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Book maniac- Reader's Paradise, IISc, Bangalore (2026)

12/04/2023

The Graphic Cartoonist version of Sapiens is more impactful, precise, clear and effective.. that's what I would like to conclude after the first part.... Excited to start the second part ❤️

24/03/2022

1) The Handmaid’s Tale (1985)

2) The Testaments (2019)

I recently read these ones… and I am proud to say that these are must-read books by another brilliant Author!

Let me take you on the journey of Gilead…

But why do you need to read about it? Because if you are into fiction then, believe me, you would not want to miss this dystopian fiction for the world! (Pardon being sexist here) more so if you are a woman or feminist! The credibility of the content could be garnered from the facts that a) the book-based series called “The handmaid’s tale” on Amazon Prime has won eight Prime-time Emmy awards and Numerous golden globe awards, be it for best drama series or best actress. b) It’s written by Margaret Atwood the Canadian Author and I would highly recommend visiting her official website. Please go through her bibliography because this woman is the author of amazing books and articles.

Let the journey begin…

These books are based on the fictional town called Gilead where, because of drop-in fertility rates owing to STDs and environmental pollution, people have succumbed to the Handmaid system. So, in this system,

a) Women are deprived of any major roles in finances, education and are not even allowed to read and write. Only the “Aunts” (post-menopausal or the ones who vouch for celibacy) are allowed to read “certain books” (yeah “the edited bibles”). Women cannot do any jobs and cannot take any independent decisions in their life.

b) Fertile Women are enslaved as “Handmaids” (Please google/Wiki for “Bilhah” to know more about this) and are provided to elite ruling families as serving women. Women selected for being handmaids are the ones previously involved in adultery, multiple marriages, divorced, single/unmarried ones. What handmaids are made to do is holy crap!!! During every ovulation cycle, they are subjected to religiously ritualised and orchestrated r**e by the husband in presence of his wife…. till the woman gets pregnant. Women do not hold any right over the child. After the delivery, the woman is transferred to the other family to bear another child and the cycle goes on… this is just the start.

So many handmaids’ revolts but one of them succeeds in kicking the s**t out of Gilead!

The bizarre world raises so many interesting and gut-wrenching questions. It’s difficult to read (or more to watch). The book is about the survival and struggle of handmaids, the powerful satire on many women-associated stigmas that we have been fighting for centuries. Its thrilling spine- chilling and rewarding at the end.

I would say these ones are like fictional “Kashmir Files”, “The Handmaid files”

Some of my favourite quotes compiled from both the books are:

"But people will do anything rather than admit that their lives have no meaning. No use, that is. No plot."

"A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze."

"But who can remember pain, once it's over? All that remains of it is a shadow, not in the mind even, in the flesh."

"Live in the present, make the most of it, it's all you've got."

"The moment of betrayal is the worst, the moment when you know beyond any doubt that you've been betrayed: that some other human being has wished you that much evil."

“As they say, history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.”

“Once a story you’ve regarded as true has turned false, you begin suspecting all stories.”

“The truth can cause a lot of trouble for those who are not supposed to know it.”

“You’d be surprised how quickly the mind goes soggy in the absence of other people. One person alone is not a full person: we exist in relation to others. I was one person: I risked becoming no person.”

05/03/2022

The personal librarian
Hail to Marie Benedict!
The book is jointly written by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. The author Marie Benedict was certainly most sought after in my TBR list providing her illustrious work on the history of many significant and fascinating women. The book is a sketchy biographical tale of Belle da costa Green, the marvelous librarian of American giant financer J.P Morgan. She was a knowledgeable, talented, and skilled curator with a keen eye for precious art and manuscript. She is the woman behind the Pierpont Morgan Library, currently a museum and research library in New York.
The book is set in an era where racial segregation in southern America was at splurging worst. The ruthless racial segregation following the dynamics of “Democrats vs Republicans” politics is demonstrated from the lens of a “colored” woman (Bella da costa green). In order to succeed she lived a pretentious life (suggested by her mother) passing herself as “white”, leading to the maternal family split, parents’ separation, and constant fear of hiding the lineage as she navigates her path to glorious success. Ironically, she was the daughter of Richard Greener, -author of the essay “The white problem”-an activist fighting for Black American rights. The times when women even struggled to achieve the basic right to vote, she was a “colored woman” taking a giant leap and ascending the ladder of enormous success. Marriage was never an option for her as the constant fear of a child disclosing her racial inheritance was at the upper hand.
The best part about the writing style is the author took creative liberty at the right places and mentioned it at the end clear ly at the end of the book in the form of anecdotes. The book is totally engrossing and worth investing your time to truly observe what it likes to be in the era of racism, sexism, misogynism! An era of Jim crow laws, Ku Klux klan apush, radical republicans, and what not! A multifaceted thought-provoking indulgence I must say!

18/12/2021

Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng

This is one of the very few novels where I finished more than 50 percent of the book in the first sitting. It was indeed a gripping page-turner. I love reading drama, the real drama …the family, intense emotions, longing, vulnerability. This book has it all. Reading this book felt like you were passing through a lane with burning paper ashes in the air all around… and you wanted to know what was in those papers, why was it burnt. That is because the book starts- right from the first-page sentence- with a huge loss, the su***de of a teenage child! Initially, I was worried that it should not be a sobbing story of humiliation, molestation, r**e, or something of sexual assault genre, not to undermine that issue or to emphasize the aversiveness of mine, but to wish more unpredictability. The best part is that the book reaches out to address every aspect of your guessing and proves it wrong at every twisting point. You just cannot guess the outcome of a situation before it unfolds. I believe this kind of bearing the author should always have. Damn! Celeste Ng thanks for providing the tremendous track of humane emotions, the unfulfilled desires, to reflect on the broken heart, the shameful moments, the anguishes that we all carry in our subconscious minds. The culmination is su***de? Is it? Or not? It makes you see those weak selfish moments of humans in a new light.

Having said that I have read previously the “Little fires everywhere” and I must say that there is a pattern in her writing which delves with racial biases of the society. It was enlightening to know that perspective in her first book but the repetition is a shame! Because the book otherwise did wonders for me!

Happy reading fellas!

11/07/2021

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
A book about Shaker heights, a city which “always” has plan and head-held-high pride in its ways of life.
Two families, one of the tenant -single (Artist/Photographer) mother and daughter recently rented a house in this society- and the landlords- Parents and Four children- holds the central place in the book. Yes! different race, wealth status and lifestyle dynamics involved.
Book is about children, teen agers, mothers, fathers, society and tell-tale signs of what happens when we do not embrace the differences.
The story starts with a house of Elena Richardson (the landlord's) burnt down and then went back to fill in the gaps in detail. One goes through the marvel of children's innocence and ignorance at the same time. The secrets they keep, the failure of parents, the societal mishaps and all of this in an extremely gripping way. I was not able to put the book down and after long time I finished a book in such short time.
I would recommend to give it a good read, here are some of the most impactful quotes from the writing-
“Most of the time, everyone deserves more than one chance, we all do things we regret now and then. We just have to carry them”
“Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground, and start over, After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow”
“A lot of times, parents are not the best at seeing their children clearly”
“But the problem with rules, was that they implied a right way and a wrong way to do things, when in fact, most of the time there were simple ways, none of them quite wrong or quite right and nothing to tell you sure which side of the line you stood on”

26/06/2021

Finished this book nearly 15 days ago but still it rings in my head. So here I go... "Pachinko", the book's name, denotes mechanical gambling device originated in Japan, sort of similar to slot machines in say..Los Vegas. The Pachinko is integral part of the story both literally and metaphorically. It's all the thrill, luck, intuitions and the mind numbing stimulation that drives the story forward.
The story is of Koreans surviving in Japan during and after the war ("Zainichi" as they call it). The explicit to implicit transition of racial discrimination over three generations is effectively transcribed through various characters and events. The way we evolved, the discrimination has also evolved. The writer said it bluntly, without actually saying it ... Racial injustice exist and it will continue to exist.
A must read book from Japanese write Ming Lee.
Few excerpts:
"No one is clean. Living makes you dirty"
"Patriotism is just an idea, so is capitalism or communism. But ideas can make men forget their own interests. And the guys in charge will exploit men who believe in ideas too much"
"Living everyday in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage"
"In Seoul, people like me get called Japanese bastards, and in Japan, I'm just another dirty Korean no matter how much money I make or how nice I am. So what the f**k? "

31/07/2020

A very longgggg tale that goes on and on! And once you dive in you would be left bewildered by the incalculable uncertainty (the term totally apt for current scenario)
It's so much unforeseeable that after a while it becomes predictably unpredictable...
Clearly lot of twisting episodes feeling like coming straight out of daily soap operas ..! But you have to give it to Dickens for he had actually written it as small stories in a weekly newspaper for a very long time. Thts why it's meticulously woven like hell .. .
What impressed me..
Oh! You could relate to the innocence of Pip (the protagonist), even when he does something appallable still you could exactly point his intentions (right or wrong) coming from innocence , that gives it a sacred touch over all. You have to give it again to Dickens for always unapologetically glorifying the emotions. Importantly, focusing on magnifying and thus, clarifying the humane side of "piousness".
Remember how our whole existence depends on hope and planning for future. And also, how life always have surprises for us.. book is about that. Two aspects are intriguing
1)The protagonist fall for a girl (Estella) who treats him like s**t and is quite contemptuous. Infact, he ditches the really near and dear ones after falling for her, including his family and a girl who loves him. This girl who is clearly the mature and understanding one is far better than Estella. But Dickens decide to lean for Estella still because the feeling Pip had for her is flawless no matter however the person in question is thoroughly flawed. Quite cleache but he makes it realistically gullible.
2) The relation of Pip and a convict Magwitch. The surprising mystery element that ties the whole book together therefore could not reveal much about it.
It's a Charles Dickens opera show!! If you love classics .. go for it ...
Lastly the quote
The life is made of ever so many "partings", welded together - A blacksmith (Joe) once said..
📚 📙 📚

20/05/2020

'Democrats and Dissenters' by renowned scholar of political history , Ramchandra Guha.
Ironically, I loved the "Democrat" part of this book way better then the "Dissenter" part. And would recommend everyone to just read this well spoken and eloquently articulated book atleast once.
The book will take you to the tour of India from post-independence era till 2014, throughout reflecting the core of its societal issues and political obligations. The highlighted subtext is the comparision of our country with neighbouring asian countries. A comparative outlook on their vs. our post independence acheivements or forfeits. The book dealt with varied topics some enlisted
1) The brutal death of congress party in politics , the death which was lingering over this party since long. A party rich in history and important contributor in maintaing the integrity of nation at the time of utter incoherence of infantile independence that we achieved. What happened? How things spiralled down for this party? Guha din miss or budge through a single point!
2)The curbed freedom of expression of democratic india. Is it only our country? Why constitution provide norms to government to regulate the expression and channelize it in their own way? Is it healthy for society to thrive? What cost are we paying for harmonious run of this country
3) China and emphasize on cultural homogeneity (dominance of one over the another) vs. our heterogeneous embracement. Their empowered women vs. our gender hypocrisy.
4) Pakistan - a nation with religious foundation and at severe fanatic loss.
6) Our Kashmir issue vs srilankan LTTE issue. How violence find its place in democracy?
7) Caste system and tribal tragedies of India. A billion dollar question, would we be able to get over it ?
As Guha puts it; India is an unnatural nation and an unlike democracy, it's never destined for a smooth ride. We should perhaps count ourself fortunate that in all but few years of us, as independent nation, the Indian chaos has been manageable, the Indian anarchy humane, and the Indian disorder tolerable.
😊✌️

25/04/2020

Happy world books Day!! 💐📖📚📗📘📙🙏

21/04/2020

Becoming - By Michelle Obama ... 1) Becoming me - Her parents appreciated her fiestiness, a flame they wanted her to keep. She realized at an early age that in a class dominated by white people and male gender, she is no less smart than all of them. In fact they are just emboldened, floating on an ancient tide of superiority, buoyed by the fact that history has never told them any different. Also she soaked in that "failure is a feeling long before it becomes an actual result. It's vulnerability that breeds with self doubt and then is escalated, often with fear". She later on deligintly worked and got through Princeton and Harvard to become a lawyer.
2) Becoming we -
a) Going through mid-life crisis comprising deteriorating health of physically disabled father not ready to receive help along with her career change issues
b) Struggle of a couple with bit contrasting traits; she says- "he could live in an ocean, whereas I need a boat" A life her lover (Barack Obama)choses with all the chaos and wrathful scrutiny surrounding it, that she early on feared for his forceful intellect and ambition could swallow hers... But she married to man she deeply loved, faced the hiccups and the rest is history.
3) Becoming more - when all focus of media was to prove the lack of elegance and dignity in her attire. Attention was in what she was wearing rather than what she was saying or doing. The fierce lady, through a garden cultivated in white house, established her pet project "Let's move" ; A promising vision of setting America on the path of healthy food habits and fighting children obesity, along with "Rising high" for young people with simple message - you belong, you matter. I think highly of you. It's endearingly inspiring!
What it takes to be the wife of the President? It felt like a swan on a lake, knowing that her job was in part to glide and appear serene while underwater she never stopped paddling her legs....

22/03/2020

Norwegian wood- A book by the famous writer "Murakami" , one of its kind, loaded with bizarre and appealing imagination.
This book tingles our senses with beauty and remorse, promptness and timidness (sometimes all of it at once) The woven stances of confused and at time raucous, and yet convincing love story of a teen age boy "Watanabe" with A) the intriguing and emotionally challenged , so much so that she retreats from the world, the girl "Naoko" and B) the outgoing and vivacious girl "Midori". Then there is the middle aged woman character "Reiko", baffled with her own sexuality . Many things in the book cannot be described with "rightfully so" and thts the beauty of it.
The writing put-forth blending of every possibility of confused tenderness, the peaceful music and swinging mood which makes it an interesting read throughout.

The quote says
If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
Norwegian Wood ~~ Haruki Murakami

24/12/2019

Nadia Hashimi's A house without windows-In this book, the pediatrician, also an active politician and Newyork based novelist has putforth the Afghan women's case, disguised in murder mystery, unravelling of which require sequestering the essential cultural, social, moral, ethical (etc) elements of Afghanistan.
The wonderful quotes from the book straight entering to heart are

"Today, you will listen to the sorrows of my soul. Though tomorrow, you will forget all that has been told"

"Time passes differently through a women's body. We are haunted by all the hours of yesterday and teased by few moments of tomorrow. This is how we live- torn between what has already happened and what is yet to come."

"There is special kind of hurt in learning that your parents are not the angels or saviors you wish them to be .."

"Children always forgive their mothers. Thats the way God's designed them. He gives them two arms, two legs, and a heart that will cry 'mother' untill the day it stops beating"

The story unfolds majorly through two characters- Zeba, the peaceful mother of four, accused of her husband's murder and Yusuf the Afghani born -America raised lawyer defending Zeba's case seeking for his roots. Yusuf is trying to defend Zeba , who herself doesn't want to be saved.
Throughout the story several aspects are substantially covered. The male fragile ego or doused appeasing sense of patriarchial honor is brutally commented. The women sharing their bond in prison is truely a gem experience to read. The struggle of other secondary character Sultana, a hard hitting journalist and a feminist in true sense. The cultural codes and non sense norms of a render sightless society is must to read.
Impressed with Hashimi's writing skills, would definitely recommend her other renowned work such as "The pearl that broke its shell" and "When the moon is low"

Book maniac- Reader's Paradise

12/04/2023

24/03/2022

05/03/2022

18/12/2021

11/07/2021

26/06/2021

31/07/2020

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