Book Name: Colpetty people Author: Ashok Ferrey Genre: Humor Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link A collection of short stories by Ashok Ferrey set primarily in Sri Lanka and UK detailing the lives of different households and the odd scenarios they find themselves in. A number of the stories seems to be drawn on the authors own eclectic experiences he's had. The stories are very loosely connected and while each is very different, there is something familiar in it which many as Sri Lankans can relate to, from experiences at Sri Lankan funerals, parents concerns of unmarried children and migrants surviving in an unfamiliar environment. The humor at times is very subtle and has a throwaway quality to it and the writing style has a certain flair to it which makes it entertaining to read. Some of the stories were hits and misses and at times it was unclear what the time period of the stories were. However overall if your looking for a casual and quick read, would recommend it. Favourite Quotes
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Book name: Matrix Author: Lauren Groff Genre: Historical Fiction Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link Going into this book I had no idea what to expect with its vague title, but I really enjoyed reading this book which is very loosely based on the experiences of Marie de France; who lived in the 12th century and was sent from France to become a prioress at an impoverished Abbey in England. The novel details her life and times at the Abbey and the impact she had on the nuns under her care and the wider community. The novel explores themes such as collective vs individual action, power and ambition, sin & shame, and the impact of human action on nature which Marie and the nuns have to deal with. The language of the book is really vivid, particularly the descriptions of the life at the Abbey and the Visions that Marie receives which is very reminiscent of the style of writing found in religious writing. The story, while fictional is placed within the context of actual historical events and the details that the author goes into in terms and the various roles and functions involved in running an Abbey lends authenticity to the novel. One note of caution is that it does expect the reader to have some understanding of the context the novel is set in terms of the historical background and the religious practices. Apart from that, overall really enjoyed and quite recommend the novel. Favourite Quotes Book name: I Shall Not Hate Author: Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish Genre: Non fiction, Biographical Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link I first picked up this book at the Galle Lit Festival in 2012 where Dr. Izzeldin was speaking at, but I never got around to reading it until it was this month book pick for TNBC The book describes Dr. Izzeldin and his families experience living in the Gaza strip and the precariousness of living in such a volatile environment. The book is not the easiest to read given the tragedy that befalls him and his family which is a microcosm of the plight facing many refugees and the precariousness of the lives they lead. However it as an important one and Dr. Izzeldin's approach to dealing and overcoming tragedy and how he turned it for a force for good is very inspiring. Would quite recommend it. Favourite Quotes Book Name: Left hand of darkness Author: Ursala Le Guin Genre: SciFi Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link Like Mensche: the Lord of time featured in the Left hand of Darkness is an award winning and timeless novel by Ursala Le Guin's which has become a classic within the Science Fiction genre. The authors thoughts relating to society, religion an gender politics shines through in this novel and are very relevant an applicable to Terrans such as us. The duality of the citizens of Gethen due to their androgenous nature is juxtaposed with the unchanging season of cold and ice. The unchanging ha also led to a timelessness aspect of the novel where the main events of the novel are interspersed with even dating generations ago. The sliding timescale used on Gethen adds to the ambiguity this creates. This ha also ked to an interesting mashup of elements drawn from the past such a kings an domains with futuristic elements such as star ships an Ray guns which is a hallmark of good science fiction literature. It's fascinating that while the novel has made a noteworthy contribution to the feminist canon, the story is mainly narrate through the eyes of the envoy Genly Ai; a male who refers to the Gethenians only in the masculine pronoun. While Le Guin May have been reluctant to invent a different word ( surprising considering the world building which has gone into the world that the story occupies) it may also be the author critique of the fact that even feminist literature is trapped within the gender stereotyping which is a result of a patriarchal society. While the reader may at first be disoriented by the ambiguity relating to the imagined language at the start of the novel, it provides a tour de force of the socio political landscape of Gethen in a seamless manner. I highly recommend this book for both fans and non-fans of Science Fiction. Favourite Quotes Book name: Little Bike Lost Author: Avishka Seneviratne Genre: Non Fiction Another super work by Avishka where he brought to life a forgotten piece of cinema history in Sri Lanka in his book documenting the making of 'Little Bike Lost', a 1956 film done by the boys of the film society of St. Joseph's college Colombo which also featured performances by students of Holy Family Convert and was led by Fr. Noel Cruz, a pioneer in mass media where they produced the first feature-length school boy film in Sri Lanka and possibly Asia. Its quite impressive that film was treated as a serious film by critics and journalists and the opportunities that were allowed to students at that time which enjoyed the support of the schools and the general public in such a venture and in exploring a new media, which sadly seems to be lacking nowadays. Some of the interesting Trivia highlighted in the book that speaks about Fr. Noel Cruz, the making of the film and its legacy are:
Really recommend reading up the book and then watching the film which still holds up pretty well and its amazing too see some of the sites in and around Colombo which in some cases are some of the oldest film footage available from this era. Book name: Stiff: The curious Lives of Human Cadavers Author: Mary Roach Genre: Non Fiction Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link A book about the post death lives of Cadavers might not seem like your first reading choice by Mary Roach's book Stiff: The curious Lives of Human Cadavers details the myriad of situations cadavers or parts of them have found themselves throughout human history. The book approaches the subject in a very accessible and humorous way where the authors intent seems to be to normalize discussions around death, while at the same time acknowledging and being respectful of the challenge of coming to terms with dying. I found the book very informative on the different and unexpected ways cadavers have helped advance our understanding in a variety of fields including medicine, vehicle safety, airplane crash investigations and even weapons development At the same time, the book also poses some thought provoking question where it explores human attitudes, beliefs and taboos with respect to the use and treatment of bodies post death. Some readers might find some parts of the book a bit squeamish and ghoulish at times, but overall quite recommend it as an interesting read. Favourite Quotes Book name: Bridge to Terabithia Author: Katherine Paterson Genre: Children's story, coming of age Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link This coming of age novel set in a rural Southern town depicts the life of Jesse, a fifth grader with limited aspirations and prospects whose imagination and creativity is awakened by the arrival of Leslie and affluent, educated girl from the big city where they together create a make believe world of Terabithia where they are able to express and explore their creativity without the confines of societal expectations and realities of life. While being a very short novel, the novel has an exceptional cast of multi-dimensional characters who go beyond the stereotypes of their characters and circumstances. The tragedy in the novel and the way characters process and deal with grief is simply devastating and is handled in a very believable manner. Many also remember the film from the Disney adaption which made more explicit the 'Fantasy' aspect of the novel which is an area I felt was lacking in the novel given its lack of descriptions of the fantastical world that the children had created. Nevertheless a really great novel. Favourite Quotes Book name: Brain on Fire Author: Sussanah Callahan Genre: Non Fiction/ autobiography Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link “Her brain is under attack by her own body.” What happens when your very brain turns against altering your very perceptions of reality and your sense of self? That's the experience that the author talks about in this autobiographical book where she struck by a mysterious illness which results in paranoid delusions and memory loss. The book reads like a mystery novel where the author brings her investigative journalist skills to piece together how they unravelled what was affecting her and what happened during her 'month of madness'. Apart from the physical impact, the other aspect she has to grapple with is the changes wrought to her personality and sense of self and the fear that she may never recover her personality. The autobiography is written in a fast paced and interesting manner and while some parts feel almost like a horror novel as the author goes through her delusions, it is interspersed with some light moments while also touching on some of the shortcoming of the US medical system. Overall, quite recommend the book. Favourite Quotes Book name: Harleen Author: Stejpan Sejic Genre: Comics, Graphic Novels Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link Harleen is comic/graphic novel by Stejpan Sejic published under DC comics black label imprint which takes a fresh look at some of classic DC heros and villains from a fresh perspective. The novel tracks the origins of Dr. Harlene Quinzel and her transformation into Harley Quinn who first made her Debut in the Batman Animated series. In many of her portrayals she is usually presented as the love interest of the Joker who is infatuated with him. The novel takes a fresh look at this character and fleshes it out giving more depth and complexity to the character. While The novel is told from Harley's point of view and tracks her journey from a struggling psychologist, her chance encounter with The Joker, and her work at Arkham Asylum and the psychological and emotions challenges she faced. As a psychologist who comes to work at Arkham Asylum she mild fascination with the Joker grows into an all consuming obsession where the Joker starts inhabiting her dreams and every waking moment and you are never really sure how much of what you are seeing is happening for real or things she is imagining given her struggles with insomnia, alcoholism, and a deep seated need to prove herself. The author stated that he modeled him on the Androgenous look of David Bowie and so the The joker has never looked this seductive and its not hard to imagine how Harley could have fallen for the Joker. The story of Harley is also interspersed with that of Harvey Dent and his transformation for Two Face While Batman is very much playing a side role and is reduced to a few scenes, when he does appear its always with a bang and is a memorable moment that is conveyed so impactfully through the art work. It is also interesting that what distinguishes Batman from the rest is he is the only character who remains who sees hope in Harley to written to the right side of the law which mirrors the Joker's belief that anyone who has a bad enough day can crossover the line to darkness. The novel does not require alot of prerequisite knowledge about Batman and his rogue gallery and is quite accessible even to someone who has a very vague idea of the characters, fans of the comics can also appreciate the little references and cameos made by many of the characters from the Franchise. Overall really enjoyed this one and quite recommend it. Book name: Piranesi Author: Susanna Clarke Genre: Fantasy, Mystery Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link One of the most unique novels I have read where Its even hard to place what sort of category this novel falls into which is a mix of fantasy, SciFi and a detective/mystery story. The novel is told from the perspective of an individual who is referred to as Piranesi, who inhabits a vast labyrinthine house of many halls which is periodically subject to flooding and other natural dangers. As the novel progresses you as the reader sense something is off about the world he inhabits and what has brought him here and as you progress you begin to unravel the mystery of this enigmatic place. While it is a relatively short novel, (compared to the 1,000+ page debut novel by the author Dr. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell), the characters of the novel are well fleshed out with interesting personalities, some really interesting world building and also very evocative language flourishes that used to describe what its like to live in this house. The novel also poses a number of questions to the reader an delves into a number of themes including spirituality and faith, nature vs materialism, and what it means to be human. As you start off with the novel, you as the reader are likely to find yourself quite confused about whats going on, but if you stick to the end you are rewarded with a compelling mystery and some interesting questions to ponder over. Overall would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good mystery set in a strange and richly detailed environment. Quotes “The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.” The story is told from the perspective of a mysterious person, Piranesi who resides in a vast labyrinth of halls that are filled with elaborate statues and is affected by the tides and the elements. “Perhaps even people you like and admire immensely can make you see the World in ways you would rather not.” The only other companion of Piranesi in this Labyrinth is 'The Other' whom he looks upto as a knowledgeable figure. However later events prove this not to be the case and the book seems to offer a commentary of the danger of following charismatic figures. “The House is the cause of my forgetting... And if the House has made you forget, then it has done so for good reason... It does not matter that you do not understand the reason. You are the Beloved Child of the House. Be comforted. And I am comforted.” At the same time, the book comes across about the value of spirituality and faith, where Piranesi has a child-like wonder of the world and puts his faith in the house and thinks of its as an omnipotent, benevolent entity that sees him and provides for his needs “I do not see why you say I can only see a representation in this World,’.. You make it sound as if the Statue was somehow inferior to the thing itself... I would argue that the Statue is superior to the thing itself, the Statue being perfect, eternal and not subject to decay.” The books title is a reference to the Renaissance artist Piranesi who was famous for his sketches of famous historical landmarks in Italy such as the Roman Colosseum. In some of these he imagined what these structures would have looked like before they fell into ruin which is what is experienced in the many halls Piranesi wanders in compared to the real world where all things decay “I’ve never been very interested in what you might call morality, but I drew the line at bringing about the collapse of civilisation. Perhaps that was wrong. I don’t know. I do have a rather sentimental streak.’.” The book has an underlying humor to it while also dealing with some deep themes such as a the importance of giving time to reflect on what it means to be human “I can pay for things with money –though I still find the process strange and artificial. .. Piranesi wants to say: But I need the thing you have, so why don’t you just give it to me? And then when I have something you need, I will just give it to you. This would be a simpler system and much better!” Piranesi is someone who is well attuned to his surrounding. Hence we finds things that we take for granted baffling, which if you step back and think about it, is actually quite strange, while things we would normally be repulsed by, he sees it as a natural part of life. “I realised that the search for the Knowledge has encouraged us to think of the House as if it were a sort of riddle to be unravelled, a text to be interpreted, and that if ever we discover the Knowledge, then it will be as if the Value has been wrested from the House and all that remains will be mere scenery.” A key theme of the book is on the importance of giving time for ourselves to take a step back and reflect on what we value in life and what it really means to be human |
AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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