DARK MATTER

“What might have been and what has been Point to one end, which is always present. Footfalls echo in the memory Down the passage which we did not take Towards the door we never opened. —T. S. Eliot, “Burnt Norton”

JANUARY READING LIST

At last its 2021 after what seems like a decade.Hoping this year brings health and safety to everyone all over the world.Planning to give some semblance of structure to my reading habits.Listing my January reading list here and hoping as usual that reading goes according to plan. 1.MOONFLOWER MURDERS BY ANTHONY HOROWITZ

2.WORLD OF WONDERS BY AIMEE NEZHUKUMATATHIL

3.THE SMALL PLEASURES OF LIFE BY PHILIPPE DELERM

4.MOUSTACHE BY S.HAREESH

I havent been too ambitious and listed more books than I can possibly manage.Hoping to post reviews as I finish reading these.Fingers crossed.

THE GREAT INDIAN TEE AND SNAKES (Short Story)-WINNER OF THE COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY CONTEST 2020

Set in contemporary small town India, this story speaks about an  unconfessed chemistry between a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy in tension fraught times and how their love gets thwarted even before it has a chance to blossom. In a series of tragic events triggered by the simultaneously occuring socio-political upheaval  in the country, the author has revealed the ugly face of religion, caste, and power dynamics. 

Is there any place for fragile emotions amidst bias and hatred? What is the fate of innocent love in a world where man hates man? With its communal prejudice, intolerance and power politics,this disturbing story holds a mirror to the ever prevalent ugliness in Indian society.

The end packs a punch and raises a pertinent question--In these times of communal   disharmony can "happiness" even  exist? 

 

STARTED SOMETHING NEW

Just something I randomly did. A new blog : AN EQUAL MUSIC

https://anequalmusic2020.blogspot.com/

LOCKDOWN READING.

In the middle of a pandemic like most of the world and my brain is in lockdown mode.

Reading horror stories everyday in the news and being in a constant state of stress and panic isn’t helping.I find myself feeling dejected and anxious.

The present feels dystopian.

 In stressful times books offer me the much needed solace.I will be writing detailed reviews about what I’ve been reading very soon.

These are the few books that Ive read over time but right now there’s just too much to handle and I’m barely getting into reading mode.

But getting back to talking about books,I picked up these few to write about:

A thought provoking ,compelling and emotional read ,a reminder to never bow down to injustice ,ever relevant now as it was then.The unwavering love of a mother for a child she chose to have and raise in the difficult age of apartheid. #Blacklivesmatter .Trevor Noah is brilliant!

Unsettling ,gut wrenching ,powerful ......What a punch packed story this was and a bold statement in the times we live in.

A charming ,light hearted ,fun read.

A collection of horror stories which make you question life ,death and everything in between by the acclaimed writer Ratnakar Matkari who donned multiple hats(director,playwright) and who sadly passed away due to the dreaded virus in May this year.

BOOKS READ SO FAR IN 2020----Just a quick update

NEWCOMER

I can never figure out a Higashino puzzle and thats the one big reason which draws me to his books every single time.The 2nd of course is Kaga,the unassuming detective with the 'razor-sharp mind and bloodhound nature'.
Newcomer is the 2nd book in the Kyoichiro Kaga series to be translated into English(Happens to be the 8th in the Kaga series in Japanese)

Plot:
Kaga the famed detective has been assigned to help his superiors investigate the inexplicable murder of a middle-aged woman who lived alone and seemed to have no enemies.He has been recently transferred to a new precinct in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo.The last few days of the woman's life is the clue that will lead to the murder.

My Views:
Fans of Higashino already know that the books are mostly about how and why.The motive is very important in each of his books.This book is presented in nine parts.We are taken along in the Nihonbashi neighbourhood lined with charming traditional Japanese stores,shops that specialized in wicker suitcases or shamisen lutes.We go from a clock maker to a rice cracker shop to a small cafe selling Japanese pastries.

There are too many characters but they are very well developed in the short chapters and gain a life of their own.At one point in the book I felt each character could have a motive but I couldn't figure out what it was.A box of cakes,a kitchen knife, a set of chopsticks ...everything seemed like a part of a bigger puzzle.In each business there is a mystery to solve.The chapters are superbly crafted and after having read each part I felt I was one step closer to solving the mystery only to realize how wrong I was in the end. It is like walking through a maze only to find yourself where you started.

However the subplots are important and Kaga notices details and looks into things which others dismiss as irrelevant.Intuitive,eccentric ,compassionate and always with excellent deductive powers he is many steps ahead of everyone and gets to the bottom of the chase with great elan.The only major difference from the rest of the stories is that we feel sympathy for the victim and want her killer arrested.This book was more about how he gets to the end than the end itself.After reading this book I can easily say that Kaga has found himself a place as one of the best fictional detectives of all time.

 So fans of Higashino ,rejoice!He is outstanding as usual and this is a winner all the way.A very enjoyable read.

And yes it is way better than Malice!

I rate it a 4 out of 5.