Book 7 of 2019- “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie ”,by Dame Muriel Spark .This will also be my read for the #ReadingWomanChallenge under prompt 9 #novellBook 7 of 2019- “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie ”,by Dame Muriel Spark .This will also be my read for the #ReadingWomanChallenge under prompt 9 #novella . First,I should tell you all ,that I regret having discovered Muriel Spark so late in my reading life.Second,I will not insult this book by saying this is a review .I would rather call this post ,a glorification of Muriel Spark😁 This novella packs such a powerful punch in just a few pages .We have a commentary on so many issues - politics at every level (especially the petty politics played between women),religion,fascism,education,the effects of idolising a teacher , groupism and the Scottish psychology .This is also a funny and tragic story of betrayal and the coming of age of a group of girls who are as diverse in character ,intellect and psyche as the views ,opinions and moods of the teacher they idolise ,the magnificent and ridiculous Miss.Brodie. Muriel Spark is that rare star in the universe - a writer with a remarkable intellect ,an excellent sense of prose and grammar and blessed with wicked humour which reflects in her writing.This book was witty and deliciously funny and I was smiling all the time I was reading it.Every sentence has a purpose .I also love the way she writes about sex and there is a lot of talk about sex in the book.Again ,only talk😁.The imaginary letter between Jean Brodie and her lover that the girls Sandy and Jenny orchestrate had me in splits and I will never forget it in my life time.😂.A good book to include for #femmemarch and yes,Dame Muriel Spark is now one of my #favfemalewriters ....more
"The Toss ofa Lemon " by Padma Vishwanathan . This was a gift by one of my favorites here,@inkless.sne .The book is a multigenerational story of a Tam"The Toss ofa Lemon " by Padma Vishwanathan . This was a gift by one of my favorites here,@inkless.sne .The book is a multigenerational story of a TamilBrahmin family from 1896 to 1956 that revolves around the family matriarch Sivakami who is widowed at the tender age of 18 and her children,grandchildren and great grand children .I could relate to this story so much being a TamBrahm myself and the bonus was that there was a character named Jaanaki in the book just like me .The book was even more special because @inkless.sne had attempted to draw a family tree on a piece of white paper which slipped out of the thick tome when I was reading it and suddenly I could see this story through her eyes.Naturally,I kept referring to that piece of paper throughout my read - The legacy from one reader to another 😊 This book will also be my entry for the #ReadingWomanChallenge under prompt 6 #multigenerationalfamily . In essence ,reading this book was like watching a family soap opera .The writer has captured the vibrance,peace and contentment , a life in a quiet village bestows on its inhabitants .Some relationships stand out -Sivakami and Vairam, Jaanaki and Bharathi,Jaanaki and Kamalam and of course Sivakami and Muchami.The conflicts between members of the same community when new traditions replace old and the confusion the the younger generation go through in choosing sides has been penned beautifully, together with the insecurity and pain the older generation go through .There is a lot of history between the pages and one gets a chance to see the Madras of those days .My only contention with the writer was the way she described Rukmani Arundale ,founder of Kalakshetra as flirting with Vairum.I personally feel as women we do not have the right to label fellow women in a way that chooses our fancy or a story plot .Another fact was that the climax was very incomplete and underwhelming .Maybe,I loved the characters so much that I wanted to know what happened to all of them 😊😊😊😊😊 In the end,however,I realised that I will never forget Sivakami ,just like Clara or Ursula❤️❤️...more
("We women are a sad lot, aren't we?" "What do you mean?" "Strong enough to take on the world with our bare hands, yet we permit ridiculous boys to make("We women are a sad lot, aren't we?" "What do you mean?" "Strong enough to take on the world with our bare hands, yet we permit ridiculous boys to make fools of us." "I am not a fool." "No, you're not. Not yet.") 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 A marvellous finish to a wonderful series ❤️❤️❤️❤️.I loved this duology so much that I am planning to buy the hardcovers for my library😻.In addition,I liked Renee's writing so much that I am planning to read her other fantasy duology, "Flame in the Mist ",too. She has done justice to all her secondary characters ,especially vivacious and saucy Despina😆.Her writing is beautiful and the world building exquisite . A wicked book that has to be destroyed ,magicians ,flying serpents and carpets😁😁,twists ,turns ,a solid love story and unforgettable characters .A series that has to be savored .Don't miss this if you are a fantasy lover and if you love "The Arabian Nights "...more
This book was my second disappointment this year.I picked it up because the synopsis had all the Latin American mythical elements which I generally loThis book was my second disappointment this year.I picked it up because the synopsis had all the Latin American mythical elements which I generally love and it suggested a supernatural mystery too. However,after a few chapters ,I just felt that the narration was long winded and repetitive. So ,I moved on😁😁😁 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 I also realised that I have a lot of good books on Kindle which I have ignored ,because I am more of a hard copy person. I love holding books in my hand than E- books.Still,this being the month ,Kindle was released ten years ago ,I have decided to read only E- books this whole month as a tribute .After all,Kindle does have it's plus points. E -books are way cheaper ,easier to carry and you can store as many books as you want👍😄....more
"The Beast Player", by Nahoko Uehashi is a fantasy tale ,translated from the Japanese version with a very different kind of world building and storyli"The Beast Player", by Nahoko Uehashi is a fantasy tale ,translated from the Japanese version with a very different kind of world building and storyline also.The original was titled "Kimona No Soja " and published as four volumes from 2006 to 2009.The series was so popular that it has been adapted into a Manga version and also an anime series on Japanese Television Nahoko Uehashi ,is in fact a famous teen fiction writer in Japan and is also famous for the "Moriboto " series of books. This is a world where huge serpents called the Toda are trained for battle by the Aluhan who use them to defend the borders of the country ruled by the Yojeh (divine Goddess).The Yojeh are in turn protected by the huge magnificent ,golden royal beasts who can fly in the sky and whose natural prey are the Toda.It is a world where humans fight their wars using these fierce animals without realizing the harm caused to the animals.Erin,the heroine is orphaned at a very young age and she has a heart filled with compassion for these animals .She is the only one who can communicate with the beasts and this gift makes her get caught in the murky waters of state politics. This is a very beautiful book with writing that just flows like a smooth stream,peaceful and calm.The natural descriptions were really wonderful including two or three chapters on bees.I loved the heroine Erin who is exceptionally quiet and looks at the world with different eyes.She is innately curious and wants to know everything about the animals she comes across.There is a lot of discussion about using creatures who are meant to be in the wild for their own selfish reasons. The only thing I did not like was the abrupt ending.It was as though the story was left hanging Midway . Recommended for all fantasy lovers who are looking for something different🤩...more
This was my first fantasy novel written by a person of colour. Nnedi Okarafor is a the 2016 Hugo award winner.It is also interesting that Nnedi is theThis was my first fantasy novel written by a person of colour. Nnedi Okarafor is a the 2016 Hugo award winner.It is also interesting that Nnedi is the voice behind Ngozi,or the black panther,a female Nigerian super hero for Marvel comics. Onyensowu ia "Ewu" a child of rape , who is brought up by her Okeke mother in post apocalyptic Sudan. She has magic powers and realizes that someone is waiting to murder her . She sets out to conquer this evil with her lover Mwitah and their friends . However,this story is not so simple as the description I have given above . This is a very complex story with many layers set in post apocalyptic Sudan. The novel talks about weaponized rape and is strongly based on the genocide that took place in Darfur , Sudan.The Darfur genocide refers to the systematic killing of Darfuri men, women, and children which has occurred during the ongoing conflict in Western Sudan.The genocide, which is being carried out against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups has led the International Criminal Court (ICC) to indict several people for crimes against humanity, rape, forced transfer and torture. According to news reports, more than one million children have been "killed, raped, wounded, displaced, traumatized, or endured the loss of parents and families". Throughout the ongoing Darfur genocide in the Darfur war there has been a systematic campaign of rape, which has been used as a weapon of war, in the ethnic cleansing of black Africans from the region.The majority of rapes have been carried out by the Sudanese government forces and the Janjaweed ("evil men on horseback")paramilitary groups.The actions of the Janjaweed have been described as genocidal rape, with not just women, but children also being raped, as well as babies being bludgeoned to death and the sexual mutilation of victims being common place. Nnedi has woven a brilliant tale that talks not only about the genocide but also racism , oppression against women, the African rite of circumcising women, isolation and rejection from society with such imagination , events and some unforgettable characters. My only lament was that at parts, I felt she got repetitive and the book did not have a post apocalyptic touch to it , although she tries to describe ancient computers and water capture tanks in parts of the novel.This is a book that makes you want to think that people really are cruel to each other because in the end it not God who punishes.It is always human against human....more
Svetlana Alexievich won the Nobel prize for literature in 2015 and after reading this exceptional book that documents and narrates the experiences of Svetlana Alexievich won the Nobel prize for literature in 2015 and after reading this exceptional book that documents and narrates the experiences of Russian women who fought in the Second world war, I bow my head to her . She deserves to be applauded for the courage taken to publish what the majority of the population do not even want to acknowledge and she has infused her writing with all the painful memories that were communicated to her through all the interviews she conducted with over 200 women in cities, villages and settlements across Russia. She knows what she is talking about when she says the the colour of women's war is different from the colour of men's war. Men see bravery, courage, fearlessness ,conquests , victories and defeats in war. However, women see childlessness , loss, loneliness, pain, unfulfilled desires, hopelessness, famine, hungry mouths to feed in a war which stripped them of their feminity . As, so many of them recollect it is difficult for a woman who is used to nurturing lives , to take a machine gun and actually take a human life. This book made me shed tears and so there is no review , just a call out to everyone out there to please read this book, just to encourage journalism which is humane and actually talks about what life really is all about....more
Frances Hardinge and Catherynne M.Valente have been in my list for a looong time.I thought I will begin reading Hardinge this year with her "A Face LiFrances Hardinge and Catherynne M.Valente have been in my list for a looong time.I thought I will begin reading Hardinge this year with her "A Face Like Glass " . ***** We have a twelve year old heroine Neverfell ,who is found lost by Cheesemaster Grandible in his tunnels in the underground kingdom of Caverna.Caverna is ruled with an irongrip by the 500 year old grandsteward who is like a spider weaving a web around the courtiers.The fact is that people in Caverna are unable to show natural emotions on their faces and can display only the faces they are trained to display.Every class has access to a certain group of faces .For example ,the drudges or workers are trained to have three faces -1.a face that shows obedience 2.a face happy to take orders and 3.a face that is sorry for mistakes .In addition,no one is allowed to escape to the over ground .The trouble is Neverfell's emotions are clearly expressed on her face at all times and this leads to her falling into a web of deceit.The story is how Neverfell chases her freedom and realises that disillusionment is a part of growing up. ************* I loved the fact that Hardinge's prose is crafty ,witty and wonderfully unique.The world building is exquisite and her characters are all weird and twisted in some way or the other (Anyway ,who isn't 😁😁).It is such a long time that I have read an author writing fairy tales, with an imagination vivid enough to name cheeses as Croakspeckle or Stackfalter Stunton or to include dishes that include jellies shaped like castles with musical birds inside.It brought back memories of Alice in Wonderland.Her description of faces is also amusing with a deep insight like Face 29 -Fawn trembling before Hound .Most of all,her greatest achievement is in showcasing the cruelty of society and how artificial and hypocritical people (that's why the faces )today really are through a fairytale....more
I have wanted to read this for a long time because I liked the goodreads synopsis and the title was mysterious and slippery. I have to grudgingly admiI have wanted to read this for a long time because I liked the goodreads synopsis and the title was mysterious and slippery. I have to grudgingly admit that it was a wonderful read. Cora Seaborne an amateur naturalist is newly and luckily widowed from an abusive marriage .She has an only son Francis who displays eccentric behaviour patterns ad who has isolated himself from his mother's emotions and feelings.Mother and son are under the care of Martha , a fierce woman with socialist leanings ever since Francis is born and the two women have become friends over the years.Luke and Spencer are doctors who are in love with Cora and Martha respectively and who are biding their time to gain approval from the ladies. Meanwhile , there are reports of the sighting of a leviathan creature from the middle ages called the Essex serpent which is terrorizing the little parish village of Essex.So, Cora who needs a change badly goes to Essex with Francis and Martha, to search for the creature where she meets William Ransome , the vicar and his family.They both have different ideologies but are drawn towards each other . The prose is deliciously intelligent and articulate.For example , Cora describes her mourning state as ,"It was a kind of draining sensation ,as if a vital organ had been shared with the man who died and was atrophying slowly from misuse ". Perry has a way with words and she uses them wisely .She is also very successful in bringing the sights and smells of Victorian London and rural England to the readers.You can imagine your feet in the deep , dark Essex mud and feel the cold stinking breeze from the blackwater estuary and taste the salt on your lips by the time you finish the novel. The best part however is the way she has built her characters , their emotions, their feelings for each other and their interactions.All of them are strong with particular likes and dislikes and you begin to know how they think and you are drawn into the story.I found myself disapproving of Francis and trying to find a reason for his behavior, pitying Luke Garrett in so many instances, praying that Martha will somehow see the kindness in Spencer's heart and shaking my head in anguish and wondering why ,or why is Stella not fighting for her husband at all?Is is to so easy to give up or is she so confident of him ? This is a wonderfully told Victorian Gothic tale with so many complex layers in the story and in the end you realise that the serpent is also a metaphor for all the secret and forbidden desires the characters have in their hearts which lead to tragedy and pain. To summarize ,Stunning,intelligent and articulate prose,well developed strong and ferocious characters,a narrative that brings the sights and smells of Victorian London and the countryside to the reader,a wholly independent and unapologetic female protagonist and a search for a mythical creature all make this a wonderful read .A four star read for me and the reason why I did not give five stars although it is wonderfully written ,is that forgive me if I sound prudish ,but I was not very comfortable with William and Cora getting together especially when his wife was so ill,even though it was a marriage of two like intellects with different ideologies ....more
This series is special to me because Mme Precious Ramotswe of Gabarone ,Botswana ,chief detective of the no 1 ladies detective agency and main protagoThis series is special to me because Mme Precious Ramotswe of Gabarone ,Botswana ,chief detective of the no 1 ladies detective agency and main protagonist of this delightful series of 18 books is the second lady detective I was introduced to after Miss Marple. All the books in this series are delightful and humorous reads and the key feature of the series is that although these are detective books ,there is no blood and gore involved and the mysteries involve real problems which happen because of human frailties and weaknesses like domestic violence ,marital infidelity ,clinical depression ,AIDS stigma,problems that arise due to adoption and so on.. All the main characters are lovable ,Grace Matsuki who starts as secretary in the firm and gets promoted as partner as the stories unfold,T.L.B Matekoni precious 's husband ,Charlie and most of all Precious who towers over all of them and solves her cases with her acute understanding of human character over cups of bush tea.. In addition ,we also get to visit Botswana and it is a beautiful country in it's own way .Reading the books is like taking a trip to Botswana ..Love the series and one of my favorites ..😍...more
This book was an awesome read ,so much of snow .It reminded me of another book I read "the snow child " which was also snow filled .The prose was beauThis book was an awesome read ,so much of snow .It reminded me of another book I read "the snow child " which was also snow filled .The prose was beautiful and so much of magic and magical creatures like rusalkas,banniks,bolotniks,leshies and my favorite the domovai.The story is supposed to be based on an ancient Russian folktale and after reading the novel,you feel you have lived in ancient Russia for some time. The story is about Vasya ,who is wild and a child of the woods and who believes the old ways have to be followed and her conflict with her stepmother who is confused ,scared because she does not want to accept what she actually sees. It is about what Vasya has to do to protect her land and family .Every character is interesting and you began to like all the family especially the old nurse dunya.There is also an underlying thread criticising the church for forcing religous doctrines on the local peasants and using fear to make them belief in God .All in all, it was a beautiful read and I admit I actually had dreams of umpyrs and rusalkas at night.Fairy tale lovers don't miss this ☺...more
mma donoghue's novel "room " was a big success and critics raved about it. However ,I did not have the stomach to read it ,simply because the idea of mma donoghue's novel "room " was a big success and critics raved about it. However ,I did not have the stomach to read it ,simply because the idea of a mother and son trapped inside a small room for years was too cruel to bear. Still,I purchased the book ,turned a few pages and kept it back on my shelf..So ,I was curious when her next novel "the wonder " was published. Suprisingly,the plot outline piqued my curiosity and I immediately got it on Kindle and I loved the book inspire of negative reviews from certain corners. This is a psychothriller that keeps you hooked till the end even though the story is simple. 11 year old anna has stopped eating for two weeks. Now the question is whether it a medical anomaly or a divine miracle ? Our heroine Lib is a nurse who is sent to monitor the girl closely together with a number for two weeks and this is the time frame of the story. The story is set in rural ireland and there is a lot of myth,belief and religious dogma with sentiment thrown in.There is a little bit of romance too and it does not hurt the story and anyway ,William Byrne was fine by my standards. The author succeeds in bringing out the political and social atmosphere in rural ireland in the 1850's .Then you have the intense interactions between the main characters which make it's a thoughtful and enjoyable read,as one character puts it " we all have our share of secrets and lies buried under layers "....more
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