I don't always love all the books I read. But The Midnight Library was brilliant. I loved the idea of the book. I am dealing with the loss of a loved I don't always love all the books I read. But The Midnight Library was brilliant. I loved the idea of the book. I am dealing with the loss of a loved one and somehow, the book helped a lot. It changed my perspective on a lot of things. I am a person with a lot of What-ifs. I try to live without regrets, but who are we kidding here? I wish I knew what would have happened if I decided to do things the other way What if I had taken the other path? I have a lot of highlights in the book, passages I loved and which made perfect sense to me. Sharing a few here,
“Do you ever think "how did I end up here?" Like you are in a maze and totally lost and it's all your fault because you were the one who made every turn? And you know that there are many routes that could have helped you out, because you hear all the people on the outside of the maze who made it through, and they are laughing and smiling. And sometimes you get a glimpse of them through the hedge. A fleeting shape through the leaves. And they seem so damn happy to have made it and you don't resent them, but you do resent yourself for not having their ability to work it all out. Do you? Or is this maze just for me?”
“Every second of every day we are entering a new universe. And we spend so much time wishing our lives were different, comparing ourselves to other people and to other versions of ourselves when really most lives contain degrees of good and degrees of bad.”
"For Sylvia Plath, existence was a fig tree and each possible life she could live – the happily-married one, the successful-poet one – was this sweet juicy fig, but she couldn’t get to taste the sweet juicy figs and so they just rotted right in front of her. It can drive you insane, thinking of all the other lives we don’t live."...more
A lengthy novel. Interesting to read, though at the end I skimmed through pages because it was actually very long. Set in Malaysia, it gives an insighA lengthy novel. Interesting to read, though at the end I skimmed through pages because it was actually very long. Set in Malaysia, it gives an insight into the culture and traditions of the place. The story is good, emotions are portrayed beautifully but I kept looking for a happy ending to the book. Maybe real life stories don't have happy endings. ...more
I picked up the book after reading an article Paul wrote soon after his cancer was diagnosed. I have read a lot of books on life and living life to thI picked up the book after reading an article Paul wrote soon after his cancer was diagnosed. I have read a lot of books on life and living life to the fullest, but nothing from a person who knew his end was near. Paul's fascination with neurosurgery and dedication to what he did was inspiring. I did not find this book depressing. It was full of life, until the last page. The epilogue was beautifully written too. It needs a little more than courage to face death in the eye, to say goodbye to everything you are leaving behind. Maybe we all need to read something in a while to remind us everything doesn't last forever. Do what you can while you still have time. Like someone rightly said, "We are all just a car crash, a diagnosis, an unexpected phone call, a new found love, or a broken heart away from becoming a completely different person. How beautifully fragile are we that so many things can take but a moment to alter who we are forever", attributed to Samuel Decker Thompson. ...more
This has to be my first Korean book ever. I don't really remember reading any book by a Korean author, translated or otherwise. And it was beautiful. TThis has to be my first Korean book ever. I don't really remember reading any book by a Korean author, translated or otherwise. And it was beautiful. The only trouble I faced with the book is that it is narrated in the second person, something we are not very familiar with and it took a bit of time to get used to the narration. But there is so much depth to the book and it speaks volumes. Most people realize they have been taking others for granted very late in life and this particularly applies to every family especially the mothers. The hardship and struggle of a countryside Korean mother has been so well depicted in the book. I could resonate with a lot of it. It is a simple, but lovely read. I am glad I picked up the book....more
I started out on the wrong foot with Murakami ages back when I tried reading 1Q84. I could not beyond a few chapters and gave up on it. Though I lovedI started out on the wrong foot with Murakami ages back when I tried reading 1Q84. I could not beyond a few chapters and gave up on it. Though I loved a few quotes from his books, never went back to reading him until a friend strongly recommended I read this one. Better late than never. Norwegian Wood is beautiful. I could relate to it on many layers. I loved Midori. She is too good to be real. Broken but so full of life. I took my time reading it. It has been ages since I thoroughly enjoyed a book. There was always too many distractions, too little time. Guess the lockdown did prove advantageous. Will definitely recommend....more
A very interesting book that had me hooked. I read it in a day. Books like these keep my love for Indian authors going. Will definitely be reading theA very interesting book that had me hooked. I read it in a day. Books like these keep my love for Indian authors going. Will definitely be reading the rest of the books by Malladi. It was a very easy read, the language was lucid, the characters were relatable, the facts were well researched. It offers a beautiful insight into Indian culture and traditions and it talks about how divorce is looked down upon in Indian society still. Will definitely recommend to anyone looking for books by Indian authors. ...more
Another book to add to my list of favourites. I thought 'The Palace of Illusions' is Divakaruni's best but this book beats them all. My first read froAnother book to add to my list of favourites. I thought 'The Palace of Illusions' is Divakaruni's best but this book beats them all. My first read from the author was 'Oleander Girl' and I fell in love with her style of writing. I have read almost all of her books, 'The Last Queen' is next on my list. Aptly called the Sitayan, The Forest of Enchantments tells the story of Rama, the protagonist of our own epic, Ramayan from the perspective of Sita, and it couldn't be written more beautifully. What I loved, in particular, was the reference to a lot of other women in the epic, Mandodari, Ahalya, Sabari, Kaikeyi, Sarama, Tara and Surpanakha. I am in awe of the amount of research that must have gone into writing the book. The historical perspective, getting the facts right and the power to imagine and create something this wonderful must have taken a lot of courage. Kudos to the author. And thank you for retelling the story without offending anyone in general. It makes more sense to me now. There were a lot of unanswered questions in my mind while listening/reading the Ramayan as a kid and I think the book answered everything. I had a lot to take-away from the book and I highlighted a lot of passages. Must-read for Indian mythology fans....more
Daphne du Maurier had me at Rebecca. A long time back, while I was starting college, I read a tattered old hardcopy of Rebecca. It still remains one oDaphne du Maurier had me at Rebecca. A long time back, while I was starting college, I read a tattered old hardcopy of Rebecca. It still remains one of my favourite books. My Cousin Rachel was good, though it lacked an element of surprise. I enjoyed the book and it did keep me hooked until the last page. I love her style of writing and her portrayal of characters. ...more
Love, love, love this book. Everything in here is relevant even in the current times. The Prophet is my go-to book in times of conflict. Have gifted tLove, love, love this book. Everything in here is relevant even in the current times. The Prophet is my go-to book in times of conflict. Have gifted this to so many people that I have lost count. Recently got a copy for myself....more
Some books just transport you into a magical place. This might as well be the best book I have read this year. The Song of Achilles was in one word, ASome books just transport you into a magical place. This might as well be the best book I have read this year. The Song of Achilles was in one word, Amazing. I loved it more than Circe, which was the first book I read, by the same author. I was in isolation and was looking for something to keep my mind off things. Picking up this book did wonders. I couldn't put it down and spent all night reading. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and mythology tops the list. The book is wonderfully narrated and made me want to keep turning the pages. It inspired me to read a lot more about Greek mythology and the Trojan war, in particular. Will definitely recommend it to fans of mythology. The book deserves all the hype surrounding it....more
I had been waiting eagerly for this book. Divakaruni is one of my favorite authors. The book was not as engaging/compelling as her earlier ones but I I had been waiting eagerly for this book. Divakaruni is one of my favorite authors. The book was not as engaging/compelling as her earlier ones but I liked it nevertheless. Felt a bit of redundancy in the story line. No complaints though, its a well written book and she remains on my list of favorite Indian authors. ...more
This book was beautiful. I loved everything about it. The historical part, all that information about tea, about China, about the ethnic minorities. IThis book was beautiful. I loved everything about it. The historical part, all that information about tea, about China, about the ethnic minorities. I literally couldn't put it down after I picked it. Pu-erh tea is something I had read about but I was clueless about its history, the amount of time it takes to get a perfect batch of tea and its therapeutic benefits. I have read a couple of other books by Lisa See, but this shall remain my favourite. A wide range of global and local issues are discussed in the book from the price of tea, to China's one-child policy and female infanticide. I will recommend the book to tea connoisseurs and practically anyone who loves historical fiction....more
I loved this book. I read it in a day. I liked the lucid language, I liked the expression of emotions, I loved the detailing. Yes, it had a sad ending,I loved this book. I read it in a day. I liked the lucid language, I liked the expression of emotions, I loved the detailing. Yes, it had a sad ending, something I had not foreseen, but it was a beautiful book. It's a story about Latin American immigrants. I can say it would hold true for every immigrant, there is. People who are forced to uproot themselves from their homeland, move to foreign lands and try to settle there. There is longing for home. The struggle to fit in. The fight for acceptance. And above everything, the fact that parents will do anything and everything for their children. I would definitely recommend it as a one-time read....more
Bought the book off Amazon after seeing the review in a fellow reader's post. Loved it. A collectable, indeed. The illustrations are great. The writinBought the book off Amazon after seeing the review in a fellow reader's post. Loved it. A collectable, indeed. The illustrations are great. The writing makes you think. Will treasure this copy forever. Also, an ideal gift for anyone who is into art. On second thoughts, who isn't? In some way or the other, we are all artists ourselves....more
Nadia Hashimi never disappoints. Not the first book to write about 'Bacha posh' but it was an interesting perspective. It is sad to think that girls fNadia Hashimi never disappoints. Not the first book to write about 'Bacha posh' but it was an interesting perspective. It is sad to think that girls from certain lands get to enjoy freedom at the cost of pretending to change their gender even if it's only for a while. So much for gender equality. 'one half from the east one half from the west one half made of water and earth one half made of heart and soul one half staying at the shores and one-half nesting in a pearl' - Rumi ...more
A heart wrenching but beautiful book. A couple of days before I started 'Still Alice', I had a conversation with a friend about what scares him most. A heart wrenching but beautiful book. A couple of days before I started 'Still Alice', I had a conversation with a friend about what scares him most. His answer was different from what several others told me when confronted with the same question. He said he's scared of losing his memory. And when I read 'Still Alice', it struck me that it's true. My mother fell sick when she was 46, but it a physically debilitating disease. I am grateful that she was mentally coherent and stable. One cannot even begin to imagine how hard it is for the family of those afflicted with neurodegenerative diseases. To lose what we take for granted every single day, to forget all those moments that made up our life, and to realize that someday soon, you might not even remember who you are; I do not think there's anything more painful than that. 'Still Alice' is a must-read book. It's well written and in many ways, an eye-opener....more
Picked up the book because it seemed to offer an interesting perspective. Sex workers have never been given a position in society. I have always seen Picked up the book because it seemed to offer an interesting perspective. Sex workers have never been given a position in society. I have always seen how they are looked down upon even though the people who judge them have no right to do so. Do you see people judging the sex worker's clients? I was passing by Thrissur recently, it's my maternal hometown and happened to see a couple of gaudily dressed women with heavy makeup on. They looked almost ethereal. And I remember thinking to myself, that they are doing this to earn a living. Like me, like my maid, like the thousands of other women who work to make ends meet. The autobiography might be one of the best books, but I appreciate the spirit of the author in going forward with such a venture. Nalini Jameela is not an outcast, not in my eyes. The book makes a pretty easy read and has a lot of stories from Nalini's life. I am glad I decided to read it. It is on Amazon's Prime Reading List. ...more
The world is certainly not what it was in the 1960's. A lot has changed but it is always good to remember what has happened in the past and how much pThe world is certainly not what it was in the 1960's. A lot has changed but it is always good to remember what has happened in the past and how much people have struggled to bring about a change. It is sad to know that certain classes of people were treated differently, I would say it has been the same around the world. I would have appreciated it better if the maid's narrative was also in the same language as the rest of the book. It must have been written to lend more originality to the script but it affected the flow of reading. I enjoyed reading the book nevertheless. Anything that offers a sneak peek into history makes an interesting read :)...more
I finally picked up a book I liked after a long time. I thought I had grown up and my preferences had changed. But turns out fantasy and magic never lI finally picked up a book I liked after a long time. I thought I had grown up and my preferences had changed. But turns out fantasy and magic never lose their charm. Circe was magical. And beautiful. I got lost in the world of the Greek Gods. Historical fiction has always been my favourite genre and Circe hit all the right spots. I started with the audiobook a year back, but audiobooks are not really my thing. Reading a book has its own charm, even an e-book works fine. I have not read much of Greek mythology though I have heard plenty of Zeus and the Minotaur and Poseidon. The book didn't waver much from the facts already stated everywhere, I later found out. Definitely recommend the book for fans of mythology around the world. ...more
A brilliant book. I must say this is the best book by Moran, that I have read so far. I was hooked from Page 1. My first book on Roman history and I aA brilliant book. I must say this is the best book by Moran, that I have read so far. I was hooked from Page 1. My first book on Roman history and I am left hungry for more. I am impressed by the amount of research that must have gone into writing this book. Would definitely recommend to anyone who's a fan of historical fiction or otherwise. I'm sure people must have heard of Cleopatra and Ceaser and Marc Antony, this was definitely the first time I heard of Cleopatra's children. The book gives a thorough insight into Roman architecture, life style, fashion as it existed in the age of Ceaser and Augustus. I am looking forward to read about Kleopatra Selene, one of the protagonists in the book and Juba II. ...more
