Hello Loves!
April is over and I got to talk about some amazing books I read this month.
20 in total.
A good solid number and a mix of things I planned on reading and some I picked up when the mood struck.
I was doing my All Bengali Books in April, but not really sticking to the All Books part of my Theme.
I read a lot of Bengali books and Authors, but I also read other books and I am OK with not sticking to my theme. Reading must always, always be enjoyable and I am not going make myself stick to something and read something, if I feel like reading something else entirely.
Cool.
Now, let's do this wrap-up in two parts.
First, let's talk about the books I did read for my All Bengali Books in April and then we can talk about the rest.
Let's get started.
1. Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri: Started my month with a forever favourite. Lahiri can do no wrong in my book. And this was my re-read for the month and it was just as sublime as I remembered it to be. Really loved it and I am so glad I read it again and in a physical book format this time around.
4.5/5
2. Taxi Wallah and Other Stories by Numair Atif Choudhury: A collection of short stories from contemporary Bangladesh. I did a review for this one, so I won't talk too much about it here. Short and moving and nicely done.
4/5
3. The Firebird by Saikat Majumdar: I have meant to read something by this author for a long time and I decided to start with this one.
I don't know how I really feel about this book.
I liked the writing, the world it's set in- Calcutta in the 1980s, I like some of the people we meet here. I really liked how the sheer helplessness of being a child is brought out so wonderfully in this book.
But other than that this fell a little flat too me. I didn't quite connect with our central character, a young boy, who I grew to dislike quite a bit as the story progressed. Some of the motivations of the characters also felt a bit off and the worst part of this whole reading experience was reading chapters from a pedophile's perspective. Yuck. Not enjoyable at all.
The book was overall very underwhelming.
2/5
4. Cat People, Edited by Devapriya Roy: A collection of some seriously wonderful writing with cats in a central role. This was a mix of personal essays, stories and some art and pictures too. I loved the time I spent with this book and it was a joy from start to finish. Even though a fair number of stories here were quite sad. A moving and funny and lovely read for folks who love cats, have a cat or want a cat.
4/5
5. The Boat-Wreck by Rabindranath Tagore, Translated by Arunava Sinha: Another re-read but this one feels almost brand new because this time around I am reading a much better translation and I am enjoying it so much more. A classic and one that every time I read or think about, I wish I could somehow enter the story and change it's ending. So good. Please give it read if you haven't and watch the film made by Rituporno Ghosh, it's beautiful.
4/5
6. A Death in Shonagachhi by Rijula Das: Another book I had meant to read since it came out last year and garnered quite a buzz. I went into this book with my expectations a little low, I didn't want to go in with inflated expectations, to only have them dashed.
I liked this book. It's not a mystery, in the strictest of senses. There is a death and a crime and a culprit but don't go into this expecting a run of the mill whodunnit.
I will do a full review soon. But suffice to say, this was a good read, difficult in parts, mainly due to it's subject matter but a solid debut.
4/5
7. Azadi by Arundhati Roy: OK, she isn't a Bengali in the strictest sense, but her dad is Bengali and so I am including her in this list.
A searing series of essays on India, fascism and the role of fiction the world today. I loved it and I want to read more of her non-fiction. And re-read The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.
4.5/5
OK that's all for m Bengali Reading.
7 books.
Not bad!
Now for the other reads of April.
8. The Drowning Kind
&
9. The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon: I read two books by one of my favourite horror/thriller writers. And they were perfectly enjoyable. I loved The Drowning Kind so much and really just was pulled into it's creepy world. This one is an out and out horror and I loved it and reviewed it.
4/5
The other one, her newest release I just finished yesterday and I am still mulling over it. It was nice, just not as nice as I was hoping it would be. Review coming soon.
10. We Are Okay by Nina Lacour: My third book by the author and I enjoyed this quite a bit. I did find the ending a bit abrupt and I wanted more answers. Still good. Still moving and emotional and sad and such a wonderful and real portrayal of grief.
3/5
11. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James: I LOVED this book so much. Nicely done. A great mix of horror and thriller and just so so so good. Pick it up now.
4/5
12. My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood: A short story from one of the greats. I really love this story about a single mother in the 1950s, who may or may not be a witch. Sweet and sad and sweet. It's an Amazon Original and you can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading.
4/5
13 - 17. Heart Stopper Volumes 1 to 4 and Mini Comics by Alice Oseman: I watched the Netflix series in two days and then, of course I had to read the books! OMG! How adorable and wholesome and sweet and full of longing and cute characters is this book?!! It was perfect and by the end got pretty real. Lovely.
4.5/5
18. Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough: I was feeling a little out of sorts and none of my current reads were sticking when I picked up this book and it was just what I needed. I could not put it down. At all. So good.
I will do a review because I have a few thoughts I need to talk about .
3.5/5
19. Rajneeshpuram by Russell King: I love cults. And this hot mess is one of my favourite things to read and learn about. If you watched Wild Wild Country, this book is a great pick for you. You see more and learn more and see the lurid side to this megalomaniac and his minions. Well-researched and so much more in-depth than the documentary. I am making my sister read it now and we were also re-watching WWC for the fourth time. I love that documentary so much.
4/5
20. People in my Neighbourhood by Hiromi Kawakami: A short and strange read. Some Japanese lit and one that was in so many ways very typical of it's genre. A touch of surrealism, some magical realism and some short stories about a neighbourhood. Odd. Weird. Nice. Honestly, it's one of those things where I still don't know what to make of them. Nice writing but a little too odd..a bit much. I have heard good things about the author's other books, so I might give them a read in the future. This one wasn't strictly OK.
2.5/5
~~~
So that was April.
20 books.
Fiction.
Non-fiction.
Horror.
Thriller.
Classics.
And a good lot of Bengali Books.
I am happy.
Thank-you April.
Reading-wise you were so good!
:)
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