Like a lot of things, my reading habits and reporting underwent a change this year. I have stopped looking at things from a better vs poorer lens (something that 2020 taught me). It is what it is. I tried reading a book per week post-July with the target of posting my thoughts about that book on Instagram stories. For what it’s worth, it did not seem daunting and that target-oriented reading worked for me. It aligned me at a time when alignment seemed like the last thing on my mind. As always some of these stories provided me the refuge and hope in the year that was relentless in its onslaught and small mercies.

Without further ado here goes my safest ritual till date! Longish post alert. (I did not track the books chronologically this year, so noting them down as I remember)

• A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman – Ove made me laugh and cry and appreciate life in a newfound way. The Swedes might be inherently reticent people. The weather does not help either? But in those cold winters, Ove thawed. It felt like a story we all could be a part of. The losses and rejections life offers. The story of opening one’s heart again. The story of loving and belonging.
• The bookish life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman – I read this easy breezy book when the pandemic related lockdowns had just begun. It was a weird time. We were paranoid (still are) about outside contact and things. So when the folks in this book were hanging out at each other’s place and doing trivia nights and hugging and kissing each other, it felt almost surreal. This simple book of a book store person’s life story felt like a dystopia. Its simplicity and fun are something I’ll always remember.
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert – I LOVED this book. Nothing like a woman who has found her voice and is telling the story she is meant to tell. This is EG at her best.
• Enduring Love by Ian McEwan – This book was the discussion of the first week of an online writing workshop I had enrolled in April (I guess?). Its introductory paragraph is one of the best pieces of prose out there. That hook made sure that I stayed on with the book. It’s an immersive character study. A bizarre incident binds two people and makes one of them question everything. I am impressed by how master writers do deep research to build their characters. It’s not McEwan’s best, but it’s an engaging read.
• A poetry handbook by Mary Oliver – I re-read this. Needs no introduction or recommendation. We all must read Mary Oliver. In all urgency. If I could even have an ounce of wonder MO had, it will be a life well-lived.
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman – This is Gaiman’s take on the Jungle Book. And what a fun ride! A murder happens and toddler ‘Bod’ aka ‘Nobody’ is left to the mercy of the enterprising ghosts at the graveyard. They take him in and that shapes his life. Neil Gaiman doesn’t disappoint. If you are into fantasy fiction, this is a must-read!
• The children of Men by P.D. James – This was a disturbing and depressing read. Not because of the children-less future it imagines, but the way it imagines it. There are nuances to the dystopia and the suffering around humans. The world feels like a palette whose colors got sucked out. Only grimness and grayness left. I am a little fascinated by women science fiction authors. There is less jargon but more empathy and humane-ness if I may? Anywho Theo’s (protagonist’s) personal backstory drives the narrative. You can watch the movie that is differently imagined as well.
• The river of consciousness by Oliver Sacks – This was a collection of essays (Sacks’ last book) that I had bought couple of years ago. I needed to read some non-fiction after children of men so on a whim picked it up. It’s a great peek into the curious mind of Oliver Sacks. I enjoyed most of the essays except a few where I did not have much context.
• A beginner’s guide to Japan by Pico Iyer – It was bought on a whim while watching someone’s insta story on Japan travels. I don’t know when travel for travel’s sake will become ‘normal’ again. The pandemic has shifted everything. Maybe all these distant lands will now remain the lands of mystic and magic. Pico’s book felt like a personal piece. I am still intrigued and hope that one day I get to travel to Japan.
• The remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro – I did not like this book one bit. The promising teenagers of ‘the half of it’ fell in love over this book. As Miranda Priestly says ‘I live in hope’.
• Where the crawdads sing by Delia Owens – This book is special. It’s a treasure. Whatever I say or write here will not do justice to Kya’s story. It has to be read and felt and lived. PADHO!
• Art Matters by Neil Gaiman – Yay second Gaiman of the year! Although this is just an illustrated version of his famous graduation speech, I enjoyed reading it. Thanks, L for sending it over <3
• Jail Diary by Bhagat Singh – Ignore my corny-ness but I stumbled upon this book while discussing ARR and Roja with a friend around 15th August. I had always read about Bhagat Singh but not from him. So this book was a revelation. What a brilliant young voice of pre-independence India. The writing style and his passion at such a young age inspired me.
• A burning by Megha Majumdar – I liked this book. Mostly. Its a debut novel that follows the story of Jivan, Lovely, and PT sir as a bomb blast changes their lives. Where Jivan and Lovely’s arcs were moving, I found PT sir’s a bit frustrating. Also, the story took its time to pick up. The way it painted the aspirations of these individuals made me think. How we look down upon aspirations of the other!
• The body by Bill Bryson – Bill Bryson is the science teacher we all need! This is a very cool book, marked by characteristic Bill Bryson humor and way of explaining things. Read!
• Gunaho ka Devta by Dharmveer Bharti – Why random hindi book you ask? I was introduced to this ‘lekhak’ by the haalchaal thik thaak hai podcast, a long-form, nostalgic podcast about hindi movies and pop culture. (Thanks P for the recco). In an year that begged us to question and rethink a lot of things, I re-thought the books I read and picked up this author 🙂 It was an interesting read. This is a book of its time. In a way progressive but doesn’t stand the test of time as such. Nonetheless a good way for me to revisit hindi authors.
• Salt, fat acid, heat by Samin Nosrat – If you have watched the Netflix show by the same name, then no need to read this book really. I read it simply cos I fancied reading a cook-book which wasn’t a traditional cook-book. Samin’s well traveled personality and her roots shine thro the prose. It made me strangely nostalgic about some of my food and cooking habits.
• Milk teeth by Amita Mahale – I hauled a lot of books from Pagdandi before going over to stay at my parents place for a couple of months. This was one of them. Its a good debut novel. Ira’s story set in the Mumbai of the 90s made for a compelling read. But for me the plot did not move much. Even tho I completed the book, I wasn’t moved by it. But I have to say that the way women writers write about love and romance is so much subtle. I am here for it!
• Ek Shunya mi by P L Desphande – The only marathi book I read this year. Picked it up from mothership’s stash. This collection of essays was published posthumously. I could not stand the Marathi in it after a while and found it extremely cumbersome to read. Its a different side of PL and its a thoughtful read. Never mind my challenges with reading in Marathi.
• The discomfort of evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld – The strangeness of this book drew me in. Jas’s (10yo) family goes through a loss and it changes everything around her. The story is told through the 10yo and the narrative helps balance the grimness and sadness. Jas is a weird kid (I could relate) and her story of loss, grief and redemption moved me. Her observant gaze of the smallest changes her family goes through broke my heart a little. Kids are the best when it comes to saying it as it is. Its a tranlsation so 100 points to the translator for getting the tone and soul of the book right.
• Caste matters by Suraj Yengde – Had too many thoughts and nothing more to write on this topic. Reading this book was an education. What stood out was how Suraj is able to channel years of rage and anger in a constructive and analytical way. Because of the raw emotional place this book is coming from it does seem all over the place in the beginning but with patience it finds its voice as Suraj navigates us through our society and its varied lanes. One might find the comparison of India’s caste system to the racial system and differences in the western world problematic. I would like to believe that people like Suraj are only trying to make the atrocities of the caste system known across the world and trying to use relatable context.
• 10 pratinidhi kahaniyaa by Harishankar Parsai – Katha Khoj introduced me to the brilliant hindi author and satirist Harishankar Parsai. It was just a matter of time that I actually read his works. I loved the stories and deeper meanings behind them. This book and the stories have stood the test of time as in an Indian context we continue to live these stories in different forms.
• The women who forgot to invent facebook and other stories by Nisha Susan – This was an interesting read. The writing in this debut short story collection breaks form. Initially that feels liberating. But with some stories that just doesn’t work. The short story is a tough genre. I was exasperated by the end as few stories were complex for no reason. Nonetheless, I enjoy stories by Indians about contemporary indians, specially the technology intertwined lives we lead.
• The lying life of adults by Elena Ferrante – I love Elena Ferrante’s writing and I cannot lie. She sucks one into the world she is creating from the get go. In this case, its Giovanna (a teenager) who is one day told that she is ugly like her combative and repulsive aunt Vittoria. If you remember how being an adolescent felt, then you will like this book. A family heirloom is a prominent feature in the lies around Giovanna. The characters are broken, complex, gray in the characteristics Ferrante way. The story has no redemption or a happy ending, yet it feels rewarding to read.
• The hidden life of trees by Peter Wohlleben – This book is the spiritual break I needed after reading about too many dysfunctional adults. Trees and forests are bae. The subtle ways in which they nurture and nourish each other in the ecosystem is astonishing. Many community lessons to be learnt here. From looking after the young to taking care of the ailing and weak and fragile, its all in front of us in nature. I had a nice time reading this book. It took away the travel pangs I had throughout 2020. My next trip is definitely going to be in a forest nearby to spend more time with nature.
• Lost children archive by Valeria Luiselli – Got this as a birthday gift and picked it up the same year to read! Breaking my own rules and how! The book follows the personal journey of the author and the journey of 100s (if not 1000s) of kids migrating to America across borders. These kids are leaving the harsh and hostile conditions to feel safer. The author’s life is also undergoing similar change. So a lot of the text is reflective. It gives one time to pause and think. The protagonist is an archivist and journalist so her gaze is objective, analytical and enquiring. I liked reading this book a lot. It made me a better person.

2