sneha

** how and why was this such an iconic YA romance book back in 2011-2012?! *This book is absolute sht! I think it might be the worst one I read all year. It is so bad and I am so mad that I won't be getting back those 2.5 hours. But Sneha, I hear you say, why did you go through with this? Here's why - when I was in ninth grade, this was the book. Everyone was reading it, raving about it, loving it! And in my lockdown state of mind, I thought “what could be more comforting than maybe reading a book my ninth-grade self wanted to read and enjoy that nostalgic ride and forget the reality!”. And oh boy, was I wrong.

To be clear, I am fine with characters been bad, incapable, ignorant overall shtty human beings. I get that, a book doesn't owe it to be to provide brilliant characters whom I'll marvel and adore and idolise. What I don't enjoy is a celebration of these subpar fictional human beings as “heroes” and “heroines” - making them an aspirational figure. When you show a troubled protagonist, you see their stories and their flaws with it and all of that is inculcated in the narrative with ease and intention. So, my problem with this book is two-fold. If this is meant for a teenage audience then you're selling some really dodgy and questionable romantic aspirations for teens here, Ms Perkins. Which would be okay if you projected them as problematic issues instead of absolutely romanticising them. We have this “adorkable” female lead whose ignorance isn't cute but recanting the male-gaze of cute young dumb blonde - that its okay to be dumb if you're cute trope and no, we are not having any more of that nonsense, thank you very much! The lead male is, well, a cheater. Spin it the way you want but if you want to be with this girl just end things or clarify things with that girl before. You're not hot enough to be that emotionally unstable, sorry. I am just so annoyed that a book as recent as 2011 is still selling and propagating these toxic, 19th-century ideals of romance, male-female dynamics, pumped with pure annoying American-French stereotypes. This is a book about the top 1% complaining about how hard the first world problems are and that's not even the most annoying bit. This lead is a brilliant example of why Americans enjoy the “ignorant, bigoted and privileged” stereotype. I primarily picked this book to enjoy Paris and read more about the city through the eyes of late teens but this book doesn't completely acknowledge the city, let alone give it respect. If your book is centred around “being in Paris”, do the city some justice?! tl;dr I dunno why this book enjoys such popularity, love and appreciation. It is beyond me. The story is a snowman made out of cliches, characters are lousy, writing is lazy and I couldn't find one redeeming quality. Do yourself a favour, don't let its 4+ rating on Goodreads trick you - it's absolute sht, don't read.

** the american dream reality **

there are these books that you say you've heard, not because you want to sound snobbish but because you truly wish you would have read them. The Great Gatsby was that book for me. I knew about the premise, its relevance and how it was the “book that your teacher made you read”. I knew everyone in the book was a horrible human being - that Daisy Buchanan's character is iconic in all the weird ways. I'll be honest, I attempted reading this book thrice before but the long winding sentences just got me halted. This book didn't offer any solace to get you involved and get you on the ride, the first-person narrative of Nick Carraway felt distancing. But this time, I was sure to not give up! I stuck through it and 50 pages down, I was into it! Not because I wanted to see through “one of the best fictional pieces” but I was truly enjoying it. The story, the style, the symbolism and the building anticipation.

This book is just like America it talks about - young, wild and reckless but at the same time grounded and altering identity. I was repulsed by Tom, confused by Daisy, felt judged by Nick and in awe of Jay. Fitzgerald makes you feel things and by the end, I was truly invested in their universe and hurt and confused and angry. You can find a lot of reviews that provide deep meaningful literary criticism, this isn't that. I am just happy I read it and even happier that I enjoyed it. Fitzgerald, you good boy.

Also, let me take a hot second to talk about Jay Gatsby, that man knew how to dream wild and chase them daring. Dang son, you inspire me. Your reliance on love and validation from a woman who is with someone else and obsession with her is not the healthiest things but respect for the drive and vision. You were ahead of your time. :)

for a book that is about women who committed war crimes during the holocaust, there isn't enough of her or the effects of her actions

Here's my problem with books like these: they have an interesting hook, a very promising storyline, and even juicy blurp, and then that's it — that's where all the work ends.

The Reader is about a boy and her fantasy obsession Hannah. This young boy who physically grows up and becomes a man is still a clingy confused teenager all his life. I don't blame him entirely for it. Our lad needs therapy, lots of it. He falls for a much older woman and has an affair with her only to find out a few years later that she is being prosecuted for her role in Nazi Germany. This “erotic clandestine affair” is neither racy not romantic; it is an older woman almost exploiting a teenager and his boy living out his teenage fantasy. If anyone views or appreciates this book as a romance, get help immediately! It raises compelling arguments about what constitutes a “fair” punishment for those who were part of the Third Reich, both the individuals directly involved with the SS, running the concentration camps, and also the population at large that stayed quiet and looked the other way. But that's it, it just teases these pointers and fizzles away into whinny complains of this man-child who misses Hannah and divorces his wife of five years and mother of child because “she doesn't smell like Hannah, feel like Hannah.” Oh, the heartbreak (-_-)

The potential of this book was endless. One of its central themes is that of illiteracy and how it affects one's life, and that is covered with some decency through the length of the book. But honestly, for a book about a woman and the turmoils of post-WW II Germany, there was not much of either of them.
The writing was windy and went on pointlessly in many chapters. The main chunks of the story — the difficult parts were handled in a loose, nonchalant fashion. Scenes that were of importance didn't feel impactful and the rest felt like nonstop rambling.

** the most cultured and sophesticated conversation I'll ever be a witness to? **Umberto Eco is a well known literary icon, author and historian and Jean-Claude Carriere a filmmaker, critique and collector. Both these stellar, well-read, cerebral personalities discussing relevance, evolution, birth-death of books was such an enriching journey. This is one of those books that talks about so many books that you find a new gateway to many more books. This book is a glowing tribute to the books - old and new, disappeared and forgot, Avante-Garde and downright stupid. They talk about filmmakers and forgotten rolls of master cinema, of burnt scrolls of Alexandria. They talk about Italian poets and French “live writer”, there is such so much to learn from their conversations, this definitely requires you to follow through with a pencil. I see myself revisiting this book, re-reading parts I highlighted and maybe even charting out some fancy libraries and bookstores to visit taking this as a guide. Overall, this is slightly exhausting but stil a wonderful piece of literature. :)

** an absolute classic, Levitt and Dubner, can I have your coffee order next? **


I found out their podcast before I knew about the book (weird, I know). The podcast served as a gateway to exciting on-going research in the field of social sciences and economics - inspiring an enthusiastic freshman.

Five years later, I re-visit this book and it's a different experience. I know more about the field, I have done lateral reading of related publications and I am better able to appreciate the arguments, especially the simplicity with which they are presented.

It is no surprise that this is one of the best get-to-know-econ for dummies book that teases you with random but intriguing titles and makes you sit through the difference between correlation and causation, teaching what a regression can and cannot tell you, what the data means and how stories are decoded from it.

I think Levitt and Dubner are visionaries in attempting to write this book - for a more noob audience and keeping them engaged through and through. There is an odd comfort in revisiting books of Christmas past and also giving a sense of development and growth - in a time when freedom, struggle and purpose feel lost.

Quarantine read no. 2, you were kind to me :)

** one of the best books on football EVER **

if you decide to read only one book on football ~let it be this.
David Squires is unbelievably funny -has his facts and values in line.
The book covers the history and origin of football while mentioning the colonial aspects that come with the game - something I don't see mentioned in most works. It covers the formation of the various footballing associations, tournaments and very cleverly talks about the capitalistic desires. It talks about the iconic individuals and moments in human history of football, reminding why the game is so popularly loved.
I can't gush enough about it. It is a keeper :')
please read, please!
Supremely contemporary, funny, witty and woke. <3
David, you stole my heart.

** this book had some seriously good LOL moments and such tight writing but I don't enjoy David Nicholls' weak-ass defence of the protagonist's sexist-entitled behaviour who is a proper prick**

Our hero is a man child with deeply sexist and racist ideas and claims to be a liberal - often using his “intellectual capacity” as a shield against his vulnerability and teenage insecurities. His lying, cheating, misogynistic actions all go unpunished and had his own “happily ever after” with “she is not like other girls” heroine. No, no, just no.

I love the quotes, quiz questions at the beginning of the book. How real and raw the university scene is talked about, the coming of age struggle, the loss of a loved one, the chase of a beautiful stranger but this archaic understanding of “out-of-my-league hottie” for whom he'll spread himself thing and kiss his self-respect goodbye only to turn back and call her “she is pretty and she knows it”, or “prick teaser” is unacceptable. What is more unacceptable is him findings a happy ending with a “not too pretty, cursing a lot but so bloody smart” girl. These tropes are just - argh - no. The target audience for this book is teens and adolescents and we really don't want this message for them.
David, you know how to write a story well and I enjoyed and laughed at some bits.
But I can't, I just can't enjoy this trope of “intelligent” boys who feel victimised because “they are the nice nerdy guys but pretty hot girls don't like me so I'll act like a desperate creep and stalk her and get outraged when she eventually rejects me and call her an attention-seeking whore/prick-tricker but also expect everyone else to feel pity for me because I'm the poor nerdy nice guy. “
And the worst thing? They are real, very very real.

This could have been so much more satisfying and enjoyable :/

** I have so many mixed feelings **

medium: audiobook

If this book was about misjudgements on Hitler made by Neville Chamberlain or the coupling effect that led to the suicide of Sylvia Plath or the spies from Cuba that tricked the CIA - I would have enjoyed it through and through, and I did.
Gladwell, as always, spins a captivating narrative-driven by thorough research and delivers a work that gives you multiple TIL feels and leaves you re-thinking about your worldview. Which is what books must do! But this book's focus was on modern issues and the way he tackled heavy, important contemporary topics in his work felt like it lacked empathy and nuance. I believe, his work at large could have talked about racial discrimination by police, college date rape cases and pedophilic mentors with more compassion and insight. The constant strive for objectivity bordered on victim shaming and “understanding” of a racist individual who abused power.

It was an interesting read but not one of his best works. I'd recommend it for the historical parts tho.

PS. I'd recommend the audiobook as I feel this book was designed with the audio medium in mind - the interview clips, the court testimonies, the songs that go with the theme, it was truly a fun experience and Gladwell has one of those wonderful voices. :)

** Dan Ariely, I'm in love with you, okay?**

another sexy sexy book by Prof. Ariely.
The hypothesis is intriguing, the intuition is on point, the methods are bulletproof, the studies are fun, conclusions are insightful and his humour is just a giant cheery on top of this big fat juicy cake. if you're going to write book on research and new up and coming ideas, use this as a model, please. not only does he get you involved in this field of Behavioural Economics, he makes you feel the excitement that he carries for the science and joy of research. lucky people who have him as his prof :')
also, absolutely love the fact that he concludes the book with a short biography of all the collaborators of his study. in the cut throat world of academia, this respect for fellow students and colleagues was just so nice :)
my only complaint (I'm nitpicking here) is that I felt two chapters repetitive from his other books but that's prolly because I read the second book before this.
GO READ THIS! relevant for everyone, no matter what field you're in.

first book of 2020, yay! (or not, since it's a comic)
I have been following Sarah's work on the internet for a long time. Adorakable and relatable introvert and creative mind comic panels are sure to fix your day.
But this book sigh didn't feel right. Maybe I'm being unfair and holding it to high standards, but this book lacked a coherent narrative.
Now before you come for my throat, in my defense, I grew up reading Calvin and Hobbes comic strips in the newspapers. When I finally got my hands on the comic book collections, I was amazed by how well structured they were. Individual comics, while being an absolute masterpiece in itself blended with all the other strips effortlessly to give a collective theme.
This book lacked that. Also, I felt a little cheated at the lack of quantity of comics.
My fav bit was the texture of the cover of the book. The sweater part on the front page, made with actually sweatery material. That was pretty cool and unique. But overall, it was ... alright. Read the whole thing while sipping coffee at IKEA.

what a sexy sexy book!
The writing is smooth, the narrative is driven from empirical studies, all the collaborators are credited for their work and contribution. It is anecdotal and academic in an interesting proportion.
if this is the last book of the year, I am happy it is this :)
the learnings are very real-world and will impact/affect every single one of you who picks it up.

an urge for markets to traffic in morality.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Yet another crisp yet introspective book by Sandel. This book covers various aspects of human life and social order that have suddenly opened up to market places and become a tradeable commodity. It raises several points of morality, political philosophy and ethics through various anecdotes while referring to various peer-reviewed studies to support his thesis. My two major takeaways were;
1. the question of unfairness and coercion - corruption and degradation that commercialization of things like the human body, relationships, death and life causes.
2. It also raises important points of distinction between fees and fines when discussion different methods of incentivization.
While these books covered a bunch of interesting case-studies and anecdotes to provide both sides to the story before him discussion his opinion, the narrative does become a bit repetitive. But Sandel's adept writing style keeps you engaged in this 200-page long book and doesn't make you want to leave midway.
also, a bit random but the copy I issued from the library (by Penguin Books) has fantastic print and paper quality and that just aided the reading experience so much. I genuinely wish more publishers made this a priority.
Overall, if you want to know more about the importance of applied ethics, organisational behaviour, applied psychology, the role of morality in economics and political philosophy - this book is a great pick. It is accessible, well written and thoroughly captivating.

this just felt too long.

I started with “Ministry of Utmost Happiness” earlier this year and the first 50 pages I felt like I had gone through the whole storyline. I then encountered a lot of reviews talking about how God of Small things might be a better start than Ministry.

I have previously read non-fiction by Roy and it has been hot and cold. I like her style of writing, a lot. But when it came to God of Small Things, I loved the proses but not the story itself. I need a plot, I need a story. I need some motion. I am all cool with this Nolan like narration with the constant back and forth but what's at the heart of the tale? God of Small Things, much like Anna Karenina, was wonderful prose, then she dies more beautiful prose.
I just expected to love and enjoy this book so much more. I really enjoyed the writing style, heck I was awed by how captivating her description of a mundane act like shopping for vegetables was. I just went in with more expectations.

All said, it does a fantastic job at highlighting all the issues in Indian society (sometimes hitting too hard) and brings forth the hypocrisy through her characters really well. Her tales of a small town in Kerela would make for a wonderful animated film and I'd definitely watch it.

This is not a chill, laid back, happy book. This has all the hallmarks of a literary masterpiece and it deserves all the awards and recognition it got.

Now excuse me, while I go read some fluff to chill out after two intense books.

This book is written with the kind of thoroughness that one had grown to expect from Reza Aslan. It's a historical take on the mythological folklore around the enigmatic entity of God, charting the origin and various evolutions that it underwent. While the book primarily focuses on Abrahamic religions, it draws support and references from all religions of the world. Having said all that, I didn't particularly enjoy this book so much as I feel like my expectations from this book were very different to what it had to offer.
It is still a very solid read for anyone who wishes to know more about the origin of the modern religions as we know it.

one word review: MEH

for a short arson/murder mystery novella, this was awfully slow and unnecessarily cryptic. just very disappointed by this book. gah, could have been so much better.

I was caught up between two intense books. One that talked about the real harsh truths of this world and the other philosophising the transcendental. Amidst this chaos, I took an hour off and finished this gorgeous little break book Inna corner at crosswords today.

Ah, the familiar quirkiness of a good Ronald Dahl, it just felt like the perfect break from all the adulting and just the escape from reality I needed. Some books are timeless and this one came in at the right time :)

Having said all that, the story is quite meh. Pick up some other exceptional Dahl books before you come for this. Won't say this often but the movie (by Wes Anderson) is better.

I just finished Good Girl's Guide to Murder and it was an absolute bundle of entertainment. It was really well written, the characters were developed with thought and consideration and it covered relevant and important issues. I can't wait for more Pip Adventures. Honestly, the best YA/murder mystery I read all year long! Just want someone to make this a TV series now. It would be a shaming hit.

I had picked up a fictional+YA book after a really long time. My last YA read was an Absolutely Remarkable Thing. This was an absolute gripper. I stayed up late to finish the second half of the book in one go. I even loved how the book was written (the collection of various forms, trying not to spoil). Just pick this one up, even if it's for Halloween vibe.

A collection of essay that is nuanced yet easy to understand, drawn from everyday life and pop culture. I love how Gay writes and some questions constantly makes you think by provoking the obvious. I created so many highlights while reading this. I look forward to reading more of her work!

medium: audiobook
this book urges you, encourages you and helps you develop a cosmic perspective. This one is definitely going in for a second read some time in future as one time isn't going to be enough to remember the details.
I learnt a lot of new facts and discoveries in the field of Astrophysics and Cosmology. I absolutely love the writing by Tyson. His writing is simple, scientifically detailed and draws in the bigger philosophical picture while discussing all aspects of our big vast universe.
I listen to it for five days while getting ready in morning and stepped out feeling like an important yet humble entity in our giant universe. This one also inspired me to pick up a Carl Sagan.

medium: audiobook
This book was a long journey, like that of Michelle. This book could be divided into two major sections: pre and post Barack.
I, for one, enjoyed her stories and tales of her life before Barack far more. Due to Barack's skill and ambition, the later half was heavily influenced by his political career and how it altered the very fabric of Michelle's life.
I thoroughly enjoyed the stories of her growing up on the south side and tales of her wonderful parents, sibling love, community bond - it was all very wholesome and also very inspiring. Michelle is a force of a woman, this book brought to light many reasons to support that statement. She is driven, ambitious, kind, caring, vulnerable and a total badass.
I respected her and look up to her in awe even more now.
Second favourite autobiography of the year, for sure!

“... becoming isn't about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim, I see it as a forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuosly to a better self. The journey doesn't end” - this line at the end sums up the message of her life quite well.
I hope to write a longer, I detail piece on this book. The way she covered several topics (including Trump) were done with such grace and dignity. Yupp, not getting over her for a while.

Also, slightly sad that she confirms not ever wanting to run for office :'/

medium: audiobook

this book is shelf-help at its corniest. This book has been so hyped and talked around but apart from the “edgy” title, it is quite hollow. It covers everything under the sun with the optimism and style of a motivational cat poster and that's where it ends. The book has no actionable steps, no indication of any research to support certain claims and hardly any case study that isn't anecdotal or taken from personal life.
There is only one central theme: if you hate your life and it sucks only you can make it better. Not bad but some of the “self-focused” things she suggested is downright inconsiderate and mean.
Skip this and pick up Atomic Habit or Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and you're better off.

Why Art Matters is a cute little collection of essays by Neil Gaiman (two of them originally being speeches) that are presented along side wonderful illustrations by brilliantly talented Chris Riddell.

A collection of four short essay, this book is a perfect ‘‘pick me up'' and ‘‘motivate me to create” nudge that one needs.

My favourite of them all is “Make Good Art”. While the essay is great, I'd recommend hearing Neil deliver the speech (which is where the essay is derived from), with his dramatic oratory, it's a delight for mind and soul!

Medium : Audiobook

This Harper Audio product of Coraline is hands down the best audiobook I have heard, ever!
Neil Gaiman is such a fantastic writer and an even better storyteller. :')

I'm an adult and not the intended audience for this story but boy, did I enjoy this journey. Spanning a little over three hours, Coraline is an adventure, a scary one, but a story that reminds you to be brave in face of adversity and face it head on! A lesson that is as applicable to me today as any five year old reading the book elsewhere.

As Gaiman quotes in the beginning of the book, fairytales are important not because they tell us dragons exist but because they tell us that they can be defeated!

If Coraline can endure the evil ways of her capture and win again all odds in getting freedom, fight till the very end: I can finish my dissertation xD

Medium: audiobook narrated by the author
WMD is like a long podcast. It is filled it case studies and instances of how badly created statistical devices build using terrible proxy indicators effect real communities and oppress them.
This book is a very easy read (listen). Cathy doesn't dwell more in the details of how these models are created, something that I wanted to learn more about. This is basically a curation of important stories and how mathematical models lacking societal context hurts the very people it was made to help. I wish she described these black box models more and discussed the math a bit. But overall, it was a very informative and interesting read.

I read this book a long time ago. My freshman year roommate and I watched the movie and then I read this book on my laptop. That was in my first year, fast forward five years and here I am re-reading this. A lot of things have changed in that time and I was reminded of how the relationship with a book changes with time. My last read focused on Charlie forming new relationships and finding his tribe, his people and that joy was my takeaway, my desire as a freshman. Now, as all familiar faces part ways at the end of college, I was invested and curious to see how Charlie deals with the distance and having his friends move away from him. The second reading carried a darker tone, a more sober feeling. This wasn't on my 2019 list but I surely was a happy accident. Didn't know I needed to read this again but hey, I am glad I did. :)