A Bird on My Windowsill

 Book Review- A Bird on My Windowsill

Author- Manav Kaul

Translated by- Nandini Kumar Nickerson

Cover design- Shadab Khan

First things first. The cover page of the book caught my eye and actually made me want to dig deep into the mind of the author. The author writes in his simplistic yet charming style, about the experiences he came across and also about his dreams and at times there is an over-lapping of the real with the unreal. Manav Kaul , who is an established actor shows the facet of him as a person who has a way with words. His poetry and prose entices the reader and our thoughts linger on the pages wanting to understand the  mind of the writer and how he sees things. 

This is the first time I am reading his work and it was truly impressive! In fact, this book inspires me to write about my memorable experiences. This book is not a story but a collection of anecdotes and thoughts that flow in the author's mind. The written words are heartfelt and have a touch of nostalgia to them. We connect with the experiences and it gives us a better understanding of what the author, actor, director Manav Kaul is all about. 

Manav Kaul's books are written in Hindi yet the book was well translated and has kept the essence of the beauty of his writing intact. I am sure that the book will be much better in the original because all said and done, the regional language has its own endearing charm that cannot be wholly felt in a translated version. My advice is that if you read books in Hindi, do go for the original Hindi version of the book. Other bestsellers from Manav Kaul are ' Theek Tumhaare Peeche'  (Right Behind You) and ' Prem Kabootar' (Love Pigeon) How interesting these titles sound, right?

There are so many lovely poetic verses and lines all through these pages that we feel comforted and tranquil. The author speaks of solitude, friendship, love and many other feelings that he comes across and the reader becomes one with his thoughts and aspirations. We too take a journey through his life and at the same time also delve into our lives that has met similar situations. In the end , all our lives are not so different yet so different from each others. This book is like a breath of fresh air that blows after a really hot and sunny day giving us respite from our mundane lives and making us feel the beauty of the life in all its hues. This book is a keepsake and we can keep going back to this one for solace and to feel the beauty of words. 

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat TTeokbokki

 Book Review- I Want to Die but I Want to Eat TTeokbokki

Author- Baek Sehee (Korean)

Translated by- Anton Hur

Picked this book online as I read so many great reviews about it that I was tempted. It is a huge best-seller in Korea. This book is a close look at a persons fight against depression. This book is a part memoir and part self help book where the author has shared some of her most vulnerable moments with her readers. 

@thenovelconversation states and I quote ' For those of us who can relate to the unassuming , persistent, spread-out weight of sadness that doesn't quite feel worthy of the title 'depression' this is THE book '

So this book is a collection of conversations of the author with her psychiatrist and throughout the pages inside we can see how she relates her experiences and feelings to her psychiatrist. I truly tried my best to read the book with an open mind although the first few pages itself left me disappointed. I am not against self help books but this one really did not strike a chord and I felt no emotion as I read chapter after chapter highlighting the ups and downs in the protagonist's life. I must add that after a few conversations . the author summed up those emotions in an interesting manner, that part was in fact, according to me the best parts of the book.

There are so many home truths that are shared about the author and the challenges she faced on day-to- day basis. I did not find the conversations interesting and they made me long to stop reading the whole book as when I browsed through the rest of the pages(something that I rarely do) I saw that it continued in the same vein. I think I did not connect because I may not be going through similar situations in life and perhaps a person facing similar issues may feel more connected and like the book. 

For me , it was a below average read but that is just my frank opinion. But I must say that it takes courage to lay bare all your insecurities before readers in the hope that these conversations may help  those facing similar challenges. Many of the issues she has dealt with are the common ones that each of us face so there are chances that many facing crisis in life may be able to relate and it will help them overcome their issues. At the end there is a recipe for how one should have their tteokbokki. 

Frankly speaking, I am a huge fan of Korean Dramas, so when I came across the reviews about this Korean best seller , I was keen to read this one thinking it would give me that touch of Korean life. Unfortunately, that was not to be. 

The Midnight Library

 Book Review- The Midnight Library

Author- Matt Haig

Genre- Fiction

Last year I asked my Secret Santa from my book reading  group to send me a book written by Matt Haig and I was pleasantly surprised to receive not one, but two novels by this author. Just the tag line on the cover 'One Library. Infinite Lives' was enough to infuse me with a kind of urgency to read this one. I had read many positive reviews about this one and wanted to find out for myself if it lived up to all that hype. I read this book at a slow pace and took in every detail. This is a book that actually blew my mind. It is astounding in so many ways. Thank you my Secret Santa for this wonderful gift!  

The Midnight Library is insightful in a way whereby we actually scrutinize our own lives and wonder what we would do differently in our like like the protagonist Nora Seed. Right at the beginning, the reader is aware that this book will be a roller-coaster of emotions. It is about life between life and death. It is all about our choices and the regrets we have after making those choices. Nora Seed goes through depression and hurt throughout her life and finally decides to end her life. When she finds herself in between life and death, she finds herself in a library that allows her to chose different lives that she could have led if she had made different choices. This forms the premise of the novel.

As we move ahead, Nora explores different lives and sees herself realizing that  in every life she finds something amiss. You just cannot have a perfect life for yourself as desired. She experiences so many changes in her mind as she goes through different lives that she understands that the best life you can live is the one you are actually living. What you make of your life is up to you.

This book talks about depression, life goals, persistence and grit. It also has a way of connecting our lives with that of Nora Seed and questioning our lives. 

What is that we regret? 

What would we do differently if given a chance?

Would our decisions make our life story different than the one at present?

More than anything, there are some true gems that are strewn all though the pages. They make us sit up and take notice of something that we failed to notice. All through our lives we fail to take notice of the important things and focus on perfection. We fail to realize that life is not all black and white, we have to accommodate the greys and accept things that are beyond our control. In spite of all the insights we get while reading this book, let me make it clear that this novel is not preachy in any way. All it does is make you think. The what if scenarios keep popping up and we connect with the protagonist all along as if we are soul mates sailing in the same boat. This story is like a slice of life and it has the potential to put a mirror to our lives too. It gives us a realization of where we stand in life and how we have made good and not so good choices that have shaped our lives. This book is an inspirational read.

There are many lines that are worth a mention here, but I am just going to state a few lines that have stayed with me long after completing the novel. 'The paradox of volcanoes was that they were symbols of destruction but also life. Once the lava slows and cools, it solidifies and breaks down over time to become soil- rich, fertile soil. She wasn't a black hole ,she decided. She was a volcano.'

Here are some other thought-provoking lines from the book.

My verdict- This is a must read!