Read in Q1 2026

I've decided to share some information about the books I've read. I will be publishing a post like this every quarter, compiling all the titles along with a short summary. It will include not only books but also audiobooks, though always with clear information about the medium I used. Some of them—if I consider them truly worth it—will also get their own separate posts.

The Burnout Society

Byung-Chul Han

A book, or rather a collection of essays, by a well-known contemporary philosopher. It's hard to describe it as anything other than highly depressing: the picture of the modern world outlined within it is truly bleak. An increasingly common society of a senseless, relentless grind and self-exploitation built on the "can-do" attitude. On top of that, depression resulting from exhaustion, a lack of boundaries, and a lack of real contact with other people, along with the omnipresent pursuit of multitasking. According to the author, we currently live in a time of overly simplistic communication and information overload. Add to this the fetishization of health (monitoring everything possible to increase efficiency). There is also talk about the attempt to escape from pain. Well, as I mentioned, it's a very depressing read, but a true one—I agree with the author in every respect.

Adulthood with ADHD: Between Chaos and Creativity

Monika Kotlarek

Last year, I became interested in the topic of ADHD, specifically the issue of being an adult with ADHD. I haven't been tested for it (yet), nevertheless, I had solid grounds to believe that I actually have ADHD. The book isn't really an answer to whether a person might have ADHD, but rather a collection of solid advice on how to deal with such a situation. I must admit that this advice can be useful for practically anyone: regular sleep, physical activity, proper task planning, building rituals, and creating rewards for oneself. All of this makes a lot of sense regardless of whether we have ADHD or not.

World Without End (Audiobook)

Ken Follett

After a long time, I returned to Follett's books. A few years ago, I was completely captivated by The Pillars of the Earth, and subsequently by his other titles. It's a journey into the Middle Ages, an incredibly expansive world set in historical reality. There is no shortage of numerous characters and sudden plot twists. This installment is quite depressing, as it takes us to a time when Europe was fighting the bubonic plague epidemic, the era of the Black Death. Similar to The Pillars of the Earth, this time I also opted for a "super-production" audiobook, i.e., a multi-voice recorded version enriched with music and ambient sounds. It is a journey into the past. It even happened that while running and listening to this book, I looked over my shoulder because I thought a dog was chasing me…

A Column of Fire (Audiobook)

Ken Follett

Another book by Follett, the sequel to its predecessor. We are still in Europe, but this time we witness great religious transformations: clashes between Catholics and Protestants, the fight for power and the English crown, but also upheavals in France. There is truly nothing missing here. Once again, I have to give credit to Audioteka: I don't know if anyone else in the world makes such fantastically produced audiobooks. Music, sound effects, a full cast of voice actors. You don't just listen to this, you experience it!

The Master and Margarita (Audiobook)

Mikhail Bulgakov

I decided to revisit this truly incredible read. I won't write too much here, because in its case, there isn't much point. I simply recommend it. In the form of a super-production audiobook, it is just something amazing.