“He put his arms around Charles, and Charles leaned against him, and for a moment they were quiet. It was then that he had a sudden vision of the two of them many years later, in some undated time far into the future. Outside, the world had changed: The streets had been overgrown with weeds, … More Vision of us, together – Reading “To Paradise”
The Watcher in the Shadows by Carlos Ruiz ZafónMy Rating: 3 of 5 Stars Somewhere on the path of life, when adulthood looms large and we end up seeing the horizons of the impending twilight more frequently than we would wish to, there are stops of childhood sped past that we reminisce the most – … More Doppelgänger, nee, Shadows?
The Midnight Library by Matt HaigMy Rating: 4 of 5 Stars This book. Especially in these times. This book. Like a little cocoon of warmth in the stormy evening. Akin to a genuine hug amid the phoney social circles. A love story with self. A cascade of calm. The Midnight Library, at its core, is … More Book Review: The Midnight Library (2020)
It is that time of the year when light reigns supreme – candles, diyas, sparkles and more illuminate our homes, streets, towns and cities, bringing people to banish darkness like a little child punished. This year, however, the light assumes new meaning. The light that we all have collectively yearned for. A light to take … More Diwali: Light in between books
Watchmen by Alan Moore (Illustrated by Dave Gibbons and John Higgins)My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars ‘Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?’. In other words, ‘Who will guard the guards themselves?’ .The undercurrent of this question is all over the novel and pretty much rocks the boat, both literally and figuratively. In 1970s of America, a bunch of costumed … More Book Review: Watchmen by Alan Moore (1986)
So at Mudita Book Club, of which I am a member, we decided to read all the 10 longlisted titles for the prestigious JCB Prize for Literature 2020. We had a book allotted to each one of us which we had to read and write a short review of. It was to be followed by … More #JCBwithMudita
A Burning by Megha MajumdarMy Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars Words. I know they are potent; they can bind and heal, rejuvenate and transform. But, I also know, in equal measure, they can kill. In ‘A Burning’, just a pale black string of words on a social media page makes a young Muslim girl, an … More Book Review: A Burning by Megha Majumdar (2020)
A perfect tequila shot. An apt teaser. A pitch perfect click. That’s just how the new short story from the Murakami land feels like. Capturing our attention, upping the stakes, leaving us thinking, never closing the possibilities. The short story is about a chance encounter of a traveller (who is also a writer) with a … More Short Story Review: Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey by Haruki Murakami (2020)
Quichotte by Salman Rushdie My Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars Stories beget stories. And amid nauseating realities, they are probably our only vehicle to a meaningful sail. There are people who need to impose a shape upon the shapelessness of life. And so, a Quichotte upon a Sam DuChamp, a Sancho over a Marcel DuChamp, … More Book Review: Quichotte by Salman Rushdie (2019)
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean VuongMy Rating: 5 of 5 Stars Memory. A twig to hang our old ages on, a current to charge our failed youth from; a blanket to hush our demons from the black, a spring to nourish our wounded dreams underneath. A whole. A hollow. And everything suspended in between is … More Book Review: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (2019)
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