Manisha V
I read this book for a book club. I picked it up only after 2-3 members could not stop gushing about it. Did the audiobook in 2 days and I am not sorry.
Delightful, optimistic, fuzzy, wholesome goodness are some of the adjectives used for this read.
The characters in the book are clearly from a fantastical realm but even so, they are really quite believable. It is one where they actually talk to each other. Some really tough aspects have been touched in the book and jokes have been used very effectively to convey feelings and thoughts. Even though the book gets cheesy in places, it does have an important message for young people. This book is a must read.
As soon as I finished reading this book, I was tempted to write a review while still glowing with the beauty of the story. It talks about so many aspects of korean life of the early 20th century.
It is the tale of three girls primarily destined to be courtesans in a Korea of the early 1900s. Jade, Lotus and Luna's lives are intertwined in heartbreaking ways as they mature into beautiful women meeting both cruel and kind men along their way. They are brought up by Silver and then Dani to be courtesans and taught various arts deemed essential for them.
Korea's fight for independence from Japan is the backdrop for Jade's friendships with JungHo and HanChol. The occupation by the japanese and their brutality was palpable. “Rice was needed in Japan, the mother country. It is as when the body routes nutrients and fresh blood to the heart at the expense of a limb. Japan is the heart, and Korea an extremity. Also, these Josenjings are too well fed and energetic and full-blooded. They will be more docile when they are bled out”.
I loved the writing which could bring out the pain and the beauty of life most effectively and I was surprised to note that this is a debut. Relationships are complicated and evolve throughout our lives. Juhea Kim has brought out the truth of that engagingly so that it was difficult to put down the book so I finished it in three days.
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley to read in exchange for a review.
When I started reading this book, I thought uh-oh, this is either time travel or groundhogs day. A few pages in though, I was happy to realise that it was neither. Stuart Milton, the protagonist, has woken up completely out of sync with his surroundings, clueless about where he is. What follows is most unpredictable and the suspense build up is exciting.
The writing, from the word go, is fast paced and so a lot of action constantly. I felt almost breathless with Stuart's distress at trying to understand what was happening. He knows he has a wife but can't find her. On top of this his brother too, knows nothing about Lauren. I enjoyed this book as it deals with a concept that I feel many of us wonder about (I know I do), that of parallel universes. The author has created a convincing scenario where Stuart Milton along with his psychiatrist Dr Carson, employ various means to get to the bottom of his experiences – even hypnosis. The technology being developed , the Harmoniser, by the scientists is the substance of morality dilemmas. Scientists at Oxford only mean well with their work and are trying to send Stuart back to the life he knew but it's the Chinese (hmm??!!) who are the antagonists here and want to take over the equipment for their own personal use. The buildup to the climax of the story where destruction of the Harmoniser is inevitable leaving Stuart stranded in this universe is nail biting.
The use of many narrators to tell the tale is a tough exercise but done very well. I like the multi-dimensionality that this brings to the narrative. The story moves forward but not exactly in a linear fashion with this writing technique as so much more ground can be covered. I read this book close on the heels of Recursion. The race to control the science in both is quite believable as is the science itself and even agonizing for all the moral dilemmas these stories can present. What if we actually do get there some day? Its for all this that science fiction is enthralling. For a debut author to be able to draw parallels in my head with an established one is quite a recommendation I believe.
I will definitely recommend this sci-fi to any enthusiasts of the genre. The author has also left options open for at least one sequel which I hope he is working on.
I was provided this book by the author and Booktasters in exchange for a review.
The story of Su Lan evoked a number of emotions but awe is not one of them. I have mixed feelings about the read. The book starts with a seemingly tight grip on the story. The backdrop of the Tiananmen Square massacre is portentous of characters dealing with the aftermath of that fateful day. That does not really prove to be so.
I did feel though, that the author's craft of writing is excellent . I felt the power of her words in many places and found myself rereading passages a number of times.
For instance, “I never stopped loving my mother. Not exactly. A little pin fell out of the contraption of my love for her; bit by bit it fell apart, until one day I discovered she was my enemy. I never ceased to feel strongly—strongest—about her. Even long after the strength of emotion was no longer adoring, my mother retained an ability to extract, with a word, a glance, a simple tone of voice, the well of everything irrational inside me.”
(Excerpt From
Little Gods
Meng Jin
This material may be protected by copyright.)
The love hate relationship between mother and daughter expressed so eloquently.
The book seemed in my mind to have unconvincing twists and turns. Events did not always seem logical. I felt the need for explanations of things happening in the real world in more than one place. The end of the story seems like it is done in haste and there are loose threads there.
Inspite of these flaws the book is worth reading. Its a good debut novel and I feel one can expect some good writing from this author
I should have read this in hindi but this was an airport pick so didn't really have a choice there.
Its a simple story of an older lady forced to live alone in a big ancient house. Her only company is thee boy does chores around the house and runs errands. There is also a friend of the husband long passed who the lady co sults for all things -big and small. He suggests a paying guest in a spare room to keep her company and for security . After an initial resistance she does choose a young working girl to stay in her house.
The tale is beautifully narrated ans was actually a play originally. one can visualise the house and feel the emotions of the woman vividly. There is a mystery there too waiting to reveal the layers of small town living.
As accomplished an actor as Pankaj Kapur is, his writing was equally nuanced and evocative. I would definitely recommend this short read for a lazy afternoon.
Joel has lost his closest friend Adam to suicide. Post his graduation from college, Joel along with two of his friends Kev and Riley, decides to explore Europe. In the course of this story, the author has touched upon the political atmosphere as well as personal relations. I like the way the emotions and relationships have been handled and expressed. They make the characterisation of all the participants in the story come alive. Though the book is not a light read, it is very readable, making it quite engaging.
The book could have been just a bit shorter. There were parts where I felt myself dragging my feet. All in all, a read I would recommend.
As far as I know there are not too many tales of Indians who go to the middle east to work. This was an eye opener. The inhumanity of the life that the protagonist, Najeeb, was forced to live was palpable. That there are lives lost while the families are none the wiser is tragic.
Once I had started I could not put the book down. I had to know what fate befell Najeeb.
This was very powerful writing. It is difficult to pick up another book for some time after such a read that leaves a major impact. Benyamin has been added to my ever growing list of must-read authors.
Reggie Swann or Blackie as she was called in prison, is a private detective. She is working on a high profile case which has been officially declared as an accident. The wife, though, does not agree and engages Reggie to look into her husband, Milo Getz's death. Milo is a rock'n'roll musician turned vintner. Reggie discovers a bevy of people who are enemies of the deceased. Credit to the author who keeps the suspense till the end.
The book carried more than one subplot at the same time and did not disappoint in its treatment. Reggie has a number of personal issues making the book quite wholesome. I like the fact that a crime fiction includes a little bt of this and a little bit of that making it really quite entertaining.
This was the first Reggie Swann mystery I read and will definitely not be the last. I have not read the first in the series and yet, it was not a problem at all.
I received an Advance Review Copy free from Book Sirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I finished reading The Water-dancer but truth be told, I wish it hadn't ended. Not because it's a feel good book, it's not. But because it's a book where the imagery is strong enough for me to stay with it for a long time and to visualise it almost as if I were there. The story of a slave and his journey to learn about himself and the special power that he has. It's the story of a burning need to create connections with the past in order to understand the present and live the future.
The story revolves around slavers and the enslaved. There is the Underground which helps the slaves become free and find a new life. Hiram, the protagonist, has special powers which he uses to help the Underground in their quest. The torture of the separation of the families that slavery and the masters takes on the slaves is rampant. Few are untouched by it. The author has brought the pain, of the slaves, out vividly. It is a story of slavery and of deep humanity written with much sensitivity.
“But I'm still curious”. This line at age 97 from Babe, the author's mother, probably sums up her entire attitude and zest for life. This book is a tribute to an indefatigable mom from a daughter who over time has realised all those little things that went into making her mother an incredible person.
In another place, Jo says – “Having grown into being Babe's daughter, I adopted a personal mantra: In spite of what's happening, it's okay to be happy today.....People don't like to be around depressed people.” There are a number of such light bulb moments throughout. By themselves they sound clichéd and corny. When put into context of Babe's life, these have much more life and depth.
It's only when we get older that we truly appreciate the trials and tribulations of our parents as they raised us. It's a lot of credit to Jo who saw how her mother evolve from being depressed to a die hard optimist. Most of the times we cannot see our parents for the individuals they are, only for the roles they have played for us. While reading this, I was reminded so many times of my own parents and the life lessons they have passed on to me and my siblings.
I think this is a great book club read. There is so much to talk about and to ponder on that it can make great discussions. I enjoyed the journey in this book – joyous and hopeful.
Note : I got this book as an ARC from Booksirens.
Six tales, all with a twist. Murder stories really are an exploration of human nature at its worst. All one's fears, desires and what lengths some people can go to while dealing with them. Few can do a job of this as good as P D James did. Each story is a study in the human psyche and what makes it tick. One of them even made me laugh out loud with its ingenuity. This is a great quick read.
The backdrop of the story was the Los Angeles library fire in April of 1986. The investigation of the cause of the fire threaded with the history of libraries in the United States makes up the narrative. The book which I read as an audiobook was read by the author herself. The possibility of arson in the library and the tale of the most likely person to be the arsonist definitely made it an interesting read. The book brought home the fact that libraries may be the reservoir of all kinds of information but, in the end, are run and maintained by people. There is politics and intrigue wherever there are social interactions and are the most alive of places. The story was fascinating for me but I really felt that the narration could have been livelier. It had the potential to engage me more with its in-depth research into the history of the libraries in the country. Maybe if I had actually read it as a book, I would have appreciated it better.
Gareth is a decent man, a burglar but they can be gentlemen too. A woman comes along and makes him rethink his choice of profession. It starts out as a beautiful story of love and acceptance. And then it turns into a murder mystery- fast paced and constantly moving.
There was never a dull or slow moment in the entire book. After a point it was difficult to put down and just had to be done with to reveal the twists and turns.
I am waiting for the next one from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free,and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I would not have come across this book had it not been for a book club. I am glad I did. Its not a long read but its a powerful one. Its the story of a lawyer's first criminal case. A chance comment during a conversation turns the case around completely. Not in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined the climax. Definitely recommended.
This book is classified as a science fiction. That is not enough. It cannot be any more human, any more compelling a tale of raw emotions and feelings.
The protagonist is the subject of a science experiment to enhance his intelligence. His journey from a mental age of a young child to that of a genius, is the journey of growing up and finding the harshness of the real world. It is easy to understand the narrator as he goes through his various phases. The story forces the reader to ponder over the ethics of scientific proceedings. Draw your own conclusions.
This was strangely my first Rushdie novel and clearly will not be the last. So many aspects of the modern life - be it political, personal, questions of identity, social are a part of the narrative and seamlessly done. Initially, it took me some time to get into it as the story telling is a little slanting, nothing is hit directly, but, once I got into it, I found it hard to put down.
I would definitely recommend the book to anyone interested in family relationships and their dynamics.
The relationship of Moral Proximity. This intriguing read is a study in the ethical dilemmas that we must face at every turn. Isabel Dalhousie, the philosopher, constantly introspects and deals with each situation that comes along, within the purview of the moral and ethical codes that we should be engaged with. While trying to make her life as a working woman and a mother of two kids, easier, Isabel engages an au pair and an assistant. Both have different codes of moral conduct which Isabel must come to terms with. Alexander McCall Smith has been one of my favourite authors ever since I read the first Ladies Detective story. He has not disappointed again.
I typically do not read love stories. They bore me. But when Julian Barnes writes a love story there is nothing typical about it. From the concept of the story to the treatment of it. I loved this book. Paul falls in love with Susan and then spends his whole life living around that love. The whole tale of Paul and Susan's love over time is revealed in layers of their personalities and the people around them. Julian Barnes has some very incisive revelations to make. It is a beautifully told saga of love between two most unlikely people.
