Top 5 Recommendations from My Reading List of 2017

I had been on a reading sabbatical since my daughter’s birth, progress was pretty slow with small kids in the house. Reading exclusively was a luxury I simply could not fit into my unpredictable routine. Last year saw some progress as the youngest started playgroup; there were several hours of commute and waiting outside offices so I became friends with books again. And am I glad! I hope my blog and the online reading communities keep me persistent. 

Here is list of books I enjoyed reading the most in 2017, some were published earlier than that but I got around reading them last year.

1. Book Theif- Markus Zusak

This book would probably make to my list of favorite books of all time, if I ever got around compiling one! The story is told by death and depicts the time of the World War II. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made an unforgettable impression. It speaks of an era when books were not easy to get by. Books were a source of pleasure, knowledge, and a means of stepping out of bitter reality. They still are, inspite of so many other forms of media available. Books still have that magic! (I don’t have a review to link this to, this book was so good nothing I have written has been able to do it justice)

2. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Last year I read When Breath Becomes Air and since then I started taking this blog more seriously. It made me understand the true power of the written word. This is a memoir of Dr. Kalanithi, he positively impacted lives while he lived and continues to do so posthumously with this book.

3. Ministry of Utmost Happiness  by Artundhati Roy

This was my most anticipated book of the year. Roy’s writing is so poignant. One of the central characters in the book is Anjum a hijra (eunuch). It was the first time I had read a book written from their perspective, we see them on the roads in my country all the time, begging for alms. After reading this book I will not look at them the same way. I will see them more as people with complicated lives and so much to contribute.

4. Into The Water- Paula Hawkins

A fast paced mystery, was an enjoyable read. The main idea I took away from this book was that sometimes fear of shame overshadows all reasonable thoughts and rational behavior. Hawkins’s characters development is very powerful, and there are plenty of characters in this one. The plot will not give away the mystery and keep you guessing until the very end.

 

5. Exit West- Mohsin Hamid

This would be my book recommendation to most of my friends who live in the developed world, it will give you an entirely new perspective on immigration. Specially war torn nations that had perfectly normal lives until the turmoil caused by political agendas.  Hamid’s style of writing is very straightforward yet delivers a message  very pertinent for these times.

 

Have you read any of these books? Do pick them up on your next visit to the library or bookstore or website, wherever you get your fix from. Do leave your feedback in comments on how these books resonated with you.