Reasons to stay alive by Matt Haig

 Listened to an audiobook. It was tiny chapters and narrated by author himself about his struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts and how he coped and need to talk and read about this to remove the stigma from depression.

Books. Books. Books. Can relate to the author trying to escape into books to escape from depression. Was I depressed? I don’t really know. But books were my best friends and still they are. I read and read and then I wrote about what I read. If I didn’t have books at that point in my life. Don’t know how I would have coped. In some ways its good to know you are not alone. 

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

 #17.33 of 54 BBC Big Read (Book 1 of 3 part trilogy included in the list)

I have seen the movie Golden Compass, but don’t remember much from the movie except for Bears. I started this as an audiobook. Book narrated by the author himself with a full cast recording. I was losing the thread too much finding it difficult to concentrate. So decided to read it. 

Daemon is like a soul but it is outside body instead of inside. When daemon dies a person dies. An alternative universe where we have Oxford, London and Norway. Lyra Silvertongue with her little lies. What the Master really want to tell Lyra? What had she done? How Lyra cleverly tricks the Bear king and how sadly she gets tricked.

Have to see, how the story unfolds. Seeing the movie, I wasn’t impressed and would never have picked the book, if it were not in the list. But glad that I picked it. What is this mystery? Will I know answers in the  coming books or will it baffle me more.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling

 #17 of 54 BBC Big Read

Contains Spoilers

Second book in the series and I read this finally. The order has been 3, 4, 5, 6 and now 1 & 2. So seen the movie, don’t remember much from the movie but didn’t really have great expectations. Number 3 is by far the best in the series and that hasn't changed. But like my thoughts from the previous books, there are elements you miss in the movie that you can observe in the book. 

When Ginny and Harry Potter got together it was a bit of a surprise to me. I was expecting Harry and Hermione. But in the book, I did get the feeling that that is where it is going. Ginny flushing, getting flustered really infatuated with Harry. I don’t know if it was there in the movie and I missed it or if it wasn’t there.

Harry’s aunt and uncle remind me of Matilda’s parents. Why do they hate Harry so much? There is a little bit of explanation in the other books, still makes no sense. Why they hate him so much? 

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

 #16 of 54 BBC Big Read

What kind of life we lead, when strangers are kinder than our own flesh and blood? Do we take solace that at least there is some kindness and hope somewhere. A nine year old boy is dumped unceremoniously in an old man’s house. Its the War and kids are evacuated from London. The old man lives on his own and he is a recluse. But he is a kind decent person.

The little things about the boy were heartbreaking. He is never slept in a bed. He thought the bed was for dead. He was hit all the time. He is scared of everything. If you are an evacuee living with a stranger in a strange place would be scary. But when your mom is a monster living anywhere other than home would be a refuge.

Reminded me a bit of Anne of Green Gables. But Anne is exuberant and William is shy. But they do bring about the change in their guardians moving them from being a recluse to become more sociable. Its really beautiful to see the shy boy grow in confidence and thrive in the love and care of Mister Tom. Zach is more like Anne actually. Where would be if not for Zachs in our lives! They take in new friends, take them as they are. Not bully them and make fun of them for their shortcomings. 

The end was very difficult to read. But its the War, there would be casualties.

Parade by Shuichi Yoshida

 An apartment in Tokyo is shared by 4 young people, two boys and two girls. They each take turn to narrate the story. There is something fishy going on in their neighbouring apartment. Young girls go out crying. All sorts of men visit the apartment. One fine day, they have a new housemate. Who is he? How did he get into the house? They take for granted that he is friends with one of the other roommates. 

There are a series of murders of young girls happening in the neighbourhood. Who is the killer? Will the girls be safe? 

This is not exactly a thriller. More like slice of life kind of story. I wasn’t expecting the end. There was a kind of nonchalance among all four on how casually they take things. I read Villain by Yoshida a few years back. I think I liked it, that’s one of the reasons I picked this one. 

A Town like Alice by Nevil Shute

 #15 of 54 BBC Big Read

Spoiler Alert

It is an extraordinary tale of women prisoners of war who walked all over Malaysia for hundreds of miles during the Second World War. There was no camp for women prisoners. They were just a nuisance for the Japanese soldiers and none of the commanders want to deal with the situation. They are marched one place to another and henceforth in the scorching heats. These are essentially white women who are not accustomed to physical labour. More accustomed to desk jobs and ayahs for their biddings. Here they are dealing with Malaria, dengue and dysentery. Trying to keep up strength to look after the children. If this is extraordinary, what follows is more incredible.

Jean, a prisoner of war, meets Joe, an Australian prisoner of war, truck driver. Joe helps the ladies by stealing chickens and punished brutally for this.

Six years later, Jean goes on an epic journey to Malaysia to help build a well in a community that helped them. And from there to Australian outback looking for Joe. Jean makes it her life mission to transform a Small town into a desirable destination for young men and women. Transforming a dying community to a thriving one. 

Underneath all this struggle, this is a romance of how far love could take us and how it could transform everything.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

#14 of 54 BBC Big Read

In a Dystopian world, the races are reversed, the Blacks are called Crosses and they rule the world, the light-skinned whites are the Noughts who serve the Crosses. Where there is duality, power struggle is not unknown. 

In this dual world reside Romeo and Juliet living in the opposite spectrum. They are teenagers and ideally all they have to think of is exams and teenage crushes. But not so in this dystopian world. There is always struggle and fight. Will the duo fight for their love or do they perish fighting for love.

This the age old story. We dont have to be different skin coloured to fight for power. But visible differences make us congregate with people who look like us and fight against others who don’t look like us. There will be wars and victors dictate the future and what story is told as history. 

Race, religion, language, land and many other things that separate us. Is there nothing that brings us together. Of course there is love.

This is first book in a series. Don’t think I will be reading any other books in the series. Its an interesting book, especially where the races are reversed but essentially a love story. 

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

 #13 of 54 BBC Big Read

Contains Spoilers

Among the list, I could say there were two books I was really intimidated I would say. Magical Realism and Stream of consciousness not really my cup of tea. And I am a coffee drinker. Lord Jim is one of my favourite books and I think thats how far I could go with Stream of consciousness.

So this is my third attempt at Midnight’s Children. At my first attempt, after few repeats of perforated sheet, I resigned. Second attempt, I read till Mercurochrome.

This time, I think, I made a wise choice decided to go for audiobook. I normally don’t go for audiobooks as my mind wavers easily and I loose much on the plot and then I lose interest and eventually pick up the book.

This is narrated by Homer Todiwala. My mind didn’t waver much. It felt like someone was telling me a story as opposed to someone reading a book to me. I like listening to stories and what a story this is. Liked all the voice modulations made by the narrator especially to emphasise ‘Reverend Mother’ and Whatsitsname. 

Salman Rushdie plays on the favourite Bollywood tropes, babies exchanged at birth. Rich kid growing in poor kids home. Muslim kid growing in Hindu’s house. Vice versa. This big interchange made by a Christian nurse. The amalgamation of religions. There is another trope on amnesia.

There is a nod to the famous Nanavati case. Reverend Mother and how all women take up a new name. , Black Alphonso and Brass Monkey was a bit haunting not just for Saleem. 

The last 100 pages or so,  I read the book as there were still 8 hrs left in the audiobook and I had to get to the end as soon as possible. What was that. What happened to Saleem? Who were the ladies in the Kali temple turning everything transparent? Yup, is that the only thing I am questioning?

Its kind of poetic justice, that Saleem’s wife is pregnant with Shiva’s kid. Saleem stole Shiva’s life and Shiva wins back the life for his child. 

Narlikar women, William Methwald with fake centre parting, ‘nose and knees’,  Rani of Cooch Nahin, Buddha and Buddha, Hairoil and Eyeslice and Joseph D’Costa’s ghost, Cyrus the great, Mrs Braganza’s pickle ana Aliya’s bitterness mixed in everything she cooks, the Widow and the widow’s hand. Dont think I will be forgetting any of these any time soon.

Its crazy. But it follows India’s unique oral storytelling tradition with million digressions. Not very difficult to listen and but definitely very difficult to read. 

Book Challenge by Erin 19.0

 

Book Challenge by Erin 19.0 

First and foremost, have fun. Don't stress. No one is being judged, graded, or penalized. Even if you finish only one book the entire challenge, if you enjoy it and it's an accomplishment for you, then that's awesome.

The challenge runs from July 1, 2023 - October 31, 2023. You submit your book list prior to beginning the challenge. Exchanges are accepted for the first round, but not in the bonus round (announced later). No books started before 12 a.m. on July 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on October 31 will count. (We live in different time zones--follow according to your own time zone.) Each book must be at least 200 pages long. Audio books are fine too. Read one book for each category. For full details see Erin's page on Facebook (link above). You will need to join the private group to view (link above).

Here’s my list

1. Freebie: Northern Lights by Philip Pullman 

2. Read a book set in Ireland: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer 

3. Read a book with one of these words in the title- birthday, birth, day, fifty or fiftieth: Clear Light Of Day - Anita Desai (1980)

4. Read a book that's title starts with E or G: 

Goodnight Mister Tom / Michelle Magorian

5. Read a book published in the 1970's or set in the 1970's: The Stand by Stephen King 

6. Read a book inspired by a real event: Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks 

7. Read a book with an animal on the cover or in the title: Harry potter and chamber of secrets by J K Rowling 

8. Read a book with a one word title: Holes by Louis Sachar

9. Read a book that relates to food, cooking, kitchens, restaurants or chefs: The  Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall.

10. Read a book on mental health: Reasons to stay alive by Matt Haig