Hello Loves!
I am a little bit of a flaky TBR maker. I make one at the start of every month and I stick to quite half-halfheartedly. I read a few books from the list and then I usually pick whatever my heart desires. I like my reading to be a little driven by my plans and a lot driven by my heart.
But I do see the merit in having a TBR list ready and raring to go. I start my month by pulling out a few books from my shelves and keeping them aside to pick up as the month goes on.
This month I am reading All Bengali Books in April.
Well, mostly all Bengali books.
So I spent some time, a delightful amount of time, picking out my Bengali books for this month. I am so happy with these beautiful books and I hope I end up reading most of these!
:)
Here are my hopefuls for April.
1. Cat People Edited by Devapriya Roy: Stories about cats and people who love cats. What's not to love?! There are pictures and poems and I am hoping this is one fun and joyful read. Sounds like fun!
2. The Boat Wreck by Rabindranath Tagore, Translated by Arunava Sinha: I have read Naouko Doobi before. In another translation a few a years ago. While I did like it, I felt like I wanted to read a better translation and this one seems to bit the bill. I love this story and how beautiful and moving and how nuanced these characters are. I am hoping to read this and re-watch the Rituparna Ghosh film adaptation.
3. The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh: I had to include a favourite author of mine to read this month. I can't believe I hadn't read this one yet.
4. The Firebird by Saikat Majumdar: This one I am currently reading. A story of a 10 year old boy Ori, who lives in Calcutta in 1985. His mother is a theater actress and this causes a lot of strive in their convservative locality and his family. I am a little bit in so far and really enjoying the writing and the world in which it's set. The writer has done a fantastic job of capturing the pain and helplessness of being a child. So well done.
5. Azadi by Arundhati Roy: OK Arundhati Roy is half-Bengali so she totally counts as a Bengali writer. My spot of non-fiction reading this month. I haven't read a lot of Roy. Just her two novels. So I am interested in reading some of her non-fiction works.
6. The Vermilion Boat by Sudhin N. Ghosh: This book is a part of a trilogy and I think this is the second one in the series. But I think this can be read on it's own, at least I am hoping it can be. It follows the life of a boy from childhood to adulthood. This one is when he's a young man and on his way to Calcutta from his village to start a new phase of his life.
7. A Death in Shonagachhi by Rijula Das: I have wanted to read this book for a long time, ever since it first came out. I first thought it's a thriller, and so did a lot of people going in. Some of the early reviews were a little mixed. People who thought it was going to be an out and out thriller were understandably a little disappointed. I am going in knowing fully well this is no thriller. So I know what I am getting into and I think I am going to enjoy it for what it is.
8. Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri: My re-read for this month. I had to include my favourite Bengali in this month's reading! I have already read this, in fact I started my month with this and it was just as good as I remembered it.
9. The Demoness, The Best Bangladeshi Stories 1971-2021: Of course I want to include some Bangladeshi writing in my reading this month. And these short stories are a great way to sample some new (to me) writers and hopefully discover some new writers to sample. I am excited.
10. 3 Rays Stories by Satyajit Ray: Something I am going to read through the month and I know I will enjoy. Ray stories are a league of their own. And one I always enjoy immensely. This book contains stories from Ray's grandfather, father and himself. A perfect sorta read.
These are all the physical books I am hoping to read and I have some books on my Kindle that I want to get to this month as well.
Taxiwallah and Other Stories by Numair Atif Chowdhury: I have already read and even reviewed this one.
Rebels Against the Raj- Western Fighters for India's Freedom by Ramachandra Guha: Another non-fiction pick for this month and I am hoping to read it through the month because it's quite a long read.
12 books seems very doable.
I hope this month is full of happy reading for you and me.
:)
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