Truth is stranger than fiction

Book review Title: The Last Thing He Told Me Author: Laura Dave Genre: Thriller/Mystery  What would you do if a family member disappears one day leaving you with a one line note? And this leads to a trail of shocking discoveries?  When Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to send his wife Hanna a note which says Protect her. Hannah is petrified and confused but realizes that it’s her responsibility protect Owen’s sixteen year old daughter Bailey. Bailey does not like Hannah. However when Owen’s boss is arrested by the FBI and the US Marshall lands up in their home, Hannah is compelled to dig into Owen’s past only to discover he doesn’t exist. With the help of Bailey, Hannah must get to the bottom of his identity. When they embark on a trip to Austin, it leads to a series of twists, interesting revelations and buried secrets.  Written in first person from the point of view of Hannah, the plot oscillates between the past and the present. Through her eyes, we get to see the ...

I had often seen this majestic black cat strolling in my neighborhood. Sometimes it would sit on my patio and  peep inside the window. There were moments, I must admit, that I almost dropped my cup of tea or yelp at the sight of two green eyes looking at me. That creepy feeling when you feel you are being watched. My imagination being the way it is would reflect back to some of those ghost stories. And then I'd smack myself when I realized it was just a cat.  A beautiful black lazy cat, curious as all cats are slated to be.  It would look inside until I'd go outside to say a friendly hello. And overtime I'd do that, the cat would dash into those bushes. Was it scared? Shy? I couldn't imagine such a confident creature petrified of anything. Why, the other day I was coming back from my workout, I watched this furry creature sit haughtily in front of a dog without a care in the world. The dog would bark but the unfazed expression on the cat's face would intimidate the ...

Book review   Title: This close to okay Author: Leesa Cross-Smith Genre: Psychological fiction/ Domestic fiction   What happens when two strangers meet unexpectedly and that meeting turns out to be a life changing moment?    While driving back from work in a rainy evening, Tallie comes across a man who is about to take his life by standing on a bridge. She invites him for coffee to which he reluctantly agrees and then later to her house. Over the course of the weekend, Tallie gets him to open up. Eventually she realizes that he isn’t the only one who needs healing. The story illustrates the complex lives of both these characters, delving deep into their past, insecurities, vulnerabilities and idiosyncrasies.    Set mostly set in Southern Kentucky, the writing is tender in many parts, touching upon the themes of mental health issues, grief, anxiety and loneliness. Alternating between the perspective of Tallie and the Emmet, the book brings to light the strug...

  Book review   Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane Author: Neil Gaiman Genre: Horror/Fantasy   Set in Sussex, England, The Ocean at the end of the lane chronicles the story of a middle aged man who returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. He visits the farm along the lane where he met and acquainted himself with an extraordinary girl named Lennie, her mother and grandmother. When he sits by the pool which Lennie used to call the ocean, he takes a trip down memory lane when he was a seven year old boy.    His past comprises of an evil housekeeper, a man who committed suicide in a stolen car, being brutally punished by his dad and encounters with strange creatures. These bizarre happenings are dark and scary. Lennie’s ability to come to his rescue was the only saving grace.    Narrated in first person from the point of view of the protagonist, the readers stay close to the character of the little boy throughout. Through his eyes, we are ...

Book review   Title: The Push Author: Ashley Audrain Genre: Psychological fiction/Thriller   The Push is an intense psychological drama that captures a woman’s experience with motherhood and its implications on a family.    It chronicles the story of Blythe Connor who is eager to be a warm and loving mother to her daughter Violet. As time passes. Blythe discovers something wrong with Violet while her husband Fox thinks it’s all in her head. When her son Sam is born, Blythe finally attains the bliss of motherhood that she always yearned for. Just when things began to look normal, a devastating incident changes their lives and Blythe is forced to confront the truth. Is Blythe really telling the truth about her life? Is something really wrong with Violet?    The Push is complex with several layers to the multigenerational characters. It also explores their traumatic experiences of being isolated and neglected by their own mothers. The author also attempts to e...

Book review   Title: Quiet Girl in a noisy world Author: Debbie Tung Genre: Graphic novel   Was compelled to pick this up after Radhika Pandit’s review and recommendation.    Quiet girl in a noisy world chronicles the coming of age story of an introvert. Spread over a span of 3 years, it illustrates the life of the author in an extrovert’s world.    We follow Debbie’s life from her early young adult years where she discovers her love for solitude and space. It showcases her college days where Debbie tries to socialize with her peers, date, meets her extroverted partner whom she eventually marries. And then it moves on to her office life where she tries to navigate through a sea of small talk and certain social obligations. After a lot of effort, she finally comes to peace and embraces her introverted self.    This book attempts to showcase how introverts think and how they are unfortunately misunderstood. It will resonate well with those who love ...

Book review   Title:Infinite country Author: Patricia Engel Genre: Literary Fiction   Infinite country chronicles a heart rending story of a family that faces the issues of deportation and the hardships endured by them.    The book begins with 15 year old Talia who escapes from the nun managed reformed school in Columbia to catch a plane to Bogota to reunite with her family in New Jersey. However the book is more than Talia’s quest. Through a series of flashbacks, we get a glimpse into her parents’ life- right from their early marriage days to their forced separation, tough circumstances and cruel immigration policies.    Written in beautiful and lyrical prose, the author covers a span of long time period, alternating between different perspectives. There are times when you wish she had spent more time on some of the characters and inserted more scenes, dialogues than just summary.    Nevertheless the instances mentioned in the book evoke intense ...

Book review Title: The Elephant of Belfast Author: S. Kirk Walsh Genre: Historical Fiction Animals have a remarkable ability to provide solace and healing amidst the most trying times. Based on real life events, The Elephant of Belfast captures the bond between a woman zookeeper and an elephant. The story is set in the city of Belfast during the time of world war 2 when there was a constant threat of air bombings. The book chronicles the life of twenty year old Hettie who works as a part time zookeeper at Bellevue Zoo. Violet- a three year old elephant arrives from Ceylon and Is trying to adapt itself in its new home. Hettie is given the responsibility of violet and soon develops a bond with her. The narrative gets into the complex past life of Hettie and her relationships. At the same time, it captures the political upheaval and the effect of air bombings. The Ministry orders the animals to be killed fearing their escape into the city because of the bombings. Hettie resolves to prote...

Book review Title: My Mother’s secret  Author: J.L. Witterick Genre: Historical fiction My Mother’s secret seemed to be the perfect read for Mother’s Day.  Based on a true incident, this novel is an uplifting tale of how a mother- daughter duo save the lives of two Jewish families and a fleeing German Soldier.  Franciszka and her daughter Helena lead simple lives until the invasion of the Nazis into their homeland. Despite the fact that a death sentence would be issued for sheltering Jews, Franciszka and Helena hide two Jewish families and a soldier in their tiny home in Sokal. The three parties are unaware of one another’s existence. The story chronicles the smartness of this mother-daughter pair to survive this nightmarish ordeal, outsmart their neighbors and the soldiers.  Narrated from the point of view of four different characters- Helena, members of the Jewish families and the soldier, the author takes the readers through the horrors of the Holocaust. There is ...

Book review Title: The Fifth Season Author: N.K.Jemisin Genre: Sci fi Fantasy  The Fifth season is the first book of the Broken Earth trilogy series. It chronicles the story of three Oregene women at different stages of life. Each of their stories begin with a certain end or tragedy in their world. You have Essun whose husband murders their son and has run away with their daughter. There is Damaya who is taken away from her parents to undergo training to serve her empire. And there is Syenite who is sent on a particular mission. All these three stories are interwoven and these women encounter oppression and a lot of upheavals in their journey. Yet they rely on hope in order to thrive in a monstrous world.  One thing that struck me about the book was the irony of the world called stillness. In contrast to its name there is a lot of upheaval-emotional and physical that takes place throughout the story. Jemisin's world building is deep and immer...

April was a hectic month with immense amount of writing. Found it hard to balance my time between reading and writing. Nevertheless managed to read 7 interesting titles-2 of which were incidentally Time travel fiction.  Faye Faraway: An emotional read which chronicles an unexpected journey of a woman who travels back in time to reconnect with her mother and her younger self. This book explores the nuances of religion, faith, trust and the importance of getting closure.  Side Chick Nation chronicles the story of a sex worker ad how she escapes an abusive boyfriend, lading herself in the middle of a hurricane in Puerto Rico. The fourth book in the heist series, this book explores issues of natural disasters, climate change and capitalism. Romance is one of the main themes here.  After the Quake is a collection of short stories which are loosely connected to the 1995 earthquake in Kobe. The characters do not necessarily experience this catastrophe but are made aware of it ...