Kari

I first heard of Kari from Whizkid. Never got around to it. Partly because i had some inexplicable disinterest towards graphic novels.

It took me about 20 pages to warm up to Kari. Then it wasn't hard to relate to her in most situations. There's a bit of a Kari in all of us I think. I am hoping that the to be continued promise will be kept.

N.P.

This was quite a random pick. But I was totally smitten by Japan, post Murakami. The author's name, Banana Yoshimoto, amused and intrigued me. The book was eerie, disturbing and interesting but it had an almost happy ending.

I quite enjoyed reading the book.

Return of the Bibliophile

I reviewed books for Just Femme once in a while. But not much reading happened.

I had to re-read The Book thief to get back into the reading groove.

And it has been quite a fun time. I started off with Haruki Murakami. It blew my mind (if it sounds like a teenagish phase, that's because it is. I am attributing it to the writer's block though) The book is fascinating. The Magic realism sucks into Murakami's world through every word. I knew half way through the book that I won't 'get' many things and there will be no 'happy endings' but i couldn't put it down.

T quite liked the black cat on the cover of the book. We named it Nakata and made up very many stories with Nakata, a cat who could speak to humans :)

Half Of A Yellow Sun

After reading Chimamanda's Purple Hibiscus I have been on the look out for her second book. And it is as brilliant and as realistic as the first one. Ugwu, Olanna, Odenigbo, Kainene and Richard do not get out of your head for a long time. It is not for leisure reading though. It shows the dark side of human nature at its starkest.

Picasso's War

At a time when one feels helpless that nothing one does will make a difference to the world, this book is the much needed truth. It makes you want to believe. It will tell you to be very very afraid of the violence and deceit the people of the world are capable of. But mostly it is the story of one man's belief, that will make you think, try a little harder and more than anything else, believe.

'Indian Summer' in winter

History that you will not read in Indian textbooks. I for one feel very vindicated on account of Gandhi but am not sure of the glorified Nehru legacy. An intimate look at the Raj, Independence and Partition. The romance between Nehru and Edwina didn't bother me and doesn't skew the narrative either.

After a long time...

Gosh, it has been 7 months since did an update here!!!!! But I have read many books, attempted many several more and happily forgotten about them. Partly because of paucity of time and mostly because, I hardly read anything that moved me (either way) to write about it.

The Hungry Tide (Amithav Ghosh) was different. I was in awe, I was terrified, I was moved, I was educated, I rediscovered the beauty of the written word all over again.

5 on 5 I'd say