When I found the gem called ‘Cusk’
Her words first came to me when I was at the cusp of anxiousness, fear, and amidst a pandemic: like therapy that I didn’t know I needed. These were the sort of words usually said […]
Category: Books
Of characters and narratives
I asked my son one day if he wanted a Peter Rabbit storybook since he likes watching this series. His prompt reply was- “okay sure, but I want the Benjamin book”. Benjamin is Peter Rabbit’s […]
A mixed bag of writing- through the books I read and am reading
My reading has been very sporadic the past few weeks. When on some days the reading urge came with full throttle, on others it was slow, lingering, just making it through the day. But great […]
Summer by Ali Smith- the end of a journey called The Seasonal Quartet
I have always thought of the seasonal quartet as a large puzzle. One that I keep assembling, making attempts to inch closer to its completion. With every book in the quartet, one seems to take […]
Book recommendations from 2020- the year that was!
2020 was a year that I am sure started well for most of us- aiming our big plans- but caught us off guard with the increasing Covid-19 scenarios and the measures taken to curb it. […]
Salma’s writing is incisive in Women, Dreaming, and Kandasamy’s translation- seamless.
Women, Dreaming by Salma translated from Tamil by Meena Kandasamy is a story of a Muslim village in Tamil Nadu that holds firm dogmatic beliefs about religion, faith, and the position of women in society. […]
Elif Shafak mystifies with her iridescent writing in Honour
Honor means respect. And there are numerous ways in which one’s honor can be lost. But what, and who defines the rules and governs the loss of one’s respect? Mostly as humans, it is an […]
Inheritance by Balli Kaur Jaswal
Inheritance by Balli Kaur Jaswal is a family saga that explores multiple dimensions of a stereotypical society and how its implications can change the equations of relationships in a family. This family that is based […]
A Life’s Work is a work of refreshing candor, beautiful
I opened a bottle of scent and the fragrance first lurched at me with urgency. Peculiar, making me think if it is for me. But after a stroll when I sniffed it again I realized […]
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
Breasts and eggs- an exploration of a woman’s body asks a lot of questions, as it narrates the story of Natsuko-the main protagonist of Meiko Kawakami’s novel. The book is divided into two parts. Part […]