Week 9 Of Lockdown: Here Are Our Top 10 Reads For Y'all

Howdy, folks? Recently, the lockdown was further extended till the 31st of May, and we understand this is a challenging time, but hey, why not use this time to feed the bibliophile in you with some enthralling reads? Here we are about to tell you about the books that we read and loved this week, so check it out and bookmark them.

1. The Last Song Of Dusk By Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi

Picture Credits: monologic_virgo_reader

The Last Song Of Dusk is set in India in the 1920s where Anuradha’s life is tangled between heartbreaks and tragedies. When Anuradha’s marriage crumbles and the couple tries to mend it, they slowly understand that love is given and received in silence and sometimes the sadness is so overpowering that it envelopes your life like a thick cloud. A book that’ll remind you of the classics, this one’s a must-read.

2. The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness By Arundhati Roy

Picture Credits: toomanyadjectives

Get ready for a beautiful journey from the cramped streets of purani Dilli to the lush forests of Central India and to the jaw-dropping valleys of Kashmir with this marvellous story that is beautifully narrated through tears and smiles. Roy’s extraordinary storytelling is showcased in this one that you just can’t miss!

3. Sea Of Poppies By Amitav Ghosh

Picture Credits: missmandypants91

This one narrates the tale of a ship in the Indian Ocean before the Opium Wars in China broke out. Because of a colonial disruption, a diverse cast of Indian and foreigners end up together on the ship and thus begins their rollicking historic adventure through the pretty poppy fields of the Ganges, amongst other exotic places.

4. Unaccustomed Earth By Jhumpa Lahiri

Picture Credits: missmandypants91

Jhumpa Lahiri has crafted eight captivating stories that revolve around the Bengalis who moved to America in search of a better life. Each story is complete with emotional wisdom, traumas, destruction, but also a lot of love and intimate relationships. 

5. Red Earth And Pouring Rain By Vikram Chandra

Picture Credits: book_and_opera_musings

Three students, one of them is an Indian poet, one is an American road novel and a warrior drive cross-country in search of America. From romance to war and adventure, birth and death, Indian myths and the 1980s California, Red Earth And Pouring Rain is a complete package that y’all need to check out!

6. India After Gandhi By Ramachandra Guha

Picture Credits: nerd_antara

India is a country that was shaken and shaped by plenty of events as well as the humiliations and the struggles it went through during the pre and post-British era is vividly described in this book. The narrative clearly shows the rigorous research and the masterful skills of the author that needs to be on every book and history lover’s list.

7. The Vintage Sardar By Khushwant Singh

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Khushwant Singh was a celebrated columnist and author who wrote on God, the afterlife, Raj Kapoor, Dalai Lama and even about his travels to Nagaland and France. The Vintage Sardar is an amalgamation of some of his popular articles during the late 80s and 90s that will fascinate you until the very last page.

8. A Fine Balance By Rohinton Mistry

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Sometime during 1975, the government declared the State Of Emergency and four strangers are forced to share a tiny apartment because of the caste violence. With time, they develop a friendship and love that shows the human spirit, even during the inhuman state of mind. 

9. Memories Of Rain By Sunetra Gupta

Picture Credits: hello.trashfire.century

Love blooms between a Bengali woman, Moni and an Englishman named Anthony, who fell in love in India during a rainstorm. However, their love fades after years, with Moni almost leaving Anthony behind, but fate has something else in store for them, something that will remind you of both Virginia Woolf and Rabindranath Tagore.

10. Fasting, Feasting By Anita Desai

Picture Credits: simranmehta_

A tight-knit Indian household is made of restrictions, preconception, warm food and unconditional love. But when the lil ones move out and experience the world in its raw form, their thoughts start to change but do they flourish in a contrasting environment? Maybe they do, or maybe they don’t, but that’s something for you to find when you give it a read!

Utilise your time wisely and enjoy these reads, folks!