#BookReview: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In March, before I got my library card made, I could only read in the library so I picked some very short books to finish in 1-2 hours. It started with The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. This made me explore more books that are about book or reading and I came across "People of the book" multiple times but I never picked it.

A few months later, this book was mentioned and discussed again in the book "End of Life Book Club" and this time I decided that there were enough signs now for me to read it. Luckily I found the audiobook easily and over the last whole month, I finished the book.

People of the Book is the story of Haggadah (Jewish prayer book used during the festival of Passover) which celebrates the freedom of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. In particular, this book is about Sarajevo Haggadah which is an illustrated text of the Passover Haggadah. It is a fictionalized version of various "people" and places this manuscript traveled in its life till it finally resurfaces and is put up for display in a museum in Bosnia in 2002.

The book starts with the discovery and analysis of the manuscript for conservation. The different stuff captured during this take us down the history of the manuscript and how these things - a bloodstain, hair, wing of a butterfly, etc become a part of the book. The book alternates between the present as seen through the eyes of conservator Hanna Heath and the past as narrated by the person associated with the manuscript. With each passing month in the search of the truth in the present, we go more and more deeper into the story of the manuscript and the people responsible for creating and preserving the same.

When I began reading this, I had a doubt that my ignorance on the history of the place and the religion might be a hindrance in enjoying the book but it was actually a nudge for me to read about the manuscript and the history of the conflicts later in a more factual account. The fictional version piqued my interest and made me connect to the journey of the manuscript through centuries. Along with the book's story , the reader learns the art of creating such manuscripts , of preservation and the importance of these in telling the stories of older generations.

The book also has amazing characters who give this story a distinct turn and mood in different chapters. The structuring of the story works like a mystery book and keeps the reader engaged.

This is one of the best reads for me in this year and I loved reading about this book and the ways books have carried voices of hope and learning for all, across the years and religions and places.


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From #WeOnlyTalkBooks Episode 2 : Books about books & reading

Cross Posted from Episode 2 : Books about books & reading

We are back with the second episode where we talk about some books about Books & reading and some special focus on the book - End of Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe.

( More on the blog linked above)

Review: The Library Book by Susan Orlean

The Library Book by Susan Orlean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"In total, four hundred thousand books in Central Library were destroyed in the fire. An additional seven hundred thousand were badly damaged by either smoke or water or, in many cases, both. The number of books destroyed or spoiled was equal to the entirety of fifteen typical branch libraries. It was the greatest loss to any public library in the history of the United States.” 

The Library Book, tells the story of the fire in April of 1986 that damaged or destroyed more than one million books in Los Angeles' Central Library.  It is a sad account to read in the beginning as the author catalogs all that is lost in the fire - the manuscripts , the first editions , the music, and the theater plays recorded in the library that are lost forever. But as I read the book, it also shows the power of books to bring people together and to make a real difference. The book starts with the author first listening about the fire on a tour of the library and she then starts reading more about it. So we get to read about a usual day at the library and what happened on the day of the incident. We get to know of the prime suspect in this case and how the case finally ends. 

The book goes into many tangents - how libraries are run, history of the LA library, its prominent librarians and their contributions to the library, different times when the books were destroyed and burnt as acts of terror or attempt to prove one culture's power over the other. It is like a collection of stories that revolve around books, reading and the growth of LA library from its inception to where it stands today. Along with all this, we also witness some historical lessons and how all systems stand on the shoulders of visionaries who have toiled to make the world a little better. Some of the librarians were inspiring and I felt my admiration for them grow immensely.  

The book might get a little boring in places but then the very next chapter hooks you back to the story. It is not a casual read but it will definitely interest many readers who like to read about books and reading. I had only heard of libraries as a place where we could find books to borrow but before coming to Canada, I never knew what a heaven the library system in Western countries is and how it is a safe community space for all - readers or not.  This book has made me more resolute to build something similar one day in India - even if it starts with a personal library first. 

Here is a youtube video on this fire and the events after that transpired. 

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Review: The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of the author and his mother Mary who is diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. While visiting the hospital for various rounds of treatment, he asks her what she is reading at the time and thus starts this book club where they discuss books read before , exchange more books and after a while even read same books to discuss as and when they talk. So this book is also a collection of all the books, their discussions, and their life stories. It is a wonderful book and though I did not keep track of the books they talked about, I learned so much about life lessons, human bonds and how stories help make things happen.

My favorite lesson from the book was that one must never stop asking about other's stories and also share the word about a good cause you believe in. You never know when you might find help or be able to provide help to someone. Then there is a point where the author asks his mother how to help and how to know you are doing enough to which his mother says, when you want to know more about the world and how to help - You Read.  At every other turn, Mary shows how books are the ultimate safe haven for everyone and also the only way we can know how to be better.

This book inspired me to work harder, read better and help more and more people in every little way and most importantly, to be kind and to always show my love and respect when I have time. I liked the book so much that I gifted it to friends and have bought my own copy so I can mark my favorite passages in the book.

Some quotes from the book -

“This, I finally realized, was how Mom was able to focus when I was not. It was how she was able to be present with me, present with the people at a benefit or the hospital. She felt whatever emotions she felt, but feeling was never a useful substitute for doing, and she never let the former get in the way of the latter. If anything, she used her emotions to motivate her and help her concentrate. The emphasis for her was always on doing what needed to be done."

“How can you be lonely, Mom said, when there are always people who want to share their stories with you, to tell you about their lives and families and dreams and plans?”

Mom talked to everyone and had no hesitation approaching people who were crying, in pain, or in distress. (“If they don’t want to talk, they’ll tell you so, but how can you ignore them?”)”


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#BookReview: I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel

I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This year, I accidentally picked The uncommon reader from my library on my first ever visit. This book then led me to explore more books in the genre - Books about Books/reading. And surprisingly the second book I picked was "I'd rather be Reading" I was vaguely aware of Anne Bogel's name but I had not matched it to her very famous podcast - What should I read next till I started reading the book.

This book was like a trip down memory lane - through Anne's life in reading and surrounded with books, I traced my own as I read through each chapter.

From the time books come into a reader's life , to early influences on the reading habits , managing to get hands on the books within your small town (for me) or within your pocket money , exploring new genre, reading classics and to actually like them, passing the love for reading to others (friends in my case, kids for Anne),  Book Clubs, book twins, book meets and dilemma of not liking a popular book - Anne wrote about it all in a warm, loving yet really fun way. I really can not think of any aspect of the reader's life that Anne missed writing about.

Though the concept of the library was unknown/starkly different from my imagination until I moved to Canada, knowing about it and reading about it in her book gives me a goal to have a library someday that can boast of introducing literature to some young ones and inspire this blessed habit.

I am also glad of the names of books added in the end, of the ones that were referenced within the different chapters. The book is a delight to read. It is what it is - a reader's life. There is nothing too flashy about it or a message to readers. It just feels more like a guide to non-readers how readers operate in the world. And we are sure, a little crazy bunch! This book describes us perfectly.



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