When I started reading Queen of Fire, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy it. I expected to read something new and captivating, even though I knew that the […]
Bena’s Summer
Poetic. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of Bena’s Summer. It’s a slow, almost languorous read, evoking the in which summer in a small town […]
Nomad’s Land
Last evening, I spoke to the friend who gave me Nomad’s Land for my birthday.“Are you okay?” she asked. “You sound like you have a cold.”I promised her I was […]
Welcome to Nowhere
When I read books like Welcome to Nowhere, part of me reads with a sinking heart for I realise that I don’t have the courage to tell stories like this. […]
Queen of Earth
In the author’s note at the end of Queen of Earth, author Devika Rangachari talks of Queen Prithvimahadevi’s story having been ignored by gendered historiography. That gave me pause. I’ve […]
Moonrise
I’ve been so busy working with my online creative writing programme that I simply haven’t had the time to write about all the books I’ve been reading. Two of them […]
When Morning Comes
I haven’t read or studied much about South Africa, though I do remember studying about apartheid and Nelson Mandela in school. Yet, when we’re children, it’s easy to think of […]
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling
I met author Wai Chim at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in 2017. I didn’t just meet her, we were part of the same panel, called Writing About Us. […]
Top Ten: Young Adult Books
Being a young adult is to inhabit a complex and confusing world. When books address this phase of life beautifully, they can be breathtaking. Here are my top ten YA […]
Private Peaceful
Charlie … Charlie … Charlie …I want to meet you, get to know you, look up and admire you. I wanted to sob my heart out when I finished reading […]