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Tilo is an immigrant from India who runs a spice shop in Oakland in the US. Her spices aren’t just ingredients for curries, they have special powers as Tilo can command them to do her bid. She helps customers get what they desire. Everyone who comes to Tilo’s shop is given the spice she thinks they need—for the restoration of sight, to heal an aching heart, or to deal with the pain of rejection among many other problems.

 She is the mistress of spices with magical powers. She chose this life and she has had to make a few sacrifices for it. But she is happy to be able to help those who need it the most, like an abused wife or unhappy, bullied children. She feels she couldn’t possibly ever want anything else. She was warned that this life of service wouldn’t be easy but she stubbornly stuck to it and hasn’t ever regretted it.

 Then, one day, a lonely American comes into the store and Tilo can’t find the right spice for him. Maybe she doesn’t want to because there’s something about this man that makes her feel things she hasn’t felt before. And it feels a lot like desire and perhaps love. Tilo knows she can’t give in. She can’t touch anyone else, much less get close to them. Else, the spices will stop speaking to her and she will lose her powers. But Tilo can’t seem to stay away, even as the voices in her head warn her about the inevitable doom.

 ‘The Mistress of Spices’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a bizarre book. For the first half, it’s mostly all vibe and no plot. The story picks up but it’s not as gripping as her other works. I didn’t care about Tilo until I was more than halfway through the book. I couldn’t even picture her. There is a movie adaptation of the book starring Aishwarya Rai that I haven’t watched and I couldn’t even picture the actor as Tilo. The writing didn’t evoke my senses as Divakaruni’s works often do. (Also, there is a mismatch between the book and the movie. The book describes Tilo as trapped in an old woman’s body whereas a young Rai is shown as the protagonist in the movie.)

 I have read most of Divakaruni’s works and have loved them. ‘The Palace of Illusions’, an adaptation of the epic Mahabharata, told from Draupadi’s perspective, is a favorite of many people I know. I love her short stories, which mainly deal with the Indian immigrant experience. The Mistress of Spices, however, I felt is mediocre at best. There’s not much character development and even though you meet quite a few interesting ones, none of them really stay in your mind. There’s a lot of talk of spices which is fascinating. Maybe that was the reason I couldn’t stop reading despite the story not making much sense.

 It’s definitely not one of the author’s best works. But given that it was written back in 1997, reading it now in the age of smartphones and other gizmos lends it a certain charm that’s quite addictive. I wouldn’t recommend The Mistress of Spices as an introduction to the author’s large body of work. If you have read Divakaruni’s other works, you might be more forgiving of this book. For me, it evoked mixed feelings. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. I would give it a two and a half star rating.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94669.The_Mistress_of_Spices  

The Mistress of Spices

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Published: 1997

Publisher: Black Swan

Pages: 317, Paperback

We crave change. We want to be fit and healthy, become better, do better, and be happy and content. The allure and the modus operandi or marketing strategy, if I might say so, of self-help books lies in people’s inherent desire to make their lives better. There are plenty of books that make lofty promises—you will be happier, you will learn to navigate relationships, you will thrive at work, etc. But reading about concepts and ways to change your life won’t actually do a thing unless you are willing to put in the hard work. And even then, what’s the guarantee that the things that worked for the author and his/her friends will work for you? This is one of the main reasons why I often steer clear of self-help books.

However, self-help books that are rooted in scientific or research-backed suggestions appeal to me. It puts me in the right mindset, one that makes me want to listen to the advice and implement them in my life. In that sense, ‘Everyday Ayurveda’ by Dr Bhaswati Bhattacharya is one of the best books I’ve read. Dr Bhattacharya is a licensed, board-certified physician who has been incorporating ayurveda in her treatments for the past 25 years. Her work was featured on The Discovery Channel’s documentary, Healers: Journey into Ayurveda.

My interest in ayurveda probably comes from my mother. She is a medical doctor who has always supported the ayurvedic way of life. Watching her practice and recommend ayurvedic ways of healing has made me believe in its powers. I already knew many of the things mentioned in the book but it was still a good reminder of what I needed to do to be more active and agile. The book is divided into short chapters and the tone feels conversational and not preachy at all. The author is knowledgeable and the writing is thus convincing. Backed by evidence and anecdotes, Everyday Ayurveda makes for an interesting and eye-opening read.

Delving into the principles of ayurveda, Dr Bhattacharya tells us why and how we should listen to the signs our bodies give us. She urges readers to focus on self-care, building healthy habits, and following ancient wisdom and practices for sound health. You will pick up some helpful tips on how to turn your life around. Most of these tips don’t require much effort. They are just some basic modifications in your current lifestyle. Everyday Ayurveda, I believe, is an essential guide to a deeper understanding of yourself and the ways in which you can live a more fulfilling life.

Everyday Ayurveda

Dr Bhaswati Bhattacharya

Published: 2015

Publisher: Ebury Press
Pages: 298, Paperback

In Nepal, most of us grow up eating ‘dal, bhat, tarkari’. The meal is so intricately woven in the fabric of our existence that if we don’t have it for a few days (because we are traveling or just haven’t had the time to cook the often-elaborate meal) we feel something is amiss. My father can have dal, bhat, tarkari three times a day. Yes, even for ‘khaja’. He says twice is a must, thrice is better. There are many others, relatives and friends, who feel the same way.

 During my school days, I had dal, bhat, tarkari every day, often for lunch and dinner. I used to hate it. It might be a balanced meal but I never liked it very much. I enjoy rice and curry but an ensemble of different things never appealed to me. So, I would often say I don’t like Nepali food. I was equating Nepali food with dal, bhat, tarkari. Much later, I would realize that Nepali food is diverse and, in many cases, nutritionally dense as well and come to love it.

I came across Prashanta Khanal’s cookbook ‘Timmur: Stories and Flavors from Nepal’ while waiting to consult a nutritionist at her office. The coffee table book caught my attention because of its interesting title. Also, I love the spice timmur, which is a flavoring ingredient that gives dishes a tangy touch. Upon flipping the book, I was enthralled. There are full page photos of dishes accompanying the recipes which are divided into nine sections.

The book could be considered an introduction into the various cuisines of Nepal. There are concise introductions delving into the history and traditions of the different cuisines featured in the book. There are recipes for Thakali, Khas, Magar & Gurung, Newari, Sherpa, Tamang, & Tibetan, Tharu & Maithil, and Rai & Limbu cuisines in the 297 glossy pages of the book. There are brief introductions to each dish which made me feel really knowledgeable about the food I was about to make. Did you know ‘momo-cha’ was brought to the Kathmandu Valley from Tibet by Newa traders and has been adapted to local tastes using buffalo meat and local spices?

There’s an entire section devoted to achaar or pickles. For someone like me who loves achaars and can have them by the bottle, this section was a delight. The ease to replicate recipes meant I could whip up anything I was in the mood for anytime I wanted. I tried the ‘Karelako Achaar’ and ‘Dalle Khursaniko Achaar’ among the 17 recipes in the section. They came out really well. Thanks to this arsenal of recipes, I never need to buy packaged pickles anymore or trouble my mother by asking her to make her signature ‘mula ko achaar’ or chili pickle.

The book is a visual delight as well with stunning photos by Nabin Baral and Gagan Thapa. It was actually the photos that made me want to buy a copy of the book which has, since then, become a handy tool to have in the kitchen. The recipes are easy to follow and most of the ingredients mentioned in the book can be found in our pantries. The good thing about Nepali food is that you can tweak it to your liking, by tinkering around with the ingredients, and it will still taste good.

Timmur

Prashanta Khanal

Published: 2022

Publisher: Fineprint

Language: English
Pages: 297, Hardcover

The Instagram page of Penguin India has quite a few posts of celebrities and readers talking about ‘None of This is True’ by Lisa Jewell. And everybody raves about it. It’s Jewell’s most recent release. I had previously read ‘And Then She Was Gone’ and it quite literally yanked me out of my reading slump. So, I wanted to read her other books too, but not back-to-back as reading thrillers in a row can get tedious. Having finished None of This is True I have a strong urge to buy more of her works and read them. Jewell has a knack for telling gripping stories and crafting characters that you will come to care about.

None of This is True is about two women—Alix and Josie—who share the same birthday. They are the birthday twins. They meet by chance at a restaurant where Josie takes a strange fascination with Alix who is a podcaster. She interviews women from all walks of life about the hardships they faced and how they overcame them to become who they are. Josie persuades Alix to feature her in her new series. She tells Alix that she is on the cusp of great changes in her life. Alix agrees and they start the interview process. Alix decides to call the podcast ‘Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin’ which is what Josie says to Alix when she first meets her.

However, there is something unsettling about Josie. Her story is strange and complicated. She comes across as both the victim and hero, and you have an inkling that it couldn’t be so. Everybody else—her mother, her husband, and her two daughters—seems problematic. As Josie tells Alix her story you discover she has been hiding some secrets that could threaten her family. Josie also starts interfering in Alix’s life as she develops an unhealthy obsession with Alix and that’s when things take a sinister turn. But things were already set in motion when Alix and Josie first met, or even long before that.

The book alternates between the main plot which is the story as it happens and the transcripts of the podcast. This lends it a dark vibe because you get the feeling that things aren’t as black and white as Josie is making them out to be, that she is perhaps crafting a narrative that best suits her. The other characters you meet like her husband Walter, her daughter Erin, and Alix’s husband Nathan are also shifty. Walter is almost thirty years older than Josie. Erin spends all her time gaming and never comes out of her room. Alix’s husband has an alcohol problem. There’s a lot going on that just keeps you turning the pages.

[Spoiler alert] The book doesn’t have a happy ending. In many ways, you don’t get a sense of closure. This works to the book’s advantage though because readers will find themselves thinking about it long after they are done with it. To supplement your reading experience, Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin is an actual podcast, available on Apple and Spotify. I listened to it and it gave me the creeps. But I loved the concept. It elevated my reading experience. The publishers definitely knew what they were doing. I can see myself buying every book Jewell has written so far, perhaps without even reading the blurb. I have a feeling I won’t be able to stop myself from binging on them.

None of This is True

Lisa Jewell

Published: 2023

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Pages: 390, paperback

We at ApEx are great believers in people’s list of favorites. We’re always asking friends and relatives to recommend their favorite books, music, and movies. The thing about reading books, listening to music, and watching movies that come recommended by someone is that we are 100 percent sure that we will love them. We have made up my mind that these will be fantastic experiences and so we always have a good time.

Recently, one of us was talking to a friend about a book ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ by Gabrielle Zevin that we were reading together and we somehow got on the topic of movies. She mentioned that she isn’t much of a movie person and that she rewatches the same 10 movies, mainly because they provide comfort but also because they have great costume designs.

We asked her to share the list and watched a few of those movies over the weekend. We had a blast. They get your mind off things. For the several hours they lasted, some of us forgot all our worries. We’re sharing five movies from the list hoping the stories will lighten your mood.

Clueless

‘Clueless’ is a timeless PG-13 romance comedy with witty dialogue and many fashion takeaways. Alicia Silverstone, in her role as the protagonist Cher, is endearing. The movie is a feel-good classic that never fails to entertain. The 1995 American coming-of-age film is a loose adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel ‘Emma’. Our friend apparently knows all the dialogues by heart. They are witty one-liners so we can understand why. Though the movie was primarily aimed at teenagers, we believe it will appeal to everyone with a sense of humor. 

Sabrina

If you were to google you would find that there are several movies titled Sabrina. And we actually like quite a few of them. But our friend recommended the 1954 American romantic comedy directed by Billy Wilder. The movie stars Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, and William Holden. In 2002, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’. The movie has a lot of drama and romance and a fair bit of intrigue. The characters are charming, gluing you to the screen. 

Howl’s Moving Castle

Read the book and watch the movie for a wholesome experience. The movie is perhaps one of the best works to come out of Studio Ghibli. The Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki is loosely based on the 1986 novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones. An under-confident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch. Her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his weird companions in his legged, walking castle. A brilliant execution of a great plot makes it a gripping and entertaining watch.  

Under the Tuscan Sun

Based on Frances Mayes’ 1996 memoir of the same name, the movie is about a recently divorced writer who buys a villa in Tuscany on a whim. Frances Mayes is a writer whose seemingly perfect life takes an unexpected turn when she learns that her husband has been cheating on her and that his young lover is pregnant with his child. Her best friend Patti worries that Frances might never recover from the traumatic divorce and urges her to go on a vacation. At first, Frances refuses. But then later she decides it might be a good idea to get away for a while and goes to Tuscany where she buys a villa on whim hoping it will change her life. Diana Lane received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in the movie. 

Funny Face

This musical is just what you need on a gloomy day when you don’t feel like doing anything. The 1957 romantic comedy is filled with vibrant performances by Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn. Funny Face is fascinating though there are quite a few loopholes in the writing. The movie has a lot of nonsensical elements between the dance numbers which is why it sticks to your mind. It does feel a tad bit misogynistic at times—the male character is the same throughout the movie while the female lead is the one who learns a lesson and changes. But the good thing is you don’t need to invest a lot of mental energy into the film and will definitely be entertained.

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