So You’re under corona-virus quarantine. And what are you going to do with all this newfound time other than your office work?(if any)—and lack of outside entertainment? Read, of course! I have made a list of good  books to read, which I read and found really interesting and enjoyable. 

There are people who cope with difficult times by leaning into them, but I’m not someone who wants to read a book about pandemics right now. In fact, if I had it my way, I’d never hear another word about corona virus. Seriously !

Good books to read:

My list of books don’t mention COVID-19 or quarantine at all. Of course they’re filled with romance, drama, thrilling real life experiences, but the delicious kind that will satiate your need for human contact while you responsibly social distance your way through this whole thing.

This list spans a variety of genres and themes. 

Three Thousand Stitches by Sudha Murty:

3000 stitches : By Mrs Sudha Murthy

There are very few women authors I always read, and always wait for the new arrival by them. Sudha Murthy is one of them. And among many of her books which I had read, I found Three Thousand Stitches: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives; the best.

Sudha Murty needs no introduction – in the world of social work or  writing.

Three Thousand Stitches is a collection of short stories that draw from her real life experiences. Her perspective towards life as an individual and as the chairperson of Infosys Foundation, gives incredible values to our lives too. 

Sudha Murty’s writing style is very simple and flowing. All the stories are astounding and inspirational as well.

The first story “Three Thousand Stitches” is the powerful and inspirational story that has transformed thousands of lives when Sudha Murty approached a group of devadasis. They threw chappals and tomatoes on her, when she tried to talk to them about the dangers of AIDS.  But she did not give up.

She worked hard to make them self-reliant, to help educate their children. Now, there are no temple prostitutes in Karnataka today. A great achievement due to her efforts.

I love her simplistic and equally engaging writing.

Her stories connect with you on a personal level and that, probably, is the reason why the author is loved by the readers’ community. 

The  other stories in the book are so amazing and you will find yourselves immersed in them. I can’t choose a single favorite story as all the stories are totally worth reading. 

From each story, you are going to learn something and this is the reason I love Sudha Murthy’s books. In all, this is a wonderful read , a very impressive collection of short stories! and someone who’d want to start with a non-fiction book might opt for this one. Do not miss it!

I spy, I saw her die : By C.P. Irvine

I spy, I saw her die : By C.P. Irvine

He’s an author I had not tried before. I never liked any thriller beyond Sidney Sheldon. But as soon as I finished reading  this book  by C.P.Irvine, I was looking hard at his books.

I mean it. After a long time, I read a book which was hard to put down before I reached the end. Cyber crime can get to what extent, I had never imagined. And got it after reading this book.

It’s the story of Ray Luck, a guy who is a cyber security expert. Watching into someone’s private space from   some smart networked devices is like his usual routine. And one day he accidentally stumbles upon a dreadful secret while surfing the web. And then starts the actual hunt which raises the blood pressure.

The Internet is far more dangerous than useful.

You will never know, if you are watching a movie or surfing on social media, someone on the other end might be watching you, through the web. Oh!

A gripping storyline, a thriller in the truest sense and it’s characters make a must read. I also liked the integration of in-depth subject knowledge about networking, hacking, data security etc. Looking forward to reading  the next book by Irvine.

A must read for all cyber crime readers.

The forest of enchanments by Chitra Divakaruni:

The Forest of enchantments

Mostly we all , being Indians, know Ramayana, by heart. As we are listening to it from our childhood. But we all know only one side of the story. 

Sita has her own side of the story to tell the world – “Sitayan”.  

Forest of enchantments, is a novel which gives us an insight into the life of Sita. In fact, not only Sita’s life, but also into the life of many other female characters from Ramayana. 

Unlike the original Ramayana which has been written and rewritten solely by male hands. And Sita is depicted as a hero’s wife whose only role is to wait and to be rescued and who always comes second in her husband’s life. 

But Chitra Divakaruni, has transformed Sita’s image from a meek, almost servile woman to a rebel, warrior and trailblazer.

It’s a modern-day retelling of the Ramayana, with Sita as a protagonist. Even the minor characters, like Urmila, Sunaina , Shurpnakha and even Kaikeyi come to life.

 “Write our story, too” the woman characters in the story say.

 “For always we’ve been pushed into corners, trivialized, misunderstood, blamed, forgotten – or maligned and used as cautionary tales.” 

It’s the story of an incredibly strong woman that every reader can identify with and be inspired by.

How should women be treated by their loved ones? What are their rights in a relationship? When does a woman need to stand up and say, ‘Enough!’

This novel changed the way I look at mythology. It made me look at obstacles as bridges to eternity and back. It taught me that a woman can love passionately but still retain her identity.

This is the Sitayan we should give to our daughters, that they may imbibe Sita’s strength, and even more proudly to our sons, who will learn how a woman is to be treated, and how exactly not.

Girl in room 105 by Chetan Bhagat

Girl in room 105

Chetan Bhagat, who is known for his romance genre novels, has tried his hand at a murder mystery. This murder thriller revolves around an IIT pass out guy(as usual in his books) named Keshav and his ex-girlfriend Zara (Kashmiri Muslim girl). 

Hmmmm ! you guessed it right. Hindu-Muslim love story. But here it’s little different. It’s an unlove story.

It can be predicted easily at the beginning(if you are regular CB readers). Things seemed pretty much centered on this heartbroken guy’s sad life and obsessive love. He drowns himself in alcohol and stalks his ex on social media, unable to move on, moreover she’s ignoring him. 

But then one fine day, after almost 4 years of separation, he gets an inviting message from Zara on her birthday, and then everything changes . 

That’s when the story gets really interesting. Keshav and his funny yet witty best friend Saurav’s journey to find the culprit is the best part of this novel. The protagonist stands by his belief despite his background, upbringing and environment he’s put in. 

The book keeps you guessing who is the culprit till the very end, and it is a good(not the best) roller-coaster ride with its decent plot twists. 

I got a little disappointed  at the climax but overall, it’s a simple narrative with easy language usage and what I can say it’s a one time read.

That’s it for now. It was my choice of books which I thought should be shared. I would like you to add a few in the list of good books to read so that I would add it in my online library. Currently I am reading everything on the Kindle app with a monthly subscription. There are many other apps including Google play books etc where you can read books online.

 

We all are worried as our future is unpredictable, but one thing is for sure that this too shall pass. I wish you all happy reading and enjoy  your stay at home with some amazing books.