What have I been reading? - II
Because rituals are a safe space here I go again! Sharing the books I read through the latter half of 2019. Not as many as I would have liked. Books from 1st half of 2019 are listed here.
Educated by Tara Westover - This is one of the top 2019 reads for me. I loved reading Tara's story. It moved me and made me hopeful. More here.
Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag - What a tasty, delightful and dark story! VS is well known for his short story work. This was his first work that I picked up to read. His observations about mundane life in an Indian small town felt spot on. Also, workings of a typical Indian family. I felt like I knew these people. Until the story took a turn. It left me wanting for more. I am excited to read more of his work now.
A velocity of being by Maria Popova - I have read and loved brainpicker for as long as I have been a regular user of the interwebs. When I got to know about this project she was working on, I immediately wanted to read it. This is a book about books :-) Various contributors from varied fields have come together to pen down letters for children, anyone, who reads and wants to read about why we read. It's an exquisite book. And I hope every book lover gets to read this. If you know me and I like you then I will lend my copy to you. (On a trip to Singapore, I was lucky to get this book as it wasn't being sold in India directly :-()
A room of one's own by Virginia Woolf - This is the first full-fledged VW I have read and I instantly understood why she is revered. I can talk more about the writing than the book. It's written in a way which will make you think about different spaces occupied by women. Although the essay focuses more on the literary world, I applied it to every sphere.
Becoming by Michelle Obama - This is the first audiobook I have ever listened to! It took me some time to get used to this format and attune myself to the voice. But once I was hooked, I started loving Michelle's voice. She is honest and forthcoming in the account of her life. It was a revelation to read about her humble upbringing, multiple IVFs and the struggles of growing up an ambitious woman. Padho if haven't already!
Circe by Madeline Miller - Loved a mythological fantasy fiction book after a long time! Circe's story is full of love, lust, power, politics, jealousy, and magic. I also loved how MM translated the complex mythological universe in a language that made it almost relatable. On another note, I am always amazed by how the Greek and Roman gods are so jealous of each other and behave almost human-like.
Atomic Habits by James Clear - I don't read a lot of nonfiction, especially something around such topics. But this book was recommended by my twitter circle and I wanted to give it a go. I liked it! It's written in a non-fussy, easy-going way. It has tons of useful and popular anecdotes (also one of Eliud Kipchoge!). Recommend if you want to change something/anything about yourself. This book might teach you a few tips.
The last letter from your lover by Jojo Moyes - S from the running group lent it to me. I liked the premise. A woman recovering from a recent accident and memory loss is compelled to go on a journey to discover her ex-lover and fight a failing marriage. Once in a while, I do enjoy a passionate romance and this book did that for me. It was a light and easy read. It also made me think about romantic relationships in general.
Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles - This book was being read and recommended at my work so I picked it up as I was looking for a light read. The Japanese and their mysterious culture have eluded me. I have tried to learn more about them over the years, through their language and arts. This book only derives the name from Japanese and is about generic life philosophies. I was a bit disappointed. A lot of things discussed in the book are simple but really difficult to follow irl.
Looking within - Life lessons from Lal Ded - Lal ded aka Lalla was a Kashmiri mystic, poet and saint. This book was a collection of her verses and poems translated into English. As a certified half Kashmiri, reading her work was on my list for the longest time and this book was a great primer. I have a denser volume of her work which needs picking up soon :-)
100 poems are not enough - This collection of poems from Indian poets of different origins and genres was a revelation. I have recently taken to appreciating poetry and I was glad I picked this book in a book sale.
The far field by Madhuri Vijay - I loved this book. It's 2019's best book for me. More here. Also with the political climate around, it's a gift to tell complex personal stories in the backdrop of politics.
The art of hearing heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker - D lent me this book. I started it immediately after The Far Field. The theme was similar. A daughter in search of a parent. The story is meh - to be honest. It's plain, simple. Really good writing in patches elevates this book. Also that it was set in Burma. I strangely want to visit it now.
Season of Crimson Blossoms by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim - I find myself fortunate that books and stories from different countries come my way. This one was one such story. Reading about women from an underprivileged country, belonging to another religion, opened my eyes to the various layers of discrimination and patriarchy everywhere. It isn't fair. But its also the world we live in and have inherited. My only hope after reading such stories is that I am able to leave a better world behind, for whoever comes along after me.
Sholay - the making of a classic by Anupama Chopra - This girl was invited to record a guest episode of MovieWala Podcast. The movie we discussed was Sholay. I LOVE Sholay! I can talk about the movie in my sleep, basically at any time. So in my excitement, I picked up this book. In spite of films having such a huge influence on the Indian audience, we don't have much accessible literature* around film history. So from that pov this book does a good job of gathering all the information (yes, includes gossip) around the making of Sholay and gives it structure. It isn't very well written though.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows - Who will not like a book that has the following line? - Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. With everything happening in the country I live in and the state of things that lie ahead, I needed to read something light and hopeful. Also, it features letters! Copious letters. Anything about the written word and strange connections draws me. I haven't watched the Netflix movie of the same name, but I liked this book a lot. It's the kind of hope that I'll take on any given day.
*I know about this because I have been trying to get hold of accessible literature around Indian film history and theatre for a while and been blocked on multiple fronts.