Summary of books in April 2021


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 through television or news. The stories are evocative capturing themes of loss, illness and relationships. 

La Javaab is an interesting concept where the author members of this group have formulated a story/poem revolving around each ingredient on a pizza. The stories capture the hardships of life and takes you through the struggles of the characters.

Every Anxious Wave: Another time travel fiction where the characters start a business where people can go back in time and attend the concerts of their favorite bands. this explores the complexities of relationships, world building, themes of loneliness, trauma and loss. 

Whereabouts is an interesting read that captures the different slices os a life of an unnamed woman narrator. The structure is in the form of vignettes and touches upon themes of solitude and dislocation. 

The Ballad of Black Tom is a horror fantasy novel set in Harlem and brings to light the horrors of racism, prejudices and police brutality. A fast and gripping book that can be read in one sitting.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the importance of f
Read more

The Chennai resistance

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=3cd78548-4240-47c3-a608-8432df372190 Mentality of a Chennaite is something that never fails to amaze me and other people of different cities. This city has a rich cultural heritage and people indeed try their best to preserve it as much as possible. However in spite of globalization descending upon them, with BPOs lurking at every corner, with the Burgers and pizzas invading their eateries, the typical chennaite will go by his time tested staple food. Times have changed, and Chennai itself is now invaded by population from other cities not only in India but form the world, thanks to the IT boom and the automobile hub centre that it has become. One can see the metamorphosis almost everywhere; old buildings have given way to modern architecture, arterial roads choked to the brim with modern vehicles, individual bungalows replaced by the apartments. Only the age old temples have withstood this onslaught, but they too
Read more

My friend Ganesha: Friendship with God

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b7ab149a-5f35-4861-8859-6a890ddb71fe Loneliness often propels one to longingly seek a friend. Times like these often push us into a solitary stance or we find our solace in the road to spirituality striking an unspoken friendship with God. My friend Ganesha is one such film which depicts this divine friendship between a child and the elephant faced God and takes you down the mythological lane. The movie revolves around a family consisting of Ashu, his parents, aunt and the maid Gangubhai who places her sincere devotion in Lord Ganapathy. Ashu is a lonely child devoid of any friends and to top it all he is bullied by his counterparts at every given opportunity. To make matters worse, his parents who are caught up with the corporate lifestyles hardly spend time with him. One day he ends up saving a little mouse from the harsh rains. On sharing this with the maid, leaves her enthralled enough to tell him of being the
Read more