A House for Mr. Misra - Jaishree Misra

NonFiction

Verdict: Read It (5/5)

Overview:

I Picked up this very small book from Bookworm. The cover artwork is very nice. This is the first book I've read by Jaishree Misra.

This novel revolves around an Indian couple that has moved from Britain back to India. The main character, whose name is not disclosed beyond Mr. M's wife, is a Malayali from Kerala. her husband is vaguely from "North India". They purchase some land and proceed to deal with the idiocy that is India anytime anything official or bureaucratic happens. 

What I Enjoyed:

I think anyone who has purchased a home of any type in India can relate to some (or all!) of the struggles that the Misras' went through. I certainly could. Trying to do things both by the book and with a workaround will never go as planned, and will possibly become very difficult. A well-written and edited book. 

What I Disliked:

I wanted this novel to be longer and have more details. While I could appreciate the beauty of a short story about an isolated subject, I really wanted to know more about the Misras and the process of their house. 

Summary:

Another rainy afternoon delight, it's short but entertaining and worth it. If you understand India, bureaucracy, and property, this is a book for you. Read it!

~Becky~

Black River - Nilanjana S Roy

Fiction

Verdict: Read It (4/5)

Overview:

It seems I haven't been diligent about writing reviews since I returned from the US some 4 months back. Shame shame and all that jazz. Now I have a stack of books to complete and this was on the top.  Ahem. Anyhow.

Black River is a novel that I picked up from my fav bookstore, Bookworm. This is the first book I've read by Nilanjana Roy.

 The novel opens with a pastoral scene that quickly devolves into a very unfortunate murder of a young girl, Munia.  What ensues is a murder mystery that doesn't follow the typical Sherlock Holmes/Police Detective template. The details are slowly revealed whilst wandering around in memories. 

What I Enjoyed:

A very simple read in terms of language and plot, the book still delights in that it is well-written and well-planned. The murder mystery is like the end of a ball of yarn that takes the entire novel to unravel. A host of characters, tied together by odd relationships, bring us through present and historical side plots. The characters were simple and easy to identify with, yet not shallow. I know I didn't mention much here, but the beauty of this novel is how it unravels and  I don't like spoilers.

What I Disliked:

There wasn't much I disliked about this novel. 

Summary:

A light read, this mystery is a great companion for a rainy afternoon. It won't take long to read, and the characters and plot are simple and enjoyable. Read it!

~Becky~

Modern Romance: Aziz Ansari

 NonFiction

Verdict: Read it

Another result of my wandering down the comedy isle in the library, I decided to give Aziz Ansari a chance.

Expecting a light read of observational humor, this was a pleasant surprise. Ansari delivers a research paper worth of information on modern romance - and humor to boot.

I won't go into all the subtheories nor data he provides, it's extensive, but I will say it was a nice way to pass an afternoon. 

Read it!

~Becky~

Our Best Intentions - Vibhuti Jain

Fiction

Verdict: Meh

It kills me to admit this, but I am finding a difference with Amerian born Indian authors and those born in India. Try not to die from surprise, but I find it hard to accept. I have indeed been missing Indian literature. 

Vibhuti Jain walks us through the life of a fragmented Indian family and the fallout from an interaction that goes wrong between teenagers that results in their lives getting turned upside down. 

I found the writing tedious and slow quite often, but if one looks, there are a few curious themes that stick out to me. Ones that suggest perhaps Vibhuti was not born in the US after all but migrated here. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, just surprising considering how...well....American the writing is. I'm guessing the protagonist in the novel has a similar situation to Vibhuti. And judging from how deeply personal the family disfunction is written, I'd guess she's been through that or something similar. Anyhow, not important.

The protagonist - Anjali, or Angela if you buy the name change line - happense upon her crush after he has been stabbed next to the highschool. There's a not well fleshed out subplot on the girl accused of doing this, but it takes no time in the story line. There's a big go round about who's actually to be blamed and who people would like to blame (Author nailed small town USA!) and many puzzling interactions with police, politicians, and the community that pass far more pages than needed. I understand you have themes....but there's a better way to get that across. I won't reveal the end as then you'd have no reason to read it. 

In general, I advocate for reading things that help you understand others....I don't feel this suits that purpose at all. However, if you're interested, dive in.

~Becky~

Happy Go Lucky - David Sedaris

NonFiction

Verdict: Read It!

David Sedaris has long been a favorite author of mine. I find his humor divine and just a touch too real without denegrating anyone. It's glorious. 

I didn't find much work by him at my local library, but I did find this one and I'm so glad I did. If you are familiar with Sedaris's work, you expect humor. This book was indeed humorous, but in a gentler, more observational way. The central theme of the book is the end of his father's life. A father who for sure was an unrepentant asshole his whole life....until he wasn't at the end. Sedaris has multiple siblings and walks the reader through a variety of reactions to the end of a life of someone close to him and his siblings. His partner is a central theme and a redeeming grace for the reader - someone supports David, even if it is in an odd and off beat way. 

I'm not at all disappointed, but I did find myself quietly contemplating what he had written more than perhaps I would have with other works. The underlying theme is that familial relationships and death are fucking hard. With a Grandfather well into his 90's and slowly declining, I could relate a little too well. I'll never advocate skipping any Sedaris work you can get your hands on and this is no exception.

Read it!

~Becky~

I'm Glad My Mom Died - Jeanette McCurdy

NonFiction

Verdict: Read it!

I've recently been going to therapy and, like so many before me, have found myself staring my childhood and it's accompanying relationships in the face with an analytical glint in my eye. I have the say that the timing for reading this book (although let's be honest - that's why I chose to read it) was faulty at best. Childhood trauma, either your own or someone else's, is best in small doses - and not at the same time.

That being said, it was an excellent book. We wonder why children who grow up in Hollywood fare so poorly over the long run, but with childhoods like Jeanette's, it's not that hard to comprehend. While I couldn't identify with many of the experiences the author details, I definitely could identify with the trauma patterns she clearly exhibits. I found myself wanting to tuck her in a pocked full of cotton and keep her there until all the nutcasery disappears - to protect her. Of course that's absurd. I don't know her at all. 

I won't go into the details nor the story line, it's worth unwinding yourself if you wish to walk down that path. I find it useful to study trauma, but I get it that not everyone wants to or is willing to. I still find it to be a worthwhile read, even if you didn't like I-Carly.

~Becky~

Dump Em: How to Break Up with a: - Jodyne Speyer

Non Fiction

Verdict: Meh

I'm currently at home. My time is largely unused - except for working at night - and I've had a tremendous amount of time to read. With the excellent libraries in the US, I've been taking advantage.

I've been re-aquainting myself with the libraries here and non-Indian authors. It's been rough. In a recent wandering, I picked this up in the humor section because that was all that would catch my attention that day - humor. 

I'm not looking for, nor do I need help with, breaking relationships, but I picked it up just for novelty sake and a curiosity on how the author veiwed break up conversations. There were no romantic breakups, just other types of relationships - clients, friends, hairstylists, ect. I didn't come across anything earth shattering in here, but I guess if you have trouble with this kind of thing it may be useful. It was entertaining along the way, but definitely not worth more than the hour I spent reading it. 

~Becky~