August is one of my favourite months of the year and a lot of it has to do with the glorious books I read alll month long.
Another edition of Indian Books in August has come to an end and I am so glad August brought so many amazing books and stories my way.
I read a total of 19 books.
Most of them from India and the subcontinent and only four books took me out of India. I read four graphic novels/comic books. But mostly stayed firmly within my reading goal.
I also bought 7 books this month.
I read books from all corners of the country.
I read mostly physical books but also read on my Kindle and a lot on my iPad.
It's been a good reading month.
So let's jump into it.
BOOKS OF AUGUST:
1. The Greatest Indian Stories Ever Told, Edited by Arunava Sinha: I started my month this wonderful books which is pretty much the best thing to read this month. I cannot think of a better book to read in our month of celebrating all things India. Stories from all corners of the country, most of them translated and from all time periods, this collection is a great representation of India in all her diversity and glory. I read this book through the month. I read this intently and slowly and mindfully, I would read a couple of stories at a time and I didn't rush it. I finished it yesterday and I cannot recommend it enough. Seriously, pick it up and make your way through it, slowly and steadily.
Also it's a such a gorgeous book. Inside and out.
4.5/5
2. Playthings- Toys of Terror by Neil D'silva: A little kidlit, a little spooky and a lot of heart. Set in Mumbai, in a housing society very similar to mine, this book is about four friends solving a supernatural crime. Beloved children's toys are turning into instruments of terror and doom. And now a creepy clown (the worst!) is out to get another young boy. This one was fun and nostalgic and spooky too.
3/5
3. I Kick and I Fly by Ruchira Gupta: This book and it's people just have my heart. Set in a small town, within a community of nomads where women are forced in sex work to provide for the family, a young girl who wants to break free from this cycle of drudgery and wants to make a life for herself and her family. She has dreams of breaking out of her impossible situation and be more than what her circumstances force her to be. This was a wonderful story of resilience, hope and the power of dreams. It was hard to read in parts, the crippling poverty and descriptions of sex work were not an easy thing to stomach. But given that this is inspired by true events, I think it's important to read and bear witness to. An incredible story and characters to root for.
4/5
4. The Direction of the Wind by Mansi Shah: Set in 1998 and 2019, this split narrative tale is about a mother and daughter.
The mother, Nita, leaves home and husband and daughter behind to go chase her dreams. She has always dreamt of being an artist in Paris and in 1998 she leaves to see if she can live her dream.
Sophie, the daughter, was told that her mother is dead. And only after the death of her beloved father does she realize that the truth had been kept from her. So she takes off to Paris to find her mother and some answers.
It was an interesting read, about family and dreams and the cost of chasing those dreams. Overall this is a book I enjoyed, the only thing that irked me is that both women, one in 1998 and one in 2019 act the same way when in Paris. They are scared and overwhelmed, which makes sense of Nita back in 1998, who has never traveled abroad and never on her own and the world seemed much larger and she was a woman living in the confines of family and domesticity. It makes less sense for Sophie, a woman in 2019 to feel so out of sorts in Paris. Felt a little off to me.
3.5/5
5. Naturalist Ruddy by Rohan Chakravarty: This was so cute. A book about animals and jungles and curious animal behaviour, so much to learn and know. It's perfect for kiddos who love wildlife and want to learn more and it's great for adults too. The art was gorgeous too.
3/5
6. The Parted Earth by Anjali Enjeti: A story about Partition, loss and young love. This starts off in Delhi in 1947 and then we go to London in the 1950s and the US in 2019. Stories of various people affected by the Partition and how the effects of this linger on and through generations. I really enjoyed this book, the main story of a young couple separated due to the Partition and then we have an additional story about a very dark chapter of the Partition. The end was a little hurried and I felt like this could/should have been a longer read. But still. This was a good read.
4/5
7. Rooh by Manav Kaul: This book felt like a memoir, poetry and melancholy. There is so much sadness, homesickness and beauty in these pages. I really want to read more Manav Kaul, maybe even in Hindi. This broke my heart and I loved spending time in this world.
4/5
8. Radiant Fugitive by Nawaaz Ahmed: This was my most disappointing read of the month. It had so much promise, it's about a Muslim family and how the eldest daughter has been estranged from her family because she's Queer. It's about a little family reunion, told from the perspective of an unborn child..it should have been interesting and partly it was. But after a point, hearing from a baby just got confusing and annoying and this just didn't work for me.
Nope. Not my cup of tea.
1/5
9. Manjhi's Mayhem by Tanuj Solanki: This is what I'd classify as Mumbai noir. There's darkness, humour, a hiest, love, lust and caste and caste based discrimination. This was such a ride. It felt like a film. A love song to Mumbai in all her gritty glory. I breezed through this book.
3/5
10. A Bad Character by Deepti Kapoor: From Mumbai's grittiness to Delhi and dirt and doom and self-destruction. We follow a young girl in Delhi, 2000. She meets a man and enters a whirlwind relationship. He's older and unsuitable and full of tall tales.
This book is nicely written and it brings this world and this character to life but after a point something about this tale of dirt, dust and Delhi didn't work for me. I didn't warm up to our main character, at all and this relationship gave me the ick and overall this book and they style in which it was written felt a little too try hard.
Not for me.
2/5
11. The Book of Hope- The Better India: I picked this book up on Independence Day, what better time to read a compilation of tales about Indians doing inspiring things big and small? This book was a happy and hopeful read full of goodness. I liked the hours I spent with this.
4/5
12. What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan: I read the author's previous book last year and quite liked it..it was called Meet Me in Mumbai. This one is a sapphic love story, a tale of family reunions and blended families. It was sweet and funny and felt like I was watching something desicore on Netflix. Light and fluffy.
3/5
13. Under The Tamarind Tree by Nigar Alam: I am happy I managed to squeeze in a Pakistani book this month, I usually try to read books from the subcontinent and this year I only read from India and Pakistan.
This book is quite wonderful.
Split between 1964 and 2019 and some bits in 1947. This is the story of four friends who grew up together and how one night changes everything and their futures. We go back and forth and learn about their lives and I was so invested in this story and these people.
So good.
The ending felt so real too. Like this is life and this is what being an adult is like and some friendships, even deep and loving, sometimes aren't forever and that's just life.
4/5
14. My Years with Apu by Satyajit Ray: So so so glad I read some Ray this month. This book is about the blood, sweat and vision and dream behind the wonderful Apu Trilogy. Especially the first film. I loved leaning more and seeing how this masterpiece came about. So good.
5/5
15. The Golden Years by Ruskin Bond: And some Bond to wrap things up. Some musings, vignettes, essays and wisdom all in Bond's inimitable style. I read this late one night and really felt like I was sitting with a wise old uncles and learning things about life and growing older.
So good, as always.
4/5
These were all the Indian Books I read and now for four books I read from elsewhere.
16. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll: This was a re-read and a perfect spooky book full of beautiful art and some dark stories. I loved it the first time I read it and I also really loved it now.
4/5
Then I read three books by Sarah Anderson which I really like.
17. Adulthood is a Myth
18. Herding Cats
19. Big Mushy Happy Lump
These were sweet and funny and fun.
4/5 for all.
~~~~~
So that's another August done and dusted and all wrapped up.
A good reading month.
I read some amazing books and some were a bit meh but overall a reading month I can get behind.
Hope August was good for and you read some amazing books.
:)
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