Meghadutam is an evocative & soulful poem by the 4th Century poet, Kalidasa. A poem of love, loss & longing, it gently draws us into the grief of a Yaksha, a celestial creature in Hindu mythology, who is exiled & forced apart from his wife. He requests a passing rain cloud to carry his words of love to his beloved. Lush in its descriptions of nature & emotions, we experience the joys and pains of union and partition through the Yaksha‘s memories.

“Kesar Ling Norbu Dadul” - The Kesar Saga

A Tibetan-Ladakh epic about a hero named Kesar. It gave such a rare glimpse into the culture of Ladakh, India.

This was a special find…I am so grateful for this gift, which allowed me to read about the myths and folktales of a geographically-isolated mountainous community.

I Who Have Never Known Men is not a book on female rage. Neither does it ask for women‘s rights to the exclusion of men‘s.

The book asks for one thing - the opportunity to love - irrespective of gender.

The women in this book don‘t hate or fear the men - rather they fondly remember their pasts where men and women explored love and life together.

I did like the book. But, I found the obscurity of time to be jarring in placing the narrative.

A captivating story that definitely keeps you hooked from the start. The performances are amazing. But the show does end on a predictable, tried-a-million-times trope. Still, the book is a good, fast-paced listen. Perfect for anyone wanting to get started with or get back to reading.

The actual final haul of 2024 - some books I‘ve shown here a week ago, but here are a few more.

Excited for 2025.

A very Happy New Year to all of you and I hope your 2025 reading is fabulous!! 💖💖

An unsentimental, realistic story about the struggle for survival faced by the poor people from lower castes in rural India. It spotlights the career of professional mourners - Rudaali - which allows these women to regain power over their oppressors, by making a day‘s meal from their (sometimes hypocritical) grief.
This book also includes a play inspired by the story - but which changes the narrative to favour women‘s struggle over caste.

DNF - maybe the audio format was wrong? The book has large chunks of non-fiction, which may be better read…?
Or perhaps I just didn‘t resonate with the way the book is written and narrated…

I‘m increasingly finding many of the “celebrated” , “on winning lists” books to be not worth the hype.
Happy with the less-renowned works in my library 😅😉

I might give it a try again some day…but not in the near future.

Went to the much-awaited annual Literature Festival in my city today, attended a host of interesting talks and toted home a bunch of incredible book. Yay! Holiday reading list is ready! 😍🤩

Brought up some interesting questions about the futility of life and how ”to live is an act of violence”. But overall this book felt half baked, hollow and translated with zero emotions.

Does this book deserve the Booker Prize? Honestly, I didn‘t feel so. But, to each their own.

Victory city is a very interesting and captivating book written by Salman Rushdie, which falls under the genre of historical fantasy. There was not a single dull moment in this book and it was highly engaging with some very touching lines and some very hilarious lines as well.
The real issue is the narrator, who is terrible. His pronunciation of Indian words is atrocious, he could not pronounce the Kannada names of people or places or customs.

The “Nitopadesha” is a collection of stories & sermons on ethics, morality & citizenship from ancient India. It is divided into 4 separate manuscripts, each covering a different aspect of citizen-craft. With stories that seem to contradict each other, the book proves how morality and ethics are ever changing concepts which depend on circa, context and circumstances. The topics dealt with here, are as pertinent today as they were centuries ago.

“Brotherless Night” is an emotionally-charged novel that follows a family & their experiences during the civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from 1983 to 2009.

The book offers a very nuanced look at the lives of civilians who are swept into the eye of a war, whose contours & colours start to blur and become unrecognisable as time goes on. It offers insight into women‘s experiences in war.

A historical fiction by celebrated Kannada writer, SL Bhyrappa, this book focuses on the forced conversion, economic extraction and temple destruction by Mughal rulers in India, specifically during the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb.

The novel is replete with highly-researched examples and an extensive bibliography is also provided to various books and historical records by scholars, court scribes, eye witnesses and historians.

Volume 7 brings the 18-days war to a close. This was an emotional roller coaster.

Yudhisthira‘s foolishness almost costs him the kingdom. With no choice left but deceit, Krishna advises Bhima to break dharma in the fight.

This act brings into focus the many times the Pandavas & Krishna perpetrate immoral acts in the name of “the greater good”.

The Pandavas end up the winners of a broken & grieving kingdom; with a bleak future awaiting them.

Such misguided, pretentious writing. The author took a lovely story from mythology and transformed it into some verbose, nonsensical writing. I am mystified by this book‘s commercial success. Probably the pretty cover?

Boy Parts starts out with a strong premise, but becomes a strange psychological thriller. The ideas presented are interesting (such as the superficiality of Gen Z & younger; performative existence; reel v/s real life; gaslighting for power dynamics; women‘s gaze as not always purer than the male gaze etc…). But I think the book lacked in execution and seemed sloppy in parts.
The narrator swallows a lot of her words, making it a difficult listen.

Caste is an insidious thing. Thankfully, literature‘s open heartedness & generosity ensures everyone gets an equal chance at expressing their lived realities & sharing their hopes for the future.

This autobiography of Dwarka Bharti is a testament to what the love of literature can do, in giving a cobbler from one of the most marginalised communities, an opportunity to become a leading academician & writer who changed Indian literature forever.

An anthology of stories by one of the first women writers of Karnataka, India. Based in the 1920‘s and 1930‘s, Gouramma explores themes of child marriage, widow remarriage, dowry deaths, sexual abuse and moral policing - while showing us in intimate detail, the vivid inner lives of the women protagonists, who are often mute shadows to the men who control their destinies.

This book is based on the 1621 witch trials in Vardo, a small island in Norway. It fails to evoke sorrow and empathy.

The LGBTQIA+ romance doesn‘t feel like an actual love story; something‘s missing.

The lives of the women, the period of accusations, the witch trials and the consequent hysteria aren‘t explored in depth. The pacing is too slow and there is too much focus on the protagonists‘ inner monologues.

The narration isn‘t very clear.

With this we end Day 15 of the war. The five days after Bhishma‘s fall are the most brutal. Drona is a savage.

There are a LOT of battle scenes in this book. But the book ends with a huge debate and fight about what Dharma really means; and who is morally right or wrong.

When Drona finally succumbs, we don‘t know whether to feel anger or horror or relief. Ashwatthama is MAD and gets reckless, showing no mercy with his divine weapons.

This is such a strangely compelling book. It isn‘t by any means a stunning piece of literature, but it is one that you won‘t want to put down.

The twists and turns in this book will shock you. Definitely one that will make for an excellent movie.

Go ahead and listen. The narrator does an excellent job.

Now i‘m off to learn this Housemaid‘s secrets 🤪

This book critically engages with the Mahabharata and tries to understand the social, cultural, political, economic and religious structures of India at the time the Mahabharata is believed to have occurred.

Karve strips away the fantastical and divine layers and exposes the very real humans underneath the myth and mystery. She shows us why despite being such an ancient work of literature, the Mahabharata is still so relevant today.

I loved this book for the most part. Naoko‘s story is heartbreaking & her family history is so beautifully portrayed.

I found Ruth & Oliver‘s story to be a tad pretentious; although covering some very important environmental themes.

But the ending which involved a magical realism time travel, a strange dream sequence & quantum physics just threw me off and ruined the entire experience.

I still like this book, but it could have been better.

Inspired by the story of Noah‘s Ark, this book explores the impact of prejudice against those different from us. Using the imagery of an apple, the book shows how even utopia can be rotten at its core. There is poison hiding in the seed that fruits into a blessing in the most desperate of circumstances. This book was tragic - not one of the best works I have read - but heartbreaking. I can‘t believe we humans have done this to others in the past.

A commentary on racial relations in contemporary times, this book was humorous, entertaining, introspective and heartbreaking in turn.

At its core is the story of racial relations in a white-dominated country, where people of colour are colonised (not using earlier methods), but through the appropriation of their cultures.

Although this book focused on East Asians, I think it holds true of any BBIPOC community in a white-dominated nation.

First book shopping of 2024! I can‘t believe I held out for 4 months. 🥰😃

Brilliantly researched, accessibly explained so it can be understood by anyone, this book is a revelation. As a feminist, this book gave so much history, heritage and context to the feminist struggles in India and South Asia.

This was my pick for Women‘s History Month and it addressed the patriarchal issues plaguing women‘s gendered roles, bodily autonomy, economic prospects, desire, emancipation and upward mobility; and the hard won victories.

There is art, science and soul that goes into running a convenience store.

Keiko is a loveable - albeit frustrating - character. You root for her, but can‘t help being annoyed with her for some of the whacky decisions she takes.

Shiraha - the resident incel - really gets on your nerves.

This book was a powerful introduction into the way patriarchy functions and expresses itself in Japan.

Both the translation and narration were great.

The first ten days of the Kurukshetra war are led by Bhishma - oscillating in favour between the Kauravas & Pandavas because of Bhishma‘s equal love for both sets of grandsons.

Krishna‘s wisdom in the form of the Gita fails to rouse Arjuna to action - but others pick up the slack.

Duryodhana has many tricks up his sleeve, but he is an equally honourable warrior. But things don‘t seem good for him as Bhishma is felled and Drona takes the reins.

Who else loves minimalist, but aesthetic notebooks?…

Do you use planners/journals to record and review your reads?

I typically use Goodnotes for reviews and have recently discovered Storygraph for tracking & stats.

But nothing beats a physical notebook and the actual act of writing!

💖

Started out well, fizzled off at the end. Predictable for the most part and relying on common horror tropes (common if you consume enough horror content elsewhere).

However, stories like “The Head”, “The Embodiment”, “Snare” and “Goodbye, My Love” were well-written and I did enjoy them.

Won‘t dismiss this author - I do want to read her new book “Your Utopia”.

I did not like the translation - it lacked soul and perhaps made this book meh (?)

Black Cake follows the life of Eleanor Bennet, an older Caribbean woman living in California; and the mystery that shrouds her past.

It also follows the lives of Byron & Benny, her two children, and their experiences as black/brown people living in a white-ruled country.

It was nice to learn about the history of the Caribbean - both socia-culturally & culinarily.

However, the author wrote about way too many issues, making the script too busy.

This book traces the awakening that the protagonist Nora undergoes, as she experiences a crisis in her marital life. When her husband Torvald fails to meet the fantasy & expectations she had constructed about him & chooses to not fulfil his basic responsibilities as her husband, a major inner & outer shift takes place in her life. Nora‘s sudden change of heart can be jarring. But I feel each person reacts to relationship trauma in different ways.

What is madness? Who is mad? Is it that which is strange; or the one who is different? Or is it a state, an expression, of love?

Mad Sisters of Esi is a ballad of broken hearts and splintered dreams, set against a sea of hope. It is a tale about the desire to create, the desperate need to recover the past and the jarring dissonance that occurs when remembrances cannot reconcile with time & change.

Beauty Is A Wound is a book you get, when a writer starts out with an inventive theme, but slowly devolves into sexist, misogynistic garbage, which feels like its from the wet dreams of a horny and misguided teenager.

There is an unhealthy and disturbing fixation on sexual assault, incest and beastiality. But the worst is how the author makes it seem like the women invited their brutalisation with their beauty.

Just NO!!

(Contd in comments)

How much of propriety and morality is enforced by others; and how much of it is innate?

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata forces us to confront our own humanity - or society‘s definition of it, through the heartbreaking and fascinating stories of Natsuki, Yuu and Tomoya.

This book wasn‘t by any means super high on the weird meter. But, it stays with you. It certainly made me pause & take note of how the fractures & disintegration happens within us.

Vol 4 starts at the Virata parva - where the Pandavas are incognito. After the 13-year exile, Duryodhana refuses to accept the legitimacy of Yudhisthira‘s claim to kingship and the preparations for the war begin.

This book shows stories of ancient sages, swarga, patala, nagas and the wise woman Viduraa. Incredible & poignant philosophy here.

We end this volume on the Kurukshetra grounds, a few hours away from the start of the 18-days massacre.

A politically pertinent book, written by a performative and problematic author. I found the book important in terms of discussing key Indian socio-political issues. However, some of the author‘s statements in her personal life, make this book seem superficial and hypocritical.

The author narrated this herself - not a good narration. Best get a kindle copy.

Final book haul of 2023! 😝

(Anybody else got themselves something new?)

#bookhaul #newbooks #2024readinggoals

The Attic Child reimagines the history of thousands of children of African descent who were kidnapped or sold into slavery during colonial times.

Listening to Dikembe‘s story was hard. But his final accomplishment, success & peace, was a refreshing perspective - an ode to those who survived and thrived despite these atrocities against them.

Lowra‘s story falls short for me. While I did feel sad about her beginnings, her story felt unnecessary.

A story of choices, of misunderstandings and of repentance, East Lynne was immersive.

Many of the lines in this book are absolutely beautiful and so poignant. Your heart breaks and you feel conflicted by the familial struggles portrayed here.

As for the crime, that is sub-plot, it is pretty easy to guess who the villain is, right from the start of the book.

The narration was fabulous- charged and emotional - albeit a tad melodramatic.

Strangely enchanting.

Based in an interstellar, possibly extraterrestrial, sci-fi world - this modern classic showcased four small (and engrossing) works by an author I hadn‘t known about.

The stories are memorable. But there‘s a strong ephemeral quality to them. Like star dust, these stories make their presence felt, but in an obscure way. They seem to exist in our universe, but are completely disconnected from reality.

Volume 3 started out with lots of descriptions about the sacred tirthas of ancient India.

The book was divided almost equally between philosophical discussions and the stories of ancient characters such as Savitri & Satyavan, Sukanya & Chyavana, Agni & Svaha and God Kartikeya.

Karna gives away his Kavacha-Kundala to Indra and we end the book by completing the massive Aranyaka Parva.

Time to go incognito in Vol 4; with the war imminent.

Merlot in Mizoram 🍷

Enjoying an anthology of literature from Mizoram writers - one of my first deep explorations of North East Indian literatures.

#wine #weekend #cozyreads

How can we do good for the world?

- End oppressive regimes and settler colonialism
- Support minorities in creating the futures they want for themselves
- Change how we view the world and its systems of power, and transform how we respond to them as a global community.

What a delightful book, encompassing the lives and beliefs of the Dungri Garasiya Bhil Tribe of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

It offers us a glimpse into the incredible world of tribal and indigenous India.

Women take centre stage and showcase the complexities within the seemingly simple lives of this community. There is an undertone of erotica in many of these tales. The natural and supernatural come together to form a vibrant tapestry.

After selling a couple of my books which I had not read for years (and wasn‘t planning on reading again), I got myself this little treat.

Looked through it a bit and it‘s definitely a work of it‘s time. But, I love collecting Indian classics, so happy to have it in my library.

“The Blue Women” by Anukrti Upadhyay was a disappointment. It promised very interesting, offbeat stories about people and the emotional & mental landscapes they occupy. However, each story felt too “been there, done that”. The endings were half-baked and abrupt. Suffice to say I was unhappy I purchased the physical copy of this book. Ended up selling it and getting something else from my local bookstore.

“Radhika Santawanam” by Muddupalani is an erotic poem about the sexual dynamics and emotional bond of Krishna and Radha.

The book offers a female perspective about love, desire, passion and the immense pain of separation that comes when a relationship doesn‘t sail smoothly.

I loved how Radha embraced her sexuality, while Krishna fulfilled his role as the attentive lover. But, the book does have morally gray areas, which offers food for thought.

Once again, Bond weaves magic by taking us into the quaint, but buzzing lives of the gardens and forests of Dehradun.

We learn the names of so many kinds of trees and wildlife indigenous to the Himalayan region. A simple google search reveals the secrets of our vibrant planet to us.

At around 30-35 pages, half of which have illustrations, this is a great starter book to get kids to fall in love with nature.