Welcome to Litsy!

A judge who went to Oxford was educated enough to raise his standing but not enough to be considered white by the Brits. Now retired his granddaughter Sai comes to live with him, where she falls in love with Gyan, a Nepalese who—treated horribly in this Indian border town—decided to join the insurgency. The judge‘s cook‘s son, meanwhile, becomes a an “illegal” in NYC, where life is equally miserable. This is their story. It‘s a slow-moving, ⬇️

Happy dog!!

#Nepal #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Yay! A quote about food for #foodandlit and perfect for Valentine‘s Day with a little romance. #Nepal

This is a terrible audiobook (the narrator is quite good though) so I‘ve moved to the ebook. The book bounces around between countless characters and through time and seemingly at random. I was in a constant state of confusion. Reading the ebook is so much better.

I‘ve picked this audiobook for my next #foodandlit book for #Nepal @Catsandbooks

This was just disappointing. Through the first half I felt it had potential, but it never lived up to what I was hoping for. I never felt attached to the characters and I don‘t think the back and forth in time and place helped.

#1001books #Reading1001 #TBRTakedown April 2021
#audiobook #ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #India

I‘m finally just over half way through this audiobook, and I‘m still struggling a bit. I feel like there‘s so much potential in the settings, but I don‘t care that much about any of the characters and not much is actually happening. Perusing past reviews of Litsy readers I trust makes me think it will continue like this.

#1001books #audiobook

Two main characters are Sai, young orphan girl living with her westernised grandfather J. Patel and Biju, son of Patel‘s cook who is in America illegal. Main theme is sense of identity and struggles related with this issue in post colonial era. While I liked the prose very much, the story as a whole left me quite unconvinced. #ReadingAsia #India

This was a bit of a struggle for me to get through. The writing is good, the characters are unique and interesting... but I could not stick with the plot jumping all over the place and it was just. so. depressing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was, however, my #bookspin for November, my #SetInIndia book for #Booked2020, and another #1001books novel checked off the list. ✅

#QuotsyOct20 Day 2: #Animal

Before write ,you must listen and think carefully because it remains forever.....

#WanderingJune Day 5: #LetsGetLost - from Iphigene‘s review: “When things lost are things familiar: The novel sets its anchors on a rotting mansion-like house where lived 3 unlikely housemates: an old retired judge, his young granddaughter & his cook. From these 3 – sprouts stories abt migration, love & loss, political/social instability.. it felt as if when we gain something we lose something.” Her full review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-2gB

This one just came available on #overdrive after a long wait. #audiobook #ILoveLibraries #ManbookerWinner

Definitely one of my favourite Indian novels so far! Rich, character driven, beautifully written, and a fascinating complex look at class and immigration within India, in America and between Nepal and India. Not a huge amount in the way of ‘big plot events‘ but I recommend so much anyway.

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

1. Tagged book and Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver. Beautiful character study of immigration and modern India, and a gothic horror ghost story, so different both so good!

2. How to do nothing by Jenny Odell

3. Any wildflowers! I love bright tides of colour in long waving grass, or colourful forest floors. Texas Bluebonnets, English fox gloves and dog violets

1. The Tale of Genji; The Inheritance of Loss; Ice Will Reveal
2. Tea. I'm not too picky, I love tons of kinds.
3. Chocolate orange pu'erh from David's tea. So good!
#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

The first thing one notices in this book is its stunningly beautiful narration. All the little things adding upto a big little thing. The story might not be very impressive but there is more to this novel than the story to be impressed with. You might think, since this book is about North East India, you will not feel connected,but those who were once colonised, who now finds themselves torn between two cultures may find their home in this story.

When you are in the middle of three books and your holds come in at the library...the struggle is real! Blame it on Book tube. Which one should I read next?

1. Generally, once a week
2. I usually make my own, with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and Dijon mustard 😋
3. I enjoy both, but I gave up carbs a few months ago, so I don‘t do a whole lotta baking these days.
4. Yep! Dove dark chocolate
5. While I didn‘t love the book as a whole, I liked the Italy section of Eat, Pray, Love. And I like Louise Penny‘s descriptions of food in her Inspector Gamache series.

#TELLMETUESDAY

I taught two redesigned classes this month, so I didn‘t quite finish my June stack. Still working on the tagged book. Of the six, my favorite, by far, was Circe. My least favorite was The Fifth Mountain, by Paulo Coelho. I worked on the puzzle while I listened to the audiobooks (listed on the right). Of the three, I found Sometimes I Lie most enjoyable.

Book Haul!!!!!😄😄😄✌

And Now.............I Am Broke

This month‘s stack: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho, The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon, The Inheritance of Loss by Koran Desai, and Circe by Madeleine Miller.

Can‘t wait to get started!

#shelfiesaturday

2. Android
3. Nuts
4. The tagged book, which is about a young woman who lives with her uncle. So far, it's a book where not much happens and we learn a lot about the characters
5. None - I don't watch, follow, or participate any in sport regularly

#humpdaypost #letsmaketricksysmile @MinDea @TricksyTails

Today's author spotlight: Kiran Desai! The 46-year-old was born in New Delhi, India, where she left at 14 for Great Britain and then the US, studying at Columbia U. She was the 2006 Man Booker Prize winner (her mother, Anita, was short-listed for it 3 times). The Economic Times listed her in 2015 as one of the 20 most influential global Indian women. She was the first featured author at the Asia House Festival. #AuthorPotpourri #TheMoreYouKnow

Various shades of #yellow! #octoberlibrary17 @librarylooter @anniekslibrary

To be read soon! #CursiveTitle

#bookmail ❤️📚

#TBRtemptation post 1! This award-winning book is the second from Desai. In a crumbling home at the foot of Nepal's Mt. Kanchenjunga, an embittered old and retiring judge finds his granddaughter, Sai, at his door. The chatty cook watches over her as the judge is preoccupied with his son, Biju, who stays one step ahead of the INS in NYC's restaurants. A Nepalese insurgence turns everything for this family upside-down. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

4 ⭐ and another book that will stay with me for some time. Also @bookriot's all point of view characters being people of colour challenge completed ✅

"But when you are on the verge of hysteria, so full of anxiety and pent-up violence, you could only appear honest and calm by being dishonest. So, whether honest or dishonest, dishonestly honest-looking, he would have to stand before the bulletproof glass, still rehearsing answers to the questions he knew were coming up, questions to which he had to have perfectly made-up replies."

@CrowCAH This quote reminded me of Captain Jack Sparrow!

I really wanted to love this. I usually love Indian literary fiction and it's a Man Booker prize winner. The writing was beautiful and I did feel transported to the various settings. I also enjoyed learning more about a conflict with which I was unfamiliar. Unfortunately I didn't feel connected to any of the characters and the pace was really slow considering that it was set in the midst of such turbulent time. I was frequently bored.

I know it's a Man Booker winner, but...meh. It had interesting parts, but a lot of it felt clunky and out of place. She's got great potential and I'll pick up something else of hers in the future. I wish she'd explored some characters more than others.

Sundays.

I liked a lot of things about this book - the writing was a bit flowery but the characters were interesting and it paints vivid picture of 1980s India, immigration and political problems. But it felt very slow in places and was a very typical "Man Booker book". I feel the same style of writing always wins. I liked it but was a bit frustrated by the ending. #TakeControlThon

At a concert and my friend hands me a book that I need to read. 😊#booklovers

The greatest love is love that's never shown.

Man Booker and Nobel winners = $1 at library book sale! 🙌

Re-read📖😊👍

These are the unread books from my last trip to the used bookstore. Which one should I read next? #usedbooks #augustofpages

All day, the colors had been those of dusk, mist moving like a water creature across the great flanks of mountains possessed of ocean shadows and depths

One from the archives: if you are looking for a book that will totally suck you in, transport you to an unfamiliar, almost uncomfortable, world and make you feel like you've lost a part of yourself when you finish it - then you have to pick this Booker prize winner!

Reading a pretty book and drinking spring tea from my pretty cup on a rainy spring morning. Bliss!