pen.books.and.scalpel

Just like how the famous saying "Birds of the same feather flock together" goes, readers who read the same genre bond together as well. In the world of fiction and poetry, it's imperative to find your tribe to keep the habit of reading alive and to discover new authors and books. An author whom I found through such a habit is a phenomenon named Anne Tyler. Ever since I read her book, "A Spool of Blue Thread", after a friend recommended it to me, I have been returning to her works whenever I feel I need something simple, cosy and profound. Anne Tyler's books are simple and similar in more than one way. They are all mostly set in Baltimore or its surroundings, and in the heart of it lies a complicated and dysfunctional family. Her stories are based in the mid-1900s, which makes them feel vintage and classy. In her stories, a family, its members and their core values are always the base, and everything else revolves around this concept. But how can someone writ...

BOOK NAME: THE DJINN WAITS A HUNDRED YEARS AUTHOR NAME: SHUBNUM KHAN GENRE: MYSTERY THRILLER  PUBLISHER: MAGPIE BOOKS - ONE WORLD PUBLICATIONS   BOOK BUY LINK:   https://www.amazon.in/Djinn-Waits-Hundred-Years/dp/0861546245 BOOK COVER IMAGE BOOK REVIEW For people struggling with finding time to read or going through a slump, here comes your rescue: a book of love, loss, grief and mystery with supernatural elements. Shubnum Khan's skilfully blended story spans centuries across nations between India and Durban. In a picturesque town in Durban, an old manor is left behind in ruins after the ill fate that haunted its predecessors. The manor now houses multiple families with troubled individuals who have come seeking answers.  Sana, a 15-year-old girl grieving the loss of her mother and her long-lost twin, moves in reluctantly in Akbar Manzil along with her father. Sana finds comfort in exploring the forbidden parts of the manzil and tumbles upon treasures from a cent...

BOOK NAME: THE PARISIAN AUTHOR NAME: ISABELLA HAMMAD GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION  PUBLISHER: VINTAGE BOOKS  BOOK BUY LINK:   https://www.amazon.in/Parisian-Isabella-Hammad/dp/1784705705 BOOK COVER IMAGE BOOK REVIEW The Parisian By Isabella Hammad is a moving tale of love, grief, loss and trauma built across nations during the First World War. The story effortlessly connects lives in Paris and Palestine across decades through war and peace. It's the show of Palestinian resistance since the start of the land occupancy turmoil, exploring subplots like Middle East politics, islamophobia and deep-rooted misogyny in the society.  The journey starts with Midhat Kamal's expedition to Paris to obtain his medical education. Midhat becomes intoxicated in love in Paris with Jeanette and dreams of a future together amidst the looming threat of another war. But fate has different plans, and Midhat returns home to his family in Nablus, where he still feels disconnected. What happe...

BOOK NAME: NOCTURNE PONDICHERRY STORIES AUTHOR NAME: ARI GAUTIER (TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY ROOPAM SINGH) GENRE: ANTHOLOGY - CONTEMPORARY FICTION  PUBLISHER: HACHETTE INDIA  BOOK BUY LINK:   https://www.amazon.in/Nocturne-Pondicherry-Ari-Gautier/dp/935731881X BOOK COVER IMAGE BOOK REVIEW Pondicherry - a city of beaches, love and peace. A city that echoes the sound of receding waves at dawn and comes to life with sparkling lights as dusk sets in. A town of tranquillity and hope, and more importantly, less traffic and more greenery. But as people keep talking more and more about these places, I wonder who will speak about those ignored counterparts that are covered in darkness through the night where hounds await their prey as the light goes off? Who will bring to light the stories of women and men who are wronged, those who are beaten to death, those who become slaves of alcohol and cannabis, those who are pushed off limits to do the unthinkable, those who are sold...

BOOK NAME: QABAR AUTHOR NAME: K.R. MEERA (TRANSLATED FROM THE MALAYALAM BY NISHA SUSAN) GENRE: CONTEMPORARY / POLITICAL FICTION PUBLISHER: EKA PRESS - WESTLAND BOOKS BOOK BUY LINK:   https://www.amazon.in/Qabar-K-R-Meera/dp/9391234518 BOOK COVER IMAGE BOOK REVIEW Time and again, many translated books have proven why regional writers are more relatable and influential than their unrestricted counterparts. Maybe it is because of their proximity to the local culture, their keen observance or their brilliant outlook combined with the freedom that comes with writing in the local language. Qabar is yet another book executed with the same brilliance and eloquence that you forget that you are reading a translation. The credit goes to both the author and the translator for maintaining the story's credibility throughout.  In Qabar, which translates to grave literally, the story revolves around the district judge, Bhavana, a single mother of a child with ADHD. She deals with a land a...