_askthebookbug's reviews
1337 reviews

When Breath Becomes Air - #bookrecommendation
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"Before my cancer was diagnosed, I knew that someday I would die, but I didn’t know when. After the diagnosis, I knew that someday I would die, but I didn’t know when. But now I knew it acutely. The problem wasn’t really a scientific one. The fact of death is unsettling. Yet there is no other way to live." - Paul Kalanithi.
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Death is a hard thing to talk about. It's even more harder when you know it's going to engulf you in the next few months. But Paul does it gloriously. He talks about life before and after cancer. Being a neurosurgeon, Paul knows the survival rate and perhaps this is why he bid goodbye gracefully. He embraced death the way one embraces life. When Breath Becomes Air is an intense book that ends tragically. It even begins with the author being addressed in the past tense so you know it's all over. But it's Paul's journey that counts. His rawness and unflinching attitude that he carried till the very end.
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When Paul was 36, he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer and he immediately knew that his chances of survival were not too satisfactory. He begins to assess the remaining months and how best he can spend them with his family. On the verge on completing his neurosurgeon course, Paul is devastated by his diagnosis. But he is determined to fight the disease as best as he can and soon behind the treatment. What makes this journey incredible is the fact that Paul decided to go back to the OR and handle cases successfully after having recovered from the first diagnosis. His love for neurosurgery makes him strong enough to fight fiercely.
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We know that the book ends with Paul's death but I particularly loved the last bit where his wife describes about Paul's passion and character. The way he died in peace with his family around him by kissing his wife and daughter goodbye. This memoir is easily one of the best I've had the chance to read this year. It's honest, brutal and also oozes strength. A must read.
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Rating - 5/5.

Problem Child.
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Thank you for the copy @netgalley :)
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Two books from @netgalley and both turned out to be spectacular. Problem Child is a gripping novel with a very unique protagonist and a dangerous story. Jane Doe is a thriving lawyer who works in an affluent firm. She has a steady job, a kind and loving boyfriend and a beautiful home. But what makes Jane different from everyone else is that she's a sociopath. She displays no emotions be it love or affection, she draws no joy in having a family but enjoys exacting revenge.
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Jane never had a happy childhoods. Having irresponsible parents, a crude brother and no friends, turned the once vulnerable Jane into something stronger. After years of abuse, she rewires her brain to protect herself. After high-school, she moves to the City and leaves behind her family for good. After cutting ties with them, Jane receives a phone call from her hometown many years later. Her niece, whom Jane has never seen is missing and she has been asked to find her. Jane almost refuses to help until she has been told that the niece is so much like her. Curiosity gets the better of her and she decides to locate her niece to see if she's a sociopath too.
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Jane's visit to hometown turns interesting as she finds her niece involved in something bigger. An old town with drug addicts, kids dropping out of school and flesh trade being run openly, Jane is determined to solve the puzzle. When she eventually finds her niece, she is now sure that they are the same. Her mind whirs as she thinks what can be done to groom the kid and work together. There's a subtle twist at the end which made me like the book a bit more. Though the story is quite predictable, Jane's character development is what stole the show. Her intense likes and dislikes, her painful past and the bright future, is something that enhances the book. The author gives us a glimpse of her life at work and how she destroys people who happen to take credit in her behalf. She's fierce and knows what she wants.
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This book is crude, I'll say that. Jane's language, attitude and thoughts are dirty but honest. Considering her character, I do believe this was needed. I recommend it.
4.3/5

My Little Epiphanies.
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The trailer of the movie The Sky Is Pink has been making rounds on social media but what I didn't know was that it's based on a true story. The movie is inspired from the life of Aisha Chaudhary, a girl who was diagnosed with SCID (Severe combined immunodeficiency) and lived her entire life hooked to oxygen tanks. But that's not what makes Aisha different from others. Her courage, determination and kindness sets her apart. This tiny book encloses Aisha's deepest thoughts, be it fear, love, helplessness or pain. It may be small but it sure packs a punch.
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The book begins with a foreword written by @priyankachopra. Then her mother whom she fondly used to call Moose, goes ahead to write a little about Aisha's touching journey. She talks about Aisha's quirks and nature all the while addressing it to Aisha. She writes about how strong her daughter was in the face of intermittent death and how bravely she fought her fears. There's also a note by Shonali Bose, the director of the movie #theskyispink about how Aisha's family has now become hers through the pain and memories that they share. It's heartwarming to see the way in which these two women talk about Aisha's life. Not just the part where she's I'll but the glorious life that she lived in all of her eighteen years.
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My Little Epiphanies is a collection of Aisha's life. Her deep personal thoughts are enclosed within these pages making the readers significantly emotional. Amidst these pages are doodles created by Aisha through which she displays her mind. It's creative and chirpy to look at. After reading this piece of work, I'm absolutely eager to watch the movie. Watching Aisha's role come to life on screen will be a beautiful thing to watch. @theskyispinkofficial will be released on 11th of this month and I'm glad to have had the chance to read the book before it's out :) Thank you for the copy @bloomsburyindia

| Book Review | Snap.
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"There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who think it could never happen to them. And those who know it will." - Belinda Bauer.
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How I missed reading a good thriller in just a single sitting. Snap was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and rightly so. It's dark and depressing but does manage to keep one at the edge of their seat. There's murder, robbery and lies. Lots of them so in a way nothing could have possibly gone wrong with this novel. I began reading this last afternoon and was finished before I retired for the day. That, right there goes to show how interesting the book was. Belinda's story is unique for it is interwoven delicately. It's not messy like how usually books turn out to be when there are many important characters. This one hits the right spot.
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Zack, 11 years old is left incharge of his sisters, Joy who is nine years old and Merry who's just a baby while his mother goes to make a phone call. After waiting for more than an hour in their car in the stifling heat, the three of them walk towards the nearest phone booth in an attempt to find their mom but they soon realise that something is wrong. Eileen is nowhere to be seen and the kids are later picked up by cops. The death of their mother is soon discovered and the kids are left heartbroken ever since. After their father abandons them too, Zack assumes the role of the head of the family and feeds his sisters through burglary. Three years later, Catherine receives a threatening note from an intruder while her husband is away for the weekend. She panics and fears for the safety of her unborn baby but decides to tackle it herself.
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The lives of Catherine and Zack are interwoven in a series of unfortunate events and Zack is hell-bent in catching his mother's killer. Detectives Marvel and Reynolds are on the lookout for the famous burglar when suddenly they stumble across clues to the unresolved murder case of Eileen. The story picks up speed from the very first page and I read it in fast intervals like a child hungry for knowledge. Though most part of the story was believable, there were certain loopholes that stood out significantly.
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After finishing the novel, I read about the author and understood that this book is loosely based on the murder of Marie Wilks in 1998, around the same time this story is set. This is a brilliant thriller but I cannot help but feel that certain scenes could have been well polished which is why I didn't quite understand the reason behind it being longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. I cannot give it five stars. Having said that, Snap is one of the best murder mysteries I've read in a while and I cannot wait to read more works of Belinda. I recommend this novel to all the thriller junkies out there.
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Rating - 4.3/5.

| Book Review | Convenience Store Woman.
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"When something was strange, everyone thought they had the right to come stomping in all over your life to figure out why. I found that arrogant and infuriating, not to mention a pain in the neck. Sometimes I even wanted to hit them with a shovel to shut them up, like I did that time in elementary school." - Sayaka Murata.
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Japanese novels are always like a breath of fresh air. The very plot of the book sets it apart from anything else I've ever read. This particular novel has received splendid reviews from the literary community so when I picked it up, I had very high expectations. By the time I finished reading it, I was relieved because not only did it meet my expectations but it also managed in making me view the world from a different perspective. Originally written in Japanese by Sayaka Murata and later translated to English by Ginny Takemori, this book scored a perfect five from me. The essence of a true book lies in the translation and it's safe to say Ginny has nailed it. Not even for a second did I feel that I was reading a translated work and this goes to show how beautifully the novel has been curated.
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Ever since she can remember, Keiko Furukura has been different. While most of the world thought from heart, she found sense in being practical. She narrates couple of instances from her childhood which convinced her family that she is unique and not in a good way. Right after her graduation, she finds job at a convenience store and ends up working there for the next eighteen years. Keiko finds comfort in her monotonous routine having no need to marry or enter into a relationship. At thirty-six years, Keiko has made peace with the fact that she's not a human but merely an animal who just has to lead her life by a set of manual. Her days at the store are the same everyday but she enjoys being able to recite the standard greetings to the customers and knowing how the business works in and out.
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Keiko feels comfortable in being alone but cooks up stories to fool her friends in thinking that she is normal while in reality she is nothing like them. At work, she meets a fellow colleague named Shiraha who feels exactly the way she does about societal rules. They come up with a mutually beneficial alliance in which Shiraha takes advantage of Keiko's naivety. But it soon falls apart when Keiko realises that her life is solely dedicated to the convenience store and nothing outside of it matters. It is important to understand why Keiko thinks the way she does. Even though her mind works in a different way, it does make sense when one tries to look at things from her perspective. She doesn't see a point in forming relationships while she is content in her own company. To me, Keiko made sense.
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I love this novel and I'm going to recommend it to everyone who are willing to consider my suggestions. While Keiko's character is both humorous as well as tinged with a bit of sadness, it feels perfectly real. Sayaka herself worked in a convenience store for about eighteen years and perhaps this is why, this book carries a very intimate feel. It's beautiful and raw, all the while portraying how our society works in making people subject to rules and regulations. Please do read it. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I truly hope that you do too.
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Rating - 5/5.

Actual Rating - 3.5/5
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| Book Review | Penance.
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Yet another Japanese author that I've come to like and the credit goes to Penance. Kanae Minato began writing in her thirties and her very first novel 'Confessions' was a spectacular hit. Just a year later she wrote Penance but it didn't seem to impress the readers much. I haven't read Confessions but after reading Penance, I have no doubt that Minato is a brilliant writer. Penance is different from any of the crime novels I've read till date and although it's a good thing, it also tends to elevate ones' expectations. When it comes to writing murder mysteries, Higashino does it best. But Minato has a certain charm in her writing style that's not easy to find.
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Five children go to play volleyball in their school ground during holidays but only four return back. Emily's murder comes as a shock to the old sleepy town where nothing bad takes place. The kids - Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko weren't of much help to the police in describing the murderer. As each girl tries to deal with the murder in her own way, Emily's mother later accuses the girls for not finding the murderer and asks them to either catch him before the statute of limitations is up or atone for their sins. This particular instance changes the girls'lives in ways that no one can imagine. Fifteen years later, stories of these girls are narrated in detail, each of them talking about the murder and how they dealt with it.
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It comes as no shock that the four girls who are now women are haunted by their past. With death latched onto their backs, they either write letters or confront Emily's mother about how she ruined their lives. The five chapters in the book are dedicated to each of the girls plus the mother, as they open up about what truly happened with Emily and how they atoned for no fault of theirs.
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The plot may sound simple but there are many stories interwoven delicately, that provides this book a haunting effect. Blaming children for something that's out of their hands leaves a lasting impact on young minds. While they carried the burden of Emily's murder on their shoulders for more than fifteen years, all the four girls commit crimes in the latter years. It's amusing to see how one fateful day managed to shift the course of their lives forever. Penance is an intense novel, often making you feel that it's a bit too much to handle. It felt unnecessarily lengthy, something that I don't appreciate in my reads. But there's also a sense of eerie beauty that Minato manages to associate with the book. As far as crime novels go, this wasn't my favourite but will I read other books by Minato? Yes, definitely. If you are searching for a different take on murder mysteries, choose this.

Actual Rating - 3.8/5.
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| Book Review | The Dark Holds No Terrors.
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"A wife should always be few feet behind her husband. If he is an MA you should be a BA.If he is 5'4'tall you shouldn't be more than 5'3'tall. If he is earning five hundred rupees you should never earn more than four hundred and ninety nine rupees.That's the only rule to follow if you want a happy marriage...No partnership can ever be equal.It will always be unequal, but take care it is unequal in favor of the husband. If the scales tilt in your favor, God help you, both of you." - Shashi Deshpande.
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I finished reading this book sometime in early March but wasn't sure how well I could come up with a review. This may partly have to do with the fact that it was a terrifyingly dark novel and also because of the complex characters that Deshpande brought out. This was my very first book by the author and I was blown away by her honesty. It's not subtle but something that stares right at your face. Another fascinating aspect of the book was the underlying presence of feminism. The protagonist is a feminist through and through and this shines all along the story. Although I liked the book, I can't be too sure if it's everyone's cup of tea.
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Sarita is a successful doctor who lives a comfortable life with her husband and two children. The family which seems normal from the outside, has problems of its own that only Sarita is aware of. Having had to lead a distant life from her parents, she decides to visit her father on hearing about her mother's death. Her stay extends for months as she comfortably falls into a routine that works well with her father and the young student who lives with him. It is here that she recalls her traumatic childhood, the cold shoulder she received from her mother all her life, her younger brother's death and finally, the memories of her leaving behind her parents to marry her husband. Her dreams of having a beautiful marriage now seems distant to her as she struggles to give her husband's occasional violent behaviour a name.
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When it comes to story and structure of the plot, there's not much to hold on to. But Deshpande makes up for it with her brilliant narration. Albeit it's hard not to like her stories, there's a subtle presence of darkness that lurkes throughout the book. In this story, Sarita's character is written fiercely, often making her seem more human and relatable. It addresses mental health and many other societal problems that are shrugged off easily even today. Sarita seemed familiar, almost like a next door neighbour and her affliction towards her past is almost painful to witness. This book is one of self discovery and goes to show it's never too late to realise or relive one's choices. This novel might even seem depressing so I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. But if you truly seek comfort from narration and the power it holds, then please do read it.

| Book Review | Pachinko.
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"For people like us, home doesn't exist."
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"Men have choices that women don’t." - Min Jin Lee.
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Books that talk about History are my absolute favourite. Not only do they teach us about our ancestors but they also make us experience in a small manner all the things that they had to go through, be it good or bad. My previous historical fiction was Salt Houses in which I learnt about The Six Day War and what it feels like to not have a permanent home. Pachinko is another such story that speaks about Korean immigrants in Japan, clearly explaining the complicated dynamics of Korean-Japanese culture. Although this book was informative and emotional, I found myself being disappointed by the time I finished reading it.
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This work of fiction starts off with Sunja, a fifteen year old girl from Yeongdo a small district in Busan, becoming pregnant. Coming from a simple family, Sunja and her mother manage a boarding house making money barely enough to meet their needs. When Sunja realises that the father of her child is already married, she decides to wed a Christian minister named Isak who was at that time living with them. The book then branches out widely, accomodating the next two generations and their lives in Japan and Korea. The first section of the novel focuses on Sunja and her life with Isak, about how Koreans lived in dirty shacks with their children and pigs, not receiving proper jobs or even three meals a day. With the Second World War faring in the background, the living conditions of many Koreans were almost beggarly.
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The next sections of the novel talks about Sunja's sons who grow up to be kind hearted men but life takes them through severe hardships after the death of Isak. The men couldn't have been more different, while Noa reflects the calmness and ideals of Isak, Mozasu is hot blooded but ironically both of them build their lives through Pachinko. For those who don't know, Pachinko is a famous pinball arcade game which falls under gambling. Later part of the story then revolves around Mozasu's son and his complicated love life.
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It was clear that Sunja served as the focal point of the story while the people around her grew in their own way, some leading to tragedy and the others flourishing. But what I didn't enjoy was the manner in which she was later pushed to the sidelines, not getting enough credit that she deserved. Her story dwindled suddenly and remained that way till the last few chapters. The animosity between Koreans and Japanese has been highlighted significantly on many occasions. The plight of many Koreans of not having a home of their own, having to move because of the war only to come back to their houses being reduced to ashes was a difficult thing to read.
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There's no doubt that Min has done a thorough research before birthing this novel and the preciseness of it is fairly evident throughout. Having said that, I strongly felt that the story was rushed at the end. Unnecessary characters were introduced, one such example was Hana and her mother. I couldn't help but wonder how brilliant the story could have evolved if characters as these weren't introduced, giving enough time for the readers to enjoy the already present characters.
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Pachinko is nevertheless a brilliant novel, but the rushed sense of it has stopped me from giving it five stars. It feels purposeful after learning about new cultures and how it is then passed on for generations to come. I would definitely recommend it to those who take joy and interest in learning about history and everything that comes with it.
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Rating - 3.9/5.

| R E V I E W |
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"When a livelihood dies
a way of life vanishes;
and the language too
is diminished." - Cho Dharman.

"It takes a village to write a book." - Aparna Karthikeyan.
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Nine Rupees An Hour is a detailed book about the lesser known and barely appreciated professions in Tamil Nadu. Even though I've never been to TN, I could picture the scenery, I could feel the mild breeze or the blazing hot sun on my skin. What I loved about this book was how educational it was apart from being engaging. While we often end up wasting food, it's hard to think of lakhs of farmers who shed their sweat and blood to put food on our plates. While I drank my first glass of Toddy last year, never did I think of the men who climbed tall trees to make this happen. We have been taking too many things for granted and this book will serve as an eye opener, urging us to change our ways of living.
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Divided into ten stories, Aparna takes us through the vanishing livelihoods of the State. As she begins with farming and goes on to speak of the dreaded famine of TN back in 2016-17, she speaks to farmers about their heartbreaking experiences as they struggled without water leading to many of them taking their lives leaving behind their wives and children to pay off the debts. With little or no help from the government, the farmers take loan from moneylenders who charge a higher rate of interest. It is also a lesser known fact that women do 70% of backbreaking work while men are often credited for the harvest. Aparna then moves on to Jallikattu and the work opportunities it has to offer. When the government banned the sport due to allegations of animal abuse, the livelihood of thousands of people took a severe blow.
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She speaks of the brave Soundaram Ramasamy who single-handedly manages a bull stud farm tending to the giants like a mother. If you google her name, you'll find her posing with Singaravelan, a bull that's twice her size. Aparna covers various aspects ranging from palm tree climbing to sickle making which may seem ordinary but requires tremendous hardwork, sometimes risking their lives. Hindu weddings are incomplete without the beautiful Nadaswaram playing in the background but we never appreciate what it takes to create such a lovely musical instrument. Aparna speaks to couple of Nadaswaram makers to understand how crucial it is to get the right kind of wood to make them and the effort that goes into creating the perfect instrument. She then speaks of dance forms, Bharatanatyam which Kali, a young man is famous for and Poikal Kuthirai (performed with a dummy horse) in which a woman in her sixties is often seeked out to entertain the crowd. There's also a chapter dedicated to Kanchipuram sarees and the intricate manner in which they are woven. The amount of hardwork and dedication that goes into each of these jobs is truly breathtaking.
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Parents from these livelihoods wish an easier life for their children by sending them to school. With the onset of every year, many of these are taking a hit forcing people to abandon their line of work which oozes culture and holds roots of their ancestry, to move to cities and find other jobs. It pained me immensely to read about how less they earn for all the work that they do, the middlemen taking a majority cut. I do sincerely hope that the government will support them, even more so now when people are fascinated with cities. Nine Rupees An Hour is a brilliant book that manages to touch our conscience. Another interesting aspect was the interviews Aparna conducted with many renowned personalities including her mentor P. Sainath. I highly recommend this.
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Rating - 5/5.