A quirky, spellbinding collection that bibliophiles will relish.
Essays about the impact of books on a solitary life.
Pathan’s (The Reclusive Writer & Reader of Bandra, 2018, etc.) collection of essays analyzes how her favorite books and reading haunts in Mumbai shaped her into the person she is today. The 30-year-old self-described “reclusive, bookish introvert” takes readers on her journey as an inveterate reader, author, and publisher. She also weaves significant personal events into the narrative in intriguing ways. Some of the most profound essays center on a favorite book or series (Dracula, Archie comics, The Exorcist, the Tintin series, The Collected Works of A.J. Fikry, Still Alice, The Hidden Life of Trees, The Holocaust as Culture) or a genre (she loves horror, the classics, Agatha Christie’s detective novels, and Robin Cook’s medical thrillers). Some stinging essays voice her disdain for the caste system in India and global injustices; others capture her human rights advocacy (“I am Malala”; “I, Phoolan Devi”). In the essays that form the core of the book, Pathan shares the effervescent joy that she experienced when she discovered special bookshops and libraries that felt like a true home and how she met a few kindred spirits—although she unequivocally states that she prefers books to people. In one single day, she bought 106 books, she says, and she aims to read 200 books a year; they are her teachers, her parents, her friends, her muses, and, most importantly, her refuge. She recounts painful life experiences, such as incidents of street harassment and expressions of derision from her father, so often that it may make readers uncomfortable—a brilliant and subtle way of relating her despair, her anger, and her reasons for retreating into the literary world. At more than 350 pages, the collection is rather lengthy, but the prose is so kinetic that it reads much faster than many readers may expect. It comes complete with a surprise ending that, upon reflection, perhaps isn’t so surprising after all.
A quirky, spellbinding collection that bibliophiles will relish.Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2020
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 406
Publisher: Freedom with Pluralism
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
