August Reads!

Hello Readers! I know the months are passing really quickly, but when I see the books I read this month, it feels like I read those books a long time back. Isn’t that weird?

Luckily this month, I have read more good books than bad, which is just SO REFRESHING! I have left that phase of quarantine where I tried to make new recipes or did chores or never wanted to leave my home. The only common thing is reading, but now that’s gone too because I am stuck in a reading slump. Since the past one week, I didn’t even think of reading. I didn’t even have any desire to pick up a book. I have just been re-watching Schitt’s Creek & Grey’s Anatomy. But that needs to change because so many unread books in my bookshelf are giving me the puppy dog eyes. I hope I give in soon enough & get back at it!

Even with ONE WEEK of no reading, I somehow managed to read EIGHT BOOKS in August. I have reviewed most of them, but check them out anyway, okay?

 

~~THE BEST~~

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A.J. FINN

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 455

My Rating: 4/5

The Woman in the Window is one of the best thrillers I have read in a while. It was definitely a step up after reading predictable thrillers like The Silent Patient or The Guest List. This novel might not be as adventurous as a few others, but there are a lot of elements of surprise. The portrayal of Anna Fox throughout the novel is brilliant. I liked the built-up mystery surrounding her neighbours – The Russels. The aspect of a psychologist facing mental challenges was compelling & written with precision & empathy. The story could be told in about 10 sentences, but all the mystery created with a bunch of ups & downs till the end was such a pleasurable experience to read!

Check out the full review here!

 

1984 by GEORGE ORWELL

Genre: Classic

Pages: 237

My Rating: 4/5

It took me a while to read 1984 because it isn’t the kind of book I usually read. But it definitely is THE BOOK that everyone should read.

There are so many themes in that novel & so much content. It is a political satire written in 1949 but a lot of the things said in the book apply even today. There are so many concepts that are surely a bit exaggerated, but they are so scary if they ever become real. In my opinion, 1984 should be mandatory reading in education. This book is just so important and so beyond me that I wouldn’t feel right reviewing it.

Check out some of the quotes here!

LIGHT FILTERS IN by CAROLINE KAUFMAN

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 224

My Rating: 5/5

Whenever I read modern poetry, it only really reaches me in a few poems throughout the whole book. But, when I read Light Filters In, I finally found many poems that just hit me. I liked it even better than Rupi Kaur’s Sun and Her Flowers.

The chapters are divided into The Darkness Falls, The Night Persists, The Dawn Breaks & The Sun Rises. While I cannot directly relate to some of the poems, I was able to understand women who have been through such times. It was a whole other experience reading this book of poems. Recommended!

 

UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by JHUMPA LAHIRI

Genre: Short Stories / Contemporary

Pages: 352

My Rating: 4.5/5

Unaccustomed Earth is a book of short stories which is the signature style of Jhumpa Lahiri & also the best way in which she shines. The book is divided into 2 parts. The first part contains FIVE short stories whereas the second part is one whole story consisting of THREE short chapters. Both the parts are equally beautiful & you get really sunk into it. All your emotions are overwhelmed while reading this book.

Though the writing is simple with one sentence after other, when you look at it as a whole, it is just one big bundle of overflowing emotions. About estranged familial bonds coming together. About lost love. About an impossible unrequited love. About sibling connections. About common roots but uncommon futures. About fighting relentlessly for love only to lose. About seeking a companion in old age. About illnesses breaking a family apart but at times also mending them back together.

I might just still be overwhelmed by the power of words. Overwhelmed by the beauty of it. Overwhelmed by the idiosyncrasy of literature itself in its strongest form. Overwhelmed by the simplicity of elegance in all the short stories in Unaccustomed Earth.

Check out the full review here!

 

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by J.K. ROWLING

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 759

My Rating: 5/5

As you all know, I had decided to re-read Harry Potter this year. I read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in early June. It had gotten a bit dark to read it again with so many deaths. So, it took a while for me to pick the last book. After more than 2 months, I finally read it and finished it in 3 days or so! Honestly, there is nothing more WHOLESOME than reading Harry Potter. The minute I finished, I wanted to start all over again!

 

~~THE MEDIOCRE~~

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by COLSON WHITEHEAD

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 306

My Rating: 3.5/5

The Underground Railroad won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2017 & received critical acclaim. Many noteworthy people have recommended this book ever since. This book is based on the real underground railway which was a bunch of safehouses to save black lives. In the book though, it is an actual underground railroad connecting different states in the US. I liked this bit of fictional touch to the original story.

The novel talks about the cruelty, injustice & violence caused to black people in America. It talks so harshly about the racism that was built in centuries ago & which still exists. Because of the main motto of these books, it got the recognition it deserves. In the era where we still have to protest & chant ‘Black Lives Matter’, these books just give us another reason to. I really liked to read and learn these stories of coloured people back in the day; their journey, their hardships and so much more. So, hear me when I say that the book has a brilliant story BUT the story writing or story telling is not as good.

Check out the full review here!

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 343

My Rating: 2/5

I finally read this book but it would have been better if I had left it alone. Like so many Potterheads, I was disappointed. There are SO MANY careless loopholes & the idea of writing this is just so outrageous.

I might have finished this in a day only because it's Harry Potter content and not because it's actually good. I found the story to be quite juvenile and not at par in tone and quality set in the first 7 books which are made of pure gold.

 

~~THE WORST~~

THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE by HARUKU MURAKAMI

Genre: Magical Realism

Pages: 607

My Rating: 2/5

The only enjoyment I got from this 607-page book was when I completely thrashed it in my book review! I honestly cannot spend another minute writing about this book.

Check out the full review here!

That sums it up. I know there are still 3 days before the month ends. But, I honestly don’t have it in me to read & complete even 1 book in these 3 days. Need your support to get through this, folks!

Until next time,

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri Book Review!

 

Hi Readers! This week I read another book by Jhumpa Lahiri & liked it even better than Interpreter of Maladies. It is safe to say that I will be reading ‘The Namesake’ & ‘The Lowland’ soon enough! As for my 2020 Reading Challenge, I have only 4 categories to go. That involves reading Little Women, Shantaram OR The Jetsetters, A Gentleman in Moscow & A book mentioned in a movie which I still have no clue on. And from the extended goal, I have read 61 out of 75 books. Given both these challenges, I am SURE that I will complete both before the year ends. Now continuing with the review!

 

~~INTRODUCTION~~

Unaccustomed Earth is a book of short stories which is the signature style of Jhumpa Lahiri & also the best way in which she shines. The book is divided into 2 parts. The first part contains FIVE short stories whereas the second part is one whole story consisting of THREE short chapters. Both the parts are equally beautiful & you get really sunk into it. All your emotions are overwhelmed while reading this book.

~~MY RATING~~

I have rated the eight short stories separately & the whole book at 4.5 stars!

Part 1:                                                                                                Part 2:

Unaccustomed Earth 3/3                                                                   Once in a Lifetime 5/5

Hell-Heaven 5/5                                                                                  Year's End 5/5

A Choice of Accommodations 4/5                                                       Going Ashore 5/5

Only Goodness 5/5

Nobody's Business 4/5

~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~

Most of the books that I read are such that I am capable of reviewing them. And, then there are books by authors like Jhumpa Lahiri & Khaled Hosseini that just leave me staring into space when I open a Word document. The feelings, emotions & sentiments conveyed in them are just so BIG to contemplate that it takes a lot of time to finally reach the reviewing stage & sometimes, it never reaches there.

I do not know how to gather my thoughts on Unaccustomed Earth. How do I write about my feelings on the unusual father-daughter story which is so sweet but also a bit awkward? How do I write about my feelings on the unrequited love of a married woman for a man who refers to her as his sister? How do I write about my feelings on a young couple who are adorable yet share miniscule life-altering arguments but nevertheless try to rekindle the romance? How do I write about my feelings on a caring elder sister trying to bring her younger brother out of his vices only for him to ignore her? How do I write about my feelings on a girl’s 3-year long boyfriend having a side affair for half that time with another woman? How do I write about my feelings on the story of Hema & Kaushik right from their adolescent acquaintance till the time they were grown up & how their paths eventually separated only after a few weeks of star-crossed bliss?

Even though a lot of these scenarios are not relatable to me, I can just as easily place myself in those situations without helping but shedding some tears. The pain of looking at your deceased mother’s glorious photographs. Feeling some kind of connection by wearing a crush’s old clothes that his parents gave to yours. The anxiety of leaving your 10-month old baby in the care of your previously alcoholic brother alone. The bitter-sweet feeling of seeing the person you loved but who could never be yours fall in love with someone else. The surprise of meeting an old acquaintance and having a lovely affair in a foreign land only to depart at the end of those blissful weeks to marry a guy you don’t love. The pain of loving someone so much that it physically hurts. Even if you were never in those situations, the writing is such that you could easily slip onto their shoes & feel all those emotions just as strongly as if it were happening to you.

~~CONCLUSION~~

Though the writing is simple with one sentence after other, when you look at it as a whole, it is just one big bundle of overflowing emotions. About estranged familial bonds coming together. About lost love. About an impossible unrequited love. About sibling connections. About common roots but uncommon futures. About fighting relentlessly for love only to lose. About seeking a companion in old age. About illnesses breaking a family apart but at times also mending them back together.

I might just still be overwhelmed by the power of words. Overwhelmed by the beauty of it. Overwhelmed by the idiosyncrasy of literature itself in its strongest form. Overwhelmed by the simplicity of elegance in all the short stories in Unaccustomed Earth.

Until next time,

12 Quotes from George Orwell's 1984!

 

Hi Readers! It has been a while. This month I am only sticking to reading the books that I own. It is taking surprisingly a lot longer to read actual books than reading e-books. So far, I have read 5 books & hope to read at least a couple more. I finally read George Orwell’s 1984. It took me a while to complete it because it isn’t the kind of book I usually read. But it definitely is THE BOOK that everyone should read.

There are so many themes in that novel & so much content. It is a political satire written in 1949 but a lot of the things said in the book apply even today. There are so many concepts that are surely a bit exaggerated but they are so scary if they ever become real. In my opinion, 1984 should be mandatory reading in education. This book is just so important and so beyond me that I wouldn’t feel right reviewing it. Instead, here are some of the brilliant quotes from 1984!

"What you say or do doesn’t matter: only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you – that would be the real betrayal."

"If you loved someone, you loved him, and when you had nothing else to give, you still gave him love."

 

"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."

"But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought."

 

"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever."

"Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them."

 

"There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad."

"To die hating them, that was freedom."

 

Until next time,

Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Winner Books.

Hi Readers! I recently read two of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize winning books – The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys. In both the books, the main topic is about racism & how badly it is rooted in the American society. While the stories are worth reading, the way in which they are written made me almost give up on them. This post contains short reviews of both the books & my thoughts on them. INCLUDES SPOILERS!

 

~~THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD~~

The Underground Railroad won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2017 & received critical acclaim. Many noteworthy people have recommended this book ever since. This book is based on the real underground railway which was a bunch of safehouses to save black lives. In the book though, it is an actual underground railroad connecting different states in the US. I liked this bit of fictional touch to the original story.

The novel is the story of Cora. It starts from when she is on Randall’s farm in Georgia given the treatment of a slave. Soon, she runs away with another coloured boy named Caesar. They make it to South Carolina via the underground railroad. The villain in the story is the slave catcher Ridgeway whose life goal becomes to bring Cora back to Randall’s farm. When he comes to South Carolina, Cora escapes in time to flee to North Carolina. She stays hidden in the attic of a white family who are allies of black people. But soon, Ridgeway catches up to her. While heading back through Tennessee, some coloured boys save Cora from Ridgeway & his men. She then follows them to the Valentine farm in Indiana which is a haven for coloured people. But, soon there is a mass shooting there & in that chaos Ridgeway kidnaps Cora again. She finally takes him to the underground railroad but finds enough courage to attempt to kill him. After this she heads north & finally runs away.

From Georgia to South Carolina or North Carolina to Tennessee to Indiana & then to North; such is the journey of Cora throughout the novel. The book describes her stay at every place & each of those is something adventurous. Apart from these, there are also mini chapters telling stories of other people in Cora’s life such as her grandmother Ajarry, mother Mabel, friend Caesar, Dr. Stevens from South Carolina & Ethel whose husband hid Cora in their attic in North Carolina.

~~THE NICKEL BOYS~~

I read The Nickel Boys a while back & having read so many books in between I don’t remember the details of the book. But I will try my best. This book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2020. This book is also based on real events that took place in Dozier School, a reform school in Florida which operated for 111 years.

This is the story of Elwood Curtis who was a simple-minded boy who believed in the words on Dr. Martin Luther King. His life went as well as anyone could have hoped until one day he was wrongfully charged for a crime & thrown into the Nickel Academy. As Goodreads puts it, “The Academy’s mission statement says it provides “physical, intellectual and moral training” so the delinquent boys in their charge can become “honorable and honest men.” In reality, the Nickel Academy is a grotesque chamber of horrors.”

There is a separate house for white criminals & black criminals. They are kept separately and naturally treated very differently. Sometimes those who refuse to follow orders are straight up taken in the back and murdered. In such a place, Elwood somehow made a friend named Turner. When things went from bad to worse, both of them decided to run. But, unfortunately, in this escape, Elwood was killed but Turner successfully ran away. In his post-Nickel life, Turner changes his name to Elwood to honour his friend who always believed in the good of people. Years later, the truth about the Nickel Academy gets out & all the dead bodies are found. There was immense injustice that those boys faced. The harrowing truths about it unfolding years later gave me goosebumps.

~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~

~~Writing Style~~

Both these novels talk about the cruelty, injustice & violence caused to black people in America. It talks so harshly about the racism that was built in centuries ago & which still exists. Because of the main motto of these books, it got the recognition it deserves. In the era where we still have to protest & chant ‘Black Lives Matter’, these books just give us another reason to. I really liked to read & learn these stories of coloured people back in the day; their journey, their hardships & so much more. So, hear me when I say that both these books have brilliant stories BUT the story writing or story telling is not as good.

The narrative in both the books is so random & disconnected. Forget about the paragraphs, sometimes one sentence is not in sync with the next. At times we are reading about one story & then suddenly all these other one-named characters pop up who have no significance for the rest of the story. All those names thrown around does not make it fun to read. Also, so many times I was reading about one thing and that randomly changes into a flashback which then changes into someone else’s story and then all of a sudden comes back to that one thing. Three or more times, when there is a good prose going on, the author himself throws a spoiler. Something like years later she will remember this (so she doesn’t die) or there will be riots that very night which all the people will remember for ages. Why tell us this out of nowhere? What’s the point?

In the beginning chapters of these books, it becomes impossible to really get into the book. The bizarre paragraphs disconnected with the characters & going on & on are like a drunk person in the dead of the night on an abandoned silent road. It is not at all enjoyable to read. Both these books feel like the author had an epiphany & then he just threw all of that onto the book without ever thinking of giving it a proper structure or chronology.

Because of these and so many little annoying things in the writing style, it becomes a very poor reading experience despite how good the original story is supposed to be & how important the message is.

~~Fiction Based on Real Stories~~

As mentioned earlier, the part where these stories are partly based on real stories is something I found to be good enough to continue reading. If these weren’t important stories with an important message, I might have given up reading them altogether. But, if you want to read books based on real events, it would be best to pick something else, especially if you are a very particular reader.

~~Surprise Factors~~

There are many times where the author himself gives us the spoilers of what is to happen in a few pages, which leaves little to interpretation or imagination. But a few things were unpredictable & added a bit of good surprise factor to both the books.

In The Underground Railroad, it was Mabel’s story. How different it happened than how everyone perceived it all those years. And, in The Nickel Boys, it was the big reveal when we know that Elwood is actually Turner. So, these parts count for maybe 5 pages or less but make up a bit for putting us through all that random writing.

~~CONCLUSION~~

I think most of what this post talks about is how it is vital to write about topics like racism in the form of a story but to make that story interesting with a proper structure & form which will not look like the author is randomly reminiscing about it while actually writing it.

I like to know that the author has put his everything in a book. It helps me appreciate the book more. Let that ‘everything’ be research or in this case mere accurate structural organization of words. These books completely lacked that but became highly acclaimed because no one in their right minds are about to say that a story about the evil of racism is not good. I think it increases the author’s responsibility when they choose such a topic but if they can’t deliver it then what’s the point? I had the same issue with ‘The Water Dancer’ by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Check it out here!) Also one of the reasons why Tayari Jones’ ‘An American Marriage’ did not work for me was because it only claimed to be a story about the wrongful conviction of a black man, but in reality was a different story altogether. (Check it out here!) The only book written by a Person of Color about People of Color which I completely LOVED was Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. (Check it out here!) That book is the standard against I measure every other book focusing on racism.

I have rated both The Underground Railroad & the Nickel Boys at 3.5/5. These books had the potential of a 4.5/5 stars from me, but because of so many aspects failed to reach there. Let me know your opinions on the book in the comments below!

 

Until next time,

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn Book Review.

Hi Readers! I didn’t think I would be back with a review so soon, but thanks to A.J. Finn’s ‘The Woman in the Window, here I am! I came to this party really late as this book was published in 2018 & created quite the hype since then. I finally got the book & it took me just 2 days to complete it! Usually my reviews are well-thought & detailed, but just this once I am going to keep it short, because in no way am I going to give out any spoilers!

 

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

Anna Fox lives alone, a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother and their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~

~~Perfectly Flawed Main Character~~

The main character, Dr. Anna Fox is a child psychologist who herself suffers from agoraphobia. She has been living in the borders of her huge house, drinking a lot of wine, popping random pills & just being the perfectly flawed main character that is required for such a story. She is so convincing that when she believes something, she makes the reader believe it too. I fell for that many times, but then I started to understand her well to know better. Against all logic & hope, the reader wants her story to be true. It is a bit of a trend in thrillers to show a depressed woman with a drinking & drugs problem as a victim, but hey, as long as the rest is good, I am not going to mind.

 

~~Fast-Paced Story~~

The first 30% of the story is pretty slow. It goes on in setting the foundation for the characters & placing hints for the rest of the plot. But, the remaining of the book is fast-paced & it becomes almost impossible to keep it down. Initially, I thought there was not a lot of merit to the story. Anna sees a woman getting stabbed in her neighbourhood, but then no one believes her because she is a drunk who takes pills that can cause hallucinations. So, I thought, it can’t only be about whether that woman is stabbed or not. And to my luck, it isn’t. There are a lot of ups & downs after that. A lot of unpredictable things happen & I was on the edge of my seat when those things are revealed. As promised, no spoilers!

 

~~Modern Writing Style~~

When I started this book, before even getting introduced to all the thrill, I noticed something. A.J. Finn is a talented writer. I have always loved how men can get into the mindset of women & write novels from women’s standpoint. He has done it really well. Also, the writing is extremely funny at times. Early on, I understood how grounded & self-aware the author is. All the mentions about him or her & overlooked patriarchal terms are simply witty. This amazing combination was really refreshing while reading a thriller.

Like most mystery thriller novels, this one had some common things or similarities, but I chose to overlook them because I was completely caught up in the story. If you are planning to read this novel, do it now. You really are missing out!

~~CONCLUSION~~

The Woman in the Window is one of the best thrillers I have read in a while. It was definitely a step up after reading predictable thrillers like The Silent Patient or The Guest List. This novel might not be as adventurous as a few others, but there are a lot of elements of surprise. The portrayal of Anna Fox throughout the novel is brilliant. I liked the built-up mystery surrounding her neighbours – The Russels. The aspect of a psychologist facing mental challenges was compelling & written with precision & empathy. The story could be told in about 10 sentences, but all the mystery created with a bunch of ups & downs till the end was such a pleasurable experience to read! I have rated it at 4/5!

Until next time,