Artika’s 5 for 2014
Artika Bakshi is the co-manager of thegoodbookcorner.com. An avid reader, Artika writes for various blogs on diverse topics. She runs a Facebook book club , Book Lover’s Retreat, with a membership base of over 400 members. Her passion for reading has led her to helping other writers with their manuscripts. Artika is also working on her own historical fiction manuscript.
Here are Artika’s Top 5 for 2014
“The ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive”- Malcolm X
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler-This book is all about relationships and how every action, no matter how minuscule, leaves an impression. It was a complete package with dry wit, suspense and drama and I am glad that I picked it up when I did. I was on a total brain alert trying to guess what would happen next. The two days that I took to read this book, I was Rosemary. Definitely worth losing sleep over.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt– It was on the New York Times bestseller list and a Google search on The Goldfinch, a painting by Carel Fabritius, piqued my interest. The book did not disappoint. Theo as a character was strong enough to take me through the whole experience and keep me engrossed. With it’s Dickensian appeal, the book, even though long, kept me intrigued as to what would happen to Theo and his painting.
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton– For a history buff, reading The Luminaries was like watching a period drama unfolding right in front of the eyes. New Zealand was not a much read about country for me and that made me grab this book. And the fact that it had won the prestigious Man Booker Prize for 2013. I loved the in-depth research and the way each character was given his/her prominent place, without being overshadowed by the other.
The Lowlands by Jhumpa Lahiri– Jhumpa’s engaging style is the reason this book is in my top 5 for 2014. Her prose and research is flawless and Lahiri is an expert in presenting her characters in a life like and believable form. I loved the book and the subtle way in which it presented the complexities of life.
Necropolis by Avtar Singh– Yes, Avtar Singh is a cousin and I am partially inclined towards the book. But my credibility stays intact because the book is actually a very intriguing thriller with a bit of history and noir fantasy woven intricately into it. For Dilli walas it is a sheer delight as one can identify with the madness everyone loves about Apni Dilli.
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It’s not really those Favourite Five on Artikas list I’m talking about but rather her/your review in Sri Lankan Daily Mirror from September 30th which ‘re’-introduces Dinah Jefferies ‘The Tea Planter’s Wife’.
Being (a foreign) tea planter’s wife in Sri Lanka myself, I’d be thrilled to get a chance of being taken to those magical years in Old Ceylon of the 20’s & 30’s!
Thirty five years ago as I left the ‘Modern West’ entering my life on the ‘upcountry’ Tea Estates, I already felt having got an unique chance of turning the time back into the past – for almost a century!
Still I regretted not having been in Ceylon fifty years earlier although -in the luxurious loneliness of a large plantation- it was possible to make believe living in the past…
I cannot wait getting my hands (&eyes) on ‘The Tea Planter’s Wife’! The book holds much promise for another Planter’s Wife! Where can it be obtained from?
Many thanks for the review and, very specially, for the re-discovery of this book! There still are treasures hidden in the moth eaten libraries of many an old Club House waiting to be found!
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Thanks for your lovely comment. The book has not been launched as yet in Sri Lanka and can be ordered online at Amazon. I know Barefoot Book Shop was planning to get some down. Happy Reading!!!
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Also this book is a new publication. 😊
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