As of date, I have read around 92 books in 2015. This doesn’t include the books I borrow from kuttyma and read. I started tracking my reads couple of years back and I have been consistently reading 90+ books a year. Well, I am slowing down this November as I will be doing the NaNoWriMo challenge (I am going to be writing about it soon). Hopefully I will get some reading done in December and I can wrap up the year with 100+ books read!

Here are some books I read recently

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

Bulawayo joins my favourite writer’s list. What a powerful voice! I loved reading this book. The narrator, Darling is 10 when the story begins in Zimbabwe amongst violence. Darling’s memories of her childhood are touching and achingly painful. She gets her chance to escape to America – to live a dream as she is reminded often. An immigrant’s life in America makes Darling long for Zimbabwe.

The Elephanta Suite by Paul Theroux

Three novellas are interwoven together in this book and each captures the turbulence, ambition and hardship of present-day India. It is not a perfectly, cloyingly sweet jalebi. Instead it is the golgappas you get on the street – perfectly spiced. Theroux’s portraits of the people – Indians and its numerous visitors are spot-on. It does have it’s touch of whimsy and is beautiful. I am looking forward to discover more of the author’s works.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

This is one of the more disturbing books I have read. It made my skin crawl and creep. It made me ache. It is a story of friendship. Four friends who meet in college and their lives as they move away from college. The dynamics of their friendship changes, their success and failures and of course the past touches everyday of their lives. It is a big read but definitely a haunting one.

You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine by Alexandra Kleeman

Another of those debut author’s with a story that will make you sit up. The characters are known as A, B and C. Kandy Kat – a cartoon cat that appears on TV for advertising a totally chemical dessert is another character. There is also this crazy reality show which C wants to take part in That’s My Partner! It is a book that I haven’t quite wrapped my mind around. Definitely one of those books, I will pick up someday and attempt to re-read and make sense.

The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty by Vendetta Vida

A woman travelling in Morocco, trying to run from her past in Florida loses her passport and wallet. She becomes someone else – a movie stars double and her life changes. She isn’t person she thought she was. Quite an interesting read with unexpected twists. I quite liked this one.

5 books is a monthly series featuring some of the books I read and loved recently. For more book updates and to check my current reading list, head to my Goodreads account