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_askthebookbug's Reviews (1.34k)
I’ve been trying to read more of short stories and surprisingly, this is the third collection I’ve read in the last two months. Hari Krishna Kaul’s For Now, It Is Night paints a vivid picture of Kashmir spanning across the decades. This collection of 17 stories was selected by his niece Kalpana Raina who sought out expert help from Tanveer Ajsi, Gowhar Fazili and Gowhar Yaqoob in having them translated. Kashmir and its troubled history has been written by various authors but what sets it apart is the nuanced and metaphorical manner in which Kaul writes. He highlights the mundanity of the people who live in this beautiful land, at times of friends and of growing hostilities. But more than anything, Kaul lets you read in between the lines to understand what he’s truly trying to say.
These 17 short stories capture the lives of people pre and post exodus. We see people displaced, now living in cities but unable to find peace without their motherland beneath their feet. We see aged parents abandoned or neglected by their children who move abroad or to metropolitan cities. We watch friends turn into enemies as the exodus nears. It almost feels like you’re seeing two sides of a coin. We see friendships spanning generations but some breaking easily as tensions rise between Hindus and Muslims. We see an old woman moving to Delhi to be in a non-Muslim society only to miss the land she grew up on. Kaul captures fragile emotions of ordinary people brilliantly.
Kaul leaves many stories to our imagination. He pushes us to read between the lines, to understand the gentle truth of humans and dissect the meaning that they carry. And he does so gracefully. The translation is quite good too. My favourite ones were A Late Winter in which see a father worried about his son who has moved abroad. He misses his son but also misses his homeland that he had to leave during the exodus. Other favourites were Sunshine, woes of an old lady trying to adjust to the modern times and The Lights on the Other Side which captures the hostility between two religions.
Bonus points for the wonderful cover. I recommend this. Thank you for the copy @harpercollinsin ✨
These 17 short stories capture the lives of people pre and post exodus. We see people displaced, now living in cities but unable to find peace without their motherland beneath their feet. We see aged parents abandoned or neglected by their children who move abroad or to metropolitan cities. We watch friends turn into enemies as the exodus nears. It almost feels like you’re seeing two sides of a coin. We see friendships spanning generations but some breaking easily as tensions rise between Hindus and Muslims. We see an old woman moving to Delhi to be in a non-Muslim society only to miss the land she grew up on. Kaul captures fragile emotions of ordinary people brilliantly.
Kaul leaves many stories to our imagination. He pushes us to read between the lines, to understand the gentle truth of humans and dissect the meaning that they carry. And he does so gracefully. The translation is quite good too. My favourite ones were A Late Winter in which see a father worried about his son who has moved abroad. He misses his son but also misses his homeland that he had to leave during the exodus. Other favourites were Sunshine, woes of an old lady trying to adjust to the modern times and The Lights on the Other Side which captures the hostility between two religions.
Bonus points for the wonderful cover. I recommend this. Thank you for the copy @harpercollinsin ✨
Two sisters. Wisa and Magali. Separated across time and space but desperate to find each other again.
Somewhere in this large universe are two more sisters. Myung and Laleh. Two girls who grow up within the Whale of the Babel, a universe that’s so big but still feels small to Myung.
There are talking animals and trees, lands that tests and then trusts you, people who are cursed to live on their island forever and then there’s this humongous purple whale in the Black Sea which sings when it’s angry or sad or loved.
Tashan Mehta creates a mesmerising world about sisterhood, love and sadness. But there’s also wonder and madness. A madness that makes people feel skittish and scared. This madness makes one want to build worlds and Wisa goes mad.
This story is layered, a never ending tale of everything beautiful. Dreams that takes you across islands and makes you meet your dead ancestors. Every island has a story of its own. But there’s a tale about the festival of madness that connects the dots together about why Wisa and Magali had to part all those years ago.
Mad Sisters of Esi is a captivating novel that exceeds one’s imagination. The descriptions are so vivid that it plays in front of your eyes like a technicolor movie. My only qualm was how complex the layered story was. At one point, it started to feel chaotic. A lot of things and characters were thrown in together to keep the story going.
But I do believe that this book will be a delicious treat for fantasy lovers. Brownie points for this gorgeous cover.
Quir, it’s hard to not fall in love with you and you’re the best bat
Somewhere in this large universe are two more sisters. Myung and Laleh. Two girls who grow up within the Whale of the Babel, a universe that’s so big but still feels small to Myung.
There are talking animals and trees, lands that tests and then trusts you, people who are cursed to live on their island forever and then there’s this humongous purple whale in the Black Sea which sings when it’s angry or sad or loved.
Tashan Mehta creates a mesmerising world about sisterhood, love and sadness. But there’s also wonder and madness. A madness that makes people feel skittish and scared. This madness makes one want to build worlds and Wisa goes mad.
This story is layered, a never ending tale of everything beautiful. Dreams that takes you across islands and makes you meet your dead ancestors. Every island has a story of its own. But there’s a tale about the festival of madness that connects the dots together about why Wisa and Magali had to part all those years ago.
Mad Sisters of Esi is a captivating novel that exceeds one’s imagination. The descriptions are so vivid that it plays in front of your eyes like a technicolor movie. My only qualm was how complex the layered story was. At one point, it started to feel chaotic. A lot of things and characters were thrown in together to keep the story going.
But I do believe that this book will be a delicious treat for fantasy lovers. Brownie points for this gorgeous cover.
Quir, it’s hard to not fall in love with you and you’re the best bat
Strange Sally Diamond is an unputdownable psychological thriller about a woman in her 40s who struggles to find her footing in the world after her father’s demise. Sally’s character reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant in many ways but with a much darker streak. From the moment I flipped the first page, I knew this would become one of my top reads of this year and I was not disappointed. Liz Nugent has a great knack for keeping the readers engaged as she goes on to weave a haunting story about a woman with a traumatic past. Our protagonist, Sally Diamond is a woman of few words. Having been homeschooled and limited access to socialize, she has a mind of her own - unbothered and unfiltered. It’s easy to mistake her for someone with autistic tendencies but as Liz pulls us deeper into the story, we realise it’s anything but that.
Sally Diamond is a character that evokes affection in the reader’s heart. Her seemingly routined life turns upside down after her father’s death as secrets start spilling out from a skeletal closet. Gory secrets from her past comes back to haunt her and we see Sally trying to make sense of this new world. We see this woman trying to make friends, navigating through conversations and speaking to a therapist to overcome all those years she spent being alone without actually realising how lonely she was. I certainly did not expect the book to end that way and I think it’s one of the things that makes this story so compelling.
Although this was an incredibly engaging book, it is in no way an easy one. It has dark themes like sexual abuse and r*pe amongst other topics. So I’d urge you to be prepared before diving into Strange Sally Diamond’s life. Filled with some expected and unexpected twists, this book was a complete package. I don’t think I’ve ever read a thriller this greedily. I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending this book.
Sally Diamond is a character that evokes affection in the reader’s heart. Her seemingly routined life turns upside down after her father’s death as secrets start spilling out from a skeletal closet. Gory secrets from her past comes back to haunt her and we see Sally trying to make sense of this new world. We see this woman trying to make friends, navigating through conversations and speaking to a therapist to overcome all those years she spent being alone without actually realising how lonely she was. I certainly did not expect the book to end that way and I think it’s one of the things that makes this story so compelling.
Although this was an incredibly engaging book, it is in no way an easy one. It has dark themes like sexual abuse and r*pe amongst other topics. So I’d urge you to be prepared before diving into Strange Sally Diamond’s life. Filled with some expected and unexpected twists, this book was a complete package. I don’t think I’ve ever read a thriller this greedily. I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending this book.
3.6
I always love a good Japanese crime thriller and even more so if it comes with a locked room murder mystery. Although this was my first time reading Seishi Yokomizo, I quickly fell into his amusing manner of storytelling. Translated for the very first time into English, The Honjin Murders takes us to the village of Okamura in 1937. When a newly wed couple is found dead on the day of their wedding, the wealthy Ichiyanagi family sets out to find the killer of their heir. As every murder mystery needs an eccentric detective to help solve the case, this story too has a young man with untamed hair and a stutter named Kosuke Kindaichi.
Very quickly it becomes clear that Yokomizo is a captivating writer. Although the story has certain grim details of the death, one can’t help but breeze through the book. What I loved was his ability to focus on the tiny details that pertained to 19th century Japanese culture. He describes the social status in great detail followed by various aspects of Japanese traditional architecture, which goes on to prove quite significant for the story. And most importantly, it was his locked room murder mystery that had me thinking.
This one had all the makings of a fantastic mystery and I see why it is still cherished as one of the classic murder mysteries. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that I loved the book until the end chapters. What threw me off was the usage of complicated and slightly confusing concepts to solve the murder. Perhaps this was why I couldn’t completely savour it. But it was in no way a bad book. Yokomizo’s ability to keep the readers hooked and second guessing about the killer was one of the highlights of this story.
But all said and done, I can’t wait to read more by Seishi Yokomizo. Big thanks to the publisher for the review copy ✨
I always love a good Japanese crime thriller and even more so if it comes with a locked room murder mystery. Although this was my first time reading Seishi Yokomizo, I quickly fell into his amusing manner of storytelling. Translated for the very first time into English, The Honjin Murders takes us to the village of Okamura in 1937. When a newly wed couple is found dead on the day of their wedding, the wealthy Ichiyanagi family sets out to find the killer of their heir. As every murder mystery needs an eccentric detective to help solve the case, this story too has a young man with untamed hair and a stutter named Kosuke Kindaichi.
Very quickly it becomes clear that Yokomizo is a captivating writer. Although the story has certain grim details of the death, one can’t help but breeze through the book. What I loved was his ability to focus on the tiny details that pertained to 19th century Japanese culture. He describes the social status in great detail followed by various aspects of Japanese traditional architecture, which goes on to prove quite significant for the story. And most importantly, it was his locked room murder mystery that had me thinking.
This one had all the makings of a fantastic mystery and I see why it is still cherished as one of the classic murder mysteries. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that I loved the book until the end chapters. What threw me off was the usage of complicated and slightly confusing concepts to solve the murder. Perhaps this was why I couldn’t completely savour it. But it was in no way a bad book. Yokomizo’s ability to keep the readers hooked and second guessing about the killer was one of the highlights of this story.
But all said and done, I can’t wait to read more by Seishi Yokomizo. Big thanks to the publisher for the review copy ✨
3.4
It’s no secret that I find domestic thrillers insanely addictive. There are times when I have finished a book in just a day, soaking up the adrenaline and suspense it has to offer. But the downside of such books is that it leaves no scope for imperfections. Loopholes and silly mistakes are often recipes for disaster. I went in to read The Babysitter with high expectations having read very good reviews of it on goodreads and I really did enjoy the first half of it. But quickly things started to fall apart in the second half. The pacing of the story felt a bit off. But this is the sort of story that has the ability to win over a major chunk of readers so you may as well like it.
Claudia is out on parole after a 10 year imprisonment for a crime she thinks she didn’t commit. When her daughter, Tilly goes missing 10 years ago, Claudia is taken into custody based on her mental health issues in the past. When she is finally released, she comes with the mission of finding her lost daughter and to find the real culprit. It doesn’t take long for her to realise that her ex-husband’s current wife and her babysitter may be involved in her daughter’s disappearance. Curtis builds a story around these three women, adding twists and turns that keeps you guessing.
When I sat down with this novel, I was quite convinced that I’d end up liking it because it had all the makings of a perfect domestic thriller. While the first half was perfect, it was the latter part of the book that didn’t work for me. It felt as though Curtis’s hold on the story slackened a bit which led to a chaotic and messy climax. The characters were interesting enough but not all of them could shoulder the responsibility of carrying the story. Nevertheless, this was a quick read and may very well work others. And this certainly won’t be the last time I’d be reading something by Curtis.
It’s no secret that I find domestic thrillers insanely addictive. There are times when I have finished a book in just a day, soaking up the adrenaline and suspense it has to offer. But the downside of such books is that it leaves no scope for imperfections. Loopholes and silly mistakes are often recipes for disaster. I went in to read The Babysitter with high expectations having read very good reviews of it on goodreads and I really did enjoy the first half of it. But quickly things started to fall apart in the second half. The pacing of the story felt a bit off. But this is the sort of story that has the ability to win over a major chunk of readers so you may as well like it.
Claudia is out on parole after a 10 year imprisonment for a crime she thinks she didn’t commit. When her daughter, Tilly goes missing 10 years ago, Claudia is taken into custody based on her mental health issues in the past. When she is finally released, she comes with the mission of finding her lost daughter and to find the real culprit. It doesn’t take long for her to realise that her ex-husband’s current wife and her babysitter may be involved in her daughter’s disappearance. Curtis builds a story around these three women, adding twists and turns that keeps you guessing.
When I sat down with this novel, I was quite convinced that I’d end up liking it because it had all the makings of a perfect domestic thriller. While the first half was perfect, it was the latter part of the book that didn’t work for me. It felt as though Curtis’s hold on the story slackened a bit which led to a chaotic and messy climax. The characters were interesting enough but not all of them could shoulder the responsibility of carrying the story. Nevertheless, this was a quick read and may very well work others. And this certainly won’t be the last time I’d be reading something by Curtis.
I’m all for romance but I draw the line when it turns into an absolute cheesy mess. Have you watched those Hallmark movies where people fall in love with each other in a matter of few days and everything works out perfectly well? Three Holidays and a Wedding is exactly like that. One of the things that I liked about the book was the inclusion of certain customs and traditions that not many usually talk about. But in all honesty, I couldn’t wait to wrap it up because it was clear right from the start about how the story would end. If you’re a hopeless romantic who enjoys all things Christmassy, then this may be right up your alley.
Maryam and Anna strike up an unlikely friendship on a plane on a turbulent winter day, on their way to Toronto. While Maryam is flying with her family to host her sister’s wedding, Anna is on her way to meet her boyfriend Nick’s parents. Both the women aren’t entirely happy with their lives and when their plane takes a detour to a tiny town called Snow Falls due to bad weather, things spiral into chaos. This town is as Hallmarky as it can get with impossibly nice residents who go out of their way to help these stranded passengers.
When Maryam meets her childhood crush and Anna meets a mysterious man, it doesn’t leave much room to see where the story eventually leads to. Apart from the romance, the story had many loopholes. The characters were too good to be true, and there was too much going on with them.
I would only recommend this book to those who can handle corny characters and mushy dialogues. This certainly wasn’t for me.
Thanks for the copy @penguinindia ✨
Maryam and Anna strike up an unlikely friendship on a plane on a turbulent winter day, on their way to Toronto. While Maryam is flying with her family to host her sister’s wedding, Anna is on her way to meet her boyfriend Nick’s parents. Both the women aren’t entirely happy with their lives and when their plane takes a detour to a tiny town called Snow Falls due to bad weather, things spiral into chaos. This town is as Hallmarky as it can get with impossibly nice residents who go out of their way to help these stranded passengers.
When Maryam meets her childhood crush and Anna meets a mysterious man, it doesn’t leave much room to see where the story eventually leads to. Apart from the romance, the story had many loopholes. The characters were too good to be true, and there was too much going on with them.
I would only recommend this book to those who can handle corny characters and mushy dialogues. This certainly wasn’t for me.
Thanks for the copy @penguinindia ✨
The Inugami Curse is a classic Japanese detective novel, one whose characters are eccentric and a plot that dips and turns ever so often. Written by Seishi Yokomizo, this is a part of the famous Kindaichi series. Just a few weeks ago, I read the very first book of the series (The Honjin Murders) and although the story was quite unique the technical aspects of it left me a little confused. The Inugami Curse is a straightforward story but not without its own dark twists. The translation by Yamasaki Yumiko is fantastic, not leaving much room for interpretation.
The story begins with the death of Sahei Inugami, a wealthy textile empire magnet. Sahei dies a natural death and to the people of Nasu, he was nothing less of a hero. But contrary to the public, his family doesn’t share the same sentiments. Sahei leaves behind a will that causes much anger and hatred for the family members towards each other. He shares a complicated family history and the will only adds fuel to the already raging fire between his illegitimate daughters and their successors. It is then that the famous detective Kosuke Kindaichi is called upon to protect the family from the impending murders.
Kindaichi, with his unique quirks finds himself facing a case so strange that it takes all his time and intelligence to solve it. The mystery is in no way a complex one but Seishi certainly has a knack for making them strangely interesting. However, it did take time to get used to the names and their roles. I could guess a couple of things but I was far away from solving the entire mystery. Perhaps this is why I liked this better than The Honjin Murders.
The Inugami Curse will make for a good one time winter read.
The story begins with the death of Sahei Inugami, a wealthy textile empire magnet. Sahei dies a natural death and to the people of Nasu, he was nothing less of a hero. But contrary to the public, his family doesn’t share the same sentiments. Sahei leaves behind a will that causes much anger and hatred for the family members towards each other. He shares a complicated family history and the will only adds fuel to the already raging fire between his illegitimate daughters and their successors. It is then that the famous detective Kosuke Kindaichi is called upon to protect the family from the impending murders.
Kindaichi, with his unique quirks finds himself facing a case so strange that it takes all his time and intelligence to solve it. The mystery is in no way a complex one but Seishi certainly has a knack for making them strangely interesting. However, it did take time to get used to the names and their roles. I could guess a couple of things but I was far away from solving the entire mystery. Perhaps this is why I liked this better than The Honjin Murders.
The Inugami Curse will make for a good one time winter read.
// Hellfire by @leesagazi
Hellfire by Leesa Gazi is a stunning book that has a very dark undertone to it. The start is seemingly normal yet astonishing when Lovely, a forty year old woman steps outside of her house alone for the very first time. She feels fear and anxiety as she goes to the market, a million thoughts racing in her head about all the other places she can visit. Mentally, she feels like a teenager but outwardly she's just an awkward middle aged woman. Lovely is still shocked by her mother's kindness for being let outside alone and she can't help but feel sad that her sister, Beauty isn't with her to enjoy this sliver of freedom. This story takes place in a single day with Gazi giving us a peek of this strange family's past ever so often.
Lovely and Beauty grew up under the hawk like gaze of their mother. They have no friends, no husbands and no freedom. The two women start seeing nothing wrong in their mother's behaviour after years of being confined. Farida, the mother however loves her daughters fiercely because why else would she protect them so hard? The story unravels during Lovely's unexpected journey to the city on her birthday, Gazi cleverly divulging details of their past as well as the present day events. Secrets are disclosed, drawing sharp breaths from the readers. This novel, which initially seems straightforward has a complexity to it in the way the characters are woven. The jealousy and cunningness that exists between women, the poisonous words dipped in honey uttered to each other; all of these are laid bare in the story. Relationships are often not what they appear to be and Gazi explores exactly this.
This book would perhaps be a perfect fit for mental health month. There's a lot to unpack from this story, the end most assuredly taking the story to different heights. I recommend this.
Hellfire by Leesa Gazi is a stunning book that has a very dark undertone to it. The start is seemingly normal yet astonishing when Lovely, a forty year old woman steps outside of her house alone for the very first time. She feels fear and anxiety as she goes to the market, a million thoughts racing in her head about all the other places she can visit. Mentally, she feels like a teenager but outwardly she's just an awkward middle aged woman. Lovely is still shocked by her mother's kindness for being let outside alone and she can't help but feel sad that her sister, Beauty isn't with her to enjoy this sliver of freedom. This story takes place in a single day with Gazi giving us a peek of this strange family's past ever so often.
Lovely and Beauty grew up under the hawk like gaze of their mother. They have no friends, no husbands and no freedom. The two women start seeing nothing wrong in their mother's behaviour after years of being confined. Farida, the mother however loves her daughters fiercely because why else would she protect them so hard? The story unravels during Lovely's unexpected journey to the city on her birthday, Gazi cleverly divulging details of their past as well as the present day events. Secrets are disclosed, drawing sharp breaths from the readers. This novel, which initially seems straightforward has a complexity to it in the way the characters are woven. The jealousy and cunningness that exists between women, the poisonous words dipped in honey uttered to each other; all of these are laid bare in the story. Relationships are often not what they appear to be and Gazi explores exactly this.
This book would perhaps be a perfect fit for mental health month. There's a lot to unpack from this story, the end most assuredly taking the story to different heights. I recommend this.
I very rarely indulge in espionage thriller but I Am Pilgrim has convinced me to read more from this genre. Written by Terry Hayes in 2014, this chunky book is a gripping read that surpassed my expectations. It didn’t take me long to learn that Hayes is a fantastic writer. There were so many good dialogues in the book that I wanted to annotate them all. The protagonist is built in a way that is bound to impress its readers and obviously so, because where’s the fun if he comes with a boring past and a normal family? He has many names but in the end only one of them will matter. Pilgrim.
When a regular homicide turns into something more complicated, the FBI seeks out Pilgrim’s help to crack the case. This sets things into motion and eventually turns into a rabbit hole situation where Pilgrim will meet his greatest challenge till date. Spanning across, Europe, America and the Middle East, we see Pilgrim in pursuit of a ghost of a man equipped with the deadliest weapon and a burning vengeance. This intimidating novel of over 700 pages is a carefully crafted book that covers many complex background stories. Pilgrim is far from a perfect man and comes with his own set of flaws. He lives a reclusive life and maintains no relationships apart from an unexpected friendship with an FBI officer.
I Am Pilgrim is a wild ride, one that is long but worthwhile. It now makes sense that this book has been considered a classic in the genre. Now, almost 9 years later Terry Hayes is back with The Year of the Locust and I, for one, can’t wait to read it.
Thank you for the review copy @penguinindia
When a regular homicide turns into something more complicated, the FBI seeks out Pilgrim’s help to crack the case. This sets things into motion and eventually turns into a rabbit hole situation where Pilgrim will meet his greatest challenge till date. Spanning across, Europe, America and the Middle East, we see Pilgrim in pursuit of a ghost of a man equipped with the deadliest weapon and a burning vengeance. This intimidating novel of over 700 pages is a carefully crafted book that covers many complex background stories. Pilgrim is far from a perfect man and comes with his own set of flaws. He lives a reclusive life and maintains no relationships apart from an unexpected friendship with an FBI officer.
I Am Pilgrim is a wild ride, one that is long but worthwhile. It now makes sense that this book has been considered a classic in the genre. Now, almost 9 years later Terry Hayes is back with The Year of the Locust and I, for one, can’t wait to read it.
Thank you for the review copy @penguinindia
I had never read anything by Twinkle Khanna until Welcome to Paradise. Having watched her interviews, I always knew that she had a sharp wit and a fantastic humour laced with sarcasm. In Welcome to Paradise, you do see her quirky writing style peppered with clever and humourous dialogues but there’s also an amount of seriousness to her characters. She has undoubtedly balanced it well.
Welcome to Paradise has five different stories that explores human nature and their relationships with those around them. In one story, we see a daughter coming to terms with her mother’s death all the while trying to get hold of her brother. There’s a past of addiction, violence and general disagreements. In the next, a mother struggles with her son’s untimely death. But my favourite of all was that of an octogenarian who writes a letter to the govt asking them to approve her request to end her life because there’s not much left for her to see. The stories are simply written but they carry an undercurrent of sadness.
The famous wit of the author pops up now and then but this book is ultimately a serious one. Handling topics like violence, death and infidelity, she manages to talk about complex human relationships. Her way of writing is very nuanced and breezy, making this a good one time read. You can finish it in two sittings over the weekend and it also works as something that can get you out of a slump. Although I did enjoy it, I wasn’t completely blown away. However, I will certainly read more by the author.
Thanks to the publisher for sharing the review copy.
Welcome to Paradise has five different stories that explores human nature and their relationships with those around them. In one story, we see a daughter coming to terms with her mother’s death all the while trying to get hold of her brother. There’s a past of addiction, violence and general disagreements. In the next, a mother struggles with her son’s untimely death. But my favourite of all was that of an octogenarian who writes a letter to the govt asking them to approve her request to end her life because there’s not much left for her to see. The stories are simply written but they carry an undercurrent of sadness.
The famous wit of the author pops up now and then but this book is ultimately a serious one. Handling topics like violence, death and infidelity, she manages to talk about complex human relationships. Her way of writing is very nuanced and breezy, making this a good one time read. You can finish it in two sittings over the weekend and it also works as something that can get you out of a slump. Although I did enjoy it, I wasn’t completely blown away. However, I will certainly read more by the author.
Thanks to the publisher for sharing the review copy.