Books read and loved lately

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn:

Read it! A thriller with a difference. Thrillers are not my favorite genre and I rarely read them. But this book topped quite a few lists and was highly recommended. I loved it. It talks about Amy and Nick. Amy disappears on her 5th wedding anniversary and all the evidence point to Nick. What happened to Amy? The journey takes us through the mind of an extremely clever psychopath. I loved the narrative style of Flynn. I will be picking up some of her other books soon.

All the Girls in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson

Reading Asian authors has become a norm for me since I moved to Singapore. This book tells the story of Feng – her childhood, her love, her marriage, husband, children and then the truth – all these tied to the very common Chinese tradition of “saving face”. I cannot say I loved this book but the best part is it gives a peep into life in China before the revolution and during it. I especially loved the details about the “wedding dress” designed for Feng’s sister.

A Monsoon Feast

Just across my workplace is the MPH bookstore. I hate that place as I cannot control myself. I try to avoid entering the store but my legs are inevitably drawn towards it. One day I stopped during lunch just because I had a few minutes to kill and came out with this collection of short stories to celebrate Kerala and Singapore. A soothing read taking you into the lives of people in these two places. I liked it.

Anyone in Singapore looking to read this book email me. I would be more than happy to swap it for another one.

Naomi

I was looking for another book by the same author and could not find it on the library shelf. I picked up Naomi instead. Again the best thing about reading new authors is the insight they give to life. Naomi took me to Japan long back. Naomi – she is the Lolitha of the East. It is interesting and yet different. It left me wanting more of her story.