Here is an assorted pick of 5 books that I have read recently. Looking back at the books I have read I am quite amazed by the boundaries I crossed with my reading. Gone are the days when I used to stick to an author or a genre. It has been an amazing journey and much thanks to the bloggers and friends who inspire me along this journey.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

A much acclaimed novel (and the only one by Plath) told the story of a girl who had it all and just does not feel it. It is said to be based on the author’s life. I loved how she compared her life to living in a glass jar, breathing the sour gas and suffocating. Some  quotes from the book

“Let me live, love and say it well in good sentences.”

“The silence depressed me. It wasn’t the silence of silence. It was my own silence.”

Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O’Porter

This is typically not a genre I gravitate to. I stay out of Young Adult fiction. I picked this book on a whim and it turned out to be a great vacation read. Set in the 1990’s the book traces the life of couple of 15 year old girls from rather dysfunctional families. Oh the issues that trouble you when you are 15. It did give me laughs and the book itself is well-written.

Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

By far the best work of Divakaruni. I have never fallen in love with her work like many of my friends and I have never been able to pinpoint the reason. The characters in this book are real and their stories are beautifully told. There are no parallel lines or unnecessary twists. It is a simple story of a girl, newly engaged and in love bidding adieu to her grandfather and searching for the truth about her origin.

By far the most touching scene was when she takes a scissors to her beautiful engagement party dress. She loved the dress. It was her favorite. But her grandfather hated it. When her grandfather dies on the night of her engagment party, she hates herself and the dress. I could relate so well to the scene. I have a dress that I adore (and never wear) just for the opposite reason. My grandfather loved it and it was one of our last conversations.

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny

This is book 8 in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. I discovered this series via the lovely Lakshmi and I have read 5 out of 9 books in the series and that should tell you a lot about the works of Penny. I like how she writes simple mysteries. The Beautiful Mystery is by far her best work. Set in a monastery locked away are monks and murder. The connecting link is music.  The story also traces the physical and emotional pain the lead characters Gamache and Beauvior carry from the past.

As I was typing this out I realized the 9th book in the series is out and I think I am going to find a way to get my hands on it soon.

The Secret River by Kate Grenville

One of the greatest ways to explore a new country is through writing. As I settled in my new home in Australia, I sought out works by Australian writers writing about Australia. This was one of the books recommended and what a great book it way.

It shows Australia in the eyes of a new immigrant family (The Thornhills) from England. Everything is strange and scary. It is like a death sentence. They cannot wait to get back to home and get stuffed arm chairs to sit in front of the fire. But there is something that keeps them back.

I loved the way Australia was described. In someways I find Australia very different from any other place I have been to and the author captures its landscape perfectly.

5 books is a monthly series featuring some of the books I read and loved recently. For more book updates and to check my current reading list, head to my Goodreads account.