Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga

Between the Assassinations is a series of short stories all of which take place in the fictional town of Kittur, India. The vignettes take the reader into the daily lives of the citizens.

I adored this book. It's not quite like other short stories I've read in that these ones are vaguely connected to each other, some more than others. There are a few location and character overlaps, which enhance these connections. There isn't a continuing story, but there are enough familiar references to make them seem like a cohesive unit.

If you've come looking for a happy story with a happy ending, you've going to be disappointed. Sorry for the spoiler. Like many other stories situated in India, this isn't a happy book. Many of the characters are desperate, poverty-stricken, and without hope. There are a couple of exceptions and some very funny bits, but they are few and far between. While you won't find much happiness, what you will find are some incredible stories that are wonderfully and imaginatively written.

The short stories takes the reader into the daily lives of the citizens, from the well-to-do to the destitute. They encompass many societal issues and entities: politics, corruptions, addiction, poverty, castes, and more. All in all, the book contains some really wonderful insights into Indian society as a whole. Each of the stories is unique. Some were funny, some were sad. All were equally wonderful. I loved them all.

I loved how Adiga, the author, treated the reader like a tourist and presented the stories in itinerary form as though the reader would be spending a week in the town. Very clever!

I also loved the map at the beginning of the book. It's an artist's rendition of Kittur that features the various areas that figured prominently in the stories. It allowed me to get my bearings, as if I was actually there.

I appreciated the chronology list at the back of the book, which lays out the major events in India "between the assassinations", that of Mrs. Indira Gandhi (1984) and Rajiv Gandhi (1991). As I was reading the book, I only had a very vague idea of what the title referred to. Not much (if anything) was mentioned within the stories themselves. As someone who doesn't closely follow world politics, I was thankful the author included this very informative section.

Highly recommended. I'd definitely read another book by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster for this review copy. Sorry it took me so long to get to it.

Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga, Free Press (Simon & Schuster) ©2009. ISBN 9781439152928(Hardcover), 339p.

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories is filled with tiny stories and illustrations. Each story is no longer than a few sentences and is accompanied by a tiny illustration. The whole book is "a collection of innovative crowd-sourced creative projects that pushes the limits of originality, cooperation, imagination, and inspiration."

This is such a delightful little book. It definitely has a little something for everyone. The stories and illustrations are varied in theme and style. Some of the stories are funny and light-hearted; others are serious and thought provoking. My favourite stories were:

The element of surprise wasn't allowed near the Periodic table.(page 38)

Tea Party: The hostess offered seconds, but all of the guests were stuffed. (pages 46-47)

His hands were weak and shaking from carrying far too many books from the bookshop. It was the best feeling. (pages 68-69)

I wanted to know more about the author, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and hitRECord, the group that put this book together. I knew I'd seen the author/actor before, but I couldn't place him. Finally I looked it up. As it turns out, he's that kid (now all grown up) on 3rd Rock from the Sun. He's done a lot since then, but that's where I recognized him from. I'm not much of a celebrity follower, so I was impressed that I actually knew who he was.

Anyway, I watched the whole amazing introductory video and was extremely impressed with his presentation. He came across as articulate, funny and sincere. It really got me excited about the whole project and the website. I don't know if I have the time right now to participate, but it might be something I'd do in the future. It's pretty cool. If you do anything creative and would love to collaborate with others on a project, it's definitely something you should check out.

Highly recommended. I can't wait for the next volume of Tiny Stories to come out.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit the HarperCollins website.

For more information about this project, please visit the hitRECord website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins for this review copy.

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, !tbooks (HarperCollins), ©2011. ISBN 9780062121660(Tiny Hardcover), 87p.

The Penguin Book of Crime Stories: Volume II - Selected and Introduced by Peter Robinson

The Penguin Book of Crime Stories: Volume II is a collection of short stories from crime writers around the world. Peter Robinson selected the stories and introduces the lot, which includes stories from: Ruth Rendell, John Connolly, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Sue Grafton, Reginald Hill, Dennis Richard Murphy and many more.

Every time I read a book of short stories, I'm reminded of how much I love them! When the collection consists of stories from various authors, such as this one, it's a special treat. In this book, I loved the variety of stories, characters and writing styles. I enjoyed all of them, but there were a few that really stuck out for me. Among my favourites: "Dead in the Water" by Dennis Richard Murphy (which took a page or two to get into, but was fabulous); "The Listening Room" by Robert J. Randisi; and "Triangle" by Jeffery Deaver. Also, "The Visitors' Book" by Sophie Hannah because it was so creepy. All of these were full of surprises with regards to storyline and ending.

There were two stories that I liked, but didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would. These were Maureen Jennings's "The Weeping Time" and Sue Grafton's "A Poison That Leaves No Trace". I've read books by both of these authors before and really enjoy their work, but for some reason neither of these stories stood out as favourites.

I'd really like to read more works from Jeffery Deaver, John Connolly, Reginald Hill and probably all of the other authors who were new to me. I enjoyed this book so much. I really could have read at least another dozen or so stories.

Highly recommended for mysteries lovers and those who enjoy a great short story.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit Penguin's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Penguin for this review copy.

The Penguin Book of Crime Stories: Volume II by Peter Robinson, Penguin, ©2010. ISBN 9780143172345(Trade paperback), 208p.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

Every time I read short stories, I wonder why I don’t read more of them. I love them and this book is no exception.

In Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri presents a powerful, wonderful and diverse collection of short stories featuring spectacular and believable Indian characters. The book is split into two sections. The first section features 5 separate unrelated short stories. Each one of these is superb. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be Unaccustomed Earth, which lends it’s title to the book. The second section features 3 short stories that follow two characters, Hema and Kaushik, from childhood to adulthood. While the stories are related, each can and does stand on it’s own merits. My favourite of these is Once in a Lifetime. I love the style in which it is written. It’s from Hema’s point of view and it’s as though she talking to her childhood memory of Kaushik:

I had seen you before, too many times to count, but a farewell that my family threw for yours, at our house in Inman Square, is when I begin to recall your presence in my life.

While most of the stories in this collection deal with love, it’s not just romantic love that is featured. Lahiri’s stories deal with parental love, sibling love, dating, arranged marriages and infidelity. Alcoholism or alcohol abuse is also present in a few of the stories. The stories are complex, emotional, and sometimes, despite the heavy subject matter, even a little humorous. Her characters are exceptional and I suspect that they will stay with me for a long time.

I never tire of stories about the Indian culture. It doesn’t matter if the setting is India, Europe or the West. The food, the customs and traditions, the beliefs; it is fascinating. In these stories, the characters are faced with keeping old traditions while fitting into the new world. The younger generations are usually more eager to fit in and give up old traditions, but as we soon discover, that’s not always true.

This is the second book of Lahiri’s that I’ve read. Interpreter of Maladies is also a short story collection. I remember being moved to tears by a few of the stories in that collection. I’d highly recommend it.

I hope to read many more works by Jhumpa Lahiri. She's definitely among my favourite authors.

Highly recommended.