Picking up from the first list of books I wanted to read in 2024, while my first list was quite on the dot, given it was the month of resolutions and acting on them, my second has been in the draft folder for over a month now.
I finally resolved to do it after a day spent in self-reflection.
It so happened that I had audaciously added 9 books in this quarter, and as it happens, lost myself in them. I truncated the list by half only because I had to prioritize the books I would be able to finish by June ( since I have delayed the list by a month), but enough of self rebuke. On account of my extensive research, the next list will be earlier than due( yayie).
So, before I start writing about the books I would like to read by June, let’s go back to the first list and see how many could I get my hands on…
……..and the answer is 3/5.
Not Bad but also Not Good.
Let’s hope this list keeps me hooked for the next one and a half months…..
So, without further ado…. here’s the second quarterly book list for 2024:
Bear by Julia Philips– I got hugely invested in this book after being introduced to the Bear discourse on Twitter/X. The discourse is pretty much around women having to choose between a bear and a stranger guy in the woods. Most women unsurprisingly chose the bear, which made the men on Twitter unravel completely. But now coming to the book, Bear by Julia Philips promises to be a modern spin on our favorite childhood fairytales like ‘Snow White and Rose Red’ with two sisters at the helm whose quiet and tragic life in an island town is threatened by the sudden appearance of a beast from the blue.
Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson– A historical saga making sense of the months between Abraham Lincoln’s election as the 16th president of the United States and Confederate forces firing the first shots of the Civil War at Fort Sumter? Sign me up please! Also, perhaps this will take away some of the guilt of declaring ‘Gone with the Wind’ a childhood favorite.
Table for Two by Amor Towles: I love how every sentence written by Towles in his books are doused in good humor and wit, I have read and reread The Lincoln Highway and loved it to bits, so getting a Table for Two for my home library only feels like a logical extension. But for those who would need more encouragement, I say pick it up for how Towles brings cities and country sides to life.
My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar (Knopf)– Clarification: I already got my hands on this and have started reading it. This is also because I am a longtime reader of Amitava Kumar, having read his Home Products, Nobody does the right thing and Husband of the fanatic, the last one remains my favorite, more so, because of the familiar but intriguing topic of India-Pakistan relationships, both nation wise and people wise. My Beloved Life narrates the life of Jadunath Kunwar born to a family of farmers in Bihar, India. His journey from the unnamed contours of his village to Berkeley is imbued with relatable anecdotes and lived realities that make it all the more endearing for me.
So, dear reader, I sure hope these books will keep you busy till June. As they say, all time spent reading is time well-spent, I leave you in the company of these books.
Fingers in symphony 