reading habit
Book Editor’s Note
It’s come to my attention that my quest to stay spirited has been getting hampered by how hot it has become. I swear I can feel some of the ennui leave me the moment I switch on the AC. These past couple of days, however, we’ve had overcast skies and a slight drizzle in Delhi, and in its honour I’ll recommend some of my favourite rainy day reads. But first, a dazzling set of new books for your reading pleasure.
A list of new releases
Fiction:
A mirror made of rain: by Naheed Phiroze Patel. A brilliant, heart-wrenching coming-of-age novel about wild, troubled Noomi and her relationship with her mother, as a rebellious teenager and as a complicated grown-up, as she finds herself caught living the same life her mother lived and struggled with: a self-destructive, damaging landscape of addiction and mental illness. It’s a breathtaking portrayal of some very difficult issues, done with grace and impact.
Are You Enjoying? by Mira Sethi. You’ve probably seen her in some of your favourite Pakistani shows, but that Sethi is a writer is a little-known hidden gem of a fact that you now get to indulge in. In her debut short story collection, she takes a wry, humorous look at life in Pakistan, chronicling people’s lives in everything from politics to celebrity-dom to domesticity. She has a talent for extracting the inner workings of human beings, and would be one to watch out for in years to come.
Project Hail Mary: by Andy Weir. I am all *grabby hands* with this one. From the author of ‘The Martian’ (amazing) and ‘Artemis’ (not as amazing, but still great fun) comes a new adventure in space about Ryland Grace, the lone survivor on a mission to find an alternative habitable planet as the Earth begins to die. I’m a huge fan of the way Weir tries to get all the science in his books as close to accurate as possible. And I’m doubly excited for this one because it’s already been optioned for a movie starring Ryan Gosling.
Hour of the Witch: by Chris Bohjalian. The bestselling author of ‘The Flight Attendant’—also a deliciously addictive show—is back, this time with a riveting historical thriller set in 1662 about Mary Deerfield, stuck in an abusive marriage and wanting to escape. But it’s not an easy time for women, and when strange things start happening around Mary—a boy she treated with herbs dies, mysterious objects are discovered buried in her garden—she must find a way to survive not only her marriage but a potential death sentence.
The Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News: by Meghna Pant. This needs to be turned into a movie, now. Thirty-four-year-old Ladoo is a simple middle-class divorcée who wants only one thing from life—a baby. She is trying everything—eating gondh halwa, drinking badam milk, and taking folic acid—to become the world's most fertile woman. But when she discovers that her “eggs are drying up” after all, she must race against time to find a suitable father for her baby, along the way learning things about being a single mother and finding love. This has both humour and heart.
Non-fiction:
This Life At Play: by Girish Karnad, tr. by Karnad and Srinath Perur. Although he needs no introduction, let me still tell you a little about Girish Karnad—he was one of India’s greatest cultural figures: an accomplished actor, director, administrator, thinker, public intellectual and an extraordinarily gifted playwright of his times. His memoirs, translated from the Kannada, take us through the first half of his life, his childhood and education, his beginnings in theatre, his career in publishing, and his film and writerly life. It’s moving and loving and gives you a rare glimpse into one of the greatest minds of our time.
The Secret to Superhuman Strength: by Alison Bechdel. We all know Bechdel from ‘Fun Home’, and perhaps even more so from the famous Bechdel test. In this new graphic memoir, she regales us with her lifelong love affair with exercise and fitness, taking us on a journey from her childhood to adulthood and every fitness fad that existed in between. But through this journey of conquering all things that can give her peak physical strength, she discovers something else about herself and the human need to live in relation with others.
A Functioning Anarchy? edited by Srinath Raghavan and Nandini Sundar. In this collection of essays, eminent historians, social scientists, ecologists and journalists commemorate the works of Ram Guha, the polymath, whose versatile thirty-five year old career has seen him break new ground in the histories of environment, equity, cricket, the Indian republic, and in his majestic multi-volume biography of Gandhi. It’s the story of a body of work that has chronicled modern India and its many hidden facets.
The Spirit of Enquiry: by TM Krishna. Krishna is a vocalist in the Karnatik tradition and an observer of the human condition. His works have covered a spectrum of issues, including music, culture, politics and society. This extraordinary collection brings together some of his most searing pieces, both old and new, and his honest and fresh perspective on caste, class, religion and gender, art and culture, the nation state, and more.
Notes on Grief: by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Every word Adichie writes hits like a punch. What began as an essay in the New Yorker about her grief over her father’s unexpectedly sudden death when she was continents away has turned into a meditation on the grief we all experience, over things myriad. She remembers her father in all her love for him and talks about his remarkable life. Most of all, she tells us about what grief leaves us with, and how it has the power to awaken something more human in us. This is pure love and memory and an absolute must-read.
Quick fixes, aka a few varied recommendations
For cloudy skies: ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ by John le Carré is not only a perennial favourite, but it is also immensely atmospheric. The Cold War automatically evokes a sinister mood, perfect to pair with those dark clouds, as you immerse yourself in the incredible world of George Smiley’s MI6 full of high-ranking moles and Russian nemeses.
For heavy rains: If you don’t love tough-guy-softie private investigator Jackson Brodie, you need to learn to love again. ‘Case Histories’ by Kate Atkinson is the perfect start to a series starring our suffering hero who, built on his own personal traumas, cannot help helping the bereaved and the downtrodden. This one is set in Cambridge, following three seemingly unrelated mysteries. It was also a TV show.
For drizzles: ‘The Flatshare’ by Beth O’Leary epitomises cosy. Tiffy and Leon have never met, but they share a flat. It’s a unique arrangement made possible by their contrasting work lives—Tiffy, who works in publishing, has the flat from the evening on until next morning, and Leon, who works nights, gets the flat for the day. As they start exchanging notes telling each other about their work and lives, it begins to feel like they can perhaps be more than just flatmates. ❤️
For thunder: I see that you’re making yourself a hot chocolate, and it’s best to pair that with ‘Chocolat’ by Joanne Harris. The movie was good, but the book is even better, with every page offering a description of chocolates that’ll fill you with a warm, gooey feeling. In a tiny French village arrives a newcomer, the beautiful Vianne, chocolatier, who stands for everything the people of the village have suppressed over the years—she’s a single mother who advocates for indulgence, which is not only limited to chocolate. It’s about awakening and living your life with joy and freedom.
For the quiet after: Anthony Doerr’s ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ is powerful, magical, tragic, moving and perfect for reading in stillness. Alternating between the lives of Marie-Laure in Paris and Werner Pfennig in Germany during WWII, it’s the stunning tale of their paths colliding in the most heart-breaking way. The writing is mesmerising, masterful. I cried completely through the last 70 pages of the book.
Note: Reading Habit is curated by our book editor Anushree Kaushal. Want to send along recommendations, feedback or just say hi? Email her at kaushalanushree@gmail.com.
