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I have three copies of ‘The Palace of Illusions’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni on my bookshelf. Every time someone borrowed my copy of the book, I bought another one because I would want to read it again and it wouldn’t have been returned. Now that all the borrowed books have made their way back to me, I have multiple copies. But I don’t mind it at all. I like looking at the forest-green spines with yellow letters and because there are three of them, it stands out.

I recently gave away quite a few books but I didn’t want to give away a single copy of The Palace of Illusions because I know I will eventually recommend it to someone and they will want to borrow it. It’s a book that brings back happy memories as I grew up watching Mahabharat on TV.  This is Panchaali’s Mahabharat. Narrated by Draupadi, the wife of the Pandava brothers, The Palace of Illusions gives a woman’s perspective on an epic that has largely been shown through the eyes of men.

Mahabharat focuses on the Pandava brothers and how they grew up. Divakaruni’s version tells us about Panchali—her birth, upbringing, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, and her secret attraction to her husband’s most dangerous enemy. Some conversations and stories would perhaps not have seen the light of day hadn’t it been for this reimaging. There are a lot of important events of the Mahabharat in the book but it’s the quieter moments, of introspection and affection, that stand out. The peaceful years after marriage, and moments after the battle of Kurukshetra shine light on the essence of life. It makes for an insightful read.

Most of us have watched or read some version of the Mahabharat. But the story will still enchant you as you will see a completely different side to it. You will also come to view Karna, whom we know as Arjuna’s archnemesis, in a renewed light. One of my friends said The Palace of Illusions did what her parents couldn’t during her childhood. It got her interested in Mahabharat. And the book is indeed fascinating. It’s a fresh take on an ancient tale. You get to know the women much more intimately than you do in the original epic. Here, the women are the heroes. And you couldn’t cheer for them any louder if you tried.

Mythology

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1774836.The_Palace_of_Illusions 

The Palace of Illusions

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Published: 2008

Publisher: Picador

Pages: 360, Paperback

“Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. An anniversary they will never forget” reads the blurb of ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ by Alice Feeney. I bought the book for my husband as it will be our 10th marriage anniversary in the next couple of years and I thought I would spook him with a twisted book. But Rock, Paper, Scissors is mediocre at best. The setting is eerie but that’s about it. There is also something quite déjà vu-ish about the story but that could easily just be me having read a lot of thrillers and watched as many on Netflix.

Feeney has written several books but this was my first time reading her work. I wasn’t familiar with her writing style and that should have given a sense of newness to the story. That it didn’t do so makes me believe all thriller writers follow a trope and once you are familiar with it, it’s not difficult to see where the story is going, no matter who is writing it.

Rock, Paper, Scissors is about a couple who go away on a holiday. Adam and Amelia want to reconnect and rekindle their bond. They were once madly in love but lately, they find that they are unable to understand each other. The therapist suggests they go on a trip to try to relax and mend things so when Amelia wins a weekend getaway on a work raffle, the two pack their bags and leave. The place they end up at, braving a storm, is an old chapel converted into a holiday home.

The story is narrated alternately by Adam and Amelia, giving you insights into both their worlds and perspectives. As far as characters go, both of them are flawed and selfish. I didn’t like either of them. They were always blaming each other for everything. When Adam is telling his story, he is making Amelia seem bad. And when it’s Amelia’s turn, you are sure Adam is the problematic one. There is another character, Robin, who comes in a little later and adds a bit of intrigue. Who is she? Why does she have a key to the chapel where Adam and Amelia are staying? Is she trying to spook them?

But the problem is that there are only a few characters, and it’s mostly all about Adam, Amelia, and Robin. You know one of them is responsible for everything bad that is happening but you don’t know who and you are given very few clues to guess as well. Adam has prosopagnosia, meaning he can’t recognize people by their faces. He watched his mother get killed but couldn’t describe the driver to the police. He lives in guilt that his mother’s killer walked free because of him. You realize this is an essential part of the story but how it factors in on what’s happening isn’t clear till the author decides to shove it in your face.

As far as thrillers go, Rock, Paper, Scissors is average. Though there is tension on almost every page, much of it feels forced and fake. Don’t read it on a gloomy day because it will make you feel lonely, sad, and hollow.

Thriller

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56269064-rock-paper-scissors 

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Alice Feeney

Published: 2021

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 312, Paperback

I watched Spy × Family on Netflix a year ago. I wanted to read the books first as I had heard great things about Tatusuya Endo’s artwork but I couldn’t find the manga anywhere in Kathmandu. The online bookstores, which generally have titles I can’t find anywhere, didn’t have the books either. I was contemplating asking a friend who lives in Japan to get the book series for me when, lo and behold, Bookverse stocked them. I bought six volumes in one go. The manga series has 12 books. I’m hoping the bookstore will bring the rest soon.

The manga series has great artwork. You can get lost in a page for several minutes. The expressions of the characters will blow your mind, and make you laugh out loud. Though the story is simple and engaging, you will want to take your time with it as it’s entertaining and each page has something or the other you will want to look at for a while. For those of you who are new to manga, it might take some getting used to as you have to read it from right to left—the reverse of English which is read from left to right.

The plot is convoluted, crazy, over-the-top, and so much fun. Twilight is a spy. He works alone and he is great at his job. But for his next mission, he has to create a family as he has to infiltrate a school. So, he needs a wife and a child. Enter Yor and Anya. They are meek and thus the perfect candidates. But Twilight doesn’t know that Yor moonlights as an assassin and Anya can read minds. The fake family now consists of a spy, an assassin, and a mind reader, all of whom are keeping their real identities a secret from one another.

Then there’s the issue of Twilight (or Anya) still having to pass a rigorous interview process at the school to gain access to another student whose father is his target. For that, he must train his fake/temporary wife and daughter how to act like the perfect family. All of it leads to some hilarious and heartwarming moments. Twilight, Yor, and Anya are strong and lovable characters, each with backstories of their own. You will identify with at least one of them.

Spy × Family is a laugh riot. It’s also a wonderful tale of a found family. There’s a lot of suspense and intrigue to keep you hooked. The Netflix adaptation has two seasons with a total of 37 episodes. Each episode is 23 minutes long. It’s as good as the manga series. The characters come alive before you and it’s such a pleasure to watch. Read it or watch it, the choice is yours. But don’t miss it. Better yet, do both. You won’t regret it.

Manga/Graphic Novel

https://www.goodreads.com/series/265020-spy-family  

Spy × Family

Story & Art by: Tatsuya Endo

Translation: Casey Loe

Published: 2020

Publisher: VIZ Media, LLC

Pages: 12 book series, Paperback

Cooking always felt like a chore. Till it didn’t. I don’t remember when I started enjoying cooking. Perhaps, it was during the Covid 19 lockdowns when my husband and I didn’t have the option to order from different restaurants or go out to eat, depending on what we were in the mood for. All of a sudden, I was making biryanis, butter chicken, a variety of soups and salads, etc.

As much as I enjoy indulging in my newfound hobby, one thing that puts me off is the amount of waste. From onion peels and lemon rinds to vegetable scraps and chicken skin and bones, there’s just so much I have to throw out every time I step into the kitchen to prepare a meal. My mother composts but I’m too lazy to do that. So, I wallow in guilt every time I throw out a trash can full of scraps.

I came across ‘The No-Waste Kitchen Cookbook’ by Arina Suchde at Bookverse in Civil Mall, Kathmandu, while hunting for some new cookbooks. I confess I bought it without even reading the blurb because the cover was so interesting. It had images of watermelon rinds, orange peels, corn husks, and such on a pastel-blue background. The cover also proclaimed that there were 75 recipes to begin your zero-waste journey. I was sold.

The book offers many ways in which we can reduce wastage of resources in our kitchens. It provides the readers with tips on how we can grow our own herbs. There are also recipes for basic pantry staples that can be made at home—this reduces the need to buy different condiments while ensuring our food is as preservative-free as possible. Suchde gives you 75 vegetarian recipes across seven sections. They are not just food recipes. You can also learn to whip up some mean cocktails. She also shines the spotlight on composting.

Some of my favorite recipes from the book include ‘Leftover Subzi Pav Bhaji’, ‘Carrot Peel Pasta Sauce’, ‘Wilted Lettuce Dressing’, and ‘Banana Peel Sleepy Tea’. These recipes drastically reduce kitchen waste as everything can be salvaged. You can throw every vegetable that is about to go bad as well as scraps and peels into the pot to make the Leftover Subzi Pav Bhaji. The Carrot Peel Pasta Sauce puts all the peels to use and the sauce is delicious. For a household that consumes a lot of carrots daily (our dog alone needs a carrot after every meal), this recipe is such a lifesaver. I don’t feel bad about having a banana daily because the peel can be saved to make a great-tasting tea. (Earlier, I would rub it on my face but I would still eventually have to throw it away. Not anymore.)

The book highlights the importance of sustainability in the kitchen and the author shows how simple steps can go a long way in achieving it. But she also talks about how it’s not possible to go zero-waste overnight and neither should we aspire to do that. We must be consistent in our efforts to manage the resources that are available to us. The No-Waste Kitchen Cookbook arms us with many ways in which we can make small changes in the kitchen that can, in the long run, drastically reduce waste.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199364564-the-no-waste-kitchen-cookbook  

The No-Waste Kitchen Cookbook

Arina Suchde

Published: 2023

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 157, Paperback

A secret line of people lives out on the Yorkshire Moors in England. These people eat books. They retain the book’s content after eating it. They eat maps to remember the routes and the destinations. For dessert, they sink their (book)teeth into romance. Children, when they have to be punished, are forced to eat dictionaries, which are considered mundane. Devon Fairweather is a part of an old, reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brother eats stories of adventure while she is fed fairy tales and cautionary stories.

Then she has a son. He isn’t a book-eater like her. Instead, he feasts on the minds and souls of people. Devon flees with her son, Cai, as she doesn’t want him to be turned into a weapon for the family as most mind-eaters are destined to become. Devon must figure out how to cure her son or risk losing him forever while dodging her family. Every soul Cai consumes makes him lose a little of himself so Devon doesn’t have a lot of time.

Almost every other BookTuber I have subscribed to on YouTube mentioned ‘The Book Eater’ by Sunyi Dean in their videos last year. The story—about a clan of book-eating people if you can call them that—sounded intriguing. But I couldn’t find the book anywhere. Then I came across a copy at Bookverse in Civil Mall in Kathmandu. Despite the tiniest font size ever, I bought it. My friends said I’d probably go blind by the end of the book. Having heard so much about it, it was a risk I was willing to take.

I must confess I wish the font size was better but I have no other complaints with the book. The story is fascinating. The writing is gorgeous. The characters are lovely, complex, and interesting. The events line up beautifully. There is always something happening, you are never bored, and the story moves forward at a comfortable pace. I could conjure the scenes in my head as Dean has masterfully crafted her world, paying attention to even the most minor detail.

The narrative alternates between the past and the present but it’s not difficult to keep track of what’s happening in the two timelines. The past and the present chapters complement one another, making it easy for the readers to figure out the intent behind the protagonist’s actions. The story deals with some important issues like trauma and patriarchy. I had to put the book down to think about things several times. Dean makes you contemplate quite a lot.

If I’m honest, the story takes on a dark, sinister tone at times. A five-year-old devouring people’s minds and adopting their personalities feels a little disturbing. At one point, having devoured over 25 people, he acts like an adult. His words and actions don’t suit him. It quite literally gave me the chills. Dean uses this opportunity to ask some provocative questions about how our minds define us. It was insightful but creepy nonetheless. All in all, I enjoyed ‘The Book Eaters’ and I would highly recommend it.

Fantasy fiction/Horror

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58724745 

The Book Eaters

Sunyi Dean

Published: 2022

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pages: 298, Paperback

I don’t cook regularly. But I’m fascinated by cookbooks. And I’ve recently begun collecting cookbooks as well. Did I cook much in the past month? No. But did I buy several cookbooks and spend hours going through them? A big, resounding yes. It’s comforting to know that I have an arsenal of recipes at my disposal should I ever need them. One of my all-time favorites is Reader’s Digest’s ‘The Great 5-Ingredient Cookbook’ which has recipes of 250 simple, healthy dishes that you can whip up in less than 30 minutes.

‘Masala Memsahib’ by Karen Anand has recently been added to my list of favorites. This is a cookbook in memoir form. It’s part travelog too. It takes us on a journey across five Indian states, namely Goa, Gujrat, Kerala, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. There is a smattering of mouth-watering local cuisines along with their histories. Anand also gives brief introductions to different eating and cooking practices, and shoutouts to people who have influenced her in her culinary crusade of sorts across India.

The book is divided into different sections, each dedicated to a certain type of cuisine. There are 100 plus delicious, easy-to-replicate recipes. Most recipes in Masala Memsahib are authentic home-style recipes. The focus is on harnessing the natural flavor of the main ingredient using the right masala combination and not letting the spices overpower the dish.

I love the recipes of the Prawn with Green Chilli, Boatman Fish Curry, and Corn in a Creamy Sauce. They can be whipped up in minutes with basic ingredients that almost every household has in its pantry. Anand runs a successful gourmet business and consults for luxury hotels and restaurants. Her love for food is evident in Masala Memsahib where she offers genuine and practical tips and tricks to make delicious meals.

The book is interspersed with photos not only of food but of people Anand has met in the course of her travels. It feels like a photobook because of the perfectly-shot full-page photos. I have taken to keeping the book in my living room and dipping into it whenever I have some free time. I usually find I’ve spent more than the several allocated minutes going through the book and have marked a recipe or two to try out next. Masala Memsahib is great for those who don’t have much culinary expertise but would like to, every once in a while, prepare a gourmet dish to surprise their family members.

Masala Memsahib

Karen Anand

Published: 2022

Publisher: Macmillan

Pages: 252, Paperback

Ann Patchett is one of my all-time favorite authors. I have read and loved ‘Run’, ‘Commonwealth’, and ‘Bel Canto’. I have a copy of ‘The Dutch House’ on my shelf reserved for that time when I hit a reading slump. I know Patchett will get me out of it. I recently came across one of her essay collections while browsing at the bookstore. I had no intention of buying a book. I had made a pact with my husband that I wouldn’t buy any books in January. I was waiting for a friend and had stepped into the bookstore to kill some time.

But there were only two copies of ‘These Precious Days’ and I had never seen the book at any other bookstore. I just couldn’t walk away. I went back to the bookstore a few days ago to buy a copy for my friend. The blurb at the back of the book says, ‘Read it, cherish it, buy a copy for your best friend, then read it once more.’ I want to give this book to anyone who is feeling upset or unsettled in life. It’s filled with nuggets of hard-earned wisdom. Patchett’s writing takes your mind off things. And you can relate to so many things that it makes you feel a little less lonely.

The essays are personal. In one Patchett talks about her relationship with her three fathers, and how each of them taught her different things. “Without ever meaning to, my father taught me at a very early age to give up on the idea of approval,” writes Patchett while speaking about her father’s scorn for her writing. When her mother remarried for the third time, Patchett was just 27. Something about her mother’s easy approach to marriage, of not giving up on it despite hers not working out, made Patchett more accepting of life’s ups and downs.

In another essay, she talks about the hardships in a writer’s life, the uncertainty that comes with being a writer, and the many pressures and pitfalls of publishing. Another deals with the often harrowing and intrusive questions that are raised about her decision not to have children. “To have a child required the willful forgetting of what childhood was actually like; it required you to turn away from the very real chance that you do to the person you loved most in the world the exact same thing that was done to you. No. No, thank you.”

In Those Precious Days, the longest essay of the collection and the one the anthology is named after, she writes about her friend Sooki’s battle with cancer. Patchett and Sooki strike up a rare friendship after the two cross paths when Patchett is called upon to interview Tom Hanks for his book, ‘Uncommon Type’. Sooki is his assistant. There are also lighthearted essays that are filled with warmth and humor. She writes about how owning a bookstore has changed her life. She writes about her mother, her husband, and her dog. That everyone and everything is just fodder for a writer is made evident by her eagerness to write about them all.

 Some essays are short and some are long. But they all feel complete by themselves. Many of them have been previously published in various publications, though the book versions have been slightly tweaked. Patchett’s insight and compassion infuse life into the stories. Patchett is first and foremost a storyteller but she shines as an essayist too. “Essays never filled my days,” she says in the first one in the collection, “But they reminded me that I was still a writer when I wasn’t writing a novel.”

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56922687-these-precious-days  

Those Precious Days

Ann Patchett

Published: 2021

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Pages: 322, Paperback

Rebecca F. Kuang, better known as R.F. Kuang, is the author of the hugely popular ‘The Poppy War’ trilogy. The first book ‘The Poppy War’ was published in 2018. The subsequent novels in the series, ‘The Dragon Republic’ and ‘The Burning God’, were published in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Kuang released a standalone novel ‘Babel’ or the Necessity of Violence in 2022. ‘Yellowface’ came out in 2023.

The Poppy War series was a bestseller. Some of the bookstores I frequent had to restock it multiple times as there was a big demand for it. Booksellers said those who didn’t read a lot too came searching for it. Many people bought all three books in one go. The craze had caught on. Babel debuted at the first spot on The New York Times Best Seller list, and won Blackwell’s Books of the Year for Fiction in 2022 and the 2022 Nebula Award for Best Novel.

I haven’t read The Poppy War but I did read Babel. It’s a thick book but I loved it. In comparison, Yellowface is slimmer. But the writing is as gorgeous and the story is gripping, albeit slow at times. I began reading Yellowface at the end of December 2023 and finished it on the first of January 2024. I like to say I ended my reading year on a good note and had a great start to another one.

June Hayward isn’t having much luck as a writer. Her debut book received a lukewarm response. She struggles to pay rent as well as come up with an idea that will make a good story. Her college friend, Athena Liu, on the other hand, has skyrocketed her way to stardom. At just 27, she has three bestselling books, a Netflix deal, and an awards nomination list that is ‘longer than a grocery list’. June is jealous, and perhaps a bit resentful tool. Why should Athena have so much while she has so little?

Then Athena dies and June takes her recently completed first draft of her newest manuscript. It’s the story of Chinese laborers in World War I. It’s the only copy that exists. Athena writes on a manual typewriter and she doesn’t share her work with anyone. June polishes the draft and submits it to her agent as her own work. It gets published and June suddenly has everything Athena ever did. But the secret soon comes out as all secrets do, and June finds herself doing things she wouldn’t normally do to hold on to her newfound fame.

One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is the discussion on stories and who gets to tell which kind of stories. Do you have to come from a certain community to be able to write about their hardships? Does privilege mean you can’t be empathetic? June is an unreliable character and that keeps you on your toes while reading the book because you don’t know if you should trust what she’s saying. But Kuang is a convincing writer. She makes you feel for her characters even though they are in the wrong. I loved Yellowface and would highly recommend it. It’s enjoyable. The ending falls a little flat but makes up a little by leaving a lot of room for imagination.

Yellowface

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-yellowface 

Rebecca F Kuang

Published: 2023

Publisher: The Borough Press

Pages: 323, Paperback