I’ve been a huge fan of Resh’s beautiful Bookstagram account, The Book Satchel for a long time now. A lover of literature since she was a child, Resh shares the misery I feel at knowing there are so many good books out there yet to be read. With a brilliantly bookish blog in which Resh documents everything from her challenge to read 30 books in 30 days to the best book subscription boxes in India, it’s one of my favourite online spaces for bookworms. I loved finding out which tales Resh chose for my Desert Island Books series, and hope you might find below a lovely literary gem to add to your reading repertoire.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Suzanna Clarke
This book gave me sleepless nights. I read it last year and stayed awake reading it beacuse it is just so good. Magic, journals, academics, making new spells, ego clashes between magicians; this book has everything.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Even though the book was published a long time ago, I read it in the recent past. The way it captivates me is unparalled. The language is exquisite, the setting lush and I savour each sentence of the novel when I read/re-read it. Definitely a book I would want on an island. Also the novel is set in my hometown which makes it even more special.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Wuthering Heights is one of my favourite classics. I love the way it transports me to the dark and dreary moors and mentally wrecks me with the pain and anguish of the characters. I have reread the book several times and each time it was a mind-wrecking experience.
The Story of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
I read Anne when she was the age that she wrote the diary. I formed an instant connection; I laughed with her and cried with her. There is more nostalgia associated with the book because I read (and re read) an old, yellowed, battered copy which was my mother’s (she read it in 1975 from the name and date inside). The old copy got misplaced from the house but Anne is still a dear to me.
The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
I am cheating a bit here by including all seven Harry Potter books. I grew up reading Harry Potter so I think I would always have a bit of home and childhood if I have the whole set.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
This book was so atmospheric that I could taste the snow and feel the cold. It had the right amount of everything – a bit of magic, an emotional storyline, lyrical prose and is overall an enchanting read.
The Wind up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Murakami’s novels make me slip into a dream like a state. I enjoy the slow, mundane activities of daily life that are described so well in his novels. I am beyond content in his long descriptions of making noodles for dinner or being lost in thoughts with a drink in hand. The Wind up Bird Chronicle is my favourite among Murakami’s books that I have read so far.
What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Leslie Nneka Arimah
I love a good short story collection and this was one of the best books of 2017. Arimah is such a talented writer which makes each of her stories varied and flavourful from each other. The collection has mix of realistic and fabulist stories.
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