“Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik

🍁 “But I had not known that I was strong enough to do any of those things until they were over and I had done them. I had to do the work first, not knowing”
– Naomi Novik, Spinning Silver
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🌻 Set in a Russian Village, this fantasy story takes you through the lives of two female protagonists, Miryem, the daughter of moneylenders and Irina, the daughter of the tsar.
Both of them have lost a bit of their inner selves, became hard and tough against their own wills, for the better good of their families and even though they have resorted to their fates, luck brings them together to embark on a quest which will yet again test their will power and the ability to think through in the moment of crises.
Will they succeed in saving their homes from the clutches of dark magic.
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✨ Although I don’t cherish fantasies so much for the complex plot, this book was a happy surprise for its easy-to-understand plot and clarity of characters, and before long I was mesmerized by the magical realism so much so that I was reminded of the fairy tales I read as a child.
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🌼 The three female protagonists also make for a good story direction, by means of their own perspectives, so similar yet different in their own ways. The story is absolutely enchanting with various layers of character developed which isn’t too clunky, the subtle details to the imagery and the thought-provoking situations that are planted to keep the reader’s interest always piqued, this sure makes for a warm and satisfying read, which is sure to hit close to your heart for the resemblance of your favorite childhood fairy tales.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: fantasy, fiction, fairytale, young-adult .

“The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die” by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay

“The aunt who wouldn’t die” by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, as the name suggests is about an aunt, or pishima in Bengali, who everyone thinks is dead, but for one member of the household, the new daughter-in-law, Somlata, to whom the aunt comes to every now and then as a ghost, and tries to scare her.
But what does she actually wants?
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This book is like a light, fluffy conundrum of a lot of things all at once, the difficulties of living in a joint family, the struggles of widows and the bahus of the house, the romance of a newly married couple and the ghost of an old aunt reluctant to part away with her belongings, a perfect mix that catches the essence of an Indian household in its true sense.
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Reading the book reminded me of the books that I used to read as a kid, small pocketbook versions, with big fonts and folklore that leaves you with a mushy feeling of having read something wholesome. Although the story is simple and the narration devoid of any hullabaloo of fancy prose, the tale itself brings a warmth to the reader’s heart, like soaking in the sun on a winter afternoon.
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A light yet poignant tale of women from three different generations of a family, trying to maintain the household and uplift it, amidst societal ‘laws’, in their own capacities.
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Thank you @bee.books for this beautiful book, in exchange for an honest opinion.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: translated, indian-literature, bengali-literature, culture, mystery

“The Black Dwarves of the Good Little Bay” by Varun Mathew

🍂”The Black Dwarves of the good little bay” by Varun Mathew is an epic dystopia, set in modern-world Mumbai now known as Bombadrome, for there is no land to live on, no resources to replete, and the only way to live is to live in suspended dorms hovered in the air.
When the ecological system collapsed, and the rains stopped all together ‘visiting’ this city, the newly formed government, with the promise to set things in order, proposed an artificially equated society, where everyone is equal and everyone’s lives are technologically driven to happiness, there is one but no man who remembers what it was like to live in Bom Bahia.
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🍂While the city is changed and there seems to be a state of utopia on the surface, the story of how the city came to be what it is now, is harrowing and highly relevant to times today as well.
Layered with elements of ecological deterioration, the protagonist’s childhood, his part to play in the new world order, political agendas and propagandas, the tale is a strong statement on the various facets of Indian society; its mob, its corruption, its casteism, its classism and more importantly, turning a blind eye to injustices if it serves one’s personal purpose.
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🍂Gripping narration, an engrossing storyline, and a scathing recital, peppered with subplots from the last and the present, this dystopian account keeps you on your ends all the time, wondering what will happen next.
Highly recommended.
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🍂 Thank you hachette_india for this gifted copy, in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: dystopia, indian-literature, contemporary, science-fiction

“To kill a Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee

🍂”Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit’me, but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
– Harper Lee, To kill a mocking bird
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🌼If you have been a reader for some time, you would have definitely come across a mention of this classic, and most of you would have already read it.
But if you have not yet come around to reading this coveted novel, here are all the reasons why you should!
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🌻 A classic set in 1930s Alabama is told by the point of view of a little girl, Jean, fondly known as Scout, who is witnessing her father, who is a lawyer, struggle to stand for a black man accused of raping a young white woman, in a town surrounded by people of racial prejudice.
As the events unfold leading up to the trial, will Atticus Flinch, the father, uphold his morale even when everyone is against him?
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🌺 Easily one of the easiest to understand classics, the story flows lyrically, the words almost poetic, the intricacy of the characters so memorable, the words don’t leave you long after you are finished reading them. Compassionate, striking and deeply impactful, the book talks of important themes of racism and inequality, by means basic subtleties of life, of human behavior, its innocence, its kindness, its cruelty, its love, its hatred all at the same time.
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🍁 A masterpiece that takes a story of two kids growing up in a world where all things are not fair, and the conflicts of a father trying to be an example for his kids and do the right thing, the characterization makes for a great story that constantly keeps you hooked and brings out the messages in a poignant manner.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Genre: classic, fiction, historical-fiction

“Once Upon a Curfew” by Srishti Chaudhary

Set against the backdrop of 1970s Delhi, an era of Rajesh Khanna’s movies, the cold cozy winters of Delhi and a time when a wave of nationalism ran through the society, “Once Upon a Curfew” takes us through the life of our young protagonist, Indira Narayan, who wants to convert her grandma’s old flat into a library for women, one where she has left behind hundreds of books, collected over all her years of living there.
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Indira’s family thinks it is a suitable idea since it will keep her occupied until she marries her fiance, Rajat, who is studying in London for two more years.
But when she meets Rana, a young lawyer full of life and humor, and the Emergency declared in India, the world that she once thought was perfect for her, will turn upside down. What kind of life will she choose now?
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A refreshing take on the era surrounding the Emergency when the times were filled with political tension and yet Delhi was booming with life, it’s movies, it’s winters and it’s love for Bollywood movies, the plot digresses significantly from how the story first started.
The romance brewing between two young souls, against the backdrop of a library, does sound promising but the narration dragged a bit when the courtship of Indira was developing, and the book could have done better with fewer dialogues.
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Would have loved if the story moved in one direction and not scatter abruptly into subplots so much.
But with a strong plot-line, a very pleasant premise, lovable characters, an old school love story blossoming in a library and a peek into the yesteryear’s struggle of people during the Emergency, this book has all the elements for a cozy mushy read.
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🍂Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5
🍂 Genre: fiction, indian-literature, historical-fiction, romance

“The Farm” by Joanne Ramos

“The problem is that she is too pretty. When you are too pretty, the other parts of you do not become strong.”
-The Farm by Joanne Ramos
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Jane a struggling mother and an immigrant from the Philippines finds herself in a valley retreat, one where she can enjoy all the amenities, organic meals, private fitness trainers, daily massages—and all of it for free. And even get paid for her time there.
The only catch, “The Farm” is actually a fancy place to keep surrogates till the time they breed for their uber-wealthy clients.
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While the idea itself is really intriguing and fans of ‘The Handmaid’s tale’ would find themselves leaning towards the novel, but I felt the actual execution lacks the same harrowing and intense experience.
The story primarily revolves around Jane’s character and you do feel empathised by it, her innocence and motherly instincts make you feel sorry for her being trapped in a place like this, but the various subplots and narratives were all scattered here and there without coming to a tangible conclusion.
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The contrast between the rich and the poor and the emphasis on the wealth-divide between the two, by means of a subject like pregnancy, is very well portrayed and worth mentioning.
Overall, an average read touching on a lot of modern-day subjects that hold potential for a good book, if not for the various plots thrown in random directions.
Thank you @bloomsburyindia for the gifted copy in return for an honest review.
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Rating:⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Genre: fiction, contemporary, dystopia

“What Mina Did” by Geeta Menon

“What Mina Did” by Geeta Menon is a story about twenty-two year Mina, who moved to the US, to start a new life with her husband, after her mother’s death, to run away from her past demons and leave behind some twisted secrets.
Will she ever find peace? Or will she succumb to her internal conflicts?
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What started as an interesting plot, slowly lost track, and divulged into a confusing and unenthusiastic.
The relationship between Mina and her mother is portrayed very beautifully and piques one’s interest. But some of the portions of the book, which tries to paint a picture of how Indian society works turns out to be an enforcement of the already existing stereotyping which are so much more than a mere generalisation.
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The first few chapters of the book are worth reading but the latter part of the book failed to garner any kind of engrossment.
Overall, a book that promised a lot, but the diversion from the actual plot made the narration monotonous.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: fiction, indian-literature

 

“Snakes in the Meadows” by Ayaz Kohli

It is 1987 in the hilly village of Pathri Aali, Jammu, and Kashmir, two young lovers, Aslam and Ashwar dream of marriage and good things in life. But things never work out the way you think. Amidst unrest in the valley, Aslam leaves the village and Ashwar is bound to marry another man.
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How their lives take different turns and how the people of Pathri Aali are in a constant state of misery, both by the Army and the mujahideen, “Snakes in the meadows is a saga of the onset of militancy and the resilience of pir panjal.
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The author has penned each word beautifully describing the allure of Jammu and Kashmir and the way story proceeds, the atrocities that the villagers are subjected to and how each characters life advances, makes the book unputdownable.
The various subplots and shift in narratives do make the plot a bit confusing and I felt some of the subplots could be avoided for the sake of making the narrative more cohesive.
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All in all, a riveting and engaging read, filled with a lot of emotions and heart-rending stories of the perseverance of the people of Pir Panjal.
Rating :⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Genre: fiction, indian-literature

“Atonement” by Ian McEwan

“A person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn and not easily mended.”
– Ian McEwan, Atonement.
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It’s the summer of 1935, and a thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis misunderstands her older sister Celia’s relationship with their family gardener Robbie, and in a day a series of events will lead her to commit sin more grave than anything the price of which the two people have to pay for years, and she will be left atoning for it for the rest of her life.
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While the premise of the book is so enticing, the story goes real slow and the element of suspense and wonder what first made me go for this book was lost in the slow pace writing and overly detailed description. Very few books can make the narration from different POVs work, and this just didn’t work for me.
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The wartime chapters were extremely generic and unnecessarily crawling. Also, the idea of the ‘flawed’ judgment of a teenager, bringing in dire consequences felt like a fluke.
Other than that the writer has worked well with words and you can feel yourself looking forward to find out what happens next, in bits and pieces.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Reading difficult: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: fiction, historical-fiction, romance, classics, historical

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon

“Sometimes we get sad about things and we don’t like to tell other people that we are sad about them. We like to keep it a secret. Or sometimes, we are sad but we really don’t know why we are sad, so we say we aren’t sad but we really are.” -Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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The narrator and the main protagonist of the story, Christopher is an autistic child, trying to solve the mystery of the murder of a dog in the neighbourhood. Christopher has a thing for details, he loves maths but has his own eccentricities like hating certain colours and being abhorred by touching.
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On first glance, it sounds like a mystery like no one else, one that is seen from the perspective of a different child and sure enough, Christopher’s character is one to be loved for his practical and logical approach to everything around him, which also makes for a funny read.
However, the excessive focus on detailing steers it away from the plot and fails to pique interest as a true mystery novel.
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I would recommend this to know better about the lives and perspective of autistic kids and their loved ones who have a hard time taking care of them.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: fiction, mystery, young-adult, contemporary, psychology
Reading Difficulty: ⭐⭐/5