bookswithchaipai's reviews
600 reviews
Great Circle, by Maggie Shipstead
This book is nothing short of EPIC! For a book so heavy, I expected some boring moments, but it was every bit a page turner, which made the pages fly.
With contrasting narratives of two inspiring women, this book has brought the WWII era and present day Hollywood to life with subtle intersecting similarities. As we find out what it is to live as Marianne Graves, an aviatrix, and Baxter, a rising Hollywood starlet, we are taken for an awe inspiring and cinematic ride.
Pieced together like a memoir, by intermingling real life events seamlessly into the narrative, there were moments when I almost googled about Marian, forgetting that it is fiction. I was star struck by Marian, and equally so with her brother Jamie. His sensitive demeanour and his calling as a “combat artist” during WW2, by capturing the landscape of the frontline for the US Military with his brushstrokes, brought the war scenes to life.
I salute the women pilots who contributed in the WWII, under the radar so as not to overshadow the egoistic men who did not consider women pilots capable. Maggie draws parallels between Marian and Baxter by way of the similarities in their upbringing and also the whim to be shining stars in an industry which expect women to be subservient.
#BookFact The book will be adapted into a TV series soon!!
Shipstead made a journey to Antarctica to get some sense of the Antarctic ice sheet and its rolling immensity, so that she could document Marian’s journey accurately.
With contrasting narratives of two inspiring women, this book has brought the WWII era and present day Hollywood to life with subtle intersecting similarities. As we find out what it is to live as Marianne Graves, an aviatrix, and Baxter, a rising Hollywood starlet, we are taken for an awe inspiring and cinematic ride.
Pieced together like a memoir, by intermingling real life events seamlessly into the narrative, there were moments when I almost googled about Marian, forgetting that it is fiction. I was star struck by Marian, and equally so with her brother Jamie. His sensitive demeanour and his calling as a “combat artist” during WW2, by capturing the landscape of the frontline for the US Military with his brushstrokes, brought the war scenes to life.
I salute the women pilots who contributed in the WWII, under the radar so as not to overshadow the egoistic men who did not consider women pilots capable. Maggie draws parallels between Marian and Baxter by way of the similarities in their upbringing and also the whim to be shining stars in an industry which expect women to be subservient.
#BookFact The book will be adapted into a TV series soon!!
Shipstead made a journey to Antarctica to get some sense of the Antarctic ice sheet and its rolling immensity, so that she could document Marian’s journey accurately.
Nightcrawling, by Leila Mottley
This young woman can certainly tell a tale filled with so much of heartbreak! At the tender age of 17, Mottley has poured her heart out on paper, and the kind of maturity, shrewdness and sagacity shown in her narrative shows how much she has gone through in her short life. And it is nothing short of outstanding to have made it to the longlist as the youngest nominee to date, at the age of 20.
Based on a true crime story, Mottley has fictionalised the sexual exploitation of a minor by several officers of the Oakland Police Department and the blowback she received when she became a whistleblower.
Nightcrawling gives voice to 17-year-old Kiara, who after her father’s death and mother’s detention, becomes a sex worker to make ends meet. Feeling forlorn, she takes her abandoned neighbours 9-year-old son under her wing, and tries to make a respectable income through disreputable means. We watch tongue-tied, as she learns the tricks of the trade and unfortunately gets in the bad books of the police.
Mottley has succinctly portrayed how minors have complete faith in adults and people of authority, and when this sense of power is abused by the authoritative figures, the precariously balanced pyramid could topple. Kiara is abandoned by her parents, her older brother and abused by the police who should have all been there for her when she was on the streets.
The story is told in bland text, devoid of emotion, but the words tremble with the weight of the wrongdoings piled on her. It is like a rushed confession stating the facts - of abandonment, of helplessness, the reason for choosing the wrong path, her attraction to her best friend, her inability to take care of her 9 year old ward - which made the narrative all the more powerful.
Based on a true crime story, Mottley has fictionalised the sexual exploitation of a minor by several officers of the Oakland Police Department and the blowback she received when she became a whistleblower.
Nightcrawling gives voice to 17-year-old Kiara, who after her father’s death and mother’s detention, becomes a sex worker to make ends meet. Feeling forlorn, she takes her abandoned neighbours 9-year-old son under her wing, and tries to make a respectable income through disreputable means. We watch tongue-tied, as she learns the tricks of the trade and unfortunately gets in the bad books of the police.
Mottley has succinctly portrayed how minors have complete faith in adults and people of authority, and when this sense of power is abused by the authoritative figures, the precariously balanced pyramid could topple. Kiara is abandoned by her parents, her older brother and abused by the police who should have all been there for her when she was on the streets.
The story is told in bland text, devoid of emotion, but the words tremble with the weight of the wrongdoings piled on her. It is like a rushed confession stating the facts - of abandonment, of helplessness, the reason for choosing the wrong path, her attraction to her best friend, her inability to take care of her 9 year old ward - which made the narrative all the more powerful.
Jawbone, by Mónica Ojeda
I have read some pretty bizarre books, but this one takes the cake.
Horror which can’t be seen provokes much more fear. A presence - which isn’t a person, a thing, or an animal, which has no form, but is composed of all the things you can imagine. It has nothing to do with zombies, ghosts, witches or vampires, however is the amalgamation of all the vicious thoughts of a twisted mind, evoked from the depths of the consciousness which is just a figment of our imagination through the power of suggestion in a book. This book sent chills up my spine, and I cannot express why.
Nothing can be as diabolical as a bunch of 15 year olds trying to find their footing in the world. In the process of exploring their femininity and probing their superiority they end up bullying their peers and teachers.
This book tackles student-teacher, mother-daughter relationships and the bond between best friends. It explores the passage of adulthood by young girls, by studying the beauty and horror in their bodies and those of others.
The imagery is haunting and the text is unflinchingly mature with some shocking details which were hard to get out of my mind. A book which is equally unsettling and leaves an indelible mark on you, means the author has done a good job. I did find it strangely worded at times, but this gave the touch of delicacy to the horror.
I was introduced to the world of Creepypasta’s by this book and I went ahead and spent some bone chilling hours shuffling through the brilliantly written horror stories on this website. Do check it out!
Human Acts, by Han Kang
With the recent craze for K-Pop and K-drama, it is hard to remember that South Korea was under military dictatorship as recently as 1987. This book draws inspiration from the events that transpired in the Gwangju uprising of 1980, by giving a voice to the innocent dead bodies which piled up in the aftermath.
Violence in books puts me off, but a revolution or a historical moment cannot be recapped without extreme bloodshed, torture or mass murder as it is a part of history. I took frequent breaks as I read this, plodding slowly through descriptions of halls filled with unidentified dead bodies, mass graves, gun welding children putting a brave front, extreme torture methods and souls groping for the remnants of their life by looking at their loved ones grieving.
Each chapters is a cry of agony, a breaking heart, a guilt-ridden soul, a mothers longing, a friends search and a study in history. The narrative style is distinct, unique and truly heart rending.
Survivors guilt of the tortured victims, is stated as akin to radioactive poisoning, with the torturous memories seeping into their bones, and pictures of middle grade children falling prey to a firing squad playing on repeat in their mind.
The narrative of the mother’s grief for a son she lost to the political system shattered me. She follows strangers on the street, hoping to glance the innocent features of her lost child when they turn around. She keeps replaying the day, hoping she can turn back time, and in turn blaming everyone for the death.
This book is not about the uprising, but it is about the innocent bystanders who were a victim to the system, their hearts singing a melancholy song of longing and lost friendship, of a life which they could have had if crazed politicians were not at each other’s throats.
Violence in books puts me off, but a revolution or a historical moment cannot be recapped without extreme bloodshed, torture or mass murder as it is a part of history. I took frequent breaks as I read this, plodding slowly through descriptions of halls filled with unidentified dead bodies, mass graves, gun welding children putting a brave front, extreme torture methods and souls groping for the remnants of their life by looking at their loved ones grieving.
Each chapters is a cry of agony, a breaking heart, a guilt-ridden soul, a mothers longing, a friends search and a study in history. The narrative style is distinct, unique and truly heart rending.
Survivors guilt of the tortured victims, is stated as akin to radioactive poisoning, with the torturous memories seeping into their bones, and pictures of middle grade children falling prey to a firing squad playing on repeat in their mind.
The narrative of the mother’s grief for a son she lost to the political system shattered me. She follows strangers on the street, hoping to glance the innocent features of her lost child when they turn around. She keeps replaying the day, hoping she can turn back time, and in turn blaming everyone for the death.
This book is not about the uprising, but it is about the innocent bystanders who were a victim to the system, their hearts singing a melancholy song of longing and lost friendship, of a life which they could have had if crazed politicians were not at each other’s throats.
Lapvona, by Ottessa Moshfegh
Moshfegh is the bravest author I know!
Her nihilistic views of human nature shines through her writing in a strange and jarring manner. One of the most grotesque novels I have encountered, filled with harsh realities which are usually concealed behind closed doors because of its disgraceful nature and could be shameful for an author to pen down, have been grappled with dauntlessly.
Set in the medieval times, Lapvona showcases primitive village life, with a cluster of hard working villagers and God-fearing farmers working to make ends meet, and a Governor living in luxury by taking undue advantage of the villagers through underhand means. This is the perfect study of disparity between the higher and the lower classes and how they suffer.
Through her larger-than-life unlikeable character tableau, with deluded human behaviour, tackling challenging subjects like lack of familial love, and matters of faith and God, this book has a fairytale quality which is hard to brush aside. Having said that, some of the topics did grate me the wrong way, especially the cannibalism bit.
A rollercoaster would have been a pleasanter ride than this, but like it I did despite all the content warnings, because of its blatant honesty and far-fetched nature.
Her nihilistic views of human nature shines through her writing in a strange and jarring manner. One of the most grotesque novels I have encountered, filled with harsh realities which are usually concealed behind closed doors because of its disgraceful nature and could be shameful for an author to pen down, have been grappled with dauntlessly.
Set in the medieval times, Lapvona showcases primitive village life, with a cluster of hard working villagers and God-fearing farmers working to make ends meet, and a Governor living in luxury by taking undue advantage of the villagers through underhand means. This is the perfect study of disparity between the higher and the lower classes and how they suffer.
Through her larger-than-life unlikeable character tableau, with deluded human behaviour, tackling challenging subjects like lack of familial love, and matters of faith and God, this book has a fairytale quality which is hard to brush aside. Having said that, some of the topics did grate me the wrong way, especially the cannibalism bit.
A rollercoaster would have been a pleasanter ride than this, but like it I did despite all the content warnings, because of its blatant honesty and far-fetched nature.
Trust, by Hernan Diaz
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
We are given an opportunity to browse through four manuscripts detailing different versions of the same story. Exciting, right?
A novella, a manuscript outline, a Memoir and a Diary.
Which version do we trust?
Who is the unreliable narrator?
The truth is more slippery than it seems. It dawned on me as I read this book how historical events could be conveniently skewed to make a person bigger than his achievements.
This literary puzzle is the most ambitious piece of experimental fiction I have read. It is a keen study into the power of suggestion and the trust we put on the unreliable narrator.
As I read the different versions of the same story of a Wall Street businessman and his wife in the years leading up to the Great Depression, I found it stupendous how Diaz crafted the dialogue to make each version believable, without making it monotonous.
I love the wordplay in the title of the book TRUST - a Trust fund in financial terms, the trust between a married couple and lastly the trust of the reader on the narrator of a novel.
Trust is a work of art, and when it did not make it to the Booker Prize Shortlist, I was deflated. Do give this book a try if you haven’t yet and you will be pleasantly surprised.
A novella, a manuscript outline, a Memoir and a Diary.
Which version do we trust?
Who is the unreliable narrator?
The truth is more slippery than it seems. It dawned on me as I read this book how historical events could be conveniently skewed to make a person bigger than his achievements.
This literary puzzle is the most ambitious piece of experimental fiction I have read. It is a keen study into the power of suggestion and the trust we put on the unreliable narrator.
As I read the different versions of the same story of a Wall Street businessman and his wife in the years leading up to the Great Depression, I found it stupendous how Diaz crafted the dialogue to make each version believable, without making it monotonous.
I love the wordplay in the title of the book TRUST - a Trust fund in financial terms, the trust between a married couple and lastly the trust of the reader on the narrator of a novel.
Trust is a work of art, and when it did not make it to the Booker Prize Shortlist, I was deflated. Do give this book a try if you haven’t yet and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
“We knew it was coming”
“The point is we are orbiting a star, and all stars eventually die.”
This book brought me back to earth with a resounding thud, although a significant part was set on the moon. Grappling tropes like pandemic life, time travel, climate change, colonies on the moon and most importantly lost love and the passage of time, this book burrowed itself into my heart to the point that I wanted to scream about it from the mountain tops.
John Mandel has a unique storytelling ability which I first encountered in Station Eleven but didn’t appreciate at that time, and she has sharpened her skills to a point with this book which is a sequel to The Glass Hotel. Having said that, it is not necessary to read it to understand this book, but I plan to read The Glass Hotel at some point.
The fragmentative narrative style, leaping from one time period to another, centuries apart, with overlapping storylines, makes for an astute tale, which needs to be pieced together by stitching different parts of the narrative to come to a conclusion.
As we jump from 1912 to 2020, then 2401 and then back, we delve through the lives of Edwin a remittance man, Oliver - an author on her last book tour on earth and Gaspery who is investigating an Anomaly binding them together, which brings us to the golden question -
Is our world real?
Is our life a Simulation Hypothesis?
Are we living in a computer generated world, we being players in some God-made game?
Last time I had such thought provoking questions was when I watched The Matrix and it made me question reality.
It brought into perspective the fragility of life and relationships, our dying world in the name of development, the passage of time which we cannot control and the importance of humanity.
If I had to suggest one book you should definitely read before the end of this year, it would definitely be this!
“The point is we are orbiting a star, and all stars eventually die.”
This book brought me back to earth with a resounding thud, although a significant part was set on the moon. Grappling tropes like pandemic life, time travel, climate change, colonies on the moon and most importantly lost love and the passage of time, this book burrowed itself into my heart to the point that I wanted to scream about it from the mountain tops.
John Mandel has a unique storytelling ability which I first encountered in Station Eleven but didn’t appreciate at that time, and she has sharpened her skills to a point with this book which is a sequel to The Glass Hotel. Having said that, it is not necessary to read it to understand this book, but I plan to read The Glass Hotel at some point.
The fragmentative narrative style, leaping from one time period to another, centuries apart, with overlapping storylines, makes for an astute tale, which needs to be pieced together by stitching different parts of the narrative to come to a conclusion.
As we jump from 1912 to 2020, then 2401 and then back, we delve through the lives of Edwin a remittance man, Oliver - an author on her last book tour on earth and Gaspery who is investigating an Anomaly binding them together, which brings us to the golden question -
Is our world real?
Is our life a Simulation Hypothesis?
Are we living in a computer generated world, we being players in some God-made game?
Last time I had such thought provoking questions was when I watched The Matrix and it made me question reality.
It brought into perspective the fragility of life and relationships, our dying world in the name of development, the passage of time which we cannot control and the importance of humanity.
If I had to suggest one book you should definitely read before the end of this year, it would definitely be this!
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” is the beginning of the most famous soliloquies in Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth. And just like in the poem, this book teaches us that we should not put off till tomorrow what we can do today.
This book follows the deep relationship between Sadie Green and Sam Masur, as they stumble upon fame and success in the world of Video Game creation.
They possess a bond far stronger than physical affection, one of the meeting of the minds and souls. Although they stay apart most of their lives, due to differences in opinions or misunderstandings, when they come together they remain an invincible winning combination.
Making video games lies at the heart of the novel, and the friendships that build around it are complex. Both Sadie and Sam are difficult characters and it is not easy to like them. I felt they were self-absorbed and narcissistic. True to life, their intense friendship is layered, complex and frustrating and has nothing to do with physical love.
At one point Sam Masur designs an entire interactive game so that he can chat with angry Sadie within the game as an anonymous gaming character. The heights of love! That said, you don’t need to be a gamer to enjoy this book, but if you are a hardcore gamer, you will experience nostalgia spotting the mention of some famous games in the market.
I loved The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, and when this book kept popping up on my feed I had to get my hands on it. It is one of those romances which is not about love but about deep friendship and I loved it to bits!
This book follows the deep relationship between Sadie Green and Sam Masur, as they stumble upon fame and success in the world of Video Game creation.
They possess a bond far stronger than physical affection, one of the meeting of the minds and souls. Although they stay apart most of their lives, due to differences in opinions or misunderstandings, when they come together they remain an invincible winning combination.
Making video games lies at the heart of the novel, and the friendships that build around it are complex. Both Sadie and Sam are difficult characters and it is not easy to like them. I felt they were self-absorbed and narcissistic. True to life, their intense friendship is layered, complex and frustrating and has nothing to do with physical love.
At one point Sam Masur designs an entire interactive game so that he can chat with angry Sadie within the game as an anonymous gaming character. The heights of love! That said, you don’t need to be a gamer to enjoy this book, but if you are a hardcore gamer, you will experience nostalgia spotting the mention of some famous games in the market.
I loved The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, and when this book kept popping up on my feed I had to get my hands on it. It is one of those romances which is not about love but about deep friendship and I loved it to bits!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Mental illness
Cleopatra and Frankenstein, by Coco Mellors
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
What first made me believe is a love story, gave way to a very deep tale which touched lightly on a lot of heavy subjects. First off, I was carried away by the title which was quite a mouthful. But what I was not ready to discover hiding under such a frivolous name, was something which would change my perspective on a lot of matters, the first of which is love. The book takes us through a repertoire of emotions, ranging from laughter, sadness, disgust, dread all the way to rapture.
Cleo, at the tender age of twenty four, bumps into Frank who is twenty years her senior and a whirlwind romance ensues. But then we are jolted out of our pleasant reverie with marital problems.
At first I thought it was only about Frank and Cleo, but then their bunch of crazy friends join the melee and we watch their lives intermingling, interweaving and then spontaneously combusting, as each of them are put in the spotlight to narrate their story.
Infidelity, fat-phobia, racism, depression, suicide, dementia, toxic relationship, addiction, alcoholism, Dysphoria are given a large stage to perform and showcase its abilities. The number of content warnings are shocking. Moreover, the drug-addled, quick New York life and the way it changes a person is examined.
The book is divided into chapters, months apart, with vignettes portraying the viewpoint of different people and their relationship with Frank and Cleo. I found the writing style akin to Sally Rooney, but where Rooney failed to grasp my attention, Mellors burrowed herself into my heart. Especially the Sugar Glider called Jesus!
I am so glad this book did not have the cliche happily-ever-after ending, making love and marriage triumph. It was all about the discovery of two souls letting them live the way they want and finding happiness in their individuality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Animal death, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Dementia
Wrong Place, Wrong Time, by Gillian McAllister
It’s every parent’s nightmare. And every parent’s dream come true.
How many times have you wanted to go back in time and change the past to save your child from some catastrophe?
Jen is given a second chance to fix her energetic, vivacious son’s life, who has committed a murder in front of her eyes. Somewhere in his past lies the secret which has led to this day, and it is in Jen’s hands to make a subtle change so that the chain of events leading to it doesn’t happen.
McAllister has given a twist to the entire time travel concept by bringing in a the crushing maternal love perspective into the mix. We watch as a mother goes to extremes to ensure the safety of her son, to bring back the smile on his face.
There are a few loose threads and the explanations are not perfect, nonetheless the plot is ingenuous and the mystery is captivating enough to ignore the scientific capability of the phenomenon.
Burrowed in a dark past, a perfect husband and 2 time lines, we are left to discover how the story unravels and although we have puzzled out the mystery in the first pages itself, I assure you the pages flew when I tried to get to the bottom of what happens next.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
It’s every parent’s nightmare. And every parent’s dream come true.
How many times have you wanted to go back in time and change the past to save your child from some catastrophe?
Jen is given a second chance to fix her energetic, vivacious son’s life, who has committed a murder in front of her eyes. Somewhere in his past lies the secret which has led to this day, and it is in Jen’s hands to make a subtle change so that the chain of events leading to it doesn’t happen.
McAllister has given a twist to the entire time travel concept by bringing in a the crushing maternal love perspective into the mix. We watch as a mother goes to extremes to ensure the safety of her son, to bring back the smile on his face.
There are a few loose threads and the explanations are not perfect, nonetheless the plot is ingenuous and the mystery is captivating enough to ignore the scientific capability of the phenomenon.
Burrowed in a dark past, a perfect husband and 2 time lines, we are left to discover how the story unravels and although we have puzzled out the mystery in the first pages itself, I assure you the pages flew when I tried to get to the bottom of what happens next.