A pale view of hills - Kazuo Ishiguro

Fiction
Verdict: Read it?

This book confused the hell out of me. A japanese woman living in England with a daughter are reminiscing about her other daughter, who had committed suicide. We then jump back to an earlier time when they lived in Japan. The main character was expecting and has a series of encounters with a decidedly weird neighbor and her unsupervised child.

I kept waiting for something to happen to the irresponsible parent and child, but other than trying to marry someone and move away....nothing much happens with them. I also did not get the opening chapter nor what that had to do with the rest of the book.

Read it and maybe it will make sense to you.

Dollar Bahu - Sudha Murty

Fiction
Verdict: Read it

One of Sudha Murty's earlier works, but still well worth the read. He writing is still a bit raw, but it works with the characters she's created. She spins the perfect divided house dynamic. A greedy grasping mother who wants her son to earn in dollars, she picks out the perfect wife for him and sends them to the US. Her other son marries a simple girl with no connections or money. Life doesn't work out as the mother hoped. While she has every material thing she could want, her well off son and daughter in law are distant from her. Never given any respect from her, her other son and daughter in law also find it difficult to be kind to her. 

The entire book is a brilliant skewer of families who think that having someone earning in dollars is the ultimate show off.

Read it.

Becky

Here There and Everywhere - Sudha Murty

Fiction
Verdict: Read it

As I mentioned, Sudha Murty has captured my attention in a big way. This book is a compilation of her best loved stories.

Simple characters, simple language, and a loving outlook on humanity, Murty weaves her magic. I read this on a train ride to Chennai. It was the perfect companion.


Definitely read it.

Becky

The Upside Down king - Sudha Murty

Fiction
Verdict: Read it if you like Indian Mythology

Sudha Murty is a recently new find for me as well and again, a thrilling one. Different from the coloquial stories about Kannadigas, Murty delves into mythology, adding her own twists and flares here and there.

I'm not so hot on mythological writing, but I absolutely loved this. As with her other work, Sudha Murty makes mythology accessible. Simple words, explanations where the reader may need them.

Worth reading.

Becky

The Better Man - Anita Nair

Fiction
Verdict: Read it

Anita Nair is a recent find for me, and one I am thrilled to have come across.

Nair's book is about a man who moves to a village and gets into an odd friendship with a painter. Stuck in his traditional house with difficult family, the protagonist questions his life and what direction it will take.

After the local politician decides to rob the painter of his land, readers get a glimpse into how difficult village life can be. Politics, jealousy, exclusion, land grabbing - it makes one never want to live in a village. There is none of the usual romanticism about villages.

The book is very raw in a good sense, there's no frills or pretensions.

Read it.

Becky

An Equal Music - Vikram Seth

Fiction
Verdict: Read It

I'll be honest. After reading the behemoth that was "A Suitable Boy", I was wary of reading any more from Vikram Seth. It was an excellent read, but holy hotcakes was it long.

I was not disappointed with An Equal Music either. If Seth knows how to do one thing well, it's weave a long and complex story, and he's done it here. Focusing on the affair between professional musicians in Europe, it has a different flavor than normal Indian novels. It still has the ever present melancholy and fatalism that marks so many Indian authors.

It's not a happy ending, and watching the affair dwindle off to nothing is almost as excruciating as watching the main character's love interest lose her hearing, which is devastating for a musician.

I found myself wondering just what the point of the main character's life was, until it resembled my own, which was of course infinitely depressing.

It's not short, or easy, but read it anyhow. Vikram Seth's stories really are well spun.

Becky

Tales from Ferosha Bhaag - Rohinton Mistry

Fiction
Verdict: Read it

All the previously discussed good things about Rohinton Mistry writing, but with a community focus rather than a single family. This is a compilation of short stories within a community that obviously features some of the same characters.

The beautiful thing about this book was how seamlessly Mistry leads you from one family to the next, one home to the next.

Definitely worth the read.

Becky

Family Matters - Rohinton Mistry

Fiction
Verdict: Read it

Rohinton Mistry is one of my favorites and he didn't disappoint in this book.

Set in a Parsi family, the plot winds around an aging Grandfather who injures himself and requires intensive care. The family dynamics, property disputes, and ducking of responsibilities are something that everyone can relate to. I really ended up feeling bad for the old man as well as the family that actually loved him because long term care is hard on the body and the wallet. 

Another thing I love about Mistry's writing is how well he blends information about Parsis into his writing. I learned about rites and rituals, family culture, and even language to some degree through reading this story. 

While it's rather lengthy, and to be honest a bit slow at certain points, it's well worth the time and effort.

Read it!
Becky

How I Became a Farmer's Wife - Yashodhara Lal

Non-Fiction
Verdict: Read it

This was another interesting one. I can't remember why I chose to rent it, but I was definitely interested.

The story is about a couple who have kids and a happy life but the husband has dreams of being a farmer. So he quits his job, finds a partner, and does just that. Obviously this isn't an easy task for him, not to mention the family supporting him.

The author is honest about the difficulties they face, sometimes hilariously frustrating as India is prone to be. The incident with the babas taking over the farm had me laughing in delight.

It was a little heavy on the spiritual angle for my taste. I really didn't need to know what she talked about with her yoga instructor, but hey, i guess that was how she coped.

The ending also didn't wrap up neatly. Her husband decided that even with the steep learning curve and some moderate sucess, that the first attempt had failed. But that didn't stop him from deciding to evolve his technique, find cheaper land, and try again.

It was refreshing to see people going after something they were passionate about.

Read it.

Becky

Indian Love Stories - Sudhir Kakar

Non-Fiction
Verdict: Read it

Another anthology about love stories, another book that was vastly different from what I expected.

Love in all it's manifestations, it's not always about roses and smiles, and warm fuzzies. Sometimes it's hard, or gross, or not what was expected. Another glimpse into a culture's version of love.

Not long or difficult. Take the time and read it.

Becky

Adultery - Farrukh Dandey

Non-Fiction
Verdict: Read it

Another book that turned out to be vastly different than I had expected. This is very surprisingly not about smut, or adultery, although there is a fair bit of that. What this book is about is relationships.

A collection of short stories, most of them do not turn out quite as you would have expected. I found this a bit disappointing, but it made reading it much more interesting.

Not a long or difficult read - take the time.

Becky

Afghan Rumor Bazar - Arbabzada

Non-Fiction
Verdict - OK

We've heard  a lot about the negative, violent aspects of Afghani culture, the war, and the taliban. The author of this book attempts to unravel the social quirks of Afghanis without resorting to any of the above. She strives to keep it as normal as any other society. Now mind you, not everything she says is flattering, but she largely avoids the mindless "Afghanistan is evil" idea Americans have been spoon fed. As the title suggests, the author insists that Afghanis like rumors.

It's not a difficult or long read, and if you're a culture junky like me, it's definitely worth the time.

Becky

Blue The Tranqbar - Hussein Ameena

Fiction
Verdict: Read it

This was an interesting one. Definitely not what I was expecting. Erotic Fiction for Sri Lanka. 

This is a collection of short, erotic stories. Surprisingly well written, they will definitely catch your attention. Sexual politics and attitudes will probably surprise you as they did me.

Read it. 

Mumbai Avengers - S Hussain Zaidi, Gabriel Khan

Non-Fiction with creative liberty
Verdict: Read it

This was a recommendation from a friend. I wasn't sure before I started it, but since I usually listen to him, I decided to give it a try. It was worth it.

India was reeling from the bombs that exploded in Mumbai. This is the story of the team that went after them. It's a police story that hits very close to home as it revolves around a tragic event. 

Touching on communalism, terrorism, and police mentality, this book is undoubtedly, as it must be, a pro-police viewpoint. One does end up cheering for Ret. General Waris as he is so dogged and passionate about his objective.

A good read for patriotic Indians who like a little masala. Or boys who like police stories. Either way.

Becky

My Days in the Underworld: Rise of the Bangalore Mafia - Agni Sreedhar

Non-Fiction
Verdict - Read it

This book chronicles a young man's journey through the seedy, criminal, gangster element that floated around (mainly) south Bangalore back in the 80's. 

As someone who currently lives in Bangalore, this was a hard thing to imagine, but the author made it come alive for me and made it fun. I wanted to root for him, but then would all of a sudden remember he was not a good guy!

There were also quite a few references to outside cities that would breed gangsters and goons who came to the city for opportunities. This was also fun to read about. Worth the time!

Becky

The Grass is Greener over the Septic Tank - Erma Bombeck

Non Fiction
Verdict - A Must

Erma Bombeck was a Lady humorist who was way before her time. She is one of my favorite authors - mainly because my grandmother had her books in the display case and I read them every summer. I simply never got tired of them. 

Erma's subject material is housewifery and being a mom. The trials of being a responsible adult. It's nothing new per say, but it's timeless funny and light hearted to read. 

Please do spend some time with Erma if you're feeling down.

Becky

P.S. Life is A Bowl of Cherries and This is the Pits - also another essential Bombeck!

My Feudal Lord - Tehmina Durrani

NonFiction
Verdict: Meh.

This is another story about how men are sexist and do not treat women right. Especially Middle Eastern Men. It's one woman's account of her marriage and how her husband thinks he runs the world. Unfortunately these stories are a dime a dozen, and there's nothing earth shattering or particularly interesting in this story. 

Please note that I think the author is brave and has a valid point. My Meh was not about her experience - it was about it being the same story told yet again.  The writing was nothing that caught my imagination and the hook-line about Feudal Lord was quite a bit overused.

If you're interested, by all means dig in, otherwise, nothing unusual here.


Becky

History of Modern India - Bipin Chandra

NonFiction
Verdict: Read it!

The title is pretty self explanatory for this one. However, this is one of the better explanations of Indian History that I've read. It will leave you pretty angry at the British if you have any sense at all. But still a fascinating read - not too long or heavy.


Becky

Widows of Vidharba

Non Fiction
Verdict: Read it.

Vidharba is a small village in the poorest district of Maharashtra, India. Farmer suicide in this district is epidemic due to financial difficulties and poor growing conditions.

I'll admit, this is a niche subject. But it's both interesting to see how the situation arose and heartbreaking to follow. 

Reading niche books about different populations helps people be compassionate and understand life outside their small bubble. Definitely spend the time on this one - It's not long or complicated.

Rebekah

Girls of Riyadh - Rajaa Alsanea

Non fiction
Verdict: Not the best on the subject - you can skip it

Girls of Riyadh is a compilation of stories and emails, and experiences by a group of friends in Saudi Arabia, mostly centering around love and romance. As most people are aware, Saudi is a difficult place for romance.

There have been many, many books on the oppressive nature of Saudi Arabia, especially for women. This covers exactly the same ground, only in candi-pop colors. 

I'm not sure who the audience was for this book, teenagers? The writing, characters, and situations come off as extremely juvenile. 

Not really my cup of tea. I felt that serious issues were being boiled down to gossip and boys. I also felt there was way too much apologism on behalf of the Saudi system of repressing women and taking away choices.

Rebekah