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‘The Coin’ is a weird but beautiful book. The choppy plot makes you want to sit and mull over things—about love, life, success, and the things that drive us to do what we do. The storyline isn’t linear or coherent. It seems like a jumble of thoughts. But the book’s beauty lies in its chaos. Yasmin Zaher is a Palestinian journalist and writer born in Jerusalem. ‘The Coin’ is her first novel.

The narrator, whose name we never learn, is a wealthy Palestinian woman who has impeccable style and high hygiene standards. But her life is far from perfect. She doesn’t think she’s thriving in America, she only has a vague recollection of ‘home’, and her inheritance is controlled by her uncle and brother. She craves a sense of belongingness and wants to be loved. But she feels out of place at the school where she teaches and her relationships aren’t enriching her as she thought they would. She’s cheating on her long-term boyfriend with someone who’s only ever referred to as ‘Trenchcoat’ and she doesn’t even feel guilty about it.

The chapters are short vignettes narrating the protagonist’s eight months in New York. She spends most of her time ‘teaching’ boys at a school for the underprivileged while buying them burgers and pop. She drops $20 bills and pretends that the money isn’t hers to help those who might be a little strapped for cash. She’s also a cleanliness freak (aka junkie) and spends a lot of time cleaning herself, her home, and even the classroom she uses. She makes her students clean the classroom as well. The plot jumps to her tragic but comfortable childhood and tells us how she survived a car accident that killed her parents, while simultaneously leaving her ‘rich and poor’.

Most of the book is about the protagonist trying to make sense of the world she lives in, and live her best life. Her inability to do those things makes her relatable and endearing. I could see myself in her and I was sure many of my friends would be able to identify with her as well. The book reminded me of Ottessa Moshfegh’s ‘My Year of Rest and Relaxation’ that I had really enjoyed for its slow pace albeit a little depressing content. The protagonist in The Coin is actually better crafted than Moshfegh’s character.

On a deeper level, The Coin explores what it means to be living in a world that’s increasingly divided by race, class, and wealth among other man made parameters. It’s also a novel about consumption and how we are getting addicted to it. There will undoubtedly be times when readers will be disgusted by some of the things in the book but the author manages to get strong points across by bringing some stark, uncomfortable truths to the forefront.

It might sound silly but what I loved about the book is also its brilliant yellow cover with a woman on it. I don’t know why but I’m biased towards books with yellow covers. They just give good vibes and I start those books with a positive feeling that I will love them. And nine out of 10 times I haven’t been disappointed. The Coin joins my growing list/pile of yellow books that I have come to cherish.

The Coin

Yasmin Zaher

Published: 2024

Publisher: Catapult

Pages: 224, Hardcover

To begin, I congratulate Capt. Rameshwar Thapa for his brave and enthusiastic actions, flying through clouds of gunfire during hazardous bombardments. He is a dedicated and committed son of the soil, a brave national hero. Such individuals are rarely born, especially when the nation is in peril.

The people's revolution, which lasted for a decade, erupted sporadically across various remote regions of the Himalayan country. Threats and rising death tolls escalated fear and insecurity across the nation. My own hazardous experiences led me to frequently retreat to my dwelling as Maoists demonstrated even in the heart of Kathmandu. Fear and insecurity were pervasive throughout the country. I retired before negotiations flourished, something I can barely recall due to the toll age has taken on my memory.

Capt. Thapa, the author of Into the Fire, addresses 25 key issues in his work. His contributions are unparalleled, and his unwavering dedication to alleviating the suffering of others reminds me of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross. Capt. Thapa's selfless service to humanity is truly remarkable, akin to the legacy of Raja Jaya Prithvi Bahadur Singh of Bajhang, a devoted advocate of humanism during the time of Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana. Singh, who represented Nepal at the 1933 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, was a figure dedicated to the cause of humanism. Having read Into the Fire, I found myself transported back to my youth in the peaceful, serene landscapes of the Himalayan motherland, reflecting on my travels across Nepal.

The photographs at the end of the book added a personal touch, energizing me with their striking resemblance between Capt. Thapa and his mother. His family heritage and values have undoubtedly shaped his ability to carry out his tasks with great equanimity and care.

Before concluding, I consulted with my neighbor, retired judge Gauri Bahadur Karki. He quickly responded to my call and, in a heartfelt conversation, explained the chaotic situation in the western district of Jumla, where he had served under the High Court and Supreme Court. He provided clarity on the situation and even shared a book entitled Yuddha Biram: Barta “Bhumigat Rahar Hoina Badhyata” Janayuddha Serofero, published by Malabia Publications. This book, filled with hard truths, was a timely and powerful contribution to the ongoing discussions around the people's war.

If I had to pick one cookbook from my little shelf dedicated to cookbooks, I’d definitely choose Reader’s Digest’s ‘The Great 5-Ingredient Cookbook’. It has 250 simple, healthy recipes that can be made in less than 30 minutes. And there is something for everybody. My husband and I have polar opposite food preferences but we both love many of the recipes from this book.

You can whip something savory and satisfying with ingredients that you already have at home. The recipes require minimal preparation and take less than 30 minutes to make. There are recipes for starters, light meals, snacks, salads, and desserts among others.

What I especially like about the book is that it has a lot of time-saving cooking tips and recipe variations. There is even a section that provides quick recipes for handy sauces and spice mixes that you can use to elevate the taste of simple dishes. The magic microwave tricks section that provides readers with nifty ideas to cook rice, pappadums, popcorn, and the quickest ever jacket potatoes is such a lifesaver. You will wish you had known about them sooner.

The photographs by Ian Hofstetter are gorgeous. There are full page photos of drool worthy dishes and desserts that make you want to try your hands in replicating them. I made Butter Chicken, Penne with Tuna, and Spiced Rice Pulao and they looked exactly like they did in the photos and tasted absolutely marvelous. They have now become my go-to recipes for when I’m not in the mood to cook an elaborate meal but want to enjoy something hearty.

A word of caution though: There are plenty of recipes where you might not be familiar with the ingredients. But I recommend you give them a try if you want to serve/eat something that might not be what you regularly have at home. If some of the recipes are too outlandish, you can easily substitute one or two of the main ingredients with something of your choice. I made a chicken, green bean, and orange salad by following the recipe for the lamb, green bean, and orange salad.

I also liked the layout of the book. It’s very user-friendly, especially for someone like me who gets overwhelmed by the mere thought of cooking a new dish. Each recipe is accompanied by a full-page photo of the dish. It makes the cookbook feel a lot less like an intimidating cookbook and more like a coffee table book that you would pursue at leisure.

The Great 5-Ingredient Cookbook

By Editors of Reader’s Digest

Published by the Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

Pages: 319, Hardcover

The first half of this year was perhaps the worst ever in terms of reading. I must have completed 10 to 12 books at the most. Ideally, I would have read double that number in six months. I left the others midway because they didn’t grab my attention, I couldn’t wrap my head around the plots, or it felt like the wrong time to be reading certain books as I was feeling triggered by many things I read.

 Things changed in the second half of the year as I came across some fabulous books that I couldn’t put down. But I feel my reading pace picking up too. I think it was because despite facing a massive reading slump, I hadn’t completely given up on reading. I always had a book with me and a story in my head. 2024 was a bad year of reading for many of my friends as well. Some of them confessed they hadn’t touched a book in months. But I needed some distraction. I function better if there is a fictional character in my head. 

 This week, I thought I would share some tips on how to get over a reading slump as well as recommend some books that helped me stay sane when most fictional worlds weren’t making sense. These are tried and tested methods that worked for me and I really hope you find them helpful too.

 Reread your favorites

There is nothing better than curling up with a cup of tea and your favorite book. You know you won’t be disappointed. I read ‘Matilda’ by Roald Dahl, ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman, ‘Roar’ by Cecelia Ahern, ‘Intimacy’ by Hanif Kureishi, and ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ by Mark Haddon when I didn’t feel like reading a new book. These books are on a separate shelf in my room and just looking at their spines makes me happy. Sometimes, i no t was just about letting familiar words and settings wash over me and soothe me. Rereading stories that I love made it easier to keep the ball rolling in terms of reading.

 Every reader has some absolute favorite books. I think it helps if you keep these by your bedside (if you have a small stack) or on a separate shelf or cupboard (if the stack keeps getting bigger) so that you can pick one up whenever you find that you aren’t reading anything. Rereading your favorite books also helps you reevaluate them and understand why you love them so much—oftentimes you will come to realize that they provide the comfort you crave, have a therapeutic effect or help you see the world in a different light.

 Try short books or stories

Short stories were my savior when I couldn’t read bigger tomes like ‘Tomb of Sand’ by Geetanjali Shree and ‘The Covenant of Water’ by Abraham Verghese. I’ve heard great things about both these books and will definitely be reading them. I guess the time wasn’t right when I picked them up because I just couldn’t concentrate. This was when I picked up short stories. I read ‘Her Body and Other Parties’ by Carmen Maria Machado, ‘The Diving Pool’ by Yoko Ogawa, and ‘Things We Lost in the Fire’ by Mariana Enriquez. All these collections were surreal and had elements of horror in them and had me hooked.

 What I love about short stories is the fact that they are short and it takes very little time and effort to read one. If you are bored, you can read one on your phone right now. When you are done, you feel a sense of accomplishment that’s not very different from having finished a novel. At the end of the day, a story is a story. If you are looking for something short and by short, I mean stories that are a couple pages long then I suggest you read ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Love’ by Raymond Carver.

 Pick up mangas

Mangas are the new pop culture. Whenever I go to the bookstore, I see teenagers and youngsters checking them out or inquiring about them. There seems to be a manga craze among people who don’t read much as well. I recently heard a couple discuss how reading a manga was like watching a movie or a series. The images came fully formed in your head unlike reading a book when you have to conjure up the scenes yourself, the girl said. I don’t wholly agree with them—there’s a separate pleasure in being able to think up scenes and situations by yourself.

 But I have come to enjoy manga too. My favorite is ‘The Spy Family’ series. The drawings are great. I find myself looking at a page for far longer than it takes me to read what’s on it. ‘The Heartstopper’ series by Alice Oseman is another graphic novel that explores same-sex relationships in a heartwarming, empathetic, and realistic way. The biggest challenge of reading is that if you are new to it, you can’t visualize what is written or what the writer wants to convey. It’s an acquired skill that takes time.

 Mangas can come to your rescue as each scene is elaborately drawn for you. I have realized that mangas have unique storylines, characters, and plots. Also, most mangas read from right to left, the reverse of English, which reads from left to right. It makes for a fun and different experience. 

Read on the kindle or phone

Reading books on your kindle or phone works best when you find you can’t read much in a single sitting. This way you can find little pockets of time, for example during your commute or when you are waiting for a meeting to start, to read a couple of pages. For me, reading on the kindle helps me read at a leisurely pace as I don’t know how long the chapter or how big the book is (I turn the page setting off). That way I’m not overwhelmed by how much more there is to go. Also, being able to adjust the font and the brightness is helpful when the lighting is low.