Truth is stranger than fiction

Another book club that I am a part of, named Book It Up, decided to dedicate a day to all the regular book reviewers where the latter post about their favorite books or just books that have left an impact on them. Since it was my turn, I decided to line up a book under each genre.  While making this list, I realized that most books that I read belonged to Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics, Mystery/Thriller, Mythology, memoirs, sports and Translated Literature.  I realized that Fantasy or Science Fiction didn't feature too high in my list. There was a point when I love reading Fantasy. Somewhere along the lines,   I migrated to intense reading that reflected reality. Having said that, I am hoping to incorporate more books under the fantasy genre in my upcoming holiday reading list.  Taking a sneak peek into my list of books that I shared. It was difficult to choose among the plethora of books, so I decided to go with reviews of recent reads or ones that re read af...

It has been twelve years since that deadly attack by terrorists in Mumbai. Yet the memories remain fresh even today.  It was just another random Wednesday evening. Those days, Amit and I would hit the gym late evenings for our workouts. On that particular day, we left our apartment at Colaba only by 9 pm. We crossed Leopold cafe and reached the gym at Cuffe Parade. We just hopped on the treadmill when there was a buzz in the gym. Word went around that a gang war had just erupted at Leopold Cafe. The staff switched on the television immediately. Members crowded around it while Amit and I continued running on the treadmill. Since we had just driven by the pub 20 minutes ago and hadn't noticed anything unusual, we dismissed this off as just a commotion by miscreants.  A loud exclamation by one of the members made us stop our treadmills. Terms like "Terrorist attack in Mumbai", "Indiscriminate firing"floated around. My heart was in my mouth and I instantly got off t...

Book Review Title: Tokyo Ueno Station Author: Yu Miri Genre: Translation (Japanese) Tokyo Ueno Station was the winner of the 2020 National Book Award in the translated literature category.  It's a heartrending  tale of a homeless ghost which haunts Ueno station-one of the busiest train stations in Tokyo. Kazu is dead and he had hoped that death would bring in some sort of closure and peace. Instead, he finds himself back at Ueno station where he had spent his last few years as a homeless man. As he observes other people, he traces back to his own life which had been ingrained in poverty, hardships, tragedy and separation from his family.  Written in first person from the point of view of Kazu as a ghost, the story delves deep into the stream of consciousness of the character. He evokes a lot of sympathy as he expresses his remorse, regret and loneliness. The tone elicits a good amount of pain, interspersed with some anger at the social inequality and racial divide prevale...

Review  Title: An Old-fashioned Thanksgiving Author: Louisa May Alcott Genre: Short Story This story made an ideal read on the occasion of Thanksgiving.  (November 26th).  The Bassett family is busy making preparations for Thanksgiving. All on a sudden Mrs Bassett is summoned to attend to her ailing mother. She leaves her eldest daughter Tilly, in charge of the preparations during her absence. Despite a few glitches and occurrences, the children manage to prepare dinner before their parents arrive.  It’s a heartwarming read, capturing the spirit and festivities of thanksgiving. The writing is lucid, typical of Alcott’s style. She goes on to describe the several mouthwatering delicacies that are prepared for the occasion.  An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving is a sweet and atmospheric tale, capturing the family dynamics and the setting of their kitchen. It also imparts a beautiful lesson of learning to count your blessings, being thankful for what you have and finding ...

Book Review Title: Lakshadweep Adventure Author: Deepak Dalal Genre: Fiction/Adventure Lakshadweep Adventure chronicles the adventure of two boys-Vikram and Aditya who are holidaying in Lakshadweep islands. These are a group of bewitching coral atolls situated in the Arabian sea. While discovering the enchanting underwater world and its many mysteries, things take a turn when these boys stumble upon a devious kidnapping plan. What follows suit is a series of action packed adventures that involves shipwrecks, navigating in turbulent seas, thunderstorms, marooned on an island, braving dangerous criminals and gunshots.  One thing that stands out in this book is the ability of the author to transport readers to a different world. His descriptions of the colourful corals, reefs, lagoons, and trivia about the species of the underwater world, make it interesting and informative.  It  almost makes nature a character by itself.  Simultaneously, he weaves an action packed narr...

After another crazy week, I decided to unwind on a Friday evening. It was the beginning of Thanksgiving break. After being smitten by The Queen's Gambit, I was eager to watch more such TV series. While browsing on Netflix, I stumbled upon this interesting title.  My Octopus Teacher entails the expedition of South African documentary film maker-Craig Foster who seeks refuge in the underwater forest of Kelp, off the Southwest tip of Cape Town. As he explores this enchanting world of exotic species, he stumbles upon this Octopus. Over time, he forms an inexplicable bond with it and it changes his life forever. Over a span of one year, he dives everyday to the same spot, gets entwined into the life of that octopus. He studies its behavioral patterns, which includes its ability to outwit predators and recover from attacks. He sees going to the same spot everyday enables him to notice the subtle differences.  As someone who is fascinated with the ocean, this film captivated me from ...

Book Review Title: Kim Jiyoung, Born in 1982 Author: Cho Nam-Joo Genre: Translation (Korean) Kim Jiyoung, Born in 1982 entails the psychological deterioration of Kim and the repercussions of growing up in a patriarchal society in Korea, in the 80s.  The book introduces Kim's problem of exhibiting peculiar symptoms by impersonating other women-dead/ alive. Alarmed by her behaviour, her husband takes her to a Psychiatrist. The story delves into the formative years of Kim that highlights certain disturbing instances and atrocities. This includes her issues from being harassed in school buses, her relationships at university, the shoddy treatment at her workplace, marriage, taunted by relatives to motherhood and the challenges that come with it.  The story is written in third person from the point of view of Kim and shifts to first person from the point of view of the Psychiatrist towards the end. The writing style is nothing fancy and a mix of fact and fiction. However, the ...

 I looked forward to Diwali this year.  Merely because I wanted an excuse to celebrate. Its no secret that 2020 has been a rather bizarre and depressing year. With the pandemic ruining everything, I simply wanted something to look forward to. What could be better than the festival of lights?  Things began to get better in from September onwards, with things beginning to ease out in California. Gyms and pools opened. My workouts were back on track and that brought a lot of sanity to my turbulent mind. (pun intended). I celebrated Navratri by participating in Navrun ( an initiative by MRR). For 9 continuous days, I worked out wearing 9 different colors.  Life went on as usual. October and half of November was a busy period as my MFA course got really demanding. I had loads of reading, writing and presentations to do. The good news is that I am already beginning to work on my fiction novel. I am hoping to finish it by the end of 2021. When Diwali weekend arrived, I coul...

Title: Chronicle of a Death Foretold Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez Genre: Fiction Chronicle of a Death Foretold chronicles the journey of a man who is trying to get to the bottom of a murder that occurred in a village several years ago.  A wealthy ranch owner named Santiago is stabbed to death by two brothers who want to avenge their sister's honor. Their newly wed sister Angela is returned to her family in disgrace by her husband Bayardo Sa Roman. When her family compels her to name her lover, she utters Santiago's name. On the day of the murder, the two brothers make no attempt to hide their intention and arm themselves with butcher's knives. It remains to be seen why no one in the village intervened to tried to stop the murder.  The nonlinear narrative is told in first person, partly in an investigative journalistic style and partly in a lyrical one. As seen in his earlier works, the elements of magical realism make an appearance through dreams, omens and movements of n...

Book Review Title: The Best American Short stories Edited by: Anthony Doerr (All the light we cannot see) Genre: short stories/Anthology The Best American Short stories start off with an introduction by Author Anthony Doerr. This book is an anthology of 20 short stories that captures lives, idiosyncrasies and emotions of people in several settings. It ranges from cities, countryside, a restaurant, high school party, a clinic to a train.  The stories that stood out to me are 'No more than a bubble' by James Brinkley which is about a youth at a party, delving deep into his past. It takes place in one night. 'Anyone can do it' by Manuel Munoz is about a woman being betrayed by her neighbor and 'Omakase' by Weike Wang is about a couple belonging to different ethnicities dining at a restaurant. It captures the dynamics of race and relationships.  The settings are described with a great eye for detail. Some of the stories delve into a parallel narrative of t...

As someone who isn't addicted to Television shows or any series, I surprised myself by watching this in one sitting.  It was a Friday afternoon. I sat on my couch, relaxing my nerves after an intense week of reading, critiquing and writing, as a part of my MFA course. Not to mention, the long hours of zoom sessions were beginning to take a toll on me.  My husband suggested that I take a break from books and writing. "I t would do you good to relax and unwind for a few hours, instead of taxing that brain of yours, " he said. I agreed.  I had heard that A Suitable boy by Vikram Seth was adapted into a Netflix series and was directed by Mira Nair. While searching for 'A Suitable boy,' I stumbled upon 'The Queen's Gambit'. The poster of Anya-Taylor Joy with a chess board stared back at me. Quickly I checked for reviews and saw that it was rated as one of the top shows on Netflix. The synopsis seemed interesting as well.  The Queens's Gambit chronicles ...

  Book Review Title: Kafka and the Travelling Doll Author: Jordi Sierra I Fabra Genre: Fiction It is said that a year before Franz kafka's death, he stumbled upon a girl named Elsi in a park in Berlin. Elsi had lost her doll Brigett. .Moved by her tears, Kafka introduces himself as a postman who delivers letters to children. He embarks on an expedition to write a letter to Elsi from Brigett. What starts off as a letter, eventually leads to a series of the same. This mission is a transformational journey for Kafka both as a person and writer, as he gains a new found purpose and vigor during the last few months of his life.  The book captures Franz Kafka's dilemma of wanting to please the little girl. At the same time, it raises certain concerns about the repercussions of his actions on the girl.  His motive to see the girl's happiness depicts a certain kindness that lies beneath that eccentric exterior of his. Kafka's brilliance in his imagination ...

  Wrote this as a word prompt given by my group. The word was Beginning.  A New Beginning A ray of light the colours of the sky she sways in joy  Asking herself why? call of the seagulls Sound of the sea a spring in her step she was in glee.  The tunnel of darkness she had escaped no longer a prisoner  she was in better shape. Leaving behind a past of alcohol and drugs paving way to a new start amidst the bees and bugs. In a rhythm she breathes the scent of the flowers oh! how lovely it is to run so free and full of power. watching the first glimpse of the radiant orange ball peeping from the horizon like a friendly call. A new way of life she would discover radiating a  glow She'd certainly recover Her strides she prolonged With pose and grace Taking on a challenge A new beginning, she'd embrace. 

Book Review Title: Walking on.the ceiling Author: Aysegul Savas Genre: Fiction Walking on the ceiling is the story about a woman named Nunu who moves to Paris from Istanbul to start life all over again. In a new city where she longs to forge connections, she meets M an older British writer whose books revolve around Istanbul. Nunu is an admirer of his novels and strikes an unusual friendship with him. The story delves into her past relationships which involve her father's death, her mother's silence and the unrest in Istanbul. Written in first person from the point of view of Nunu, the book takes us through the quaint cafes and streets of Paris. At the same time, it also showcases the protagonist's life in Istanbul. It focuses on the unique relationship and conversations between M and Nunu.  These conversations revolve around the writing process and aspects of storytelling. It also mentions the tendency of authors to enter different worlds in order to create stories and h...

  Ever since my Master of Fine arts in writing program commenced in August 2020, it has been an intense period. The reading, writing and critiquing has been challenging. In October alone, I had finished reading 12 books.  Simultaneously I was also promoting my book-A Turbulent Mind, by doing some sessions with book clubs virtually. Besides I was beginning to face the zoom fatigue-headaches and dizziness of constantly staring at the screen. At my partner's request, I decided to relax by watching sports, some Netflix series and movies.  My mornings started of with a good dose of Vitamin C (C for Cricket), thanks to the IPL matches. The icing on the cake was seeing your favorite team in top form. Mumbai Indians has been consistent throughout the tournament. It was also a pleasure to see Delhi capitals and RCB do well. Watching any sport is therapeutic for me. Back in 2018, when I was going through a low phase in July, watching the football world cup Cup helped in melting the...

Book Review Title: The House on Mango Street Author:Sandra Cisneros Genre: Fiction The House on Mango Street chronicles the story of 12 year old  Esperanza Cordero who grows up in a hispanic neighborhood in one corner of Chicago. Set over a span of one year, the story goes in to describe how her family moves from a rented apartment to a house on Mango street. This is the first house actually owned by her parents. Yet its not what she had visualised. The House on Mango street is run down and cramped. The rest of the story entails Esperanza's journey, her friends, neighbourhood and her transformation as a person. The book is structured as a series of vignettes narrated in first person from the point of view of Esperanza. The chapters are concise and do not tell the entire story. Some of them are merely observations of the narrator which reads like a diary entry. It gives the reader a view of the latino-amerciacn community and their lives. Clearly the setting depic...

Book Review Title: Burnt Sugar Author: Avni Doshi Genre: Fiction  Was compelled to pick this up as it was shortlisted for the Booker prize 2020.  Burnt Sugar chronicles the story of a troubled mother-daughter relationship that manages to survive through the worst situations. Tara was a bohemian in her younger days who abandons her husband, spends her life in an ashram and begging on the streets despite being born to affluent parents. When she begins to forget things, her daughter Antara is compelled to look after her. During this tenure of a turbulent mother-daughter relationship, the story delves deep into the lives of several characters and their impact over one another.  Written in first person from the point of view of Antara, the story moves back and forth in time. It entails Antara's problematic childhood at the Ashram with Tara, difficult moments in boarding school, inability to fit in with her peers, grappling with her own complexes and finding solace in...