I woke up in the middle of the night, frowning. I had a bit of a story in my head, and I could not remember who had written it. It was one of the Mary's girls, I thought ... A young writer, I was sure. Maybe one of the sixth standard girls? And then I realised, it was Mayil Ganeshan. That's what I admired most about Mayil Will Not Be Quiet! The voice was so authentic that the book never once felt like it was written by two adults trying to write like a child. Each entry in this diary-like book rings true. Some entries are short; some are long, just the way mine used to be when I wrote regularly at Mayil's age (about 12). One big difference between her entries and mine is that I could not (and cannot) draw, so I don't have such a pretty diary! Quirky and beautifully honest, Mayil Will Not Be Quiet! gripped me on the first page - and I really mean the first page. … [Read more...]
Queen of Ice
Didda knew that a grand destiny awaited her. She sometimes wondered whether her mother had bribed the astrologer to predict greatness and fortune so that Didda, who was not just a girl, but also lame, would not be killed at birth. But the prediction was made, and Didda was determined to fulfil her destiny. Queen of Ice took me through beautiful, turbulent tenth century Kashmir, bringing alive a time and place about which I knew nothing. I usually do enjoy historical fiction, and this was no exception. Court intrigue and the sheer power of the characters made me turn page after page until, before I knew it, the book was over. The wonderfully drawn relationships amongst the characters, the balance of murkiness and clarity in the machinations of Didda's court, and the effortless storytelling made Queen of Ice the powerful book it is. Title Queen of … [Read more...]
Talking of Muskaan
Talking of Muskaan has been on my to-read list for a long time, and I finally bought it, read it and loved it. It was everything it promised to be - moving, relatable and real. Muskaan knows herself better than a lot of others her age. That does not make life easier for her; in fact, it makes things much more difficult. It is impossible for her to pretend to be something she is not. More importantly, why should she need to? But it's the people around her - her "friends" - that make all the difference. She doesn't come out about her sexuality to everyone, yet rumours spread and whispers grow louder ... I love the range of characters in the book, touching almost every kind of person I know. Aaliya - determined to be heterosexual because she believes she can convince herself. Subhojoy - empathetic without being an activist. Rashika - the peacemaker who wishes things could just be … [Read more...]
The Emily Series
If I wanted to make friends with Anne Shirley, I was Emily. I deliberately use the italics Emily loves; Mr Carpenter isn't here to censure! With a pang that borders on envy, I wonder, how could L.M. Montgomery create so many wonderful characters? Emily of New Moon tells the story of a sensitive young girl who cannot choose not to write. As I read it, I was convinced that I alone could understand Emily's "flash"! No one around her understands what she means; of course not! "The flash" is so unpredictable, so incomprehensible, so wonderful! With the first mention of "the flash" I was a fan of the Emily series forever.L.M. Montgomery's talent for creating characters and situations is incredible. I found myself blossoming as I read the Emily series. I loved Perry and Ilse; I loved everything about the story. What warmed my heart from the beginning was the fact that Emily was … [Read more...]
The Anne of Green Gables Series
Pictureskew. Kindred spirits. The Lake of Shining Waters. Carrots! Rilla-my-Rilla. Puffed sleeves. The first time I read Anne of Green Gables, I felt the queer ache that Anne describes when she comes across something beautiful. Beauty that is intangible, almost unknowable. If I'd known the word 'sublime', I would have used it. Of course there were parts that were dull. Of course there were parts were the sentences ran on and on. Of course there were paragraphs on end that I skipped. But I loved Anne. I loved Anne so much that I was jealous of Diana Barry. Diana, mundane and unimaginative, did not deserve Anne! When I finished Anne of Green Gables, I read the next and the next and the next until I could breathe again. That's when I discovered that there was a movie called Anne of Green Gables. I could not believe that Anne could be made into a movie. … [Read more...]
Books and Travelling Go Together!
I've had a lot of work to do, so I've obviously been avoiding it by reading everything I can. I read a few old favourites, swallowing them whole as comfort reading as I postponed all the work that lay pending. I returned to Georgetter Heyer after a long time, rereading Venetia and These Old Shades ... Ah, how I enjoyed them! I think the word 'sparkling' suits her writing so well! I also got around to reading a lot of books that have been on my reading list for ages, so here's a list from the last month. Yes, I just read the wonderful Pippi Longstocking for the first time! A couple of years ago, I read Pippi in the South Seas and I did (kind-of) apologise for not having read Pippi Longstocking yet. I finally read it and loved it! For me, Pippi has a Dahl-esque quality of ridiculous humour that makes me laugh almost … [Read more...]
More Books – AFCC 2017
AFCC 2017 had a charming activity that was open to the public. Pick up a public programme and explore the book fair, programme in hand. As you visit each stall, get your book fair map stamped. If you're among the first 20 to get all the stamps, you win a book voucher worth ten dollars! Walking through the book fair reminded me of all the times my parents took me to bookshops - and once, to a book-ship. This time, I was drawn more to the picture books than anything else, and I ended up buying one picture book and one chapter book. Both were simply lovely! Shortlisted for the AFCC Asian Children's Book Award by Genting Singapore, Don't Be Sorry, Dad! is now right up there with my favourite picture books. Little Nari loves time with her dad, but he keeps apologising to her because there are many things he cannot do, unlike other dads. … [Read more...]
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
As Gratiano didn't quite say, I love this book, and 'tis my love that speaks. I loved the book, but I did have issues with it - issues that made shuffle uncomfortably. As I read My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, I think the first thing that startled me was the imagery that seems to compare Sunya to a present and her hijab to sparkly wrapping paper. Honestly, I don't know why the line bothered me so much. It seems so inoffensive there, not really objectifying, not really saying anything that could be so disconcerting. But I think that exactly was the problem for me - that there was nothing wrong with thinking about a person like a present, an object. The second thing that bothered me was the way Jamie wants to defend someone his father calls a 'Paki'. She may not be a Paki. That made all kinds of bells ring within me. I remembered a piece I read about a … [Read more...]
The Secret Hen House Theatre
It's been such a long time since a book forced me to stay up and finish reading! I loved The Secret Hen House Theatre. It made me imagine. It got me excited. Yes, there were parts that were uneven, but how does it matter when you're caught up in the emotion and excitement? I remember reading The Worry Tree some time ago and thinking about children who worry about everything around them. I know so many people like that - people who try to balance everything, make everything okay. Some worry and keep wanting to do something. Some worry and do one thing after another, but the worry still weighs them down. Hannah from The Secret Hen House Theatre belongs to the second kind. She wants to save her farm, but how can she do that when she wants to act and write plays? What makes it worse is that her mother used to love theatre, but is now dead, and her father seems … [Read more...]
Picture Books for Winter Nights
I just finished reading a handful of picture books; they're such a comfortable way to spend a winter evening! Chuckling, tucking your brain aside, reading and looking at pictures - what more could I possibly want? All Mine was my absolute favourite. Written by Zehra Hicks, it is a picture book that does have a moral, but I was surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed it anyway! I loved the simplicity of its illustrations and the fact that the word count was kept to the bare minimum. Title All Mine Author Zehra Hicks Genre Picture book Rating (out of 5) 5 Age-group 2+ I usually like picture books that rhyme, but Kangaroo's Cancan Cafe was a bit forced for me. That's not to say that I did not like it - I did. It was just a little overdone. Too much colour and texture, too many characters. But a lovely idea and a very sweet story, … [Read more...]
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