What have I been reading - II

Well, I have submitted to the fact that 2018 has not been a great reading year going by my reading cadence. The silver lining, whatever little I read I thoroughly enjoyed. As time measurement in human years goes, 2018 is about to end, so I am nursing my OCD by writing about the books read and enjoyed in the latter half of this year. Without further ado:

• All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr - A book with these many awards and accolades comes with its own baggage. Hear me out. For the most part, I was annoyed by the structure. It took me a lot of patience and time to get to grips with the way the author was telling the story. Each chapter was hardly a page or four long. Whenever something of great importance was happening to a character, the chapter would end, leaving me wanting for more. Thus there were a lot of forced continuity breaks instead of logical ones. Eventually, when I was invested in the fate of Marie and Werner, the story tore me and I cried and cried. Of course, it's a great book. I want to live in Saint-Malo now. The book also gave a visceral glimpse of how it feels like to be visually impaired. I imagined myself in Marie's shoes navigating the broken world around her from time to time. It saddened me and made me feel many things as good books are supposed to. If you are ok with frustrating writing styles then do not miss it.
• Leila by Prayaag Akbar - This is my first dystopian novel by an Indian author. Leila felt bleak and made my skin crawl. Its a good reflection of how Indian society is devolving into a chaos (if you consume enough news media you will know). The book is very self-aware and ponders on various angles to our communal history. It tries not to take sides. And I think that's where the writer is coming from. Maybe even he doesn't understand what we have become or what's to become of us. It's a thought-provoking and disorienting read. Only read if you like your beliefs to be questioned.
• Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman - What a lovely, gem of a book! Completely character driven, cares about its protagonist, loves her and builds her with sensitivity and care. Few chapters in the book and you know something is not right. But the author shows great sensitivity in how things are revealed. There is no unnecessary drama or taboo about anything. Eleanor is a great heroine in her own right. And oh you will love her matter of fact honesty! Everyone should read this book!
• A suitable boy by Vikram Seth - Trying to talk about this behemoth is a task I don't want to put myself through. The prose is exquisite and vividly builds up the post-independence India in its colors and customs. I don't know much about the North Indian society except how popular culture (aka Bollywood) keeps on misrepresenting it. This book is as much historical fiction as its a story of a society evolving told through stories of the families. Vikram Seth is a master and it would be hard to keep yourself from falling in love with the man himself if you read this book.
• Aisi waisi aurat by Anika Jain - Another Indian author book, gifted by a colleague. I am open to reading in Hindi and Marathi. So when this short story book came into my lap I jumped at the opportunity. These are contemporary stories which take a look at women from different strata in the Indian society and deconstruct what it means to be one. The women in her stories are sexual, forthright, independent, thoughtful and still behave a certain way because of the conditioning around. I found the premise of a few stories repetitive, but it was a good read!
• Binged by Pushkar Thakre - Pushkar is a friend (someone I have known since school) and he published his first book this year! Yay! I was traveling for work when his book released on Amazon India. As soon as I got back home, I switched on my phone and bought the kindle copy! I was so excited and thrilled to read a book by someone I know. The book did not disappoint. It had a smart and witty protagonist with a sharp and sarcastic tongue. Not just that, every character in the book was sarcastic and gave vibes of Woodhouse-y Britain. I will not talk much about the book and plot in order to not give away anything. It was a short and fast read. Can't wait for the sequel.
• Born a crime by Trevor Noah - What a life Trevor Noah has had! It's fantastical, to say the least. His story is an eye-opener about the politics of the world outside wherever you are. I personally laughed and learned a lot about family, co-existing, growing up, comedy, South Africa and Trevor Noah, the person. It's not the best-written book out there, but I have become a hardcore Trevor Noah fan now.

To be continued with a part III coming soon...