Binti by Nnedi Okrofer

Binti is a Himba girl living with her family on Earth in a distant future. Her people follow traditions neither respected or understood by the so called civilized population. They also avoid much contact with the rest of the world, by choice. When a chance to study in one of the best universities in the Galaxy comes across, Binti chooses to give up her familiar life to seek knowledge in face of resistance by her loved ones.

If gaining knowledge was easy it wouldn't have made a great story. Like in real life, this futuristic world holds forth hurdles. Binti finds herself at the centre of a vicious attack by an alien race called Meduse on Oomza University. Her way out is probably also her way in to the new world. 

There is science fiction and then there is great science fiction. Binti belongs to the latter kind. From tackling themes ranging from migrant psychology to racial prejudices, the book doesn't shy either from calling out wrongs or stepping forward in to the unknown. Free from pretensions it treads a path that mirrors our present world scenario yet rarely preaches.

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The Right Time by Danielle Steel

Alexandra Winslow, the heroine,  comes with a lot of emotional baggage.  Difficult childhood, genius level of writing skills and  a secret identity. It has been ingrained in her mind that women writers of mystery don't sell so she writes under a pseudonym and shines. Her books are instant bestsellers but her real identity is a well guarded secret, known only to a select few. As she grows in to a confident young woman, her horizons broaden. Her novels get adapted to the big screen and very soon she is leading a double life that is not just complicated to manage but also full of adventures.

For a Danielle Steel novel, this one is pretty good. I remember reading Big Girl, loving the choice of theme but appalled at the way it was written. This one definitely doesn't feel like it is written for a story segment of a school textbook, so that's a relief. Plus the tragedy meter is pretty much in check. 

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Casablanca - Movie Review

I was 12 years old,  when I first watched Casablanca. We the 90's kids have the coolest parents, I tell you. I picked this video cassette at our local video library (again, absolutely no check over what we could rent ) and watched away. It was a black and white movie about this really grumpy dude (Humphrey Bogart)and this pretty lady (Ingrid Bergman) from his past who just walks into his happening bar. 

You know the really cool line that people keeping quoting and which never seems to go out of fashion 'Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine' - This movie! The entire world war reference, the complexities of the Bogart-Bergman relationship was totally lost on me. My twelve year old self kept asking, why isn't the main man getting his girl?

Nurtured on too much of Bollywood drama this looked like  load of nonsense! If this was Bollywood, the hero would have realised his mistake, totally stopped the plane with his bare hands and the lady would have be out of the plane and into his arms in no time. They would sing a song and there would be a wedding. Definitely a big, fat wedding. Again, I was 12. 

Imagine my experience of it when I finally watched it at a later point in life. 

So what did my adult self think about the movie?
Here's what I thought - Casablanca is a wonderful movie set in French Morocco. A movie about people in the times of war. A movie about human rights and dignity. A  movie about refugees. A movie about being in love but giving it up for a greater good. A movie about unlikely friendships. A movie ahead of its time in theme and execution. It is also a movie that no twelve year should ever watch unsupervised 😁 

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Obi-Wan and Anakin by Charles Soule

Comic book mini series Obi-wan and Anakin by Charles Soule is a great place to dip your toes in the Star Wars Canon. I spent the last couple of days with this series and loved the way it let me immerse myself in the Star Wars world without overwhelming me with too many characters and subplots.

From dealing with Anakin's conflict about the Jedi ways of life to Obi-Wan's struggle as a teacher to his padawan, this story is layered and rich. The art work echoes the theme and is very much a tribute to the world of Jedi as we know and love. 

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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

The scion to one of the wealthiest families in Asia, Nicholas Young, has invited his Chinese American girlfriend to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. The girlfriend has no idea about Nick's social status and is blissfully unaware of all the machinations in place to get rid of her, courtesy Nick's lovely family. 

If there was a reading slump one wanted to fight off, this book is a worthy contender. It is equal parts funny, witty and poignant. From scheming mothers to smart mouthed best friends, from snobby aunts to icy cool grandmothers, this book gives you a range of colorful characters and none of them seem too far fetched to be true. As a fellow Asian I get them. It's just the way we are. Not all rich but definitely in to each other's businesses. 

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A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

Identified only as the girl who gives up her freedom to let her sister have a better life, our protagonist is a weaver of stories. When she takes her sister’s place to be the dreadful Lo Melkhin‘s newest wife, she is but a brave girl. Spoken about in hushed but revered tone by women, her sacrifice is like none other. It is only when she faces the evil that resides in her husband does she find the real magic hidden in her. I can’t say for sure if it was ancient magic or the strength of her character or her self belief, that changes the face of the cruel world but it makes for a damn good story. 

Loosely adapted from the Arabian Nights, this book has a strange appeal. It wasn’t until I finished reading this book did I realize that save for the husband of the protagonist there were no names. Titles, yes but names, none. Plot is engaging and the world building, minimal. It is a period of retelling. New stories hashed out from old ones keep lining up but a select few have the magical touch. A Thousand Nights by E K Johnston has it.

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Lullaby by Leila Slimani

Myriam, a mother of two joins work trusting the care of her children to a nanny who her husband and she approve after a lot of deliberation. Nanny Lousie takes over their home and lives with an effortless ease. Both of Myriam's kids love Lousie and the apartment has never been this perfect. Myriam and Paul begin to enjoy the freedom which seldom existed previously. Entertaining friends, taking off for family vacations and even excelling at work are the perks of having someone to manage their kids and home. Yet as time passes Myriam finds that something is amiss. Is Louise slowly encroaching their private space? Is there a line that they need to draw?  Myriam finds that she doesn't  have the guts to confront Lousie for the sort of indiscretion Paul and she find on a regular basis.

Louise on the other hand is a character hard to sympathise for. She comes with a lot of baggage. There are glimpses of her past life. Knowing what she is capable of, doesn't make this task any easier. Speaking of what we already know, the first page let's you in on the horror that Louise has set upon the household and it is really difficult to look at her objectively. We are human after all. Such cruelty no matter under what circumstances isn't easily forgotten or even forgiven. 

This novel moves at a pace that is so racy yet so slo-mo. If I have to, I'll compare it with watching a car crash on a close circuit camera. Inevitable, brutal, shudder inducing and bloody horrifying. 

Finally, it would be a disservice to the translator Sam Taylor if we do not acknowledge the beauty of this translation.

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The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Before I began writing this review, I re-read the earlier books in the series by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Shadow of the Wind has been an all time favorite, and  Angel's Game - not so much. My feelings for these books have remained the same. Actually, I think I even managed to like The Shadow of the Wind a bit more, if that's possible. 

It's hard to write a review for sequels without spoiling the series, so I'll just keep this one short.

I had hoped for The Prisoner of Heaven to be a perfect sequel. Sadly, I didn't like this book all that much. Carlos Ruiz Zafon is an amazing story teller, no doubt, but this book didn't have the shroud of mystery that keeps you on the edge. Set a few years after events of The Shadow of The Wind, Daniel Sempere is contacted by a stranger who sends Fermin and Daniel on yet another adventure involving the deep maze of secrets. Cemetery of Forgotten Books is once at the heart of the story. There are good things in there like the familiar atmosphere of Zafon's world and the brilliance of connecting the two previous books but the story hardly has any punch to it.

If you have read The Shadow of the Wind then you might want to read this book for some closure.

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Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

© Goodreads

During my second trimester of pregnancy I was told to relax. Soothing music, happy movies, good books were among the things I was advised on pursuing. I took this advice literally and promptly got myself a copy of Neal Stephenson’s Seveneves. Trust me to pick an ‘end of the earth, thanks to a freaky space event’ kind of a book to read in preparation of the coming baby.

It took me 8 months to get through this chunkster. I read it through my pregnancy and after delivery too. I read it whenever I got time. I read it because it made me realize that science fiction authors are not regular people. They create these complex worlds, these mind bending societies and their equally intriguing inhabitants and that’s no mere feat. I read also to make sure I don’t give up. That lesson was long time coming. It was hard and sometimes I would be stuck on a page for days together but in the end, it was all well worth the effort.

If there is another author whose work can match the hard science in Stephenson’s books with equally baffling and sometimes more mind bending concepts, it is Ursula K LeGuinn. Fan of both these authors and highly recommend all their books. All of them.

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