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I read ‘The Sari Shop’ over a decade ago. I remember how good I felt while reading it. It was a heartwarming story that stayed with me long after I finished it. I found the protagonist endearing. I came across the book as I was going through some of my old stuff—kept on random shelves and boxes at my parent’s home. All I had to do was read a couple of pages for the story to come back to me. I felt bad that I had forgotten about it for so long, that I hadn’t talked about this book when people inevitably asked me for book recommendations.

Ramchand is a 26-year-old shop assistant at Sevak Sari House in Amritsar, India. He spends most of his days showing saris to women who come to the shop. There are posh women from rich families who like to be treated well and giggling girls who like expensive silk saris but can only afford cotton ones. There is a certain rhythm to his days and Ramchand likes it, despite knowing he could never afford the lavish lifestyle of his customers.

Then, one day, he is sent to show some saris to a wealthy family. They are preparing for their daughter’s wedding. This incident jostles him from his reality and he wants another shot at reliving his childhood dreams. To start with, Ramchand tries to find a purpose by fulfilling his dead father’s dream which is to improve his prospects by learning English. He spends a major portion of his earnings on the Oxford English Dictionary, The Complete Letter Writer, and Pocket Science for Children, among other random titles.

His efforts with English mean he can finally pick up fragments of conversation among his wealthy customers. The things they say aren’t always nice and he can’t make much sense of things when they talk about politics and other worldly affairs. You could say Ramchand’s efforts disrupt his peaceful existence and make him realize that life can be a lot harsher than he imagined.

The simple story is dotted with events that make you think about social hierarchy and society’s obsession with wealth. Through the varied characters—the crass Mrs Sandhu, the educated but improper Mrs Sachdeva, and the young and hip Rina and Tina Kapoor—Bajwa paints a picture of upper-class India and the growing chasm between the haves and the have-nots. There is a lot of sarcasm and a fair bit of humor too. But the story is in no way pretentious. Nothing dramatic ever happens. The Sari Shop is a social commentary where the ugly truths of life are brought under a glaring spotlight.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/9409  

The Sari Shop

Rupa Bajwa

Published: 2004

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 240, Paperback

Fiction

Malice

Keigo Higashino

Published: 2014

Publisher: Little, Brown

Pages: 218, Paperback

I love Keigo Higashino. My friends love him too. I have yet to meet another reader who doesn’t speak highly of this uber-talented Japanese author. Higashino is the best selling and most widely read novelist in Japan. Though he has a satisfyingly large bibliography, the English translation of his works is only published periodically, with only seven translated novels available to date.

‘Malice’ is the first novel in a series that features Detective Kyoichiro Kaga of the Tokyo Homicide Division. It came out in 1996 and was translated into English in 2014. Kunihiko Hidaka, a famous novelist, is brutally murdered days before he is relocating from Japan to Vancouver. He is found in a locked room, inside his locked house, by his wife, and best friend, Osamu Nonoguchi. Both of them have rock-solid alibis.

Police Detective Kyoichiro Kaga recognizes Hidaka’s best friend. Years ago, when they were both teachers, they were colleagues at the same high school. Kaga went on to join the police force while Nonoguchi left to become a full-time writer. Kaga thinks something is a little bit off with Nonoguchi’s statement and gets a search warrant for his apartment. Ultimately, Nonoguchi confesses to the murder. But that’s only the beginning of the story.

The premise sounds simple but the way it’s executed makes the story gripping and one of its kind. It’s not your average thriller. Higashino knows how to get inside your head. He knows which buttons to push. This psychological cat-and-mouse game with a cunning killer will have you gulping and gasping. The story is told from the viewpoint of Nonoguchi and Detective Kaga, alternating between the two. Clues are laid out for the reader as more information about Hidaka and Nonoguchi is revealed.

The thing is despite knowing who the killer is, you don’t know why he did it. That makes you wonder if Nonoguchi is indeed the culprit. One minute you are sure of something and then the very next chapter forces you to change your mind. This back-and-forth is what makes the story captivating. Nonoguchi is an unreliable narrator. Kaga is intelligent, akin to Sherlock Holmes. The two main characters together tell a fascinating tale of love, loss, and redemption that explores the dark side of human nature.

The story also deals with a lot of issues—bullying, insecurity, jealousy, a writer’s struggle to get published, as well as the pressure of having to churn out one successful novel after another. But Higashino keeps things subtle without overly dramatizing anything. Malice is a murder mystery but it feels like a story that could very well play out next door. It also makes you ponder over the seriousness and complexities of life. 

Fiction

The Collected Regrets of Clover

Mikki Brammer

Published: 2023

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK

Pages: 314, Paperback

‘The Collected Regrets of Clover’ deals with death, a topic most of us aren’t comfortable with and actively avoid discussing. I didn’t buy it after reading the blurb (I must confess it spooked me a little) but the book kept popping up on my Instagram feed. Many of my close friends had read it (and loved it), as had a few celebrities I follow on the social media platform. Also, the raving reviews on Good Reads made me curious. So, I went back to Ekta Bookstore in Thapathali, Kathmandu, to buy myself a copy.

It is, hands down, the best book I have read in 2023. Since the new year is just a month away, I doubt there will be other contenders for that title. Though the story is about death and accepting the fleetingness of life, it’s also about finding joy in the little things in life, conquering your fears, and the importance of meaningful connections.

Clover is a death doula. She spends time with those who are dying if they have no one to take care of them or if their relatives can’t deal with the practical matters that come with a loved one’s passing, like planning a funeral, etc. Ever since Clover was five and she watched a teacher die while telling her class a story, she has been comfortable with death in a way no one around her is. This makes her a sort of outcast in school. A new girl Clover wants to be friends with actually says it will hurt her image.

In her 30s, with only one (elderly) friend, and no family or romantic partners, Clover is alone in the world. She spends a lot of time with those who are dying and tries to learn a lesson from each one of them. She has notebooks titled ‘Regrets’, ‘Advices’, and ‘Confessions’. Though she actively avoids human connection, you get the sense that she is somewhat craving it too. Then she meets the feisty Claudia who has terminal cancer and is expected to die in a few months. As Clover gets to know Claudia, she slowly learns to reclaim the life she’s lost.

The writing is beautiful. There are phrases and paragraphs that I reread one too many times. ‘Grief is just love looking for a place to settle’ is one of my favorite lines from the book. The characters are crafted well. Clover, Leo, Sebastian, Claudia, and the others all have distinct personalities. You enjoy getting to know them and their quirks. It’s an enjoyable read and the story makes you realize the importance of living without inhibitions and taking chances.

In Jessamine Chan’s debut novel, ‘The School for Good Mothers,’ we meet Frida Liu, a 39-year-old single mother, who is overworked and struggling to stay on top of her personal and professional duties. Then one day, in an insomnia-induced irrational state, she leaves her 18-month-old daughter Harriet alone at home for two hours. She has to go to the office to retrieve a file.

Next thing she knows, she’s being hauled into police custody for child abandonment. Her daughter is handed over to her ex-husband and his partner. But Frida isn’t a bad mother. She just had a bad moment. Even when she tries to repent and convince the ‘authorities’ that she loves Harriet and won’t repeat her mistake, everything she does is interpreted as evidence of her negligence and incompetence.

She is eventually sent to a place that teaches women how to be good mothers. The crimes of the other mothers range from testing positive for marijuana use to letting her child play alone. Each woman is assigned a robotic child and she must practice her parenting skills—hugging (for not a second too long or less), kissing, maintaining eye contact, etc.—with it.

In order to get Harriet back, Frida has to be able to show those in charge that she is capable of putting her child before her in all instances by loving the robot like it’s her child. But it’s not easy. The robot is programmed to be difficult and it sends recorded data to the authorities. The ‘experimental rehab facility’ with cameras everywhere is like a prison and the tiniest violation of rules can lead to permanent termination of parental rights. There is no way to win but countless ways in which you could be deemed an unfit parent.

The School for Good Mothers isn’t a horror novel. But you will be spooked nonetheless. It has a chilling dystopian feel to it that makes you shudder. It makes you question the unnecessary societal burden of expectations that’s put primarily on the mothers. Why are women expected to be at the top of their game when it comes to nurturing? Do they have to love being a parent all the time or are they allowed to be tired and maybe even crib about how draining it is once in a while?

The book is reminiscent of Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. Those who have enjoyed reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’ will enjoy Chan’s The School for Good Mothers as there are many similarities between the two stories. But I suggest you go into it with an open mind as many instances will have you rolling your eyes at the incredulity of it all.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57846320-the-school-for-good-mothers 

The School for Good Mothers

Jessamine Chan

Published: 2022

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 319, Paperback

During college, I consciously read more LGBT stories to understand and learn to accept love in all forms. And there have been some really great narratives that have changed the way I have looked at love and what I’ve, for far too long, considered as the only accepted version of romantic love. Now, I don’t actively seek out queer stories but I love it when I inevitably stumble upon one. They reaffirm my belief that love is love and that one should be allowed to love anyone.

‘Red, White & Royal Blue’, Casey McQuiston’s debut novel, follows a rivalry-turned-romance trope between the Prince of Wales and the First Son of the United States. Alex Claremont-Diaz, whose mother is running for a second term for president, is passionate and eager to kick-start his own political career. Prince Henry, whose full name is Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, is much more measured and guarded—a stringent follower of decorum and protocols.

The novel begins with the two hating each other but things change when Henry kisses Alex on New Year’s Eve in the Kennedy Garden. Henry is gay. But Alex always thought he was straight. Now, after the kiss, he’s not so sure. And he can’t get Henry off his mind. His feelings for Henry make him realize he is bisexual. What ensues is a whirlwind romance with plenty of political drama. McQuiston indulges in many political fantasies, including Alex’s mom winning the presidency in 2016 (meaning Donald Trump was never the president).

The writing is honest and optimistic. There’s a lot of humor and some really wonderful moments as well. Alex and Henry are endearing and so are the other side characters who don’t feel like side characters at all. There is a lot of discussion about the characters’ aspirations, their concerns for their countries as well as all that they want to do to help the LGBTIQA+ community. It all feels like a pep talk at times.

Red, White & Royal Blue is essentially a love story but it’s also a celebration of identity. If you haven’t read a queer love story, this could be a good place to start as nothing feels forced or fake. The make-believe world couldn’t feel more real. It starts slow but when it picks up, you won’t want to put it down.

My Dashain read was ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ by Richard Osman. The book had been sitting on my shelf for over two years now. I wanted something light and fun to read during the festive season to get my mind off things and I had heard great things about it, with many people calling it a ‘cozy murder mystery’. Osman’s debut book, the film rights of which was snapped by Steven Spielberg, reminded me of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and made me very happy.

Coopers Chase is a luxury retirement village with 300 residents in the Kent countryside in England. Every week, four senior citizens meet to investigate unsolved murder cases. The cases come from the files of a former police officer, Penny Gray, who is also the club’s founding member. But she is now lying comatose at a nursing home. So, it’s Elizabeth, probably a former spy for the MI5, Ibrahim Arif, a psychiatrist, Ron Ritchie, a former trade union hero, and former nurse Joyce Meadowcroft who meet to discuss and solve cold cases.

In The Thursday Murder Club, Ian Ventham, the owner of Coopers Chase, plans to expand the village. But that means having to dig up and relocate the bodies of nuns buried in the cemetery. The residents, especially the religious ones, aren’t happy about this. Then Ventham’s right-hand man Tony Curran is found bludgeoned to death and that soon opens a box of secrets that somebody would like to bury at any cost. Enter the police—DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas—who, along with the murder club members, try to figure out just what is going on.

The book isn’t your regular, pacy thriller. In fact, it’s slow and the scenes don’t flow. There are a lot of personal stories of the characters interspersed within the main narrative. But humor, and prickly British humor at that, is everywhere. The dialogue and scenes are funny. They will make you laugh out loud, even when they deal with serious situations. Osman has created relatable characters who feel like people you know. They make the story come to life. The characters are the driving force of what could otherwise have been a run-of-the-mill story.

The Thursday Murder Club is, at its core, a mystery. But it’s also a novel about friendship, love, loss, and coming to terms with who we are and what we value. Osman also challenges the notion of old age. The four unlikely but immensely lovable amateur detectives or ‘harmless pensioners’ are testimony to the fact that age doesn’t and shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love.

Fiction

The Thursday Murder Club

Richard Osman

Published:

Publisher:

Pages: Paperback

I have read a couple of Lisa Jewell’s books and heard discussions about others on YouTube. Though I have never been particularly fond of any of her works, I don’t know why I keep picking up her books whenever I come across one. It doesn’t make my heart jump with joy but when I see a new book by the author, I always grab it. I had ‘The Family Upstairs’ on Kindle but I still got a paperback copy recently. The cover was gorgeous. Still, I should have saved the money.

Not that the book was bad. But I didn’t really need a physical copy on my shelves. It’s not a book I’ll be recommending people to read. But I know people might enjoy it because it’s a light, pacy read.

A surprise inheritance sends a young woman named Libby Jones down the harrowing spiral of her own shocking history in this domestic suspense that sometimes feels taut and drags on a little in many other places. When Libby inherits a mansion in a posh neighborhood in London, her life, she thinks, is finally changing for the better. But little does she know that by claiming the inheritance she is also taking responsibility for a darker history, that she has a connection to an unsolved crime and a cult-like society. And things are waiting to unravel as soon as Libby makes herself known.

The plot has all the makings of a super gripping read. It is dark and broody. The setting—of cold, bleak London—adds to the claustrophobic feeling. Jewell had a clear concept while writing the book and she has executed that well. The characters are also well-crafted too. But the narrative switches between the past and the present and that’s where you get confused. I can’t really pinpoint why but it’s difficult to keep track of the two narratives and be able to connect them. 

The good thing about the book is that though it’s a thick volume the font is quite big and the chapters aren’t long either. So, you will find yourself getting through it pretty quickly. The plot, even when it drags on, does manage to grab your interest. It feels a little too cliché in some places—like you’ve read the section before (in some other thriller books) or seen a similar scene play out in a movie. But I guess that is a problem all thriller readers can identify with. When you have read a lot of horror/thriller books, everything feels somewhat familiar.

Fiction

The Family Upstairs

Lisa Jewell

Published: 2019

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK

Pages: 451, Paperback

There are books that make you happy—books that are the equivalent of a warm, comforting hug, stories that make you believe everything will be okay despite the odds. ‘Matilda’ by Roald Dahl is that book for me. This is one of the books, and perhaps the first book, I gravitate towards when I need a little pick me up. 

When I was in school, I got my hands on a tattered copy of Matilda. I had come across it at the Awon library in Kupondole, Lalitpur. I loved it—read it on a balmy Saturday devouring the two Perk chocolate bars that I was allowed on the weekends. I renewed it during my next visit to the library because I couldn’t part with it. 

Soon enough, I bought my copy from Ekta Bookstore in Jawalakhel. At almost Rs 400, it was a pricey book during those days. I’m talking about the 90s here. My parents used to give me money to buy books, mostly the Famous Five or the Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton and the occasional Archie comics. Blyton’s books used to cost around Rs 140, with slimmer volumes priced as low as Rs 98. An Archie comic was Rs 68. So, I had to save up to buy Matilda. I bought one book at the combined cost of several. 

Over the years, I have read Matilda many times. I have bought more copies than I can recollect because I’m always giving them to people. Right now, I have two copies (with different covers) on my bookshelf. Sometimes, I just sit with the book, letting memories of a happier time wash over me. 

Matilda is about a girl named, well, Matilda. She’s a genius. By the age of three, she could do what most adults take a lifetime to learn—take care of herself. By four, her reading list had Hemingway, Dickens, and Orwell among many other prolific, highly celebrated authors. But Mr and Mrs Wormwood, Matilda’s parents, think she’s a nuisance. They think she should watch more TV and read fewer books. Her school principal, Miss Trunchbull, is another terror who despises children. But Matilda isn’t an ordinary girl. She has a few tricks up her sleeves that just might save her and her amazing teacher, Miss Honey.  

It might seem like a simple story when you first read it. But it’s also a brilliant reminder of what the human mind is capable of and how you can often turn your life around with the right attitude. Peppered with Dahl’s signature wit and Blake’s fun illustrations, Matilda keeps you entertained and allows you to forget your worries for a little while. 

Fiction

Matilda 

Roald Dahl

Illustrated by Quentin Blake

Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd 

Published: 1988

Pages: 232, Paperback