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Ruth Reichl has written nine books including ‘The Paris Novel’ and edited many others like ‘History in a Glass’ and ‘Endless Feasts’. Most of her books revolve around food and culture that celebrate food. The cover of The Paris Novel has Nigella Lawson, English food writer and television cook, calling it ‘nothing less than absolute enchantment’.

I was surprised I had never come across Reichl’s works or even heard of her. I read the blurb of The Paris Novel and the first few pages at the bookshop and decided to buy it. It seemed like a simple story filled with mentions of food, books, and life in Paris. It’s also not a thick book so I thought I would breeze through it in a couple of days.

Stella St. Vincent is a copy editor at a publishing house and she likes her structured life. Then she receives a mysterious note from her late mother telling her to go to Paris. Her mother, who Stella never had a loving relationship with, has instructed her attorney, and perhaps her lover at one point, to buy a one way plane ticket to Paris for Stella and convert the remaining money in her account to traveller’s checks.

When Stella’s boss finds her asleep at the office she tells her to take an extended leave. She promises Stella that her job will be waiting for her when she gets back. Left with no choice, Stella finds herself alone in Paris. She doesn’t have friends there and is a little lost and overwhelmed. Then she meets Jules, an octogenarian who collects art and sees something in Stella that makes him take her under his wing. He introduces her to a side of Paris (and life) that she has never seen before.

The Paris Novel is rich in imagery and full of Parisian vibes. The plot is predictable and cliched. Stella, initially a shy and insecure American woman, turns into a confident go-getter with a flamboyant attitude by the end of the book and you see it coming the moment she lands in Paris. The book could also remind you of the many coming-of-age novels you have read. But be warned, there’s a familiarity to it that might bore you. It’s like a fictional version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Eat, Pray, Love’—which is basically one woman’s quest of finding herself.

The writing, with all the references to French culture and cuisine, can also confuse you. It’s a novel that never picks up. Unlike what I initially thought, I couldn’t finish the book in a day or two. I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way. I had to take it slow as I was unfamiliar to the French lifestyle beyond what I’ve seen on the popular show ‘Emily in Paris’ on Netflix.

Whether or not you enjoy the novel depends on what kind of a read you are looking for. If you want an all vibes not much plot book, then this is for you. But if you are looking to follow a storyline, there isn’t much here. A friend who has read Reichl’s other works as well as The Paris Novel says the latter isn’t her best work and that I shouldn’t judge her based on it. She has recommended ‘Cheer Me Up with Apples’ and ‘Tender at the Bone’. Despite not being great, The Paris Novel, with its lush descriptions of food and wine, has whetted my appetite for more and I’m actually willing to give her another chance. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195430688-the-paris-novel 

The Paris Novel

Ruth Reichl

Published: 2024

Publisher: Magpie Books

Pages: 272, Paperback

Having read two out of three of Bollywood Actor Twinkle Khanna’s books—‘Mrs Funnybones’ and ‘Pyjamas are Forgiving’ and not having liked them very much, I was hesitant to read ‘Welcome to Paradise’, a collection of short stories published in 2023. I hadn’t read the one which came before that which was ‘The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad’ as I was convinced it wouldn’t be a good read.

Truth be told, I picked up Welcome to Paradise because it was on discount. The book was available at half price at Bookverse in Civil Mall, Kathmandu. “Why not? It’s a book of short stories and I can read one or two and give it to someone else to read if I don’t like it,” I thought to myself. But the first story ‘The Man from the Garage’ about a family who can’t decide if they want to cremate or bury their matriarch was highly nuanced and insightful. The characters felt like people I would bump into on the streets or at the temple. I was surprised by the fact that Khanna’s writing also seems to have improved a lot.

So, I kept reading. The stories that followed, and there are four more, were all snippets of lives that felt very real and addressed complex issues in a light-hearted manner. All the stories have women protagonists and are about middle-class life in Mumbai, India. The stories prove that Khanna is deeply observant as she has picked up a lot of tiny details that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. The stories are about loneliness, grief, and heartbreak and validate many of your emotions.

‘Let’s Pretend’, the second story in the collection, had me rooting for Amita as she pretends to be her aunt while corresponding with a man over email. ‘Jelly Sweets’, the story that comes at the very end, made me teary-eyed. It’s about how a mother copes with the loss of her son. The titular story ‘Welcome to Paradise’ was one that felt most real. What happens in Garima’s life could happen in anyone’s life. The story made me realize that sometimes experiences lend perspectives that don’t come from hearing or seeing other people’s stories and lives.

But my favorite one is ‘Nearly Departed’ about a woman named Madhura Desai, an 86-year-old retired teacher who wants to be able to end her life on her terms. She writes to the chief justice to seek permission for euthanasia as she suffers from Parkinson’s and doesn’t want to be dependent on anyone later in life. Her appeal goes viral and she gets a lot of media attention and requests for interviews, etc. I laughed, I got all choked up, and I reread it when I was done. I even asked a few friends to read this one, if not the rest of the stories in the collection, and they all loved it. They thought it was a fresh take on aging and how we all wish to be in control of our lives.

In the end, I didn’t give the book to anyone. It’s sitting on my bookshelf with story collections I have enjoyed in the past like ‘Her Body and Other Parties’ by Carmen Maria Machado and ‘The Lives of Strangers’ by Chitra Divakaruni among others. I have a feeling I might want to revisit the stories sometime in the future. And I will definitely be reading the next book Khanna writes and this time it won’t even need to be on discount. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200237485-welcome-to-paradise  

Welcome to Paradise

Twinkle Khanna

Published: 2023

Publisher: Juggernaut Books

Pages: 213, Paperback

Emma lives with her husband Leo and their daughter Ruby. She loves them and she’s happy. But everything her family knows about her is a lie. Even her name is fake. She can never tell them about her past. She knows she will lose them if she does as Leo won’t be able to deal with the betrayal, not after being betrayed by his parents. He’s never forgiven them for it.

But Leo is an obituary writer and Emma is a well-known marine biologist. When she is diagnosed with cancer, Leo tries to cope with it by reading and writing about her life. His editor also asks him to write a stock for Emma: Most papers write obituaries for famous people well in advance, and especially so if they are suffering from any illness. Leo agrees because he’s already started working on one and also because he thinks no one knows her like he does.

However, he stumbles upon some papers that don’t match with what she’s told him and it opens a can of worms. Leo starts questioning what he’s been told and Emma’s past and starts asking around as well. Soon, he finds out things that he doesn’t know about her, realizing that the woman he loves doesn’t really exist. Emma will need to prove to Leo that she is the woman he always thought she was but for that she has to come clean about her past.

‘The Love of My Life’ was unlike anything I had ever read. It’s not a typical thriller but it keeps you on the edge. It’s gripping and heartbreaking at the same time. Rosie Walsh’s first book, ‘The Man Who Didn’t Call’ was a romance, suspense novel that was an instant bestseller when it came out. The novel’s theme was grief and it explored it in a subtle way that made you think. In The Love of My Life the theme is relationships and its complexities and again Walsh has done a brilliant job in exploring its nuances.

The story, like in The Man Who Didn’t Call, is told from two different perspectives. It keeps the narrative interesting by building the suspense gradually. Also, seeing things from two different viewpoints keeps your brain ticking. The only issue I had with the book was that while the story is full of twists and turns, it reads like a slow-burn family drama at times and less like a thriller. But all in all, I absolutely loved the story. The plot, I thought, was ingenious. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something different to read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58492104-the-love-of-my-life  

The Love of My Life

Rosie Walsh

Published: 2022

Publisher: Pan Books

Pages: 358, Paperback

Every home has its go-to meals. In Nepali households, it’s mostly ‘daal, bhaat, tarkari’, the occasional ‘roti, tarkari’, ‘khichdi’, and/or different forms of curries. We rarely deviate from this supposedly set menu, unless we have guests over or are eating out. I find home cooked meals comforting. I guess everyone does. But it can become mundane. We could all do with a little variety every now and then. This is where cookbooks come in handy. I have, over the past couple of years, amassed quite a collection of cookbooks. These, mostly hardcover, books are kept separately in a small shelf in the dining area. Looking at them makes me feel I’m able to prepare delicious, nourishing meals whenever I want to.

‘The Curry Guy Chicken’ by Dan Toombs and ‘Masala Memsahib’ by Karen Anand are two of my favorite cookbooks that I constantly reach for. These are mostly Asian/Indian recipes and as someone who likes a good curry and rice, I feel I don’t need anything else. But my family loves Nepali food. They find it easier to digest and more winter-friendly than oily, spices-heavy Indian food. I have come to realize that if you follow the recipes to the letter, it always comes out great. You are never disappointed. Earlier, I used to go with the flow, and what often happened was that I was never able to recreate a dish.

For Nepali cooking, I have for a while now turned to ‘Timmur’ by Prashanta Khanal. I first chanced upon the book at a dietician’s clinic. While waiting for my turn, I flipped through the pages and the full-page photos, taken by Nabin Baral and Gagan Thapa, caught my attention. The recipes are divided into sections, with a separate ‘Achaar’ segment as well. I left the clinic determined to buy my own copy the same day. I didn’t manage to, for various reasons. But the book was always at the back of my mind. Having tried my hands at making Indian curries and naans (through cookbooks, of course), I wanted to learn proper Nepali cooking too as much of what I knew was limited to what I had seen growing up.

I finally got a copy and it’s been a good investment. I’ve tried making many dishes and they have come out really well, so much so that my mother, who is an expert cook, complimented my cooking. As someone who grew up eating Nepali food, I was familiar with many of the recipes in the book but every time I made, say ‘kwati’ or Bamboo Shoot curry, it would taste different—I could never master the recipe. Timmur has made that possible for me. It has recipes for many of my childhood dishes, like ‘gundruk’, ‘aalu cauli tarkari’, and ‘khasiko bhutuwa’ among others, as well as many that I always wished I could make, like ‘yomari’ and ‘mula ko achaar’.

The thing about cookbooks is that they are easy to follow, unlike YouTube tutorials where you might lose track every few minutes and have to pause or rewind. Cookbooks also make for great coffee table books and can double as décor. I love having the one I’m using displayed on the kitchen counter or the dining table. Cookbooks, I believe, have made me a better cook, taught me some great hacks that have significantly lessened my time in the kitchen, as well as made me understand and appreciate different cuisines.

‘Notes on Heartbreak’ by Annie Lord must be one of the most honest memoirs I have read. It’s a raw and intimate look at heartbreak and all the complexities it entails. The author doesn’t try to portray herself in a good light–as someone who had control over her emotions and took things one day at a time. She lays bare her sufferings and shows us how [badly] she dealt with things. She was a mess and she’s not afraid to show it as breakups are messy and traumatic, and she’s only human.

In most memoirs, writers try to show their good side and often sugarcoat their weakness, pinning the blame on someone else. They show themselves as victims, which they might have been, but in doing so they tend to invariably make us believe that the people in their lives have somehow been responsible for everything that has happened to them. They hardly ever take ownership of their actions. This is how ‘Notes on Heartbreak’ differs from the rest.

Despite reeling from a broken heart, Lord keeps things quite neutral. Joe is just another human, with his own set of flaws and baggage. He’s not someone who purposely tried to ruin Lord’s life. It’s quite easy to come out of a breakup bitter and cynical–after all, it feels like the one central truth of your existence has been shattered. But as Lord tells a love story in reverse, she shows you that pain can sometimes teach you important lessons, and that every story has at least two sides to it.

The autobiographical and poetic exploration of a five-year relationship coming to an end is heartwarming, funny, at times sad, and over all a beautiful meditation on love, longing, and loss. Lord shares inside jokes and tender moments to justify her rage and confusion. She can’t figure out why Joe would choose to end a perfectly good relationship. She longs for love, lives in denial for a while, and unsuccessfully tries to move on too fast. Her experiences could mimic that of many readers and make them realize that they aren’t alone, that their pain is felt and shared by every person who has ever fallen in love.

Notes on Heartbreak isn’t a story about a single heartbreak. It tells a universal story. It’s for anyone and everyone who has loved someone. I was reading a book on heartbreak and loss right before picking up Lord’s memoir. I won’t mention which book it was because it was horrible. So I was skeptical about Notes on Heartbreak. But the writing style was refreshing and I was hooked right from the start. It isn’t preachy. Lord isn’t dishing out advice on how to get over a heartbreak. She simply shares her thoughts and feelings, making you feel heard and validating your extreme emotions. The book is quite thick but the story doesn’t feel dragged out. I would highly recommend it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59777955-notes-on-heartbreak 

Notes on Heartbreak

Annie Lord

Published: 2022

Publisher: Trapeze 

Pages: 385, Paperback

One of my favorite childhood memories is of my mother eating oranges and reading while sitting out in the sun during winter. She was (and still is, in her 70s) a busy woman with a lot of things to do but in the winter, she would take every opportunity to go up to the terrace and just sit, eat, and read (and occasionally fall into deep slumber). I think this was why I started to associate winters with a slow-paced life.

I always take the time to carefully curate a list of 10 books that I want to read in the winter. I will invariably end up reading other books too but the ones on the list are non-negotiable. This time, I’ve picked some books that I have enjoyed in the past or those that come highly recommended. I also have some books that I have been dying to pick up—books from authors that I have previously enjoyed. As the days get colder, it’s finally that time of the year when weekends are all about basking in the sun with some snacks and a good book to keep you company. With the reading list, I’m all set to make the most of it.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

About two magicians who are pitted against each other and who ultimately fall in love, despite having to risk their careers and lives, ‘The Night Circus’ is a heartwarming story that is just the perfect winter read. Though it’s one of my favorite books of all time, I haven’t reread it in so long that I have forgotten many of the details. My plan is to devote one weekend to this book and I would recommend those who are looking for a great winter read to pick this one up. The story takes a while to build up but I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down.

Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes

‘Someone Else’s Shoes’ is Jojo Moyes latest book. I have come across it at various bookstores but I haven’t bought a copy yet, choosing instead to save it for a time when I don’t find anything interesting or when I’m in a reading slump that I desperately want to get out of. I know Moyes won’t let me down. ‘The Giver of Stars’, her book based on the true story of packhorse librarians of Kentucky, is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in my life. Someone Else’s Shoes is about second chances and how one little thing can change everything. It sounds like a cozy winter read, one that you can breeze through while curled up on the couch with a hot tea by your side.  

Bombay Stories by Sadat Hasan Manto

In every reader’s reading journey, there will inevitably be times when s/he won’t be able to focus on novels. That is when poems or short stories can come to your rescue. Sadat Hasan Manto is known as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. He wrote mainly in Urdu and produced a wide body of work including but not limited to stories, plays, and essays. He is best known for stories based on the partition of India. ‘Bombay Stories’ is mostly about men and their concubines but the women are portrayed in a fierce way. These are women who hold power over men, women who might be vulnerable but hold their ground, and women who don’t care about what society thinks. It’s a good book to dip in and out of—something that won’t take a lot of your time but will stay in your mind long after you have read it.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t read Rebecca, which is such a cult classic. A few of my friends have recommended this to me and every time I tell them I haven’t gotten around to it I can see the disappointment in their faces. I read the abridged version when I was in school so I know the plot but my friends swear the vibe is eerie and fills you with a sickeningly sweet sense of dread, which I relish. The Clockwork Reader, a YouTuber I subscribe to, says it’s a fabulous fall read—the vibes are just right, she says—which is why it’s now on my winter TBR list.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum

If you are in need of a feel-good book, this would be a safe bed. Yeongju gives up a high-flying career, divorces her husband, and starts a bookshop. She meets all kinds of customers and they all have their own problems and disappointments in life. The bookshop is where people come to find some respite from their lives. It’s where they ultimately find themselves. A heartwarming, albeit slightly cliché, story about love and human conditionings, the book offers many nuggets of wisdom that could crack your mind wide open. The chapters are short and disjointed as well. You don’t need to focus to keep a track of the story making it a perfect book for when you want to take naps in between reading.

Waiting by Ha Jin

The book was published in 1999 and it’s based on a true story Ha Jin heard from his wife while visiting her family at a hospital in China. There was once an army doctor who waited 18 years to get a divorce so that he could marry his girlfriend who was a nurse. ‘Waiting’ tells us the story of three people: Lin Kong, the army doctor; his wife Shuyu, whom he has never loved; and the nurse Manna Wu, his girlfriend at the hospital where he works. Kong is a decent guy but he has his flaws so it’s quite easy to identify with him. The book had made me really happy. It’s such a beautifully written story and I’m looking forward to rereading it.

Bunny by Mona Awad

‘Bunny’ is Mona Awad’s second book, published three years after her debut novel ‘13 ways of Looking at a Fat Girl’. It’s about a girl named Samantha who arrives a liberal arts college in New England and meets a group of fake-nice rich girls who make up her writing group. The story takes a somewhat sinister tone right from the start and gives you goosebumps that you can’t explain. I would say it’s a mix of horror, magical realism, and fantasy. You are always questioning what you’ve just read and don’t know what to make of it. I read it in the summer and thought it would have been a perfect under-the-cover or out in the sun read. I’m super excited to reread this as I’m sure it will hit differently in colder months. 

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

Seventeen-year-old Laxmi escapes an abusive marriage and makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist (and soon the confidante) to the wealthy women of the upper class. Though she is trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own as it can have grave consequences but secrets have a way of making themselves known. Her husband soon finds her and he brings a girl with her—she is the sister Laxmi never knew she had. There’s intrigue, drama, and a fair bit of suspense in this wonderfully written book that is the first installment in a trilogy.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Another book I haven’t read in its unabridged form is Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’. And it’s a shame because I love vampire and zombie stories. Dracula tells the story of Count Dracula, a vampire who comes to England from Transylvania to feed on new blood and create a bigger circle of vampires. It’s supposed to be gory, tense, and even downright scary. The story is told through diary entries of a journalist called Jonathan as he tries to figure out who the Count actually is. This, I’ve been told, makes for a riveting read as you are easily able to put yourself in his shoes.

Fury by Alex Michaelides

I really enjoyed ‘The Silent Patient’ by Alex Michaelides. It gave me the creeps like no other thriller had in a while. The plot twist was amazing. I didn’t see it coming. Michaelides has a knack for telling stories that keep you hooked. The Maidens, a dark academia thriller, was as good as his debut novel. I’m really excited about reading Fury which was published earlier this year. I got a copy a while back but I have been saving it for the right occasion. I have a feeling that a balmy winter afternoon will be just right for this book that is sure to keep me on the edge of my seat.  

I had heard a lot about British author and screenwriter Dolly Alderton. She is a columnist for The Sunday Times and the author of the hugely popular memoir ‘Everything I know About Love’ which won a National Book Awards (United Kingdom) in 2018. Everyone I know seems to have read Everything I Know About Love and they have great things to say about it. I, for some reason, hadn’t picked up her work despite having come across the memoir and her debut fiction novel ‘Ghosts’. I often took them down from the shelves at the bookstore I frequent, randomly read a page, and put them back.

However, when I came across ‘Good Material’ and read the blurb, I wanted to buy and read it straight away. A story about a breakup while trying to come to terms with the fact that life is passing him by, Good Material seemed like a fun and insightful read. I have to say I enjoyed the book (though not as much as I thought I would when I read the blurb). I think Alderton is a good writer. Her writing is easy to read and immersive. But Good Material didn’t make it to my growing list of favorite books and I don’t find myself recommending it to people either.

Good Material is the story of Andy and Jen, or rather the story of their breakup. When Jen leaves Andy, he is devastated. He doesn’t understand why she wanted to end things when they didn’t have any major issues. At 35, Andy goes back to temporarily living with his parents and his friends before finding an affordable place to rent as a single man as he gets his affairs in order. But things aren’t easy and he feels out of place, adrift without a purpose in life. His friends are married and having babies, and he’s struggling with his career and has no idea where his life is headed. Andy wants to figure out why the relationship fizzled out as he thinks solving that will mean Jen finding her way back to him.

The first 200 or so pages of the book is Andy’s side of the story. He comes across as a good guy, with his heart in the right place. But as with most people, he doesn’t seem to be able to put aside his wants and needs for someone else. As he wallows and whines, you feel bad for him while also understanding why Jen would leave him. In the last 100 pages, you get to hear from Jen and that is when things fall into place. Andy’s version of the story makes Jen sound callous, even though he never portrays her in a bad light. But when Jen narrates her story, you realize breakups are never simple. Every relationship is messy and complicated and it takes a lot of work and sacrifice to make it work.

One of the main (and perhaps only) reason why I’m not raving about the book is because I felt Andy’s portion dragged on. Jen’s bit was enthralling and I breezed through the pages. The story felt complete and real. It was a love story without being a cliché love story. The side characters felt like people I knew. They had a real feel to them even though there’s not much character development. I think I would have loved the book had it been slightly shorter. At its current length, the story tends to bog you down.

Good Material

Dolly Alderton

Published: 2023

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK

Pages: 345, Paperback

Have you ever had a chicken dish at a restaurant and wished you could have it every single day? I have a couple of dishes that I wish I could have for lunch or dinner on a regular basis. But it’s neither healthy nor financially feasible to order your favorite meal like that. So, wouldn’t it be great if you could replicate them at home instead? This way you can ensure the food is fresh and the spice/oil quotient is exactly right.

I often turn to YouTube recipes, especially Ranveer Brar’s channel, to make some dishes that isn’t our usual thing. But trying to cook while watching someone instruct is a harrowing experience. I can never keep up and it always takes longer than the stipulated time. And that is one of the reasons why I like cookbooks. They are easier to work with. Over the last few years, I’ve amassed quite a few cookbooks. I recently got Dan Toombs ‘The Curry Guy’ and it’s become my favorite one so far.

It’s a bright pink book filled with spicy chicken recipes. There’s everything from the classic butter chicken to elaborate kebabs and grilled delicacies. As with most cookbooks I have, this one also has full page photos of the dishes accompanying the recipes. Looking at the photos in cookbooks is one of the best parts of owning so many. I must admit that when buying a cookbook, the layout and presentation of the photos is a deciding factor.

The Curry Guy is divided into seven sections. There’s ‘Starters and Snacks’, ‘Karahi Cooking’, ‘Chicken Curry, Stews and Sauce-based Dishes’, ‘Frying and Stir-fries’, ‘Wraps and Sandwiches’, ‘Barbecue’ and ‘Basics, Accompaniments, and Sides’. Each section has interesting tips and recipes that you, until now, have only had at restaurants. Now, with Toombs help you can make them at home. The best part is that the dishes taste absolutely delicious—the recipes have been perfected in Toombs’ kitchen. You will also come to know about many other cooking styles and restaurant style gravies and curries.

You will learn how to make Dragon Chicken, Punjabi Chicken Samosa, Goan-Style Chicken Vindaloo, Szechuan Chicken, Chicken Rogan Josh, Kolkata Chicken Chaap, Chicken Shami Kebabs, and much more. If you follow the recipe to a t, the dish will taste like a restaurant cooked meal. I also loved the language which is quite conversational and gentle. This book of recipes from South and Southeast Asia will be an essential guide that you won’t be able to do without once you have a copy.

The Curry Guy (Chicken)

Dan Toombs

Published: 2024

Publisher: Quadrille Publishing Limited

Pages: 175, Hardcover