What I Talk About When I Talk About My Favourite Fiction Books

and some notes on my favourite fiction books

I have always loved talking to people about the books of fiction they love reading.

It is fascinating to observe and listen to what part people choose to focus on when they share their experience of reading a book of fiction.

Isn’t it wonderful that every person can take something different from a book of fiction because of their unique life experience and past associations with the themes explored through the characters lives in this book.

Why do I read fiction?

I graduated with a under graduate degree in English Literature in 2017. I should have a good answer to this question. The title of this essay is also a reference to two writers of books of fiction (you know if you know). But after talking to some close friends I realized that there is no good answer to this question. Everyone will have their own answer and reading fiction can serve different purposes at different points in your life. Here is an attempt to share the first thoughts that come to my mind when I saw this question,

I am damn curious about other human beings. I want to know why humans feel happy. I want to know why humans feel sad. I want to know how humans process grief and death. I want to know how humans deal with fame, wealth and power. Fiction has some pretty cool answers to these basic curiosities at the back of my mind.

I am curious about how people live, coexist and find meaning in their lives in different corners of the world. There is no better entry point than fiction because you can read about life in that context from the perspective of a character that has lived their for a really long time.

I also want to understand how people navigate different stages of their life. How do you navigate being a parent? How do you navigate taking care of an aged parent? How do you navigate moving to a new country? How do you navigate heartbreak in your 40s? How do you navigate divorce in your 20s? How do you navigate a life threatening health diagnosis at any point of your life? Fiction gives you real and messy answers to these questions.

I love reading about the lives of people in different historical eras. I love reading about the lives of people in new fascinating science fiction worlds. I love learning about a single family’s life told over several decades. I love reading about a childhood friendship that is rekindled in later adulthood. There are so many benefits of reading fiction as a human being but these quotes by two of my favourite writers always come back to me when someone asks me about the benefits of reading fiction,

“I suppose that is one of the purposes of all reading. It helps you live lives beyond the one you are inside.” — Matt Haig

“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”— Jhumpha Lahiri

If you have a reader friend then please ask them this question the next time you meet them. I promise you it will be a fun discussion

Why do you read fiction? How has it shaped your perspective on life over time?

Recommendations and Book Thoughts

In the rest of this piece I am just going to share raw notes and thoughts about ten books of fiction I have loved reading. These are things I would tell a close friend or fellow reader when they asked me for a book recommendation. These are my favourite kinds of conversations. I have added a link to the Goodreads page of the book where you find other reviews, quotes and discussions related to the book. I end each recommendation with a quote from the book.

I hope you leave this piece with one or two books you are excited to read.

The Education of Yuri by Jerry Pinto

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about growing up in Mumbai as a teenager in the 1980s.

What I loved about this book?

I was rooting for the main character Yuri throughout this book. It is hard to read this novel and not reflect back on your own time in college. It got me thinking about my friends in college, my professors in college, my first love, my first job, college exams and specific areas in the cities of Mumbai. There are two reasons I love this book:

Number 1 - Yuri goes through several transformations because of what he experiences through the time duration of this book. He finds and loses love. He struggles financially. He chooses and changes his path of studies. He finds work to make ends meet for him and his family. He observes societal constructs and divisions based on caste, class and gender. By the end of the book he slowly comes to accept life with its many complexities. I love how the book portrays a diverse set of relationships that Yuri develops through his time at college. Some friends help him study and some friends help him explore the city. Both sets of friends come and go. The good times and bad times come and go. By the end of the book, Yuri begins to develop a sense of an identity and understands the values that that will guide his thinking in the years to come.

Number 2 - Jerry Pinto really knows Bombay and he brought the city to life through the many hyper local references spread across this book. That was my other favourite part of this book apart from observing Yuri’s journey. I found references to my mother’s college, my grandfather’s workplace and my own college. I have heard Jerry speak and share his thoughts on many occasions. He is a dedicated writer and has spent several years translating books and covering journalistic stories of the city. He also teaches at a college in the city. I feel this rootedness in so many of these Mumbai/Bombay subcultures gave him a special vantage point to build the setting of this novel. Definitely one of the great Bombay books!

Thus if you are looking for a good bildungsroman novel about growing up in the 1980’s in India then you have to read this book. If you stay in Mumbai or any other large Indian city or are curious about it then you also should read this book. Here is my favourite quote from the book from the book jacket,

“We are born alone and we die alone. In between, we reach out to other people.”

The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about how partition affected families across the border.

What I loved about this book?

Samir Vij is born in a family of perfumers. Firdaus Khan is born in a family of calligraphers. They grew up together in pre partition Lahore and fell in love with each other in their late teens. The partition led to their separation and devastating consequences for both families. They move on with their lives but never forget their love for each other.

The best part of this book was the extended sensual descriptions of the different kinds of scents created in the atelier or perfume shop of Vivek and Samir’s family. I wish the same attention was paid to the calligrapher’s trade. The story did seem a bit one sided and focused more on Samir’s version of what happened and the trauma he carried over time.

This book is an ode to the many years of effort that tradespeople put into mastering a craft that benefits other human beings. They are several pages and chapters dedicated to the idea of learning a trade and the relationship between an expert craftsperson and student craftsperson.

I kept listening to two songs while reading this book. The first song was, ‘Do Pal’ from the film ‘Veer Zaara from India. The second song was, ‘O Yaara’ by Abdul Hannan from Pakistan. Both songs talk about a love story affected by partition and the division of two countries. This book is also really difficult to read because you see how war and political developments can lead to so much violence and crime. It shows you how policies made at the top of a country can affect people in the smallest cities and villages of a country over time.

This is also a romantic saga told over several generations of two families. By the end you do become a bit of a romantic yourself. This would also make a great movie! I’d love to see Firdaus and Samir come to life on screen. Here a quote from page 429 that summarizes what this book was really about for me as a reader,

“Love and other intangible things that are passed down from generation to generation, like memory or myth. Things that are not eclipsed by life or death. Everlasting Things.” — Samir Vij to Samir Khan

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about chosen families and the idea of loving relationships beyond family and romantic partners.

What I loved about this book?

The book is about a platonic relationship between a young 20 something Vietnamese American man and an 80 year old Lithuanian American woman. Both have hit walls in their lives and decide to navigate some parts of it together going ahead. It was hard to see the physical and mental pain these two main characters go through and how they deal with life afterwards.

They both have a traumatic past and lots of inter generational trauma that they carry with them. But you see them navigate relationships with loved ones and work colleagues with that heavy baggage. And somehow their idiosyncrasies seem to make sense to you in a weird sort of way.

It is a book about people we normally see on the margins. It is a book about kindness when you do not have a reason to be kind. It is a book about second chances. It is a book about friendship, work, mental health, grief, immigration, race, aging and love. It is a book that made me cry (several times). My favourite quote from this book was,

“The hardest thing in the world is to live only once. But it’s beautiful here, even the ghosts agree.”

The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about how humans behave when they interact with a super intelligent alien species).

What I loved about this book?

I have not read hard science fiction before. But this was quite engrossing. I liked the larger world building of describing life on a planet that is surround by three suns and the problems faced by them. The author used the device of a video game to make the 3 body problem more understandable for the reader. You were almost discovering the same concept through multiple perspectives.

I found that fascinating. It also delves into a bit of history from the Chinese perspective and how the psychology of a scientist can be sub consciously and consciously shaped by the social and cultural forces in power at the time of their studies.

It also delved into the Dark Forest Hypothesis in a creative way and this hypothesis suggests that advanced civilizations might intentionally avoid contact with others due to the potential for hostile encounters, hiding within a “dark forest” of the universe. It is part of a three part series.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone that is interested in science, research and world building. My favourite quote from this book was,

“A society with such advanced science must also have more advanced moral standards.”

All Fours by Miranda July

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about life in your 40s from a women’s perspective.

What I loved about this book?

This is a book about menopause, motherhood and a mid life crisis like no other. The protagonist is hitting her mid 40’s and is frustrated with her relationships and work assignments. She plans a road trip to change things up. The road trip does change things up. Just not in the way she initially planned.

The narrative voice is raw, brutal and beautifully vulnerable. It is almost like her thoughts are talking and you get access to them as a reader. It also looks at the day to day realities of being in a long term relationship and being a parent and how the pressures of these two responsibilities can change you over time as a person.

There were several parts of this novel where I was like, “Did she really do that?” And then I realized that it wasn’t that big a deal really. Infidelity is also dealt with in a very sensitive and honest way in this book. If you are looking for a novel about the life of a lady navigating her 40’s and coming to terms with the many ups and downs of it then please do pick this book up. It is a rollercoaster ride you will really enjoy. My favourite quote from this book was,

“All of the hormones that made me want to seem approachable so I could breed are gone and replaced by hormones that are fiercely protective of my autonomy and freedom”

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about how to make sense of life when you do not have work and long term relationships to fall back on

What I loved about this book?

This took me some time to really enjoy as a reader. Once you understand the gravity of what Ruth, Kathy and Tommy are going through then you really root for them and want them to find joy in what little life they have left. I think what is beautiful in this book is what is left unsaid and the questions it provokes.

How do you live your life if you have no family life to fall back on or no work life to look forward to in the long run? How do humans find meaning when they know that the end is near? How do you relate to other people when you have no control over your future? I also love how the role of art has been discussed in this book.

The three main characters constantly turn to art to make meaning of their life and to create artifacts that prove that they were here and existed. They also use art to help them understand accepted social norms and social behaviours. Finally they use art to convince the former school heads that they deserve to live a bit longer. It is a beautiful book and I am glad I stayed with it till the end. My favourite quote from this book was,

“Memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don’t go along with that. The memories I value most, I don’t ever see them fading.”

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about how an octopus and a human being can hold space for each other.

What I loved about this book?

Sometimes you find books with three lovable characters. This was one of them.

Tova is an older 70-year-old woman who works as a night janitor at the Sowell Bay Aquarium who is coming to terms with the sudden disappearance of a loved one. Her independence, her dedication to her work and her ability to remain kind in most situations inspire me.

Cameron is a younger 30 something male who has just been fired from a job and ended his last relationship. He now wants to explore the mystery behind his birth and his missing mother. He continues to remain optimistic even as he struggles through daily life as an adult. He is open to meeting new people and is a supportive colleague and friend.

Marcellus is the most lovable character in this book. He is a large giant pacific octopus that has been caged and trapped in an aquarium. His observations about human behaviour are original and unique. It made me look at myself from that perspective. It also made me question the sillier tendencies of being human that we do not always completely acknowledge.

Pelt’s prose is clear and her ability to create and describe characters and their journeys over time is really enjoyable to read and explore. She writes in the voice and tone of a character and it did not ever seem like there was one narrative voice in this book. It is one of the few fiction books I have read that shows you how to tell a story from the perspective of multiple view points without giving preference to one perspective.

For me this is a book about how you come to terms with loss. Loss from the perspective of a parent. Loss from the perspective of a child. Loss from the perspective of a an octopus. Sometimes we use the lens of loss to process everything we experience in the future. We long for the love and acceptance we received from someone we lost or something we loved doing in the past. Along the way you learn that life goes on. Even with the most tragic losses. Life goes on. As friends all we can do in that moment is provide some comfort and perspective of how we navigated loss and how things will slowly get better. But in that moment that loss will be difficult.
Sometimes you don’t need advice. You just need someone to sit with you for some time as you navigate the difficult moments in your life. My favourite quote from this book was,

“Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.”

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about magic and second chances.

What I loved about this book?

“I suppose that is one of the purposes of all reading. It helps you live lives beyond the one you are inside.”

I love being in Matt Haig’s head. He is kind and has an empathetic eye. His characters are often struggling through life’s challenges and trying to find meaning in the same. In this book, Grace Winters is a 72-year-old retired math teacher who has just been gifted a shabby house on a Mediterranean island from Christina long-ago colleague who has passed away. She has lost loved ones and has lost hope about what remaining life she has. However she decided to take the trip to Ibiza and that changes her life in this book. Here are some themes or ideas in this book:

1) Protecting the Environment - It is important to understand the limited resources we have on our planet. The book is like a love letter to the planet reminding us that we have no where else to live and must reduce the environmental impact of human development.

2) Travel and how it builds perspective - When you visit a new place, you meet new people, who have new ways of looking at the world. These trips can really help you get out of a rut and change your perspective on the world. We all have some large patterns that govern our lives. But we also face unique challenges in each of our lives. Learning about other people can help you better understand your own journey and the strength you have within to navigate life’s biggest problems. Travels reminds us that:

“Life sings and blazes. Even when we are numb to it, when we hide from it, when it is too loud and painful to experience, when we aren’t equipped to feel it – it is there, waiting, to be cherished and protected, ready to give us at least one more blast of beauty before the night.”

3) Understanding People for who they are - We all were once innocent children with hopes and dreams for the world. Life experiences toughen us up. But we still have that innocent child looking for love somewhere deep within us. Look for that in people. Look over their flaws to that innocent child deep within them. Here is a beautiful quote on understanding from the book

“People say that love is rare. I am not so sure. What is rare is something even more desirable. Understanding. There is no point in being loved if you are not understood. They are simply loving an idea of you they have in their mind. They are in love with love. They are in love with their loving. To be understood. And not only that, but to be understood and appreciated once understood. That is what matters.”

The Namesake by Jhumpha Lahiri

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about the story of an Indian and Bengali family’s immigration to the US in 1960’s.

What I loved about reading this book?

I read this book at a time in my life when I was going through some experiences that were similar to the ones the main characters experienced in this book. I recently lost my father and was a South Asian immigrant in North America. Gogol, Ashoke, Sonia and Ashima reminded me of my family and our experience building a life in the middle east.

My father immigrated in the 1970’s and then my mother moved there in the 1990’s. I was born in 1993 and my sister was born in 1990. We grew up with a steady diet of Bollywood, Indian Functions and Cricket. We visited India once every year. This kept us rooted or we believed it did.

This book helped me understand that home is the people and not the place. We identify the idea of home with memories related to the people we love and cherish. Our parents have had interesting and important lives before they became our parents. It is important to accept and acknowledge those parts of their identities as much as we accept their roles as our guardians and protectors.

Gogol was rebellious towards his parents and their beliefs at the start of the book. He slowly came to accept his parents stories as he grew older and experienced life himself as an adult. He realized that he needed to find a sense of home in himself before he can find it in the people he loves.

Ashima also develops a sense of independence and grows tremendously through this book. She moves to a new country, builds a life, starts a new career and raises two amazing children.

Ashoke strives hard to provide for his family and also presents a strong emotional front even with all the difficulties he faced and experienced as an immigrant. Each character shows nuance.

This book explored the journeys of immigrants and the lasting impact of that first journey on the next generation that calls a new country home. We all have cultural and familial roots that need to be peeled and understood if we want to make sense of our place and identity in the world. Gogol who became Nikhil demonstrated that gradual curiosity by peeling back several parts of his story that included his childhood, his parents backgrounds, his professional identity and his cultural identity. Through Nikhil’s journey we also get to reflect and think about our own identity and place in the world. My favourite quote from this book was,

“Remember that you and I made this journey together to a place where there was nowhere left to go.”

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

One Line Recommendation - This is a book about the many ways to understand religion and diverse human traditions.

What I loved about reading this book? - This book challenged me and got me thinking about religion, fictional stories and reason. In the first part of the book the protagonist explores multiple religions as a young person. He comes to appreciate the different ways humans make sense of this thing we call Life. There is Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Atheism that he explores by visiting places of worships and talking to people that run these institutions. He tells his father that he practices all these religions. In the second part of the book, the protagonist finds himself in the middle of the Pacific Ocean stranded after the ship his family was travelling on crashed. On this lifeboat he also had a sea sick tiger, an injured zebra, a tired orangutan and an aggressive hyena. He survives 100+ days in the ocean with some of these animals. His faith is challenged during this time and he often turns to religion to make sense of this horrible experience. He tells himself various fictional stories to make sense of his experience and to give him some reason to survive through this gruelling journey. In the third part we look at the main character talk about his experience out in the ocean with other humans. Everyone is confused by his stories. They want him to be reasonable. So he tells them a story that they want to hear with believable human characters. But in his mind he believes another story with animals and a magical carnivorous island. It is this story that he tells the author and it is this story the author chooses to tell us. What really happened to Pi? The book gives you two stories to believe in as a reader. The story you choose to believe in will depend on your understanding of religion, fictional stories and reason. My favourite quote from this book was,

“If you stumble about believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?”

I hope you enjoyed reading this piece on some books of fiction I loved reading and I would want to recommend to a fellow reader. Let us connect on Goodreads and continue this never ending life affirming discussion on books. Leave a comment under this post with an answer to the questions listed below,

What is one fiction book you loved reading? What did you love about reading this book?

It can also just be a comment with your scattered thoughts about this book of fiction you loved and would recommend to a fellow reader (desperate to find a new book of fiction that can move him).

Until next time,

Keep reading

Abhishek