Bloomsbury

Book Reviews

99 Nights in Logar by Jamil Jan Kochai

99 Nights in Logar There are some stories that stay with you forever. Stories that have the power to move mountains inside of humans and work wonders. One such story ‘99 Nights of Logar’, had me going back to my days spent with my cousins in my Grandma’s house. Oh, what days they were! I was overcome with emotions unnamed, and hidden deep inside my heart’s many spaces. This book paved way for them – my emotions – to run amok in the very core of my being, jolting me awake to the tidbits of my deeply buried memories. Memories of me vacationing the two months of summer every year in my maternal home. Those 60 days were nothing short of an adventure to us cousins. ⁣ This book reminded me of the many tales we told sitting under the open sky at night – Even the stars, I felt listened to us in rapt fascination – though not all tales got their ending. No. Some were left halfway through, for the new ones came tumbling out of the mouths of my folks. Ahhh! Now I can only sigh in the ache of those beautiful days long gone by. Now you see, how a good story affects us, unbeknownst, creeping into our soul. ⁣ Jamil Jan Kochai’s ‘99 Nights in Logar‘ is a well-crafted tale of a 12-year-old Marwand and his adventures with his cousins in a little village of Afghanistan. But this book is more than Marwand’s story. This is also a story of Afghanistan’s past. Some beautiful and some dark.⁣ Kochai with his art of storytelling takes us on a journey to a culture that is as different as ours. He very skillfully uses various shades of characters and blends them smoothly with a narrative that is poignant and compelling and bewitching as my Grandma’s stories were. ⁣ This coming-of-age story is going to take you on a trip to the memory lane. Because memory is what it is made of.⁣ For me, it’s a 4 out of 5 stars read. .   .   .   .   . Do suggest some stories in the comments below that you think are a must… a must-read. Also, we’re sure that if you love this review, then you’re also going to love: ____ Happy Reading 🙂

Book Reviews

You must read this book at least once!

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert What do I say about this book? About the author Elizabeth Gilbert? I am just going to say one thing that I have totally become hopelessly enamored with this book and Elizabeth’s writing style. I recall Apoorv, speaking unremittingly about how ‘Eat, Pray and Love‘ is a delightfully written book and how it resonated with him; after reading the City of Girls, I do now know what he is was talking about. There is a certain smell of the term “beach read,” about this book. The story has an ephemeral quality that slowly soaks you in and devours you at its own pace. I was longing to be on the sand, with the music of gentles waves in the background, with no thoughts whatsoever in my mind. In ‘City of Girls’, the 89 yrs old protagonist Vivian Morris, recounts her life in a letter to Angela, the daughter of her only love. Along with Angela, Vivi will take us on an enchanting ride to the glamorous world of 1940s New York, where we are swept off our feet in the glittering nights and musical comedies in a crumbling theater called Lily’s Playhouse. When I started reading the book City of Girls, I felt that something was missing throughout. I did enjoy Elizabeth Gilbert’s writing, and the overall story, yet the feeling didn’t go. Then I decided to share my feelings about this book with my friend @book_gobbler. She told me that the soul of the book was there, right there in every word you read. I missed it because I did the mistake of judging the character of Vivian Morris, with the moral code of this is right and that is wrong. Hence, I decided to re-read the book, but this time without any judgment clouding my mind. I realized, that this was a tale of embracing the imperfect you, and standing for it, no matter what. Vivian, who was as imperfect as one can be, yet was comfortable in herself, and happy. Gilbert knows how to weave a story with humor and tragedy sewn onto a whimsical set of people. I loved, how I slowly transitioned with Vivi to aging timelines and grew old to be a defined woman. Furthermore, Gilbert ever so passionately and sensibly gives an element of the war and what it does to people. Kudos to Elizabeth Gilbert. Why should you read the ‘City of Girls’? Because it is worth your time and money. And I loved reading this book. It was a change I so badly needed. I say you must read the book at least once! .   .   .   .   . Have you read this book? IF yes, then do let us know in the comments, what do you think of it? Also, if you think that in any way, we can make our reviews or recommendations or articles better, then just let us know in the comments or DM us on Instagram, here.