A Kashmiri Century: Khem Lata Wakhlu

Non-Fiction

Verdict: Read it!

I've read quite a few novels and non-fiction works on Kashmir. It's a topic that continues to fascinate me. This book was a little different than the previous reads as it was more academic and stretched out into more angles than just the injustices done in Kashmire, which I found refreshing. 

It is very easy to see that the author is a Kashmiri and cares deeply about the people, not just the geopolitics of the region. It does get a little dry at the core, which I think is to be expected, but it's well worth wading through. 

Read it!

~Becky~

The Solution is Political Revolution - Jillion R Rising

Author's note: This review is my work and has appeared in Online Book Club as well. The link for the OBC review: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=377704&p=2365301#p2365301

After a great deal of procrastination, I finally sat down to give the review for this book. There is certainly no shortage of media criticism, both shaky and valid, for the United States political system. Depending on which way you lean politically, it is possible to find a ton of books both supporting and bashing any one political philosophy. I picked this book hoping to get an interesting angle or something new.

Just to be clear, I find political criticism as valid as any other criticism – when it’s done constructively and with a valid foundation. Unfortunately, it’s become rather a sport lately in the United States to just shout about what is wrong. You can turn on any news channel for examples. I also believe that by this point in time, there are very few people who are still naïve enough to believe that anything to do with politics or the government is one sided.

I found this book to be very basic in it’s explanations of how the United States has reached this point. Not incorrect I would say, but definitely a surface level look. And perhaps that was the point. However, there are no perfect political systems, and every single one has reached it’s current state through a long line of decision, human judgement errors, and straight up greed occasionally. It’s not a simple scenario getting here, so taking a bit more time to delve into the causes can help the reader understand that the system is a titanic, not a speed boat that can make u-turns at the drop of a hat. It takes a great deal of time, energy, and willingness to change the system even a small bit. I get it, solving things through political revolution sounds sexy. It’s a great eye catcher on a book title. But a revolution is no simple thing to successfully execute and with the political climate in the US what it is today, getting people fired up should not be the goal. People are already far too fired up for the wrong or even no reasons.

In fairness, I really hate to pick on people who (as it appears to me) are trying to improve the condition of anything. Unfortunately, I also have very little patience for people who get worked up, or work others up, for a flash satisfaction that leads nowhere. Aside from a slightly patronizing tone, the book was well written, though as I mentioned above, I feel the ration of pages with problem and solution could have been a little more even. Overall it was written from an academic standpoint, which I can appreciate, and was well edited.

In a tide of political and government oriented books, this one just didn’t stand out in any special way for me. My verdict is as follows: Read it if you’re curious, but there are plenty of other books out there that achieve the same objective in a better way.

Taatung Tatung - Vaishali Shroff

Non Fiction

Verdict: Read It (5/5)

Overview:

I believe I picked this book because of a recommendation in the paper. 

Revolving around language in India, this collection of short stories sheds light on some very interesting aspects of different languages that exist in India. 

What I Enjoyed:

The stories are short, but well-written. Covering a variety of different topics, there's something for everyone to learn.

What I Disliked:

There was not much I disliked in this book.

Summary:

I'm a sucker for stories, long and short. Cultural trivia and how things came to be also interest me a great deal. I would recommend this for anyone to read.

 

~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~

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~ 

Quite Flows the River Jhelum - Jajabot

NonFiction

Verdict: Read it if Partition and Kashmir interest you

I picked this up because it appeared on one of my must read list. Now that I've finished it, I'm not sure I agree it should have been on there, but it's not my list, so. 

This book is non fiction and mostly revolves around Partition and the results on Kashmir. I've talked before about the bloody and difficult histoy Kashmir has had and of course this book is the same. 

I didn't care for the pro-army bent that was boldly in front through this book. I've discussed the issues with the Indian army in Kashmir before as well, but I've never seen such a pro-army discussion outright. There's a lot of history and event sequencing discussed in this book, perhaps too much, it reads like a documentary. Perhaps that was the point. It's not a long book - you can probably finish it within an hour or so. 

As with most books on Kashmir, this left me with a sad, disquieted feeling. If you're literate about the events in Kashmir, this book won't tell you anything different. If you're not, it's definitely slanted to make the army the hero, which is definitely isn't. 

~Becky~

Woman at Point Zero : Nawal El Saadawi

Non-Fiction

Verdict: Read it

This book came to my attention through either a book list or the suggested reads in the newspaper - I can't quite remember now. Either which way, it was an interesting read. The author takes us through the story of a woman, Firdaus, in prison who has been there for a long time and is on her way to execution. A Psychiatrist goes to the prison to meet her and is met with silence. The woman refuses to speak. After a short while, she begins to share her story and the audience comes to understand that her story isn't a simple one. Sometimes women resort to the only recourse they can when they are abused, and are held accountable for it though the ethics of it are grey. 

The story is a bit slow sometimes, but I got the feeling that was intentional. It's almost like the woman is taking back the small amount of control that she can by controlling the story. You can see dignity there and power. She understands she is going to die and has accepted the verdict.  

The Middle East has a long and complicated history with women's equality. Iran has recently again become regressive, and the Taliban, inspite of numerous promises in Afghanistan has again steadily marched back towards the dark ages for women. This isn't a new story nor is it one that is rare. But the poignancy with which the story is displayed - with a woman in jail awaiting death - relays the helpless and futile situtaions women find themselves in clearly. Sometimes the only choice is to die, either by your oppressor's hand or by the governments if you defend yourself. It's a terrible place to be in. 

Read it.

~Becky~

Prey - Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Non Fiction

Verdict: Read it!

This was an interesting one. I had heard of Ayaan Hirsi Ali before, but not that much. I haven't read anything else written by her. This book exposes some of the issues that Europe is facing due to migration of people of Middle Eastern/Islamic descent. It's pretty common for people now to be "Woke" enough to deny that cultural exportation and migration affect anything. People are people, we should be accepting. 

I'm not sure I buy into that theory, especially after moving to India. I know that certain contained places in Europe have had some very unfortunate problems arise (like France) but not the extent of the issue or how migration is culturally changing Europe itself. This was shocking. I think many people just assume that migrants immerse themselves in the new culture and assimilate. Ayaan Hirsi Ali's premise is that they don't. And they export attitudes and actions that are harmful to the local culture. 

As a woman immigrant to a European country, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has a unique perspective on the topic and I felt did a great job of critically thinking about the issue rather than giving an emotional reaction. I would have not expected someone like her to admit the inherent problems of something that has benefitted her. But she is clear from the start her obligation is to society and women, not enabling problematic behaviors.

What I liked most about this book was that I never felt that it was simply the Author's opinions or premises that were being put forward. She has backed up here thesis with solid research and facts, in addition to coloquial examples. This book in particular has focused primarily on women and the negative effects it has had on society's view of women. The women migrants themselves often time contribute to these problems. 

Immigration and cultural footprints are a difficult subject to dive into and have become highly politicized. It's hard to know the right solution and even governments grapple long and hard on how to be both fair and protect the local population. I'd recommend this to read because it's a  world issue that people should be aware of - especially women. 

Read it!

~Becky~

The Tablighi Jamaat - Ziya Us Salam

NonFiction

Verdict: Read if you're interested in small sects of Islam

This was a passing fancy that I was curious about, so picked up. The Tablighi Jamaat is a sect of Islam that had it's start in Delhi. It's focus is in proselytization and prayer.  They have their own community, norms, dress, and belief system.

This book was interesting as even someone living in india, I hadn't heard much exposure to the Tablighi Jamaat. There was a big uproar at the begining of covid about how meetings contributed to the spread, but to be honest, this isn't really a cause for interest here. People do what they'd like, regardless of the impact on others and I didn't pay too much attention to it. 

Examining the principles of the organiztion in contrast with the mainstream flavor of Islam was interesting to see. I'll avoid commenting on any of the philosophical or cultural differences as I don't feel it's my place to comment on those areas.

I did see a lot of judgement from the author on whether or not the Tablighi Jamaat was a good, correct organization within the structure of Islam or not. I personally felt this didn't have a place in the book as it was more of an informational book, but I can see how the author might have felt the need to clarify his feelings for other Muslims. 

Read it if you're interested in this subject.

~Becky~

Mountain Tales - Saumya Roy

Non-Fiction based novel

Read it

I picked up this book thinking it was about actual mountains and the people who lived in them. I guess it's obvious I didn't read the blurb or even the front cover of the book well enough. Oh well. It was worthwhile anyhow.

There is much said about waste and disposal in India. With a population of around 1,403,643,260 (https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/india-population/), obviously there is much to say. With many very rich people and an ever skyrocketing middle income segment of society, trash is on many minds. 

This novel is based on a community that developed in response to a trash dump that developed and grew to epic proportions on the outskirts of Mumbai. India has a fantastic way of creating economies and opportunities wherever it can, and trash is no exception. They may not be a well off population, but there are people who make their living picking through trash for saleable, recyclable, or tradable items. The novel follows a few families who do this. As the story is woven, you start seeing the issues that arrise for populations that live on the edges of society in less than ideal physical and economic situations. Health problems, theft, gangs, and little hope for bigger things all plague the families in the story. 

As I've mentioned before, there are a few societal ills that India suffers from that are near impossible to eradicate. Poverty is one such of these ills. There are never enough NGO's, societal support, money, or opportunities to even think about touching poverty. As such, we end up with marginal communities like the ones in this novel. When we throw caste concerns in amongst this it becomes more gloomy.

I'll be honest, it wasn't an easy book to read. It's damn depressing to consider that people live this way and most likely, nothing will be done to help them. I think it's good for people to know this exists. It's definitely not something that comes to light regularly, even with the common discussion of waste.

Read it.

~Becky~

The Violence in our Bones - Neera Chandhoke

Non-Fiction

Verdict: Read it

I picked up this book because the subject matter has been something I've been turning over in my head for a long time. I hadn't heard of Neera Chandhoke before.

As an outsider here, there are some themes that continually make themselves visible. Violence is one of them. The older I get, the more puzzled I get that I didn't see the inherent violence in the United States where I grew up as well, but perhaps age just opens eyes. India has it's own way of viewing and manifesting violence. The country is so large and the chaos so much that it's both expected and often passed of as inavoidable. A fatalistic societal outlook and the numbers affected and their composition versus the body of people in India make violence an accepted fact. 

The author spends some time in history books as the country was formed and born. Often times, history explains the present, and I agree that India is no different than anywhere else. She addresses violence against women, communal violence, Kashmir, the North East, and Maoists. These are all specific manifestations of a broader mindset. Most of the cases of violence you find fall under one of these headings, though not all. 

I rather wish Neera Chandhoke would have addressed some of the societal attitudes and history that has resulted in the culture of violence as an accepted characteristic. I feel it would have helped in the understanding of why these manifestations, and many other occurances of violence, happen regularly in India. 

That being said, this is a subject that it would be impossible to encompass in one book. The subject matter was laid out in a organized, cogent, supported manner, which is always a joy to read.  I've said many times that India's inherent difficulties are extemely difficult, if not impossible, to improve. This is one such area. However, calling out the violence is the first step to slowly moving the needle towards violence being unacceptable as a societal attitude. 

Not a long or complicated read, but do take the time to contemplate what the author is saying and how many people simply accept the state of things as inevitable. 

Read it!

~Becky~

Caste Matters - Suraj Yengde

NonFiction

Meh

Caste isn't something that I can ever access aside from second hand knowlege. However, I still think it's important to educate ones self about, and this book seemed to fit the bill to build my knowlege further. Both the term and concept of "Dalit" was explored.

As I've mentioned previously, when an author is close to a subject and has an emotional tie to it, writing objectively becomes incredibly difficult. This book was a prime example of this theory. A self identified Dalit, the author definitely has strong feelings, and understandably so. The subject of reservation and special privilege/lack of it is a time worn argument in India. Some scream that "low caste" people have too many support systems, others agitate beause they have too few.

I was shocked (although I'm not sure quite why) to find out that becoming very sucessful in life is looked own upon, even though it may elevate someone to a more comfortable lifestyle. I have seen this in different societies where less fortunate people resent those who have somehow removed themselves from a difficult situation. This was also surprising for me because coming from the US, the prejudice was more economically based, rather socially. Even if you come from the poorest background, once you have money no one cares. Caste is very much more complicated than that. 

I could not figure out how and where Brahminism fit in with castism, aside from propigating the discrimination, but perhaps that's simply my ignorance. It was an interesting read, but overall I felt quite biased. Disappointing but not surprising. This book is worth a read because the only qualified people to talk about something like castism are those who have experienced it, especially not on the dominant side of the spectrum. 

Read It.

~Becky~

The Phoenix Project - Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford

Non Fiction

Read It

This book was recommended to me by my ex husband, who also happens to be my boss, and the founder of the company we both worked for - a tech start up in Bangalore. I was a little unsure if I should read it as he told me that it was an IT book and I'm almost completely non technical. I'm also not a big self help/management lessons book kind of person. If they're good, sure, I'll give it a shot, but not something I look out for. 

The book opens to a company in chaos with many bad habits and indisciplines. The author takes us through his learnings over the course of time as he is shoved into a high pressure position and project with very little support and very high stakes. 

As I work to transition a 100 person company to a 200 person company, there are always lessons to be learned. While I won't spell them all out, this book provided many important lessons that I will definitely remember and am trying to implement before it leads to bigger problems. 

Business lessons are always fascinating to me - I think more so than personal lessons - because businesses are very complex organizations and there are endless factors to whether they suceed or fail. Coming into the opportunity that I did later in life, I'm very invested the the business continuing to thrive and grow, so that I can continue to thrive and grow with it. 

I'd recommend this book to anyone in the IT industry with even the least bit of interest in managment or growing a business. Overall a good read to contemplate and digest in bits as you consider how to implement some of these things in your own business. It's not a quick read, and whether the "lesson teacher" was real or not, he was obnoxious and patrionizing. People should not be shamed due to not knowing something as long as they are willing to learn. 

~Becky~

In the Name of Honor - Mukhtar Mai

 NonFiction

Verdict: Read It

I had hear of Mukhtar Mai before in name, but not in situation. I tend to like biographies/self biographies, so I picked this up.

The story is horrifying heard from her point of view. It also underlines a huge mindset and atrocity bomb that India and Pakistan continue to foster with an almost loving persistence. Class and gender wars are not a thing of the past unfortunately. 

Mukhtar Mai is gang raped as a "punishment" for her younger brother flirting with a powerful family's sister. In reality, it's an attempted land grab due to the inability of a rich powerful family to see "lower class" people hold land. It's heartbreaking and incredibly not that uncommon. 

What is uncommon however, is Mukhtar Mai's response to it. After taking time to process her trauma, she decided that she would stand for what she thought was right and say no. She takes us through the process of dealing with corrupt police and courts and in the end, still not getting justice. Again, incredibly common. Still bound and determined to rise, Mukhtar Mai opens a school with funds that came in from concerned parties. 

If you understand anything about Class and Gender wars in India and Pakistan, you understand how remarkable Mukhtar Mai's response is. It's unheard of, and it's phenomenal. She is an inspiration to many women, myself included, and has done her part to make the world one she wants to live in.

Mukhtar Mai isn't educated. She isn't a great story teller or writer and it's obvious that he words are filtered through writers. She circles back around often and jumps time lines telling her story, but with all she's suffered and achieved, she's entitled to tell her story however she wishes to.

Please read this book. It will give you a new perspective on feminism and basic human rights. It will inspire you that a woman discarded the typical reaction to a humiliation of this type (suicide in her part of the world) and rose far above that to help others and be a light. The only way to combat these type of horrifying incidents is to continue to promote awareness of it being unacceptable and punishable in society. The only way to deal with police taking advantage of uneducated, shamed women in an immoral manner is to keep bringing these instances to light and seeing through the punishments. The only way to deal with courts taking soft line stances on Class, Gender, and Economic wars are to shine a huge spotlight on them and continue pressuring the courts as well to step into the 21st century and stop pandering. The only way to ensure that women are not continuing to be trapped in darkness and illiteracy is to make education for girls a priority and a valued thing. Mukhtar Mai has led the way in however she could.

Read it!

~Becky~

Truck De India - Rajat Ubhaykar

Nonfiction

Verdict: Read it!

India continually breaks into small sub-populations for many varied reasons. Nothing gives me more joy than to dig into a small subculture that i'd never considered before. Rajat Ubhaykar brings truck drivers to the forefront with the tales from his time hitch hiking in trucks across India.

India is a huge country, and without a doubt, trucks and the trucking industry plays a major role in transporting goods. Yet the people who chose to drive trucks are often looked down upon (as are many blue collar jobs) and vilified. Rajat's project is heartwarming, informative, and incredibly brave. It's definitely something I would otherwise never have access to.

Perhaps the author simply doesn't mention either unscrupulous drivers or simply ignores negative behaviors, but most of the people he interacts with seem stunningly average and Rajat does a fantatsic job of making the audience connect with the characters. He even formed relationships with people that lasted long past his project. 

Rajat also does a fantastic job of weaving in history and context about the trucking industry to give the readers further insight. He covers different difficulties that truck drivers face (robbery, police looting, government taxes, middlemen problems, and addiction). It certainly isn't an easy job and more respect and protection should go to the men willing to do such difficult jobs. But labor is cheap and unrespected in India. 

The book is an easy one to read and it will definitely open your eyes to this subculture.  

Read It!

~Becky~

Butter Chicken in Ludhiana Travels in Small town India - Pankaj Mishra

Non-Fiction

Read it

I haven't read anything previously by Pankaj Mishra - though he's quite the known and celebrated author. The title caught my eye - as did the stereotyped pictures of India on the cover - because I have an obsession with Punjab lately. 

Mishra's book walks the reader through some of his travels in India - mostly the northern half. The author's biting wit and commentary were quite amusing. India is, at the best of times, chock full of situations that are nothing more or less than ludicrous. Anyone who has spent anytime at all in India realizes this. I especially enjoyed that Mishra's destinations weren't big places. The heart of India isn't in it's big cities and tourist destinations. His skewering of small dirty hotels was especially entertaining. He also touches on some of the backward and bigoted thinking that persists to date in the minds of people who either have not been taught to think bigger and better or simply don't want to. These conversations when overheard can be quite shocking if you are not expecting them. 

It's a bit of a paradox when people travel here. You can't see the real India without moving off the beaten path, but its a hard situation to put yourself in. Anyone coming to India would be too overwhelmed (even the beaten path has been known to overcome the heartiest people) and anyone in India is too busy actually living their life and having a job to wander around in small dusty, backward places. But this is how travelers find themselves and learn about the wider condition. Trains in particular - Sleeper class if you are the sturdiest of the sturdy - are one of the best places I've ever found to observe humanity and exactly who Indians are. 

Mishra's humor moves the reader through mundane and often ridiculous scenarios. It also poses a challenge to readers like me to search out (more than I already have!) places and situations that stretch me and help me further understand the country I choose to live in. 

Read it.

~Becky~

Everyone Loves a Good Drought - P. Sainath

Non-Fiction

Read It

Sorry for the long absence, I have been in the middle of a house-shifting and had a small surgery. It's been a long, stressful month and I'm ready to just run away to Bermuda permanently. I haven't had tons of time to read, but I have finished quite a few books recently. 

This is another one of those books that starts out with "I wasn't expecting it to be this....but I liked it anyways." I was expecting this to be stories, but they turned out to be articles. 

In the US, the poverty in India is seen as a caricature and is often stared at with morbid fascination and used to make people feel better about themselves. If they're aware of anything about India at all that is. 

Unfortunately, the tribal people of India are marginalized to a degree that is horrifying. Most people cannot fathom the actual level of poverty and government oversight and social disregard for people whom have no resources.  

As I mentioned, one of the reasons that the very poor here are disenfranchised, is that the very laws put into place to protect them are mostly ignored and or utilized to further take advantage of helpless people. The author has traveled to some of the poorest districts and investigates some of the reasons why certain marginalized populations will probably never come out of their current situation. India, due to size, population, and chaos level, takes an extraordinary amount of time to change. 

It's a depressing book once you realize that all of the factors mentioned in the book will probably never change, and even the worthwhile, good initiatives by government or NGO's probably will not change anything. That being said, being aware of the human condition of different people is crucial. 

It's not easy to read or understand, but read it anyhow.

~Becky~

The Boy Who Loved Trains - Deepak Sapra

Non-Fiction

Read it

I haven't read anything by Deepak Sapra, if he has written anything else, either. I thought this was a story and I liked the cover. It turned out to be something quite different.

This autobiographical book is about the author's career with Indian railways, from his training to much later in life. It's a good window into the life of those who work in the railways. I found out that the railways are just as bureaucratic as many other civil services.  I don't know anyone who works in the railways, nor have a read much, so this was fun to go through.

Sapra's conversational tone help the reader get into his anecdotes and keep reading. While it does drag a bit in certain places, I enjoyed this book. I am a firm fan of riding in trains, this helped me understand those who make that possible.

Read it!

~Becky~