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There is something about yellow covers that instantly catch my attention. Sometimes I buy books that have yellow covers without even reading the blurb. Maybe my judgment is clouded by my bias but I generally find myself enjoying those books. I bought ‘We All Want Impossible Things’ by Catherine Newman because the cover is a bright yellow one. There is a broken blue plate fixed through Kintsugi—the Japanese art of mending broken objects, mainly glass and ceramic, with gold. The effect is striking.

It’s also a slim volume. I thought I’d be able to read it in a day or two. And I did. Not because it was a light read. It deals with loss and grief. But the story is powerful and gripping. The writing is gorgeous. I couldn’t put the book down. The story is about two childhood friends Edith and Ashley as they grapple with the former’s cancer prognosis. Edi and Ash have shared everything. They have seen each other through heartbreaks, family issues, marriages, divorce, childbirth among other gazillion issues of life. They complete each other.

When Edi is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it upends both their lives. After three years of grueling treatment, the hospital worker tells them to ‘make the most of her remaining days’ while not-so-subtly clarifying that it needs to happen somewhere else and not at the hospital. A social worker recommends in-patient hospice care and Jude, Edi’s husband, and Ash come to the harrowing decision to opt for it. They don’t want Edi’s seven-year-old son to deal with the trauma of having to watch her die. Edi then moves into a hospice that is near Ash’s home.

Ash is recently separated (but too cheap and lazy to get a divorce) and lives with her two grown daughters. Her ex-husband, Honey, drops by every now and then to help them cook, clean, fix things, and take care of many other little things. Despite having a loving husband, Ash has chosen to leave him and have random relationships with different men. She doesn’t know where she’s headed. With Edi’s cancer, she seems to be losing her sense of self. As she puts it, “Edi’s memory is like the backup hard drive for mine.”

We All Want Impossible Things is a book about death, laced with humor. Newman attempts and achieves the impossible—of talking about death without making it seem like a dark, ominous presence. The setting is mostly the hospice and you get glimpses of the other residents there as well. Everybody is kind to one another, perhaps because they all share the same pain of losing someone they love. Despite a painful backdrop, things feel cozy and comforting.

I loved We All Want Impossible Things. It made me think of things I didn’t want to think about, mainly death and grief. But it did so in a way that didn’t make me sad. Rather, it reminded me to value what I have and not be affected by the many minor niggles of life, like my husband leaving his dirty clothes on the bed, or my father nagging me for one of the many minor things he has the tendency to fixate on. Newman’s debut adult novel will make you cry, laugh, and want to hug everybody close to you.

We All Want Impossible Things

Catherine Newman

Published: 2022

Publisher: Doubleday

Pages: 209, paperback

Most readers tend to love books about books, which is probably why there have been so many of those coming out in recent times. I liked them too. Till it all got a bit much. They feel weirdly the same, with different character names and settings. I can probably read one or two every now and then but I’m not like my friends who scoop these books up the moment they come across one.

I didn’t even read the blurb of ‘The Lonely Hearts Book Club’ by Lucy Gilmore. At that time, I wanted nothing to do with book clubs. However, I recently picked up her second novel ‘The Library of Borrowed Hearts’ as nothing else caught my interest and I needed a new book to read. “Two young lovers. Sixty long years. One bookish mystery worth solving” read the blurb. I thought it would be a lighthearted novel that I could DNF if the story didn’t appeal to me. But I devoured the book in two days. It was such a fabulous plot. It alternates between the present day and the 1960, making it charming and intriguing.

Chloe Sampson works at the library. She’s struggling to make ends meet. She has three younger siblings to look after, since their mother has left them. Then she comes across a rare book at the library when they are in the process of culling old books. Her cranky neighbor—who never gives back her brother’s frisbees when they inevitably land up in his yard—offers to buy it for an exorbitant sum. Chloe is surprised and inspects the book only to find notes scribbled in the margins—between two lovers from back in the day when the book was new.

She can’t resist following the clues and, that way, one book leads to another. Soon, Chloe finds herself wondering what happened to the two lovers who corresponded through books. What does it have to do with her curmudgeon old neighbor? Why has he suddenly become friendly with her siblings? Chloe is looking for answers while also trying to navigate life to the best of her ability. She finds herself in the middle of a lot of real-life drama and heartbreak.

The book can be slotted as romance but there’s a lot more to it. It deals with dysfunctional families and its consequences on children, friendship, and aging. The romance isn’t run-of-the-mill either. There’s a subtlety to it that makes it deep and meaningful. Jasper and Catherine were young but their relationship wasn’t frivolous. They truly cared about each other and were willing to make sacrifices if that meant the other would be happy. The writing is gorgeous with a lot of one-liners and impactful dialogues and passages. Though there is a lot of random advice, none of it comes across as preachy. All of it fits seamlessly into the plot.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts, that is set in two different timelines, is a beautiful story that I wished were longer. Don’t get me wrong, the book wraps up nicely but I wanted to know more about Chloe and her siblings. The story ends on a hopeful note but I would have appreciated an epilogue to find out what happens to Chloe, Jasper, and Catherine in the future. I can imagine it would have been nice to know the author’s version of the story. If I were to confess that I’m going to the bookstore this weekend to buy Gilmore’s The Lonely Hearts Book Club, would that tell you just how much I loved The Library of Borrowed Hearts?

The Library of Borrowed Hearts

Lucy Gilmore

Published: 2024

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Pages: 358, Paperback

The cover of the paperback edition of ‘Then She Was Gone’ has black branches on a gray background and a smattering of pink petals that look like they are being blown by a sudden gust of wind. The effect is ominous. It’s why I bought the book without even reading the blurb on a recent bookstore visit. The book is thick but the font is several points bigger than the regular font and the chapters are short so you are likely to breeze through it. I finished the book in two days. I would have probably finished it in a day if I didn’t have work obligations that couldn’t be pushed back. It helped that the plot was compelling.

Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack is Laurel’s favorite child, though she knows a mother shouldn’t have a favorite. But Laurel doesn’t feel the same connection with Hanna and Jake that she feels with Ellie. Then one day Ellie disappears. She tells Laurel she’s going to the library to study but she never makes it there. The police think she has run away. The disappearance has all the hallmarks of a runaway. But Laurel refuses to believe it. Ellie wouldn’t just give up on her dreams and run away. She was a brilliant student and she was looking forward to her GCSEs. She had a wonderful boyfriend, Theo. She wouldn’t abandon him like that.

The event ultimately tears Laurel’s family apart. She blames Paul, her husband, for not trying harder to find Ellie. She looks at Hanna and wonders why it wasn’t her who went missing instead of Ellie. Hanna and Jake leave home at the first chance they get and Paul tells her that he has met someone he would like to start over with. Laurel lives with the hope of finding Ellie. Then she meets a man named Floyd who sweeps her off her feet. He has a nine-year-old daughter named Poppy and she’s brilliant. She’s also a splitting image of Ellie. What happened to Ellie? And what’s Floyd’s role in all this? As Laurel digs around, she unearths something far more sinister than one could ever imagine.

Then She Was Gone follows a pattern that most thriller writers employ. It is thus predictable. There are only a handful of characters so you can also guess what might have happened. But the how and why keeps you glued to the pages. I wish Hanna’s relationship with Laurel had been more explored. It could have been a great portrayal of a complex mother-daughter equation and how there is always more than what meets the eye in any relationship that is driven by both compulsion and love.

Lisa Jewell has suddenly blown up in my reading circles. Everyone talks about her and they have all read ‘The Family Upstairs’. Her latest book ‘None of This is True’ is also being discussed. A few celebrities have recommended it on Instagram as well. Then She Was Gone got me out of a reading slump and I’ll definitely read more of her works when I find myself unable to concentrate on reading. Then She Was Gone was a compelling story that consumed me. I was tense throughout—caught up in Laurel’s world of horror. It would be nice to have that shiver-up-my-spine feeling again while reading a book.

Thriller

Then She Was Gone

Lisa Jewell

Published: 2017

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Pages: 426, Paperback

When I was growing up in the 90s, there were only a handful of places we could go to for a nice meal with our families or some down time with school friends. Birthday treats meant momos and coke at The Bakery Café, which was a cool place to hang out, perhaps due to the lack of places to hang out. I remember going to a few restaurants in New Road and Durbar Marg with my parents and relatives. They were always the places we’d go to every time we went out. The options were limited.

Fast forward to 2024 and we are spoilt for choice. There are many restaurants in Kathmandu, with new ones coming up quite frequently. I have lost count of the restaurant promotions I have saved on Instagram. There are all kinds of places too—from fancy, expensive ones to cute cafes that serve meals on a budget. I always have a tough time deciding where to go for brunch or a night out with friends. Most of the time, I let my friends decide. I have stumbled upon many establishments that way and a few have gone on to become my favorites.

There are some places I like to go for a tea and a slice of cake, a few serve really good breakfast, and others are just cool places to hang out and maybe read a book or get some work done. Here, I’m recommending three places that I have enjoyed in recent times so that, unlike me, you aren’t scrolling through your Instagram feed the next time you want to grab a quick bite to eat or enjoy a leisurely breakfast with a friend during the weekend.

Filli Café, Labim Mall

Enjoy a cup of fragrant milk tea while reading a book or get some work done while you grab a sandwich for lunch

They have an outlet in Lazimpat, Kathmandu. I also saw the skeletons of an outlet in the tourist hub Thamel, Kathmandu. It was in the works when I went to Thamel about a month ago. But the one I frequent is the one on the lower ground level at Labim Mall in Pulchowk, Lalitpur. It’s not a big space, with just a smattering of tables but it’s a nice little nook to sit back and relax. I go to Filli Café for their Filli Lite tea. Apparently, the other flavors like the Filli Zafran and Karak teas are equally good. They serve an array of coffees as well.

The menu isn’t extensive but there is quite a selection. From sandwiches and wraps to pastas and momos, there is pretty much everything you could want. Their Butter Chicken momo and pasta are bestsellers. I have tried their Chicken Toasties and they are filling and flavorful. The Zafran Milk Cake which is kind of reminiscent of the traditional rasmalai is soft and melts in your mouth. A meal for two will cost around Rs 1500 to 2000.

Feels, Jhamsikhel

Perfect for a brunch date with friends or when you just want to sit by yourself and get some work done when you are working remotely

I have been to Feels a few times already after I first visited the place for brunch with a few friends during Tihar last year. We spent over five hours at the place so that will probably tell you a thing or two about just how much we loved it. Every time I’ve been there, the experience has only gotten better. When we had first gone there, they had just had a soft launch and there were a few wrinkles to iron out. Now, it’s pretty much set up and the staff know what they are doing.

I highly recommend Feels. It’s aesthetic, providing you with plenty of photo ops. The founders have paid meticulous attention to the décor so it’s really pleasing to the eye. There are many seating options. Each space has a theme. There’s also a study area that doubles as a co-working space. The food is delicious. It seems everything on the menu is planned to perfection. I have had their breakfast platter, chicken meatballs, tortilla wrap, and peri peri fries. They all came beautifully plated. The prices are reasonable, given the portion size. They have a wide variety of drinks too.

Tukche Thakali Kitchen, Gairidhara

Stop by when you are really hungry and feel like you could eat a horse as the food here is amazing. Serves the best mutton momos in town

A friend recommended this place. She said it has the best momos in Kathmandu. She wasn’t wrong. The mutton momos were amazing. The chicken momos weren’t bad either. They came in deep bowls with a tomato chutney and a radish pickle on the side. I felt really bad knowing I’d overlooked the place for so long. I had been to other restaurants in the area. There is enough parking space for both two-and four-wheelers. The building is old and that lends it a certain charm. It’s neat and clean and the décor is rustic. My friend and I were there for two hours, sampling their iced teas and various snacks. The chicken chili and aloo sadeko were spicy and both seemed to have been freshly prepared. 

The thakali sets that were making their way to the other tables looked delectable as well. A friend who went there said the curry is spicy and you have to ask for a less spicy (or bland) version if you can’t handle heat. But the good thing is that they will tweak the food to your liking. The restaurant is pretty affordable too, with a meal for two costing you as much as, if not less than, coffee and cake at some of the fancy coffee shops in the capital.

Hwang Bo-Reum studied computer science and worked as a software engineer in Seoul, South Korea before leaving her job to become a writer. She has written several essay collections. ‘Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop’ is her debut novel. It was a bestseller in South Korea. I believe when people who are not professional writers choose to do it full time, they do so because they have a lot to say or share. They have stories in their heads that they want to tell. And books that come out of this need are generally great.

 Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop is perhaps what was calling Bo-Reum to pursue writing full time. In the acknowledgements, the author says she didn’t create many of the characters in the book before she started writing it. They popped in her head as the story progressed, she says, and she just went with the flow. It’s a good thing because all the characters in the book feel like people you would meet on the streets or someone you know—they are characters with a lot of depth and quite a few flaws.

 The book is essentially about Yeongju who gives up a high-flying career, divorces her husband, and starts a bookshop. Throwing away a ‘good life’ to pursue a passion doesn’t go down well with her mother, who pretty much disowns Yeongju, telling her to talk to her only when she comes to her senses. There is a lot of mental stress in Yeongju’s life, and she can never explain why she felt the need to do what she did. Everything was perfect but she wasn’t happy.

 As she spends her days at the bookshop in a quiet neighborhood in Seoul, Yeongju meets all kinds of customers and they all have their own problems and disappointments in life. There’s a guy she hires to make coffee at the bookshop who is lonely, a coffee roaster trapped in an unhappy marriage, a young chap who has no interest in books but whose mother is forcing him to spend time at the bookstore, and a writer who starts taking an interest in Yeongju. The bookshop has its appeal. It’s where people come to find some respite from their lives. It’s where they ultimately find themselves.

 There is an essay-like quality to the chapters that don’t follow a linear path. Some chapters are about certain characters while others are about Yeongju’s struggle with running an independent bookshop. There is a lot of introspection and analysis on love and life in the pages. Sometimes it feels a little preachy and cliché. But clichés can be comforting especially when they are life-affirming and the book is peppered with nuggets of wisdom that you will find that you have pushed to the back of your mind.

I loved Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop for its simple vibe. Everything from the language to the setting feels like a warm, cozy hug. You will find a caring friend in the protagonist despite her almost stoic personality. She is someone you wish you had as a friend, or better yet, a friend you wish you could become. Through her, the author has tried to show that success and conventional relationships don’t have to be the metrics of a life well-lived, and that we are all free to choose and pursue what makes us happy. All it takes is a little bit of courage. 

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133938826-welcome-to-the-hyunam-dong-bookshop  

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

Hwang Bo-Reum

Translated from Korean by Shanna Tan

Published: 2023

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Pages: 301, pages

In 2013, Kaori Fujino was awarded the Akutagawa Prize, Japan’s most prominent literary prize, for ‘Nails and Eyes’. Fujino, who holds an MA in aesthetics and art theory from Doshisha University, is best known for fiction that reimagines tropes of horror, urban legends, fairy tales, and science fiction. She was in residence at the University of Iowa’s prestigious International Writing Program in 2017. The English translation of her stories have also appeared in various publications.

Nails and Eyes is a slim book but you won’t be able to breeze through it because of its dark and dreary undertone. There are two additional stories of unsettled minds with eerie settings in the volume that I got. The three stories can all be slotted as horror but all of them deal with real people and the many problems in their lives. I especially liked the third story called ‘Minute Fears’ that revolves around the complexities of motherhood. The other two are equally good but I’m pretty sure everyone who reads this volume will have a favorite—perhaps one they will resonate with.

The main story is about a young girl who loses her mother and her father invites his lover to stay with them. He wants to marry her but they want to figure out whether they will work as a family before taking the leap. The woman tries to create a life for the three of them. She’s secretly relieved there’s a child in the picture and that she won’t have to get pregnant for a baby. It’s convenient that someone else has given birth to the three-year-old. But she’s unable to be comfortable around the girl and vice-versa. They have an amicable relationship at best. But the girl is watching the woman, tracking her every move, and there’s malice. The latter only realizes that when it’s too late.

 ‘What Shoko Forgets’ is set in a rehabilitation home. Shoko suffered a stroke and her memories are hazy. She’s being cared for by her oldest daughter and a disinterested granddaughter. She wants to go home and live comfortably on her couch. She feels she deserves that much at least now that her body is tiring and shutting down. But her daughter won’t listen and there’s someone who visits Shoko every night though everyone seems to be oblivious to it. Her memories of this disappear every morning and that’s concerning. Is it real or is she imagining the whole thing? You can never tell and the story stays in your mind long after you’ve read it.

Nails and Eyes is an interesting piece of literature, one that draws your attention to important themes like parenthood, aging, and isolation among others in a way that makes you think about them from different perspectives. It’s, hands down, unlike any other book I have ever read, in terms of how chilling it was. Fujino’s writing reminds me of Yoko Ogawa, another Japanese writer who has won almost every major literary prize in Japan including the Akutagawa Prize.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66092863-nails-and-eyes 

Nails and Eyes

Kaori Fujino

Translated by Kendall Heitzman

Published: 2023 (Original text: 2013)

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Pages: 138, Paperback

Your home is an extension of your personality. Often, it can dictate your mental state—the colors you choose can calm or energize you, and the decorative pieces you have on display will either motivate you or make you nostalgic. A lot of thought and work goes behind a house that looks effortlessly chic. A well put-together house, where everything looks just right, isn’t an overnight achievement. It happens little by little, piece by piece.

That said, interior design is an evolving process. There is no end to it. You are never done. It changes (as it should) depending on the season and festival. Many of my friends who are professional interior designers or are passionate about interior design always tweak their décor depending on their mood, the weather, and time of the year. A cousin has different carpets and throws for summer and winter. It sets the mood, she says. Summer calls for lighter fabrics while thicker materials are ideal for winter.

Every year there are décor trends that dominate the market. Sometimes mixing and matching patterns are all the rage while other times florals tend to dominate the scene. Though fashion and interior design often don’t intersect, I notice a lot of design ideas are influenced by runway trends. This year is all about quiet luxury—understated elegance that calls for attention due to its simplicity.

We are talking about dark woods, luxurious soft textures, and traditionally shaped furniture that you can probably pass down to your children by giving them a new life with re-upholstery. The focus also seems to be on underestimated areas of the house like the hallway and pantry. Instagram-worthy rooms with their fancy couches and neon signs with bold declarations are no longer in. Here are five timeless décor trends that are all the rage in 2024.

Green living for a fresh appeal

Green living is more than just a trend. It’s an important lifestyle choice. Sustainability has never been more important than now. As the mercury rises, we must choose natural ways to keep our homes adequately ventilated and thus cool. Eco-conscious interior design takes center stage in 2024 with nature inspired elements. Potted plants, keeping the windows bare to let the light stream in, and bamboo panes and blinds are some options to give your indoor space a cool, outdoorsy vibe.

A permanent home office

Remote work isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s an alternative that boosts productivity by cutting down on unnecessary distractions and commute time. And it looks like it’s here to stay as more companies and offices are allowing people to work from home. Creating an office space is now the need of the hour. You can’t be expected to work from the dining table or the living room couch if you want to strike a work-life balance. Invest in some ergonomic furniture and stylish, minimalistic pieces to make your workspace functional and inspiring.

Chunky accents for the oomph effect

We often clutter our homes with little knick-knacks and while artfully placed ones can add a lot of character to our space, there’s the risk of it looking a bit too cluttered and chaotic. Dusting also becomes quite tedious if you have too many decorative items around the house. The solution to this is to opt for big, chunky statement pieces like a large vase, a sculpture, or a large coffee table that can double as a centerpiece. They add a dash of quirkiness to any space while elevating its style quotient. Choose a focal piece and have a few smaller items around or on it.

Take your world outdoors

Nature and natural elements have become huge design trends in 2024. From cane and bamboo to jute and linen, natural textures are finding their way into our spaces. They are sustainable and easy to maintain as well. But instead of limiting ourselves to the use of natural elements indoors, taking ourselves outside, from the confines of the walls, is also an evolving aspect of décor—meaning outdoor spaces are being given as much attention as indoor spaces. So, look for ways to revamp your patio, balcony, and garden area. Outdoor, garden furniture like swings and low seating areas can add understated charm to a neglected area.

Play with colors

The all-white trend is timeless. But it’s apparently losing its appeal in 2024 due to maintenance issues. It’s often seen as sterile and lacking personality too. Decorators are opting for bolder colors to infuse character into a space. Accent walls in a range of browns, yellows, and blues are also gaining popularity. Don’t be scared to experiment. Choose a color or a color combination you like and play around with it. You can also add colors to your space in the form of fabrics like curtains and cushion covers if you aren’t bold enough to paint your walls a vibrant hue. 

Foodhall is India’s luxury grocer, café, and gifting service with outlets in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. It’s India’s leading gourmet and lifestyle store. I have visited its outlet in Mumbai and, even though I wasn’t much of a cook back then, I had fallen in love with it. I could browse the aisles for hours. Everything looked ultra clean and chic.

 So naturally, when I came across a cookbook that was published by Foodhall I had to get it. In true Foodhall style, the book is beautiful. Even just browsing through it is a delightful visual experience. It’s a slim volume but it has 75 recipes from around the world—there are modern European, Asian, and Indian recipes among others. There’s a section devoted to desserts. I guarantee there is bound to be a handful of recipes no matter what type of food you are in the mood for.

Five chefs have come together and shared their recipes in the book. There’s Gresham Fernandes who’s the executive chef at Fine Dine Impresario Hospitality, the company that owns restaurants like Salt Water Café in Mumbai and Smoke House Room in Delhi. Kelvin Cheung, who has shared the recipes for Kimchi Tacos and Moo Shu Chicken among many others, is a consultant at Bastian in Mumbai. Bastian is a seafood restaurant owned by Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra and it’s a favorite of many celebrities.

Likewise, there’s Zorawar Kalra who is one of the youngest restaurateurs of India. Sabyasachi Gorai, popularly known as Chef Saby, received the ‘Best Chef of India’ award by the then President of India, Pratibha Patil during the National Tourism Awards 2011-12. Pooja Dhingra is a pastry chef who was featured in Forbes India’s ’30 under 30 list’. Her first cookbook, ‘The Big Book of Treats’ came out in 2014 and in The Foodhall Cookbook, she shares 13 of her delightful recipes. From spiced macarons and matcha cookies to kiwi pavlova and a variety of cupcakes, she has you covered on the dessert front.  

I have already marked a few recipes that I want to try out as soon as possible. I’ve even bought some ingredients that I didn’t have in my pantry. I’m that excited about this cookbook that has been designed to perfection. The full-page photographs that accompany each recipe give the cookbook a coffee table book appeal.

 Each chef also shares helpful cooking tips in their introduction—from asking you to let your intuition guide you in the kitchen to recommending a good weighing scale and best quality ingredients. There is a simple chicken salad recipe with sesame seeds that I’m sure will be quite lovely. Titled the ‘Sesame Spinach Chicken Salad’ it needs a handful of ingredients and the dressing can be made from things that you already have like oil, vinegar, honey, and soy sauce. It’s apparently Cheung’s favorite recipe to make as well. It’s light, refreshing, and super quick and simple to make, he says. 

Most of the recipes in the book require minimal effort and time. Only a few require pre-prepping and some diligence. The Foodhall Cookbook can be the perfect guide in helping you unleash your culinary skills.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38818883-the-foodhall-cookbook 

The Foodhall Cookbook

Publisher: Roli Books

Published: 2017

Photographs: Anshika Varma & Foodhall

(except on page 50, Amrita Diwanji)

Design and layout: Misha Oberoi