Inane Murtaza

Title - Swimming in the Dark Author - Tomasz Jedrowski Genre - Coming of Age , LGBT I had first come across this book when I was checking out a certain article on Goodreads and it was recommended one of the books to be read this year. A book that calls itself 'Call Me by Your Name' set in communist Poland attracted my attention instantly and when I got the opportunity to pick up the same, I did not hesitate and here is my take on it. Swimming in the Dark is the story of Ludwick Glowacki who is on his way to an agricultural camp before he is to graduate university. He comes across Janusz and after a few initial hesitating moments, they hit off with one another. Yet life ain't beds and roses for them when they return back to the city of Warsaw and have to deal with the politics and the dilemma on what is future going to hold for them. You can't make people love the way you want them to. Having seen the various places in Poland and literally experienced them f...

Title : Such a Fun Age Author : Kiley Reid Genre : Coming-of-age Fiction One of the books that pretty much intrigued me as a reader this year was 'Such a Fun Age' by Kiley Reid. With features in almost every list of books coming out in 2020, this one promised a captivating and fun ride alongside exploring the pretty serious issue of racism towards black people. So, picking up as one of the first books this year, here is my take on this interesting book. Such A Fun Age is the story revolving around two characters whose lives have intertwined with each other in a very interesting situation. Alix Chamberlain is someone who is portrayed as a woman who gets what she seeks. A mother to two, one of which is being taken care by Emira Tucker, a black woman who is one day confronted by a random woman at supermarket and is accused of kidnapping. A bystander who shoots the entire incident is now an important part of Emira who years back had crossed ways with Alix as well and the lives co...

Title - Suncatcher Author - Romesh Gunesekara Genre - Coming of Age Historical Fiction So this is my first venture with a book based in Sri Lanka and I must say this was pretty impressive. Most of the coming of age books that I have come across these days had been revolving around fantasy but hardly I have come across books that even revolves around the political turmoil in the country and Suncatcher is one of them. 'Suncatcher' by Romesh Gunesekara  is a story of bonding and friendship between two young boys Jay and Kairo during the year 1964 when Sri Lanka was under troubled times. The two of them are as different from one another as Chalk and Cheese and yet are bonded with each other as glue and paper. Jay, a born naturalist loves birds and fishes and dreams of a natural home for the birds across the country. Kairo, an introvert kid, has his life changed and his thoughts expanded when he meets Jay. This coming of age story talks about their evolving friendship and...

Title - The Truants Author - Kate Weinberg Genre - Coming of Age Fiction Agatha Christie has always been one of my most favourite mystery authors and her books have always been my first recommendation to people who are looking for books in the genre.So when I found out the book 'The Truants' is a book where the plot involves Christie's book, I didn't hesitate even once to pick it up and here is my take on the same. The Truants is a story mainly revolving around three people. Jess, Alec (Jess's friends boyfriend) and Lorna. Jess arrives at the university mainly bcoz she is in awe with Lorna and wants to take her classes. Though initially disappointed with the course she was enrolled in (Agatha Christie's course) she makes her way to one of Lorna's favorite student. A twist in tale involving them all puts their life upside down and what happens next forms the rest of the story. While the book was pretty intriguing, you do keep going chapte...

Astra - The Quest for Starsong by Aditya Mukherjee, Arnav Mukherjee The world should burn . . . burn like a star! Blurb (From Amazon): The balance of the world is askew. The winds speak of a terror from the south. Ravana, the Lord of Lanka, is on the march. Seers whisper that he has awakened Starsong, a mythical astra of the gods. And that he thirsts for this weapon that will make him invincible. But there is one thing that he hasn't considered. Up high in the glistening tower of the city of Ulka is a boy, held captive. Today is the day Varkan, the young prince of Ashmaka, will taste freedom. Today is the day he will lay claim to his destiny as the wielder of Starsong. And along the way, perhaps he will change the destiny of the world itself. My Take on the Book: Off late we have seen a lot of books based on the Hindu Mythology and each one is unique in its own way. Though the base of each story is always the same, what makes a book apart is the narrative that takes its c...