_askthebookbug's Reviews (1.34k)

One Part Woman 🌸 .
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“There is no female without the male, and no male without the female. The world goes on only when they come together”. - Perumal Murugan. .
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Don't we all love a controversial book? It’s a significant quality that a reader will have in abundance. That’s what made me choose this book and I had my ‘Ooh’ and ‘Aah’ moments till the end. This novel created an uproar in the society because it pointed several issues with masculanity, rituals and gender.
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Perumal talks about a couple (Kali and Ponna) who struggle with fertility issues. They hail from a village where it’s a woman’s duty to give birth to a child in their first year of marriage and when this doesn’t happen to them, they are shunned by the community. The couple then start praying to every known God with tremendous hope. They make sacrifices, offer food, climb mountains and even think of other shocking solutions.Their families force Ponna to head out to the festivities of Vaisaki Temple where as part of a ritual, any childless woman can have consesual sex with an unknown man to become pregnant. This story is so natural probably because of the fact that it refers to the author’s native. Or merely because of the wonderful skills of Perumal. Living in this era, we might not know the atrocities and struggles that the villagers put themselves through even today. This book was an eye opener.
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I would rate it 4.5/5. I would have really loved to read the original script but it’s unfortunate that I cannot read Tamil. .

Erotic stories for Punjabi widows :) “Out of all the opportunities Britain offered us, choice was the most important thing.” - Balli Kaur Jaswal.
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Did you know that Reese Witherspoon named it as her book club choice of the month? And the story is exactly as said on the cover. Nikki, a 22 year old law school dropout joins as a teacher for creative writing teaching position. Her students are the widows of the Sikh community who don’t even know how to write an alphabet. Just when she thinks she’s doomed, the widows start sharing their stories about desire and pleasure. The book is funny and very lively! It also has a tinge of murder mystery to it which keeps the readers enthralled. I would rate it 3.8/5. .
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P.S. And why should you read this? Because it’s unique and takes you by surprise :)

Shantaram :) .
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This book has been in my reading list from couple of months and when I found it in the library, I just had to pick it up. Shantaram is the real deal. It’s pure, raw and utterly enrapturing. It even has a thriller/ mystery side to it that made me keep turning the pages at an astonishing speed. The story is about an Australian man who’s on the run from the government for a crime he has committed. He lands in Bombay and falls in love with the city. As much as he tries to stay away from his previous life, he manages to find himself amidst the Bombay mafia. The author beautifully describes the then Bombay, the slums, the sea, the people and the power of money. It made me want to fly all the way to Bombay to experience the city like Shantaram did. .
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This book is humongous, a total of 933 pages. Hence, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But the book brings out emotions of every kind. When I started reading it, I had little idea that I would come to love it. I would rate the book 4/5.

The pearl that broke its shell :) .
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We all know the stories about Afghanistan during the King’s rule but how well do you actually know it? The author paints a picture of the country and let me tell you that it is not pretty. .
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The story revolves around the lives of two girls, Shekiba and her great great granddaughter Rahima who later grows up to be a brave woman. Shekiba who suffers from a facial disfigurement due to an accident in her childhood, gets shunned by everyone including her family. Rahima who comes from a poor family gets forced into child marriage with a man who’s as old as her father. The author talks about how men were allowed to marry many women and live a life of luxury while the women had to live in a constant sense of insecurity. The atrocities that women had to go through in those days are truly shocking. The book will make you guess if either of the women can break shackles of the society and find peace that they deserve. Quite frankly I couldn’t put down the book in the last couple of days. It was such a wonderful and gripping read. I would give it 4.5/5. .
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P.S. Perfect read for women :)

And the mountains echoed :) .
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It is so difficult to explain how wonderful this book is. It truly is no surprise that this book was a bestseller considering how beautiful The Kite Runner was written. Khaled Hosseini's writing touch souls and makes you believe in relationships. .
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The book talks about many lives who belong from various roots of origin. He talks about the purest love between Abdullah and his sister Pari. The forbidden relationship between Nabi and Wahdati back in 1947 in Afghanistan and many more stories. It talks about people who have nothing in common but nonetheless affect each other’s lives and set it in motion. I took my time in reading this one because I cherished every single page of it. It sprung tears in my eyes and also made me laugh. By the time I was done reading, my heart felt a whole lot lighter and peaceful. The story is so beautifully spun that you can’t help but think about your own relationships with your family and friends. I would rate this 5/5, without a doubt :) They say when you read a really good book, you will be dazed for a while and now I know that it’s true 🖤
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The Help :) .
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Ah, what can I even say about this beautiful beautiful book! 💓The story is based on events that happened in the ‘60s, at a time where coloured people were differentiated from the Whites. The book talks about the The help (coloured women), who go through hardships and pain of leaving behind their own kids at home to look after the white kids. Their unconditional love towards the babies that they look after, and the heart-wrenching pain that they face when they turn out to be just like their mean mothers. I was shocked and pained to see how they were treated to such an extent that they had to use a separate coloured bathroom! The Help, silent for decades, finally open up when a white woman (Miss Skeeter) offers to write a book about them. The book brings out so many emotions that range from love to anger to hatred and sacrifice. I had watched the movie years ago and when I found this book, I knew I had to pick it up. Stunning! .

The widow of wall street :) .
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“Make sure you choose work that makes you happy”- Randy Susan Meyers. .
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Let’s talk about money. How much is really enough? Would you be happy with your average paycheque? If you’re not, would you try to think of something illegal to make millions? Many do, until they get caught. .
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This is the story of a criminal who endangers his entire family because of his greed for money. Jake, handsome and every girl’s dream marries his perfect girlfriend Phoebe, already envisioning her to be his trophy wife when he starts making money. He dives into business and builds an empire preferring only the best things for his family. Phoebe, clueless about his affairs and illegal business worships him every minute. Jake gradually gets caught up in a Ponzi scheme and loses everyone’s money. He then goes under an investigation and eventually lands in prison. Will Phoebe stick around till the end with her husband whom she has loved all her life? Or will she cut him loose? This book was a gripping read and also emotionally draining. It talks about relationships between siblings, children and spouse. .
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This was my first read by @randysusanmeyersauthor and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It talks about real life problems like greed and illegal systems. A big thank you to the author and publisher for sending me this Kindle version so that I could enjoy and review the book. I’d rate it 4/5. #bookchallenge #56 #bangalorebookblogger #bookreview #wordporn #booknerd #randysusanmeyers #bibliophile

The Vegetarian :) .
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“This was the body of a beautiful young woman, conventionally an object of desire, and yet it was a body from which all desire had been eliminated.” - Han Kang. .
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Have you ever come across a book that’s mysterious and haunting? It’s unique and completely different from the books that I’ve read this year so far. What happens when you let go of the materialistic things in the world? The story focuses on the life of Yeong-hye who suddenly turns into a vegetarian after having a nightmare. She let’s go of all her feelings and becomes just a shell. She refuses all needs of modern life and rebels against her family who take turns to feed her. She refuses to eat and considers herself to be part of nature. She craves only for the sun and water like a tree, not even afraid of death. .
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This novel is a perfect mix of dark and light sides of life. I would rate it 4.5/5. Not all books capture such intense human emotions but Han Kang nailed it!

On Beauty ✨
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“The greatest lie ever told about love is that it sets you free” - Zadie Smith.
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I am surprised that I even finished this novel. The plot was fairly simple which I personally felt wasn’t going anywhere. The characters, however were unique. The details of the family in the novel are so beautifully described and honest. The author talks about two families in crisis, their relationships with those around them and also about marriage. What happens when a black family lives in a white neighbourhood? How do they handle the stares and differences? It’s not everyday that you stumble across a book that’s this refreshing. I had very mixed feelings post reading the novel because the story failed to develop a sense of connection. Though the characters in the book take the medal, the story however could have been executed a little better.
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I would rate it 3.5/5