Book Review : The Mistress of Spice by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Pages :  338

Read on : Physical book

Goodreads Rating : 3.47/5

Review:  I'm very secure with my weirdness as strange as it may sound. But sometimes I can't help wonder what influences ratings on Goodreads. Books that seem to have a good 4 stars often don't go down well enough for me. I seriously detest hype. May be what I seek from a story-line is different from reading casually for leisure.

First , let me be clear. Living in Oman I don't have access to the best bookstores or libraries. I sorely miss Blossoms in Bangalore, Flora Fountain in Bombay and Flipkart ( My wishlist is ridiculously exorbitant tehehehe).

So I make it a point to buy hard copies of Classics and books by Indian authors ( Patriotism!) , fantasy/dystopian YA all go in the kindle. 

On with the review! This is my first time reading Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and I know it won't be the last. I had watched the movie years ago. Of course , Aishwarya Rai was her stunning self, All in all the film was very lukewarm however the concept seemed to stay with me. A little late in attaining this read but It did not disappoint. 

The plot is as the name suggests. An old woman , Tilo , running a small spices store in Oakland , knows the strength of each and every spice and secretly helps her customers get rid of their woes solely by infusing these spices in their cooking. Of course it doesn't stop there. Since Tilo is a 'Mistress' she lives a very restricted life. She isn't allowed to leave her store come what may , she mustn't use them for her personal need , she must not give in to beauty and most importantly she cannot be unfaithful to the spices. Translation : she must not , cannot fall in love. No points for guessing what happens next!

Majority of reviewers on Goodreads have rated this book with 2 to 3 stars , 4 being rare. Most of these reviewers, especially the ones belonging to the west have stated that this book gives them a peek at the Indian culture.  However , being Indian myself , more appropriately the book gives more insight on the traditional cooking than widely the culture itself.  Each individual spice has been justified in its culinary and metaphoric usage making this quite a fragrant read. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni does a fantastic job of getting down every detail of the spices that will tantalize your sense. Every page effervescent with their invigorating smell. 

As controller of the spices , Tilo's life is turbulent and initially plagued by issues faced by common rural India - the burden of an unwanted girl-child  and her skin tone being 'dark as mud'.

Personally I feel that in order to convey the aromatic magic of the spices , Divakaruni's poetic, metaphoric style of writing is justifiable. Most reviewers and readers have placed this is a down point stating it as overwhelming, unnecessary and even redundant. I do have to agree with one point though. The end of the story which was a very abrupt halt. You would expect Tilo to suffer some serious consequences for her heart-over-spices choices instead she was left with a very favorable and manageable situation. A bit too perfect for my liking. 

Overall , If you are someone who appreciates literature , enjoys descriptive writing and loves to be engulfed in magical realism, This book is a fantastic read. I can see the desire behind turning this book into a film , although that did happen , The Mistress of Spices is still more a literary adventure than a bewitching adaptation.

Final Rating : 4/5

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Blue

Artist : Audrey DeFord

I see you in blue.

With all your hair cut off, 

I see you in blue.

On a dark star-less night,

Waiting for something you haven't called for,

Seeking for something you haven't summoned for,

Looking for something that has no idea you are waiting for,

On a windless night.

I see you in blue.

A Persian blue that washes you out,

Highlights the whirlpools of your eyes,

On a moonless night,

I see you in blue.

Time is slipping by, 

The eerie silence of the night,

You don't cease to bide your time,

And I still see you in blue.

Searching

He looks at the analog clock on his phone , pacing his steps around. Guess she's running late. From a corner she appears, blonde hair flopping on her shoulders. He smiles halfheartedly.  Tries his best to make it seem genuine knowing very well that he'd fail miserably. A flashback over comes him. He was fine all this while. Or so he thought. Somewhere inside a part of him wanted it to be that girl with red hair.

'Hi,' blonde hair says. ' Hey how are you ? ' He says.

They begin walking. He feels no urge to hold her hand like he had done with Her. They sit. They talk. He doesn't comprehend a thing this one says.  This one flips her hair and rolls her eyes a lot. It doesn't faze him. This one looks straight at him with her green eyes whenever she talks as if she was trying to put a spell on him to control him. Green , not warm chestnut brown like Hers.

This one doesn't talk about her literary adventures with child-like excitement. This one doesn't talk about her love for dark romanticism. This one doesn't look at him with brave innocence. This one wasn't weird. Well , that's a good thing right? Then why was he looking for it ?

They get up and start walking towards his car. This one is tall , not 5 ft 4 inches and petite like Her. 

They drive to his house , walk into his bedroom. He tries to make minimum effort to tidy his room for his new guest. This one kicks her shoes off and climbs into his bed suggestively.  He follows suit. There are no candles lit like he had done for Her. No neatly made bedspreads like he had for Her. No tenderness with this one like he had done for Her.

She takes her clothes off revealing smooth flawless skin. No mole on the right side of her neck and between her breasts like Hers. No tattooed verses on the left side of her ribs like Her. No severe scars slicing the back of her arm , hips , elbow  and shoulder. Like Her.

With mechanical movements he gives into lust . Intimacy was only with Her. They climax , finish up, she turns and falls into deep slumber. He doesn't even try to put an arm under her pillow like he had done with Her. He doesn't moves her hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear like he had done with Her. He doesn't hold this one through the night like he had done with Her. 

He can't sleep. He doesn't even try to fight it. The sun rises , she wakes up and puts on her clothes 'That was fun,' she says ' Should do this again.'  ' Yeah' he murmurs.

She leaves. He closes his eyes and succumbs to his memories.

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Book Review : Every Day by David Levithan

Pages :  322

Read on : Kindle

Goodreads Rating : 4/5

Review :  Oh. My. God. This book was so unexpectedly beautiful that even now writing about it makes my heart heavy. Of course I picked it up for the unique story line. Little did I expect it to have such a lasting impression on me.

A is a person who wakes up in a new body everyday from the time he was born. We aren't told A's gender or age or any details of him that may define him as an individual. He has no friends , no idea where his family is and confides in no one about his condition. Until one day he wakes up in 17 year old Justin's body and meets his girlfriend Rhiannon and falls in love with her immediately.

There are plenty of YA fantasy and dystopian authors with the most compelling and mind boggling plot line but not many have been this poignant. 

This book is real. The situations that arise in this book are all relatable. A struggles in professing his love for Rhiannon and most of the time though Rhiannon eventually accepts it , the everyday changes in A makes it really difficult for her to be in a  consistent relationship. There are days when A becomes a woman , on those days he ( assuming ) notices that Rhiannon keeps a slight distance from him. There are days when A  may be an older guy , a disabled person , an obese teenager , a metal head , a maid , an alcoholic, a drug addict. He's lost count of all the people he has been , all the areas he has been in. But somehow , although not always he manages to make an effort and tries to be with Rhiannon and every time she sees him she needs to process who exactly he is ever so frequently. As a protagonist, A doesnt whine or constantly complaining about his condition , he has a very clear strategy to which he strictly adheres to and truly tries to  take the day as it comes.

The helplessness of the situation is heartbreaking but true. Just like in our day-to-day life ,we may have come across people who we really wish had stayed but it just didn't happen.This book primarily and on the whole questions the choices we make , who we are and what it's like to be in someone else's shoes. Time being an essential component in the novel also makes you realize the value of being just ordinary , of being just okay.

Seeing that most love stories , great love stories included, have either ended in cliched triumph or in death , this is one story where it has been abandoned due to situation, which genuinely and realistically tells you that love cannot conquer it all. So don't be surprised by the slightly philosophical shades in the book. 

Since the main topic is about not being able to have a fixed body of their own , the relationship between A and Rhiannon is very tender. There aren't a whole lot of times when Rhiannon has been physically attracted to him and A is hesitant in being intimate with her because he feels using someone else's body would be morally wrong. 

Rumor has it that David Levithan is set to publish a sequel to this book in 2015. Although the urge to know what will happen next and what other avenues A might explore in order to control his condition and be with Rhiannon  , I see this book as an excellent stand-alone. Yes , most readers might be annoyed by the fact that not a lot has been justified and all  arisen questions may have been left unanswered but that's the beauty of it! 

I personally feel that this book would be excellent for a book club discussion. The opinions and views that each one would have would be extremely diverse with a tinge of one's own philosophical essence. Some would want to nit pick on every detail and explore the driving force behind A's actions and some would want to try to work within the situation. A likely chance that an array of opinions would highlight  every possible angle in the story. Either way this book is a must read for all. Highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. 

Final Rating : 5/5

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' It's called Patriarchy '

Safine looks out of the car window. There's nothing new she sees but it's very rare they get invited for a lunch Dawwat . Her Husband's eyes are focused on the road , beside him is his cousin Azmal who has joined them for the long Eid holidays. Safine looks at Nooraan , her youthful daughter , who has now plugged in her earphones and has completely zoned out.

 Nooraan pulls one her left earphone out ' Ammi , Najma aunty's Kofta curry was so good! I loved it more than the Daalcha.'

'Yes! I was quite surprised myself! It was a different style of preparation. Delicious nonetheless.' says Safine.

' Ammi , I didn't know Saleem Uncle does sewing too? He even alters his children's school uniforms when needed'

'He does ,' says Safine ' He and even Amjad helps his wife do the house work. Both men  cook , get their kids ready for school and finish up on other necessities. If they notice that their wives are away or busy or overwhelmed they don't turn a blind eye. They immediately get up and handle the cooking and cooperatively tend to their kids.'

' What great men they must be. Understanding and comprehending the true essence of marriage. That's how it should be'

'You can't really compare' says Azmal after overhearing the mother-daughter's conversation ' Men go out and work hours and deal with all sorts of stress. Their wives are working women so it is difficult to do all work. But If she's a housewife Isn't 8 hours enough to finish up all the house chores? your cleaning and cooking?'

'But Azmal a mother's work never ends. If only 8 hours were enough. Parenting is a life long job. You get two days in a week off. ' Safine calmly explains.

' Then you should raise your child well enough to help you in your responsibilities. If women cannot handle both work and professional life then stay at home. And If you are a stay-at-home mother then you should manage all the work. You can't have your cake and eat it too!' says Azmal.

' But bhaijaan we can say that too , right? Men also cannot have it all.' says Nooraan defensively.

'You can't match home stress to work stress, ' says Safine's husband  ' there is so much pressure on us , all sorts of tensions , children's education , work stress , financial stress. It's all very different. '

' Just because she is not an earning member does not mean her job is of any less value!' says an outraged Nooraan.

' None of our points are actually valid' says Azmal ' For a man to do housework is not Sunnat. '

And with that he ends it.

A defeated Safine looks out of the car window. Nooraan sits grumpily in her corner knowing well that there is no point arguing with elders. She looks at her mother who smiles meekly at her.
 She reaches out for her mother's hand ' Ammi , It's not Islam. Will a man be punished at Akhirah for helping his wife?! No. It's called Patriarchy. It's so deep rooted that it has blinded countless people.'

Safine looks away with hope draining from her eyes.

Photo Courtesy: Majid Saeedi

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Torment

She lies in her bed wide awake. 2:58 am. Tormented by his thoughts. He's 3 hours behind . What would he be doing right now? Out may be , or just getting back home from a night out, tipsy and ready for thoughtless sleep.

She turns to her side , picks her phone from her bedside table and looks at the only picture she has of them together. Her auburn hair looks almost black, his blond hair seems almost platinum. The two evidence of their night starkly visible on his neck.

 That night still vivid in her mind like it happened just yesterday. Every moment stuck to her skin like oil and the undying  tender determination of the candle flame that lasted the night. It would be 8 months since she first met him , 8 months since she was broken. Now she was fixed but still not whole.

From the first glimpse they knew there was no turning back. They just couldn't. The anxious excitement to see each other refused to leave their nerves , the butterflies in their stomachs wouldn't stop fluttering for a moment and in those moments weeks passed by.

Now these memories wipe the smile off her face and inflict heartache. A sweet pain pulsates in her as though a shard of glass is stuck under her skin. Her mind goes back to what he might be doing. May be he is with someone new. Tall , slender , graceful , poised. The kind whose presence exudes radiance. Tangled in her arms , she'd drink up the deep pools of ocean of his eyes and he would let her as though he's at the mercy of a goddess. And here , half a world away , she's still where she was, the very thought of a stranger's touch reaching out to her makes her skin crawl.

She kicks her blanket away and walks to her mirror. She had lost a lot of weight in the past few weeks. Her skin looks dull and grey. Her eyes enveloped in darkness. Her once metallic red hair now lack luster.
 She closes her eyes and prays in her heart ' Ya Allah , What next? How much longer?'

                                                                   

                                                                            *

The day's work is over. He hangs around by the ocean aimlessly , letting his feet control him and take him wherever they wished. He's a wanderer , a nomad. In 8 months, he's gone about 4 or more places. You mustn't get attached. You keep moving. But what happens you lose your heart and mind so quickly it's like sanding slipping from your fingers. You just can't control it , it slips faster. 

The sun is soon to set. The soft breeze whispers ' Kashmiri apple' in his ears. He could almost hear it smile. He looks on , trying to escape the face that haunts his memories. A  sweet lingering aftertaste he's still reeling from. 

He never would have imagined her to be this fragile the first time he saw her, tiny , like a bird with a broken wing. How much he missed her nimble fingers. Even when she casually touched him , it was enough to make him wiggle. When she slipped her hands in his shirt , he'd try his best to stay still. When he kissed her , he caught her fingers and guided them to feel his racing pulse. That morning , when he pulled her palm to his cheek and slept soundly.

He couldn't forget how she would stand on her toes to kiss him and still be unable to reach him, how she snuggled closer to him in the middle of the night and sleepily murmured ' baby , I'm getting bad dreams' , how she would close her eyes and nod her head whenever he asked her something.

The memories overwhelm him , he shakes his head but his ears are still ringing. The sun is setting filling him with gloom. 'I will find my way to you and we will be together I promise you this' he makes a silent vow to no one. 

*

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Book Review : Silver Linings Playbook by Mathew Quick

Pages : 289

Read on : Kindle

Goodreads Rating : 4.02/5

Review :  I'm going to be very honest with this review. I did not like this book. Seeing this movie on the Oscar roll , me and my dad tried our best to watch this film but it seemed to go nowhere.  Assuming this to be my foolishness , I tried to give the book a shot ( knowing all books are better than their screen adaptations). Disappointed.

There's no plot as such. The story is about a phase in Pat's life. Pat, a 30-something Bipolar adult and his perspective on life.  Pat's loves football , strives to be physically fit and  literate in order to win Nikki , his  ex-wife , back. Pat and Nikki have been divorced two years with Nikki filling a restraining order against him , however , Pat refuses to accept this. He's sees their separation as alone time for him to work on himself and is certain it's just a limited period.

Most readers and reviewers on Goodreads have said that book is seemingly an grown up version of 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' , which I too have begun to accept. 

The primary and main problem I have with this book is that Pat is bipolar but is portrayed as mentally unstable. He talks and thinks as if he's 10 , which made no sense. It should come as no surprise that Pat has spent a considerable time in a mental facility and all his friends and family tip toe around him.  As a character , Pat of course had to be flawed however despite his whimsical ways , lack of any such emotional reaction made me feel detached from him completely. On the contrary , Tiffany seemed to be a character whose confusions and outbursts you could empathize with.  Along with  Tiffany , other characters like Ronnie , Dr Cliff seemed to have more persona because of their subtle displays of care and concern about Pat.  If anything , Pat seems more of a student or disciple than good-husband-in-the-making . He faithfully reads all of Nikki's  favourite books , takes his medicines on time  and  obediently follows all of Dr Cliff's instructions.

Strangely after hearing everyone talking about the high emotional quotient in this book I managed to find only few bits that seemed heartbreaking. The first being when  Veronica yells at her husband for leaving their daughter Emily with Pat on the beach.  Pat has a certain fondness for Emily that only peeks through the story's crevices. The second high point is when Pat's delusion comes to an end and he sees Nikki has moved on and is now happy without him.

This book really left me baffled. Pat was smart enough to understand and scrutinize great literary works like The Great Gatsby , The Bell Jar , Huckleberry Fin , Catcher in the Rye , The Scarlet Letter but still found it really hard to fully understand situations and people surrounding him. His annoyance with Tiffany seems normal but the sudden affection towards her in the end seemed way too forced on.  I would consider that a Bollywood cliche. 

Final Rating : 2/5

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#WeStandForSaritaDevi

It takes courage to stand up to injustice and Sarita Devi showed abundance of it when she refused to accept her bronze medal at the Asian Games. That day we saw two tough women , two champions. Mary Kom , who bagged her first Asian Games gold medal and went on to be a legend,  and  Sarita Devi , despite being heartbroken , refused to settle for a manipulated score. She was robbed. She was cheated. And then she was insulted.

Image Courtesy : NeelabhToons

Of course it doesn't take long for Indian Olympic Association to point fingers at her and call her a sour loser. But a woman who has been representing the nation for 14 years in international boxing events , an Arjuna Awardee , would by all means know where she deserved her win and If needed wouldn't she know how to handle a clear defeat?

I  don't know squat about boxing. I celebrated with pride Mary Kom's victory just like any other Indian did.   On the other hand Sarita Devi's  inconsolable state broke my heart and disappointed me.  A true fighter that she was ,Devi proceeded to appeal. Despite being accompanied by IOA officials on the tour , Sarita had to borrow $500 from an Indian journalist in order to fund her appeal which also turned fruitless.

A silent, sobbing  Sarita steps on the podium and refuses to accept her medal and even then , no official was reported seen with her after the incident. Being the true champion she was , She hugged Ji Na Park ,gave her the medal and when she refused to accept it, Sarita left it at the podium and walked away.

I would , along with several other Indian spectators would assume that Sarita's case may have had more force had there been a joint support from the IOA , which did not happen. Instead, Sarita went on to face an international ban after she refused to accept her medal.

Some have argued on social media that Sarita's way of handling this situation could have been perceived as disrespectful on the nation's behalf but what could one do when our own Chef De Mission did nothing but sham her.

Combat sports is no joke. These women have sacrificed days away from their children for ruthless training. Gender bias in India especially sports is a known secret. The uproar that would have been caused had it been a male sportsperson would have been unmatched. As per reports, no official had approached Sarita for 24 hours. All her efforts were her own.

Sarita Devi's grit is iconic. Don't confuse her tears for weakness. There is a lot of bravery in the tenderness she shows.



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Book Review : Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Pages : 264

Read on : Kindle

Goodreads Rating : 4.17/ 5

Review:  This is one of those rare series where the second book has outdone the first and that seems to have been the general consensus on Goodreads.

So after 'If I Stay' left us hanging at the end, Mia survives and makes a full recovery. Fast forward 3 years , She's now the rising star of Julliard. What happened to Adam Wilde you ask? This whole book is his side of the story. Who ever said boys have no emotions , has not read this book!

The confusion and bewilderment that Mia's unspoken departure from Adam's life seems to have deep rooted itself over the years.  Adam Wilde , who's finally making it big with his band Shooting Star, seems to face emptiness and even to some extend confusion that has only been suppressed by his focus on Music. Despite years passing by , trying to stay completely detached from Mia and having a stable girlfriend , it's evident that the band's  critically acclaimed album Collateral Damage was fueled mostly by the part depression that Mia's absence had left him with.

As mentioned in the previous post , Adam even after success doesn't portray wild rock star tendencies , although he does get easily frustrated by questions or jibs put to him pertaining the past.

What made me prefer this book over 'If I Stay' is because all of Adam's emotions and frustrations are genuine. It fathomed to me that people do fall out of love with music , something teenage Adam thought was the ultimate goal of his life. It subtly yet perfectly manages to put across how being with that band at all time makes you crave personal space and all the effort it takes to still stick together. 

The simplicity of the book yet the fast paced descriptions of  all that Adam feels in those 24 hours with Mia are extremely accurate to what an ordinary person would feel. The speechlessness, the urge to touch her , the force of unanswered questions gushing out of him , all precise, all normal, all relatable.

For once I see Mia as a stronger character , taking a stand and being bold. Throughout the book Mia takes the lead  and takes Adam from what she would have considered a friendly round. Of course her reasons to hate and love Adam are still weighed on the degree of loss they both faced in the tragedy that struck. More dilemmas.

So far the book seemed great. BUT the downside and the only flaw for my morbid self was at the end of their day , Mia and Adam fall back in love! Why?! It's was pretty obvious that both seemed to be walking on eggshells and were putting up a front but I personally would have loved this book even more had the whole cliched rekindled romance had not taken place and both had gone their separate ways.

Ah well, I guess that's the way it's set to be. 

Final Rating : 4/5

May be it really is true , we depart to meet again. :)

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