Write-ups and reading lists of our members in September 2023
Our top reader Arun Kumar book reads count in September is an impressive 26. Looks like it’s going to be his top reading month for the year, but we will have to wait for three months to find it out. We re-discovered R.K. Narayan through The Guide, which was one of the case studies of Dr. Preetha Vasan in her presentation Plot vs Narrative : Nuances of Storytelling [11-Jun-2023]. There seems to be an abiding interest in the fantasy genre by readers. Fizza Younis, felt the Caraval trilogy lukewarm initially, but as the story progressed, she was impressed: Magic, mystery, and romance are all entangled in a deadly dance. No one can be trusted and nothing is as it seems. It’s also one of the best examples of character development I have witnessed in fantasy books.
- Just Like Papa by Nandita da Cunha
- The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Karuna Ezara Parikh
- Where Stories Gather by Karuna Ezara Parikh
- My Trip To La-la Land by Nandita da Cunha
- The Block Printed Tiger by Joeanna Rebello Fernandes
- The Cat Who Became King And Other Stories From India by Dhan Gopal Mukherji
- Kokachi & Makachi Down To The Village by Greystroke
- Chhoti by Anam Fatima
- Long Shadows by David Baldacci
- My Story, My Voice: Sita and Helen by Shailee
- Fox’s Favourite Autumn by Fiona Barker
- The Power of Henry’s Imagination by Skye Byrne
- Before We Visit The Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- The Dot by Peter Reynolds
- Fierce-face The Tiger Jungle Stories by Dhan Gopal Mukherji
- Clean Bowled by Zai Whitaker
- Days At The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
- The Dog With Two Names by Nandita Da Cunha
- I Named My Sister Silence by Manoj Rupda
- The Guide by RK Narayan
- Waiting For The Mahatma by RK Narayan
- Sangati published by TELSA
- A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood
- Evil Under The Sun by Agatha Christie
- World’s Best Girlfriend by Durjoy Datta
- Train To Pakistan by Khushwant Singh
Days At The Morisaki Bookshop
This is translated Japanese book, dealing with power of reading and magic of books. Deals with relationships, the second-hand bookshop and the neighbourhood.
I Named My Sister Silence
This is Hindi book translated into English. It’s about an adivasi boy reaching heights and returning home to look for his sister who goes to forest to join the movement.
- Fear Of Success by Sanjay Barman
- Acres Of Diamonds by Russell Conwell
- I Am Enough by Marisa Peer
- Sleep by Nick Littehales
Sleep
This book is by a sports coach who talks about the way to plan for football league, on how to get the best of sleep. He calls it as restoration. His logic is completely based on the approach that we need to sleep as if we were on an island without modern facilities that we are having i.e he says we treat bedroom as extension to other room. We have all the luxuries in the name of TV, gaming console , books and the biggest culprit our cell phone. He talks about how we need to have pre-sleep routine and post-sleep routine and how to use sleep in the best possible manner to get maximum benefit of sleep.
- Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson #4) by Darynda Jones
- The House Witch (Book 3) by Delemhach
- The Duke And The Dressmaker by Eva Devon
- The Duchess And The Wolf by Lydia Drake
- Fifth Grave Past The Light (Charley Davidson #5) by Darynda Jones
- Caraval #1 by Stephanie Garber
- Retrouver by Jordan Elizabeth
- Legendary (Caraval #2) by Stephanie Garber
- The Portal: A Guardian World Halloween Ghost Story by Bella Andrews
- Finale (Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber
- A Pocket Full Of Rye by Agatha Christie
Caraval Trilogy
Set in a fantasy world, the story seems simple in the beginning but becomes more and more intriguing with each book. The tale revolves around two sisters, Scarlett and Tella, and a magical Caraval hosted by a man no one knows anything about. They call him Legend, and it is said his Caraval is the most extraordinary experience anyone can have.
Since childhood, it’s been Scarlett’s dream to attend Legend’s Caraval, but her father doesn’t allow them to leave the island. And she grows up with her dream unfulfilled. Now, preparing for her marriage, she hopes to have the freedom her father has denied them. But Tella doesn’t trust her fiancé, an unknown man their father selected. She is sure he will be just as bad as their father. Unlike her older sister, Tella has a different plan to leave the island.
Staging a kidnapping, she takes Scarlett with her. And the two sisters finally leave the island that has always been more like a prison than home. What awaits beyond it, is nothing either of them could have imagined. Magic, mystery, and romance are all entangled in a deadly dance. No one can be trusted and nothing is as it seems. At least Legend lives up to his name, but whether he is a hero or a villain is yet to be determined.
With each book, the stakes get higher and the game becomes deadlier. The sisters are in the midst of it all. Soon, they will have a choice; to leave or to stay and fight for all the things they believe in.
What makes the trilogy truly exceptional is its unpredictable nature. The plot, initially devoid of rhyme or reason, gradually reveals a grander design as the story unfolds. It’s also one of the best examples of character development I have witnessed in fantasy books. Both sisters and their love interests grow with the story making it all the more captivating.
Overall, I enjoyed all three books, but it wasn’t an instant favorite. In fact, I thought ‘Caraval’ was average and even considered not reading the second one. Yet, I was curious to know what would happen next. ‘Legendary’ is when I knew this would be my favorite series. And the ‘Finale’ proved me right.
- Prisoners Of Geography by Tim Marshall
A friend at office recommended and lent the book to me. It is about the geo politics and goes around the world. Shows, how each country is apprehensive of its neighbours. Reading through the book, it appears that we all are seating on a powder keg and the world can go to an ugly war any time, one party miscalculates its neighbour. I found the book to be interesting and also increased my knowledge of some of the conflicts and history/geography behind those mistrusts.
- The Guide by R.K.Narayan
The book is about a tourist guide Raju’s life. How he meets Rosie who aspires to become a dancer, how he becomes a godman forms the rest of the story. R.K Narayan uses multiple narrative style. One narrative is about the time when Raju was a tourist guide and meets Rosie. Another narrative is about Raju when he acts a godman. The ups and downs of Raju’s life are shown very well. The book is written in simple language and grounded in reality. The scenes where people think Raju is a godman and the following funny scenes are bound to give you chuckles. Guide, like other RK Narayan books is known for its satirical humour. Finally the story ends ambiguously, leaving the fate of the character to the readers.
- Bangad Kila (Gujarati)
- Yudasinte Suvishesham (Malayalam)
- World’s Best Boyfriend by Durjoy Datta
- Book Of Rachel by Esther David
- Goa by Asif Currimbhoy
- The Pursuit Of Love by Nancy Mitford
- The Guide by R.K. Narayan
