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booksthatstay's reviews
74 reviews
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
4.0
"She had loved him, and he had needed to break her completely to leave her for good. Agnes Bain was too rare a thing to let someone else love. It wouldn't do to leave pieces of her for another man to collect and repair later."-[a:Douglas Stuart|19629033|Douglas Stuart|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1570471773p2/19629033.jpg], Shuggie Bain
This beautifully written heartbreaking story is definitely going to stay with me for a long time. It is a story of hope, of dreams that never got fulfilled, and most importantly a story of love and hopelessness.
This book is set in 1980s Glasgow. When Shuggie's father left his mother, Agnes Bain, he and his siblings found themselves trapped in a decimated mining town. His mother soon became an alcohol addict and even though his siblings tried their best to save her, they just couldn't help her and realized that they must abandon her to save themselves. But Shuggie just couldn't give up on his mother. He still had hope for a better future where his mother would no longer be an addict and they would be living in a much better condition.
From the surface, it was easy to assume that Agnes didn't love her children but as I dug deeper I realized that she loved her children with all her heart but couldn't fulfill her duties because of her addiction. It becomes really hard and heartbreaking to witness the helplessness and hopelessness of this sweet family that got pushed into darkness and despair because of poverty and alcoholism.
But will Shuggie also leave his mother? Will he and his siblings ever get to live the bright future that they had hoped for?
TW: depression, suicide, sexual abuse, homophobia
This amazing Booker Prize winner of 2020 is definitely a masterpiece and deserves all the praise that it is getting. Loved it!
This beautifully written heartbreaking story is definitely going to stay with me for a long time. It is a story of hope, of dreams that never got fulfilled, and most importantly a story of love and hopelessness.
This book is set in 1980s Glasgow. When Shuggie's father left his mother, Agnes Bain, he and his siblings found themselves trapped in a decimated mining town. His mother soon became an alcohol addict and even though his siblings tried their best to save her, they just couldn't help her and realized that they must abandon her to save themselves. But Shuggie just couldn't give up on his mother. He still had hope for a better future where his mother would no longer be an addict and they would be living in a much better condition.
From the surface, it was easy to assume that Agnes didn't love her children but as I dug deeper I realized that she loved her children with all her heart but couldn't fulfill her duties because of her addiction. It becomes really hard and heartbreaking to witness the helplessness and hopelessness of this sweet family that got pushed into darkness and despair because of poverty and alcoholism.
But will Shuggie also leave his mother? Will he and his siblings ever get to live the bright future that they had hoped for?
TW: depression, suicide, sexual abuse, homophobia
This amazing Booker Prize winner of 2020 is definitely a masterpiece and deserves all the praise that it is getting. Loved it!
Labyrinth by Dania Khan
4.0
"But alas!
It is me who is cursed not humanity,
Because I am Death,
The Mighty." - Dania Khan, Labyrinth
It is me who is cursed not humanity,
Because I am Death,
The Mighty." - Dania Khan, Labyrinth
The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857 by William Dalrymple
4.0
"New Delhi is not new at all; instead it is a groaning necropolis, with enough ruins to keep any historian busy through several incarnations."- The Last Mughal by @williamdalrymple
Last year I read City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by Dalrymple and I must say it was an enjoyable read! It is always fun to know the city you have grown up in from someone else's perspective, especially that of a historian! That encouraged me to pick this one up!
This book takes the reader back to the 19th century, in the court of Bahadur Shah Zafar 2, the last Mughal Emperor. He was a mystic, accomplished poet, and skilled calligrapher. Even though he never got hold of any real political power, he did create a court of brilliance and presided over one of the great cultural renaissances of Indian history.
It is a very well-researched book that has managed to put forth a complete and unbiased picture of the Revolt of 1857 and the fall of the Mughal Dynasty in India. The great insights that this book offers on the life and reign of Zafar are unparalleled!
This book is a gem if you want to dig deeper into Indian history, especially in the Mughal era! Do pick it up if you want to understand the impact of colonialism and imperialism.
Not even once did I feel that I was reading a non-fiction book! It's a highly captivating and engrossing read! Super interesting and very well researched!
Last year I read City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by Dalrymple and I must say it was an enjoyable read! It is always fun to know the city you have grown up in from someone else's perspective, especially that of a historian! That encouraged me to pick this one up!
This book takes the reader back to the 19th century, in the court of Bahadur Shah Zafar 2, the last Mughal Emperor. He was a mystic, accomplished poet, and skilled calligrapher. Even though he never got hold of any real political power, he did create a court of brilliance and presided over one of the great cultural renaissances of Indian history.
It is a very well-researched book that has managed to put forth a complete and unbiased picture of the Revolt of 1857 and the fall of the Mughal Dynasty in India. The great insights that this book offers on the life and reign of Zafar are unparalleled!
This book is a gem if you want to dig deeper into Indian history, especially in the Mughal era! Do pick it up if you want to understand the impact of colonialism and imperialism.
Not even once did I feel that I was reading a non-fiction book! It's a highly captivating and engrossing read! Super interesting and very well researched!
Entrenched: A Memoir of Holding on and Letting go by Linda Lee Blakemore, Linda Lee Blakemore
5.0
It has already been 2 weeks since I finished reading it and yet I'm still searching for the most appropriate words to express the heartbreak and pain I felt for the author.
The author has shared her journey of self-discovery, of her endurance, resilience, and dilemma, which will resonate with so many people who are stuck in abusive relationships.
The author has shared in great detail the pain and trauma which she went through while seeking love and happiness in people who didn't have any to offer. She met deceptive men who were manipulative and abusive. To pen down some of the most traumatic memories of your life and keep them as raw as possible, while making yourself vulnerable takes a lot of courage. Her story will resonate with survivors of sexual abuse and will definitely bring hope to the lives of those who are still stuck in abusive relationships.
This is an empowering and powerful story! Some decisions are harder than others and require extraordinary courage. The author's decision of holding on and letting go (of relationships) required that extraordinary courage and it is her courage that has the potential to inspire and bring hope to so many women who are fighting a similar battle.
I really appreciate that the author has changed names and has altered the locations to maintain the anonymity of all those who were a part of her journey and even offered some of them the opportunity to read and edit her draft.
The author has shared her journey of self-discovery, of her endurance, resilience, and dilemma, which will resonate with so many people who are stuck in abusive relationships.
The author has shared in great detail the pain and trauma which she went through while seeking love and happiness in people who didn't have any to offer. She met deceptive men who were manipulative and abusive. To pen down some of the most traumatic memories of your life and keep them as raw as possible, while making yourself vulnerable takes a lot of courage. Her story will resonate with survivors of sexual abuse and will definitely bring hope to the lives of those who are still stuck in abusive relationships.
This is an empowering and powerful story! Some decisions are harder than others and require extraordinary courage. The author's decision of holding on and letting go (of relationships) required that extraordinary courage and it is her courage that has the potential to inspire and bring hope to so many women who are fighting a similar battle.
I really appreciate that the author has changed names and has altered the locations to maintain the anonymity of all those who were a part of her journey and even offered some of them the opportunity to read and edit her draft.
The Last Testament of Crighton Smythe by Gavin Gardiner
5.0
This is one of the best novellas that I have read this year! The ending is bound to blow your mind
No Presents Please: Mumbai Stories by Jayant Kaikini, Tejaswini Niranjana
5.0
"No Presents Please: Mumbai Stories" by @jayant_kaikini_lines which was originally written in Kannada and has been translated to English by @tejaswini.niranjana is a very well-deserving winner of the prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, 2019, and has recently won American Literary Translators Association's National Translation Award, 2021, for prose.
As per the judges of the latter, this collection of short stories "deserves all the presents for its intimate and life-affirming portrayal of ordinary people in Mumbai. Each story is a perfectly crafted world where the unexpected suddenly expands the reader's horizons in a single thrilling and affecting moment."
Reading this book felt like a long and refreshing walk through the busy lanes of Bombay, where the author introduced the common people, who are the backbone and soul of the city, the taxi wallahs, the shopkeepers, the tenants, the daily passengers of the local train, and many more interesting people.
During my school days, one of my most favorite things to do was to look outside the bus window while going back home. It felt like watching a movie where every single person out there on the road was not just merely a person but a story in themselves. And I loved guessing their thoughts and conversations. Reading this book felt exactly like that bus ride!☺️
The book gives a flavor of the very life of the common people of Bombay, or in today's terms 'Mumbaikars'☺️. Each one of us has a story and somehow these stories have the capacity to take the listener/reader to all the wonderful places we have been. Reading these 16 stories has been nothing short of an enjoyable trip to Mumbai!
As per the judges of the latter, this collection of short stories "deserves all the presents for its intimate and life-affirming portrayal of ordinary people in Mumbai. Each story is a perfectly crafted world where the unexpected suddenly expands the reader's horizons in a single thrilling and affecting moment."
Reading this book felt like a long and refreshing walk through the busy lanes of Bombay, where the author introduced the common people, who are the backbone and soul of the city, the taxi wallahs, the shopkeepers, the tenants, the daily passengers of the local train, and many more interesting people.
During my school days, one of my most favorite things to do was to look outside the bus window while going back home. It felt like watching a movie where every single person out there on the road was not just merely a person but a story in themselves. And I loved guessing their thoughts and conversations. Reading this book felt exactly like that bus ride!☺️
The book gives a flavor of the very life of the common people of Bombay, or in today's terms 'Mumbaikars'☺️. Each one of us has a story and somehow these stories have the capacity to take the listener/reader to all the wonderful places we have been. Reading these 16 stories has been nothing short of an enjoyable trip to Mumbai!
Eleven Ways to Love: Essays by Dhrubo Jyoti, Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan, Nadika Nadja
5.0
It is a wonderful collection of essays! Each and every essay is brilliantly and masterfully crafted! Every single page is filled with a wide spectrum of emotions, all of them being raw and presented with utmost sincerity. Every single essay is thought-provoking! It is hard to not fall in love with this anthology!
Some of the key highlights of this awesome collection are:-
Some of the key highlights of this awesome collection are:-
Lies in Bone by Natalie Symons
4.0
"We had our chance to seek out a place where despair wasn't behind the eyes of an entire town and where people spoke kindly to each other. Even on the days that weren't Christmas." - @nataliesymons , Lies in Bone
Lies in Bone is an amazing mystery thriller! I went through a roller-coaster of emotions while reading it! There is love, there is murder, and there are truths worth lying for. How far can one go to protect their lies and how far can one go to uncover the truth? But more importantly, how far can one go to protect their truth?
It is a super engrossing and absorbing read! I finished it in a single sitting itself.☺️
The story begins with Chuck and his brother, Danny, two young boys who were dressed up in their Halloween costumes, cycling in their small town, The Slippery Elm. Little did they know that a deadly smog was on its way to change their lives forever.
It changed Chuck's life in more ways than one. His brother went missing and his mother, Ruth, developed lung cancer after some time.
The story is narrated by Frank, Chuck's teenage daughter, who finds herself in that same town twenty years later. Her father took her and her sister, Boots, there to take care of their grandmother.
The minute she entered the town, she knew they shouldn't be there. But it was too late by then. Her life turned upside down when a murdered child was found in the river.
Being unaware of her family's and town's dark past and secrets, she goes on a quest to seek the truth. But will she succeed or will she get caught up in a web of lies?
I loved the enormous depth every single character had, especially Elma, Frank's mother. The vivid and descriptive writing evoked a wide spectrum of emotions throughout the novel. The author has very masterfully highlighted the tragic effects of industrial pollution. Once I picked up this novel, there was no way I was going to keep it down before finding the truth about Danny's disappearance. I was completely invested in it till the end and didn't expect an emotional finale.❤
It's a solid debut by @nataliesymons and a must-read for all the mystery lovers!☺️
Lies in Bone is an amazing mystery thriller! I went through a roller-coaster of emotions while reading it! There is love, there is murder, and there are truths worth lying for. How far can one go to protect their lies and how far can one go to uncover the truth? But more importantly, how far can one go to protect their truth?
It is a super engrossing and absorbing read! I finished it in a single sitting itself.☺️
The story begins with Chuck and his brother, Danny, two young boys who were dressed up in their Halloween costumes, cycling in their small town, The Slippery Elm. Little did they know that a deadly smog was on its way to change their lives forever.
It changed Chuck's life in more ways than one. His brother went missing and his mother, Ruth, developed lung cancer after some time.
The story is narrated by Frank, Chuck's teenage daughter, who finds herself in that same town twenty years later. Her father took her and her sister, Boots, there to take care of their grandmother.
The minute she entered the town, she knew they shouldn't be there. But it was too late by then. Her life turned upside down when a murdered child was found in the river.
Being unaware of her family's and town's dark past and secrets, she goes on a quest to seek the truth. But will she succeed or will she get caught up in a web of lies?
I loved the enormous depth every single character had, especially Elma, Frank's mother. The vivid and descriptive writing evoked a wide spectrum of emotions throughout the novel. The author has very masterfully highlighted the tragic effects of industrial pollution. Once I picked up this novel, there was no way I was going to keep it down before finding the truth about Danny's disappearance. I was completely invested in it till the end and didn't expect an emotional finale.❤
It's a solid debut by @nataliesymons and a must-read for all the mystery lovers!☺️