If an Egyptian cannot speak English by Noor Naga

 "If an Egyptian cannot speak English" by Noor Naga - Something different!

This book was published by Graywolf Pr in 2022 and has 186 pages.  

Afer her graduation, a shaven headed American young girl of Egyptian origin comes to Egypt. She is a foreigner in her own land. She befriends Samy and Reem (a lesbian), two misfits and starts teaching English at British Embassy. A man, fed up with poverty, runs away from his village in Egypt and moves to Cairo. He becomes a drug addict photographer. Expectedly, they meet.

What happens next? Will they become friends or enemies? Will the two opposite cultures clash? How will it end?

Title of every chapter of this book is a question. The questions are very intelligent and make you think. For example: If you play to lose, what do you win if you win? Is a country boy trading country stories for city stories from city girl, being ripped off? If a city is trying to kill you actively, should you take it personally? Is it arrogant to grieve the loss of something you never had? If the beast is already in your house, does that make the wilderness safer?

The boy and girl have no names. They get introduced, struck up, start living together, bliss, relationship turning toxic The story is nostalgic, cryptic, surreal at the same time.

It's a slow story. Not much happens. It's a story of Conflict between haves and have nots, suffering and comfort, Egyptian and foreign culture, orthodox and liberal.

The book ends with a book club discussion of the memoirs of the girl where the girl participates. This discussion provides the readers multiple possible ending reader choose whatever they want.

It's a different kind of book.

Why I read this book? Curious title.

What did I like? Something different.  

What didn’t like? Place is slow.

Read if you liked the review.

Those horrific 15 days by Vilas Vare

"Those horrific 15 days" by Vilas Vare. Translated from Marathi to English by Prof. Vikram Apte- COVID days!

This book is published by Scion publications in 2025 and has 254 pages. 

Deshmukh, co-editor of ‘The Janaswarajya’ is detected with Corona during second wave and is admitted to ‘Girija Mata Hospital’ for Covid patients. The hospital is run by an honest politician, Lankeshwar. Author spends 15 days in the hospital ward and meets other patients, people from various walks of life.

Who will he meet? How many will survive? Will the author survive? What happens in those horrific 15 days?

It’s an interesting collection of characters. Nilesh is true social worker. Selfless. Interested in service of downtrodden. Digambar is a Varkari. Dada Karnik, a Brahmin by profession who has a change of heart. Ahmed sells chai at vari going to Pandharpur. Tarachand is a teacher and a poet.  Madhu is the idealist school teacher. Akshay is a Tamasha artist.  There is an aboriginal graduate youth, who works on daily wages. Author Deshmukh, the journalist who fights for people and has left many jobs because he refused to compromise. Then, there are characters like Sadhana and Vidya, who author never meets. Also, there is Sister Jagdale, Ward boy Ithape, two doctors etc. 

Author takes us through the story of each patient. His life, aspirations, emotions, sorrows and suffering. Author has collected a good set of characters from all strata of society and life. None of them is rich or well off. Each one has a life story to tell. The common thread binding them is their sorrow and suffering exacerbated by corona. It’s the central theme of this book. 

One by one the patients leave either due to death or because they are cured, leaving author alone for one night. When the author is alone, there is a free flow of thoughts. Although they are free flowing thoughts of the character of the journalist, author should have written it in a more structured manner. Instead, it’s messy. It’s full of contradictions, oxymorons, jumps from one subject to another and irrationalism. In one paragraph he is extremely critical of government and in next he praises them. In one para he rants about not having enough vaccines, in the next he praises for the vaccine production. By the time you are aligned with authors way of thinking he has jumped to another line of thinking. Agreed that these are the thoughts of author and need not be orderly. But there should be some semblance of order for the readers to follow them. This last section is messy and unorganized. He is all over the place. Or may be it was by design. 

It’s a good book. You keep reading. 

Author Vilas Vare is known for writing books that address social issues and highlight the sorrows and suffering of the affected people. His books, however, are not dark or dystopian. They are realistic with a ray of hope. That is his USP! Author has done huge social work in his real life and real life experiences make his story telling authentic and honest.

Translator has remained true to his role. He has translated what was written rather than trying to improve it or tweak it.

Why did I read this book? Interesting and current topic. 

What I didn't like? The last section.  

What did I like? The characters. 

Recommend reading.

Disclosure: The translator is my father. 

Oath of loyalty by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills

 "Oath of loyalty" by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills - Mitch Rapp continues! 

This book is published by Simon and Shuster in 2022 and has 368 pages. This is Book 21 of Mitch Rapp series.

The situation between Mitch Rapp, the most successful CIA operative and assassin and Anthony Cook, the President of USA has worsened beyond repair. Mike Nash, Friend of Mitch and Irene tries to entrap Rapp with an intention to kill, but Rapp turns the table forcing Mike to commit suicide. A special operations team storms Rapp's Home with an intention to eliminate him, but Rapp escapes. Irene Kennedy is unceremoniously sacked from position of Director of CIA and replaced by Cook loyalist. 

Why does Cook want Rapp eliminated? What will he do to get it done? Who will Irene side with? Will Cook succeed? Is it good for America?

Now the fight is not for the country. It's personal. To take on the most powerful man on earth is no small feat. Rapp takes a series of measures to safeguard himself and his family. But a new threat emerges as soon as previous one is neutralized.

Rapp has aged but he is still angry and trigger happy. But he is also thinking of avoiding conflict and living peacefully. It's a yin-yang within him. Irene is still in control of what she does and reads the situation better than anyone else.

Book ends with resolution of the conflict but the story will continue. The end is unconvincing.

Why I read this book? Author.

What did I like? The planning.  

What didn’t like? Relatively easy capitulation.

Read only if you are reading the series!

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

 "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom - A teacher to the last ! 

This book is published by Sphere in 1998 and has 208 pages.

Morrie Schwartz, a professor and Doctor of Psychology was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), an unforgiving illness of neurological system. Morrie knows that he is dying, but rather than cutting himself off from the world, he decides to meet and interact with people and live life.

The decease also changes his view. He was always empathetic but he becomes even more so. When you know that you are dying one either becomes agitated with ‘why me’ or one becomes stoic. But Morrie doesn’t.

His indefatigable nature is something else. He feels sorry for himself for about ten minutes every morning. He sees the positive side in the illness that he gets more time to say his goodbyes.

The collectible sentences from this book:

1. Everyone knows they are going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.
2. Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.
3. There is a big confusion in this country over what we want and what we need.
4. I meet people who wanted to gobble up something new. There were people so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were expecting material things expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works.
5. You know what really gives you satisfaction? Offering others what you have to give.
6. Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone.

The book is written in a no frills style.

It covers diverse and important topics like The world, Feeling sorry for yourself, Regrets, Death, Family, Emotions, The fear of aging, Money, How love goes on, Marriage, Our culture, Forgiveness, The perfect day etc.

Author uses O. J. Simpson trial, that had hooked-up everyone to TV at that time, as a counter point to what Morrie was narrating as his life lessons.

This book is a tribute by a student to his teacher and a trove of invaluable advice.

Why did I read this book? Gift by Nachi.

What did I like? The idea.

What I didn't like? Handling is dry.

Recommend reading. 

Way of the Rakshasa by Deepak Thomas

"Way of the Rakshasa" by Deepak Thomas - Digression from main story?

This book is published by Astra Media OPC Private Ltd in 2023 and has 378 pages. This is Book 2 of The Epic of Kautilya.

Story of Adi's birth is revealed. How his father and mother were killed by Rakshasa Prime. Kautilya comes to know how Druma and Yama saved and raised Adi. A Rakshasa approaches Adi and Kautilya and informs that his father is alive and promises to take them to Adi's father. They evade Druma, Yama, Sara and Nina and reach Lankapuram. There he finally meets his father. They reach Rakshasa lands from there.

Why did Rakshasa Prime kill Adi's father? Who killed Adi's mother? Who is Adi's father? 

This book is less about Kautilya and more about Adi, the half Rakshasa and half Demigod. In this book, Kautilya and Adi finally accept their love for each other. Adi decides to stay in Rakshasa lands but Kautilya doesn't. When Rakshasas attack Danavas in Lankapuram, Adi and his friends are on opposite sides.

This book is about Adi's identity conflict. He finds himself closer to Rakshasa, which distances him from his friends. Rakshasa Prime becomes close to him which distances him from Kautilya. On one side are people of his kind and on other side love. Kautilya and her friends are helpless. The can't fight him and they can't be with him.

This book is not as exciting as the first one. The story digresses from the story of Kautilya. The story of the throne of Bharat is sidelined. One wonders if author has overemphasized the Adi angle?

Another book is yet to be published. 

Why did I read this book? First book was good.

What did I like? Story of Adi's birth and the deception.

What I didn't like? Digression from main story.

Read if you plan to read the series, otherwise give it a miss.

Born to be King by Deepak Thomas

"Born to be King (The Epic of Kautilya)" by Deepak Thomas -  This isn't about Chanakya!

This book is published by Astra Media Opc Pvt Ltd in 2023 and has 376 pages. This is Book 1 of series 'The epic of Kautilya'.

Princess Kautilya and her 5 brothers are children of King Chandragupta Shveta, King of Bharat. They were born by offering 6 birds to the fire god and possess the qualities of the birds. They go to Guruji, complete their education and return. But something unexpected happens after their return that changes all the equations.

How was their education? What happened after their return? Why are Apes and Bears oppressed? Will Kautilya become king?

Kautilya is a strategist and has excellent memory. Hayan can hear and see any distance. Varun is adept with water. Sameer is fast as the wind. Bali is very strong. Dhanush is the crown prince and is an excellent leader.

Years ago, before Kautilya was born, humans and demigods had defeated the Rakshasa-Asura alliance. Apes and Bears once ruled Dandaka. Now Humans have captured most of it leaving only the hills in Ape control. Apes have become secondary citizens and Yama the undying has formed a squad of misfits forming a rebel force opposing human oppression.

It's a complex social system. The concept of the story is very good and execution is decent. Kautilya is a free thinker and a master strategist. How will things unfold and how will Kautilya be embroiled in it? How will the squad treat her? How will her brothers treat her? The story takes us from Kautilya's childhood to the victory in war. There are interesting characters in the story. A half demon half demigod, a demigod who doesn't remember her past, Yama who always wears mask and no one has seen his face, a Yakshi etc. Kautilya makes lifelong friends and mortal enemies.

The book ends but not the story. Kautilya lets the enemy go. Is it a mistake? Or is there another enemy in next book? Book 2 'Way of the Rakshasa' is already published.

PS - This story is not about Kautilya (कौटिल्य - Chanakya). It's about a princess named Kautilya (कौटिल्या).

Why did I read this book? Interesting title.

What I didn't like? Certain portions appeared unnecessary.

What did I like? The concept.

Recommend reading.

Yellow face by David Henry Hwang

"Yellow face" by  David Henry Hwang - Hilariously scathing!

This book is published by Theater Communications Group in 2009 and has 70 pages.

David Henry Hwang is an American Play writer of Chinese origin. He is very successful and writes satires. One day he opposes casting of a white man as a Chinese man in a play. This creates a scandal.

Later when David Henry Hwang writes a new play he has to cast a protagonist, a Chinese man. After a lot of search he identifies Markus and casts him. From his appearance he seems to have Chinese blood, but asking it would mean racism. So he doesn’t.

Is Markus Chinese? What does David Henry Wong do? How can he defend his selection? What would he do to cover up?

Well, as you have guessed, Markus has no Chinese blood. So, David Henry Wong invents using his liberal creativity. His creativity eventually comes back to haunt him. How? Read the book.

This book is hilariously scathing and depicts stereotype of Asian man in America. It has a unique writing style. It’s written in snippets and dialogues like a play. It’s a small book. That makes it crisp, short and sweet.

I liked very much the way this book ends. Author being the author takes the liberty to end the story the way he wants. But the ending is adorable. It leaves one with a question ‘Does your birth make you Chinese?’

Why did I read this book? Curious name.

What did I like? Crispiness. The end.

What I didn't like? Umm..... 

Recommend reading.