Amazing!

The books listed here are personal favourites, which pack a punch.  I do consider that these books must be read at least once.

*A Mercy by Toni Morrison

*Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

*A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

*Babu Bangladesh by Numair Atif Choudhury
What a fabulous book!!!!  After a long time, I have a book to place in the amazing category.  I was skeptical at first, when I picked up the book—would it live up to all the glowing reviews it has received within less than four months of its publication—-oh yes it did, many times over.  If A Suitable Boy brought the Indian novel in English to international recognition, Babu Bangladesh has done it for Bangladeshi literature.  While many writers have contented themselves with setting a novel against the backdrop of a nation's history, Choudhury has done more than that.  His novel not only weaves in the strands of Bangladesh's history, but also weaves in its folklore and myths and places it all within a global cultural context—be it references to early man or Yazidi influences. To this he added a liberal dash of secret societies reminiscent of the Templars.  In this book, buildings, flora and fauna all take on a life of their own—perhaps much grander than that of the humans.  At the end of the book, one was left with a reiteration of a college lesson that Bengal was quite a frontier territory where mainstream ideologies had to cave in and adopt local practices in order to survive.  Hence, in a country that practices Islam, there are so many traditions that would be frowned upon as non-Islamic. As an Indian, what made this book all the more endearing was how Choudhury was not ashamed to refer to Bangladesh's Indian past as very much a part of its cultural heritage—so very refreshing compared to some contemporary Pakistani writing.  When I finished the book, I felt sad that as a history student one never got to study the Bengal sultanates or its subsequent history, because of which many of  Choudhury's references eluded one.  It is without doubt a real tragedy for the literary world that Choudhury died in 2018, for I would really have loved to read more of his work.  Babu Bangladesh is a phenomenal work: grand in scope, language and details; not only was this an entertaining read but it was also a huge learning curve for after every few pages I would have to stop and look up the references Choudhury made.
Do read this book if you truly want an enchanting read!!!!

*Bhima: Lone Warrior by M.T. Vasudevan Nair
Ok, I admit I am biased...I love the Mahabharata and never tire of re-reading it. However, that is not the real reason why this book features on this list. It's a great read, an epic story well-written and in this case well-translated. What sets this version apart from the other versions I have read is that it firstly narrates the story from Bhima's point of view and secondly does away with the mythical touches.
The former perspective results in this being an account of someone who is on the sidelines, who is often mocked rather than praised. In simplified versions of the epic, Bhima is presented as a caricature--the strong oaf. The first time I came across a different rendering of his character was when I read Karve's Yuganta, where Bhima is presented as the only one of the Pandavs who truly loved Draupadi and stood up for her all the time. In this book, one is presented with a more fleshed out version of Bhima and can see different nuances to his character. He is not only strong and a great wrestler but is presented as a gifted archer, wily charioteer, brilliant commander of both men and animals. More importantly, he doesn't just let life pass by but contemplates about issues and acknowledges his own faults. All through his life, he puts the requirements of his mother and brother above his own needs and desires, yet, tragically, is never truly appreciated by them. Yudhishthir, in contrast, comes out almost as badly as the villains, especially in the way he treats Bhima and lusts after Draupadi, monopolising her time.
By doing away with the mythical touches such as the Pandavs being sons of the gods or Draupadi being saved from being disrobed through a miracle, Nair presents us with a tale that is all the more realistic and human.  This approach makes sense given that Bhima is all too human, he acknowledges his earthiness and revels in it, thus endearing him to us.
Recommended if you love an epic tale.

*Bridget Jones' Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
Yes, I know many of you might think I am crazy for  including these books on this list...but I totally loved them and do want my daughters to read them.  They were such fun to read.  Probably the attraction of these books lies in the character of Bridget, who could have so easily been me, with her weight and guy issues.  It was so refreshing to read a book about a heroine who was plump but loved her food & drink!  These books made it okay to end up with the not so cool guy because he was actually the good guy.
Recommended if you want to see what started the craze for chic-lit.

*Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

*Damage by Josephine Hart

*"Draupadi" by Mahasweta Devi
For a review go to the following post: https://dbookhub.blogspot.com/2019/05/january-2019-readings_68.html

*Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin

*Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

*Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

*Jaya Somnath by K.M. Munshi

*Lord of the Flies by William Golding

*Mahabharata by Kamala Subramaniam

*Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

*Ransom by David Malouf

*Room by Emma Donoghue

*Roots by Alex Haley

*Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje

I normally stay away from family memoirs as they tend to be written with a sense of self importance or are overly sentimental or both.

Running in the Family is the exception to this case and what a delightful exception.  Beautifully written yet deliciously light and frothy, it was such a joy to read.  Of course, Ondaatje was blessed with such an amazing family, eccentric and involved in highly entertaining capers.  He provides the reader with a wonderful glimpse into the world of an elite group in colonial Sri Lanka, without ever losing his sense of humour.  An example of the latter that hooks one right at the start of the book is in this snippet of a conversation: “’So how did your grandmother die?’ ‘Natural causes.’ ‘What?’ ‘Floods’”. Even more remarkable is that despite the humour and the content, this book is a literary work for it so exquisitely written, that I often find myself referring to it as a novel and then have to check myself and say it’s a memoir. 

Highly recommended if you want a book to take you into an exotic madcap world long gone which will make you laugh out loud and simultaneously admire the writer’s craft.

*Tell Them of Battles, Kings and Elephants by Mathias Enard

*The Adivasi Will Not Dance by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar

*The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

*The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
On the surface this book is simply a tale about the main characters' obsession with getting laid.  But once one scratches the surface, one finds the novel to be far more complex—it is a family saga, an account of the brutalities of a dictatorship and its omnipotent police force, a Diaspora tale, an insight into the culture of the Dominican Republic (its superstitions, obsession with sex, ideas of masculinity, criadas) and a register of a geek’s canon (Lord of the Rings, Japanese animation, Science-fiction, Star Trek, Ursula Le Guin, Watchmen—one of Oscar’s top three books) all rolled into one!
Adding to the complexity of the plot, the novel's structure is not straightforward, with a profusion of footnotes, different narrators, the plot’s movement back and forth in time, a liberal dose of Spanish—not just words but entire sentences—sans any English translation and the number of allusions to Geek literature.
A novel so constructed could often become ponderous, but Diaz cleverly saves it from such a fate by giving it an irreverent voice. He also adds a touch of magical realism to the story, rendering it very similar to a Hindi movie at times.
Recommended for those who enjoy a history lesson while reading a novel.  And if you don’t feel like reading the whole book—just read the footnotes that deal with the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic—a real eye opener!

*The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

*The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

*The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson

Tired of reading books that demand too much of your brain?  Are you looking for a book that is easy to read, fun and different.  Well, perhaps you should try Jonas Jonasson’s The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden.  Jonasson has come up with an extremely unlikely plot as evident from the title, but the book is so well written and flows so seamlessly that it seems perfectly natural (once one accepts the improbability factor).  I really enjoyed the book, it was like a breath of fresh air that had me laughing out loud at times.  In particular, I enjoyed the scathing comments sprinkled through the book about actual political realities.  Such comments made one realise that this book is not just fluff to read, to laugh and to forget.  Instead, Jonasson uses comedy to present serious questions about human nature, dictatorial regimes and the changing nature of perception.  Of course, one is under no compulsion to think deeply and can simply sit back and enjoy the ride.
Recommended if you want to have a good laugh.  Thinking is optional.

*The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (non-fiction)

*The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein

*The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

*The Sandman Series by Neil Gaiman
An absolutely brilliant masterpiece…a series one will have to re-read many a time to truly appreciate it! 

*The Second World War by Antony Beevor (non-fiction)

It’s been a very long time since I have picked up a book on the Second World War.  Reading Beevor’s tome was akin to having LED lights illuminate a candlelit room.  Where earlier books focused on a single aspect or theatre of the war, Beevor’s The Second World War is in a way a total history of a total war.  Beevor provides as lucid an account of WWII as is possible in under 800 pages; even more remarkable is that he does so without boring the reader.  Furthermore, he shatters certain ‘myths’, often pointing out the chinks in the armour of illustrious generals such as Montgomery, MacArthur & Zhukov to name a few.  The key point that he drives home is that given that this was a global conflict with multiple theatres of warfare, the Second World War should not be studied in part, for decisions in one location often had serious ramifications in theatres elsewhere.  Beevor also stresses the vast scale of human suffering that was caused by this conflict

Highly recommended if you want a comprehensive introduction to WWII.

*The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin

What is it about religious & mythological characters that capture our imagination so completely, that one can’t have enough of them.  Hence, the numerous alternative stories that constantly keep emerging.  Colm Toibin’s Testament of Mary is one such alternative narrative.  Toibin doesn’t court controversy by presenting his work as the truth, for it is a fictitious story.  Yet, despite being a product of the imagination it seems so real, so plausible, so believable.  Part of the reason for being so realistic is that Toibin does not resort to gimmicks.  Toibin is smart, he doesn’t set himself a huge canvas to paint, he limits himself to known events (Lazarus, the wedding in Cana, the Crucifixion) around which he weaves his version of Mary’s story in a hundred odd pages.  Christ is painted as a son beyond his mother’s control and his band a group of misfits. The events leading to Christ’s crucifixion are shown as a grand conspiracy with the deck stacked against Christ.  However, the most ominous thread in the narrative is the suggestion that the written truth as we know it is actually fiction, that Christ’s disciples consciously rewrote history to suit their needs.

Recommended if you want a quick but engrossing and intelligent book to read.

*Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh

*Water by Bapsi Sidhwa

*Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

*Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte