is not learned in, and although this book is dangeruosly on the edge of becoming unprofessional popular pseudo-scientific new age literature (but never actually crosses that line), it is one of the more engaging, and enjoyable "serious" books i've had in a while. Although you clearly can not agree with the author on some parts, because he is using all sorts of logical mistakes in his thinking, it is still a good book that will give you reading pleasure and expand your horisons a little bit. That is more than I can say for 70 % of books I come in contact with.
78/101 - U Velebitu by Edo Popović ( 3 stars)Short description: I remember times when Popović was one of more entertaining and subversive Croatian novelists. Not anymore.
I really dislike where he is going at this point. Last 3 novels he published were almost unreadable, and then here is this travelling document of his expeditions on mountain Velebit. In spite the fact that few years ago he already published a book about travelling across the Velebit, and much much better one than this.
In this book he is trying to document his trip, and that is relatively fine. What is not fine is that about 40% of this book he just copy-pasted from some old travelling book, "for comparison", word for word. That is really lazy and boring writing if you ask me.
79/101 - Golmanu, lovcu i šumaru by Tvrtko Vuković (4 stars)Short description: Although I really dislike this author as a person (I know him in real life), and although I usually can't stant pretentious academical "hermetic" poetry, this poems right here I actually enjoyed. They are very abstract, but behind the hermetic layer you can actually sense something going on here, and glimpse it at times. Metaphores are particularly exciting for they are highly original and unusual.
80/101 - The Psychological Attitude of Early Buddhist Philosophy: And Its Systematic Representation According to Abhidhamma Tradition by Anagarika Govinda (2 stars)Short description: Although I'm interested and educated in buddhistic themes, I really didn't like this book. It seems to be a book written for the people who already must know everything about very complex theme of Abhidhammasutta, for it is really hard to follow because of insisting on naming everything by pali language terminology and making huge lists of pali terms of which you don't remember meaning because the meaning was probably mentioned just once, 200 pages ago. Even indology students will find this book too hard to follow, and actually useless in learning more on the subject. And not to mention, there really was nothing about psychology in there, just a bunch of charts and diagrams that don't mean anything to anyone except the author. There are much better books on this subject than this one.
81/101 - The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell (5 stars)Short description: A very good publication which which will help a reader to better understand mechanisms of the world surounding him. It is easy to read, fun, educational, and concrete. It will help a reader to expand his understanding of laws and mechanisms behind spreading trends.
82/101 - Petrinjske staze: Prva zbirka pjesama by Various (4 stars)Short description: This is a collection of poetry of mainly still unrecognized Croatian poets of newer generations. It is a good one, readable and unpretentious. Many books like this are just awful, and mainly those that come from Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. But this one was published in a small town of Petrinja, and it contains works of poets from all parts of the country. It is such a variation in quality between this collection and mainstream poetry collections from Zagreb, I suppose, because Zagreb's poetry scene is so crowded that it is rotten inside, and it's protagonists act like spoiled little brats. This, on the other hand, is a work of enthusiasts from a part of the country that is not flooded by artistic hyperproduction. Some of the poems in it are bad, but most of them aren't. Some of the poems are a bit naive or trivial, but most of them aren't.
83/101 - Ludwigs Zimmer by Alois Hotschnig (3 stars)Short description: I don't really know what to think about this novel. And sometimes that kind of post-reading effect is good. Not so much when this novel is concerned. It is very pretentious, and by that I mean it chooses to deal with cliche-like subjects (old house inherited, misterius old lady, death, memories, nazis) in an extremely abstract, confusing, artistic, surreal andsymbolic manner. Actually very recycled themes of the novel are wrapped in surreal and psychoanalytical wrapping, which makes this not really interesting but really hard to grasp. On the other hand, the bizzare atmosphere is very good. Too bad that reader can't for the most of the time even understand what is happening, why, and to whom.
84/101 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (4 stars)Short description: The famous dystopian short novel about the future society in which all knowledge, art and intelectual thought are being made illegal in favour of cheep entertainment that is distracting overall population from the forthcoming collapse of civilisation. I find it very interesting and beliveable, and Bradbury is a master of wild metaphores and comparisons, and of passionate writing. But, one thing really bothered me - all of his characters here talk like that, even though they've supposedly never read books and should be empty and half retarded. But they speak like poets in everyday communication. That kind of really damages this novel's credibility. But interesting read in spite of that.
85/101 - Trump 101: The Way to Success by Donald J. Trump (4 stars)Short description: Reading this book of a man I formerly loathed, i descovered some interesting facts. One of the biggest discoveries was that Trump is definetly a half-retarded hillbilly as the media tried to present him. He is smart, well educated, classy and highly capable individual. Secondly, everyone can learn a lot from him. The smaller downfall is that his books are sometimes too general in learning you secrets, but it's hardly a downfall when you realise he wants to learn you some common sense. The biggest problem I have with this book is that it promotes the mentality of never satisfied desires. It is never enough of riches and power - never. That is a shit and dangerous way to view the world, but again, what to expect from one of the world's most successful businessmen? Besides that dissagreement in our worldviews, I still think there is a lot to learn from this highly comphrehensible book.
86/101 - Ekstravagantna tijela: Zločin i kazna by Various (3 stars)Short description: This is in fact a catalogue from an exhibition of conceptual art dealing with the crime and criminal aspects of art. Long story short, some of presented works are really interesting (conceptually, at least - they can hardly be called art in any literal sense), and some of the presented works are complete garbage (some missed the point of the exhibition entirely, some are too pretentious, and some plainly retarded). Interesting project overall.
87/101 - Pjesme, viđenja, proročanstva by William Blake ( 3 stars)Short description: This book is a selection of William Blake's poetical works translated onto Croatian. While I must say I find shorter Blake's poems to be extremely powerfull and of high artistic value, due to their strong imagery and messages, yet so simple and unpretentious language, on the other hand, his longer cosmogonic and mythologic poetical epics and visions I simply do not understand and plainly I don't see a point in writing them in such a manner where their point will remain unreachable for most people (although there plainly is a point behind all that uncomprehensible imaginery and names, at least that is clear).
88/101 - What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami ( 4 stars)Short description: This one's Murakami's autobiographical prose. Unlike his last novels I read, this one I actually enjoyed all the way. It is flowing, it is unpretentious, it is smart, it is inspiring. It is simply a good prose.
89/101 - Tko je u razredu ugasio svjetlo? by Tvrtko Vuković (4 stars)Short description: This is a very interesting publication. It is written by Croatian college professor and literary theorist. It's language is extremenly elitist and difficult, and that part is bullshit, since no ordinary man can possibly get something from reading this book. But, language diarrhea aside, this is actually a bold and provocative theorist work. It analyses poetry in a way I would not want to ever ready it myself, because it is purely academic and intellectual, and that is like taking all the joy away from banging by anaylising in the middle of the act it like it's some kind of experimental science experiment. But, although I strongly disagree with this kind of academic dismemberment of poetry, this book still managed to preocupy me, even with all that downfalls. That's because it's actually a provocative book about defeating the academic discourse and authority with it's own tools. Author is rediculing the academic analysis of poetry by providing an over-the-top academic analysis himself, focusing on all the parts where the academic discourse proves itself impotent in explaining the unexplainable. Very interesting and bold read, unfortunately, not many will understand it because of it's dificulty.
90/101 - Plinska laterna na Griču by Vjekoslav Majer ( 5 stars)Short description: This is a selection of poems by Croatian poet Vjekoslav Majer. His work is so unpretentious and straightforward that someone would characterise it as a naive poetry, but that's a misunderstanding - there is plenty of dark themes and atmospheres integrated in his life work, they are just presented simple and are not central to his expression. He was a simple and hones man, who wrote for common folk. And he did it marvelously.
91/101 - The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised as Freedom by David Kupelian (1 star)Short description: It is very clear that this book IS the real marketing of evil, hidden behind the extreme christian cultism which is pretending to be rational and objective. If I believed in Satan, I'd say Satan himself wrote this book. It is so irrational, misleading, corrupt, hateful, and corrupt. The autor writes essays about what's wrong with America this days. And everything is going wrong because people of America are not cristian cultists like himself, offcourse. He goes on how media is distorting and corrupting minds of the youth by promoting sinful behaviours like homosexuality, sex, rock music, abortion, communism (yes, I'm not joking), anti-american worldviews and evolution, lol. The saddest part is that some of the issues he presents in this piece of shit are in fact real world problems, like the oversexualisation of youth, but he presents those real problems in such a lunatic way that he wipes out all the credibility of other people who try to adress them. Not to mention how disgustingly hypocritical the author is. He goes on long rambles on how America is the only pillar of light and justice in modern world from it's founding, and how other cultures are mere savages and animals who only now how to kill and not how to love and respect all creatures, but in the same way, while counting corpses of modern non-christian and non American regimes' victims, he never mentions nor acknowliedges once slaughters like crusades, genocide on native american indians on which christians founded america, and so on. Moreover, his argumentation can be reduced to: that and that is a sin, because God said so, and I know it because the Bible said so. Of course, those God's commandments apparently don't apply to American christians at all. Further, besides many disgusting hateful and racist views presented here, this cultist imbecile even goes on about how evolution is conspiracy, and about how communist infiltrators are plotting to crush christianity via media. And the media is evil for the sake of evil itself, he doesn't even explain why he thinks media would have the interest in promoting i. e. homosexuality. On few pages he hints that profit is the thing that is behind media leftist liberal propaganda. But how exactly are media profiting by promoting homosexuality he explains nowhere, and hints instead that Satan's will is in fact behind media doings. And all the arguments he presented against modern media, literally all of them, can be turned back against this book of his, but he seems to have an intention to write it for the most uneducated classes of people so he counts on them not noticing that. This is a really disgusting piece of cultist propaganda that is reducing the opportunities for expressing the concern about some real problems he in fact mentions, because every argument and worldview that can be connected to views of brainwashed lunatics like the author of this books are immediately discredited, and I can se why. Seems to me that the main motivation behind writing of this disgusting piece is jelousy - author mourns for the days when christianity's iron fist ruled the free thought, maimed, killed, burned the opposition and was undisputed tyrant of peoples lives. Today, authot thinks media has the same tyrant role. And he is jelly.
This piece of garbage should be in fact read by all just to see one fading tyrant ideology collapsing because of imbecility of it's own arguments and "righteous" hatred that fuels it.
92/101 - Synchronicity: The Bridge Between Matter and Mind by F. David Peat ( 4 stars)Short description: This is a very interesting publication dealing with the matter of possible interconnections between matter and mind. It is highly objective and scientific as much as it can be while dealing with this type of speculations. It presents the theme through the modern scientific physics theories, mixes it with Jung's transcendentalism and is not afraid to schetch it's own bold conclusions. One of the best books on the subjects of interconnection of subjective and objective reality.
93/101 - Umetnost i društveni život [original title: "Iskusstvo i obshchestvennaya zhizn"] by Georgi Plekhanov (2 stars)Short description: This is a book by one of the 1st and most influential Russian cultural Marxists. There is already more there apparent degradation of original Marx's thought, and simplification of it to the point of trivial absurdity in Plekhanov's work. The book is so driven by socialist ideology (not Marxist ideology, mind you), that it is kind of sad to even read it, not to mention reading it seriously. It is completely subjective and filled with various false conclusions and Sofist argumentations that are insult to the well educated and critical mind.
94/101 - Bijeg: Povijest jednog našeg čovjeka by Milutin Cihlar Nehajev (5 stars)Short description: One of the best Croatian modernist novels, for sure. It's theme is quite typical - a young and perspective intellectual follows slow but inevitable path to self destruction because the small and perspectiveless community he's living in is choking his every effort to do something and change his destiny. Although the theme may seem typical nowdays, it's execution is simply superb. The whole novel is an excellent exposition of protagonist's psyche, and the prevailing atmosphere is authentic, plausible, beautiful and claustrophobic.
95/101 - Djetinjstvo u Agramu. Davni dani by Miroslav Krleža by (3 stars)Short description: This book is kind of a selection of author's more prominent texts that were formerly parts of his memoirs and diary. All characteristics because of which Krleža is such a monumental figure in Croatian literature are present in this proses, too. But, unlike his more famous and more influential works, this ones seem kind of dispersed, unfocused, uncoherent. And because of that they sink in really hard. This seems like something that was never properly edited because it was not meant to be published.
96/101 - Zbornik IV. gornjogradskog književnog festivala by Various (3 stars)Short description: An another collection of poems written by various Croatian poets. It is quite standard. Half of the poems are pure garbage, another half is interesting. But this collection really stands out in some aspects. Firstly, the concept behind is retarded. For example, I still don't understand, and probably never will, why this book opens with an essay concerning the 80th anniversary of publishing Balade Petrice Kerempuha by Miroslav Krleža, when it has absolutely, I mean, absolutely nothing to do with this collection. The purpose of that text is not even hinted, it just looks like someone mixed the pages he needed to print for 2 separate books. Secondly, this book is in such need of proofreading that it is beyond shameful. It seems like someone tried to publish this while he was dead drunk, and racing against the deadline.
97/101 - Tibetanske legende by Mladen Udiljak (editor) - (4 stars)Short description: A short and comprehensive compedium of Tibetan myths and legends. Usually books on topics of Eastern mythology and religion tend to get extremely technical, detailed, confusing and overwhelming, but this one is suitable for laymen. Of course, because of that, it sometimes lacks explanation "in depth", but you can't have it all. Since this was intended to be a book to bring the Tibetan beliefs and culture to the masses, and not the academic study, I find it successful.
98/101 - Die Theorie des Romans. Ein Geschichtsphilosophischer Versuch über die Form der großen Epik by György Lukács (1 star)Short description: This has got to be the worst book I've read this year. It is completely pointless, and completely unreadable. It is academic writing at it's worst. Language of this piece of garbage is almost indecipherable, and once when you manage to understand what it is saying, you realise it is quite trivial. That is probably the main reason why academics write so indecipherable - to hide the fact that they don't really have anything smart or relevant to say. Things get even funnier when you realise that the author of this shit is a marxist theorist. What would be more logical than bring the information to the masses, to working class, writing in a style that even academics struggle to understand. Laughable. And unreadable.
99/101 - Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche (3 stars)Short description: This book is what Nietzsche is all about. It is quite complex, but suprisingli well written, so it doesn't fail to communicate with the reader, without overly mystifying it's own discourse. Although many of N.'s thoughts are quite, bold and interesting, it is a shame to see a work of a thinker of his reputation not quite aging well. Many of his presented ideas are quite primitive, and many of his world views are deeply rooted in a stubborn traditionalism, although he sees himslef quite opposite - as an extreme anti-traditionalist. So this remains just an interesting thought experiment, and nothing more, for it suffered the fatal faith of many philosophers - N.'s thought didn't reach the universal level, staying relevant in all times and spaces.
100/101 - L'empire des signes by Roland Barthes (4 stars)Short description: A very unique book. It is something between an anthropological study of japanese estethics, mixed with the litterature theory by which Barthes is most well known. He is trying to read japanese cultural signifiers as a text in here. The book is constantly on the verge of becoming a pretentious academic masturbation, but never crosses that fine line.
100+ Books in 2025
Books mentioned in this topic
The Road to the Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King's Magnum Opus (other topics)L'Empire des signes (other topics)
Beyond Good and Evil (other topics)
Die Theorie des Romans. Ein Geschichtsphilosophischer Versuch über die Form der großen Epik (other topics)
Tibetanske legende (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Bev Vincent (other topics)Roland Barthes (other topics)
Friedrich Nietzsche (other topics)
György Lukács (other topics)
Mladen Udiljak (other topics)
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Short description: A real page turner, this one! It makes you feel involved and care for main characters in a manner only King seems capable of. Also, it is a new volume in King's cult Dark Tower series, which alone can make his fans go completely nuts. It sure did made me hyper about it. Anyway, I can see why fans were pissed when Wizard and glass came out. It didn't add much to main series' plot, and fans were waiting for years to read what happens next. Well, this one no one knew was coming, so even Wind also doesn't add anything to main plot (which is a good thing, since series was considered finished), no one really has a reason to cry about it.
This one consists of 3 plot levels. 1st level explains briefly what was happening to main series' characters between books 4 and 5 (so Wind is kind of a midquel), and it serves to fans some nostalgia, for it feels like a reunion with old and dear friends you thought you'd never see again.
Second plot level is Roland's new story of his younger days, when he was trying to solve the case of a murderous shape shifter. 3rd plot level is a story inside a story inside a story, and is very emotional as well, characters are great, and even though it has absolutely nothing with main plot, it is a really good story, and adds somewhat to mythology of Roland's world.