The backlist: Of cancer journals and checklist manifestos
While it might seem odd to say that Lorde and Gawande are in conversation with each other, Lorde‘s and Gawande’s approaches to the system they critique offer parallel and sometimes intersecting perspectives. Furthermore, Lorde has something to offer Gawande. Whereas Lorde’s focus is more on the emotional journey of a patient in treatment, Gawande’s approach is far more focused on the technical aspects. I would’ve liked to have seen a little bit more emotion penetrate the clinical nature of his approach.
Book review: Imagination
Every year, rather than making resolutions that I won’t keep, I set my intention for the year by choosing a word. This year‘s word is imagination. That’s why I chose Professor Ruha Benjamin’s Imagination as my bridge book for the year—the book I started in 2024 and finished in 2025. Just over 4 hours and under 200 pages, Imagination is a thoughtful exploration of not only our own imaginations, but how our society creates collective imaginaries.
Book review: Mask of Fear
You should read this book if you:
—Love Andor and Rogue One
—Believe that all reading is political and enjoy the politics of a galaxy far, far away more than our own
—Enjoyed Obi-Wan’s detective story in Attack of the Clones
—Need some hope to get you through the darkness
A few of my favorite blogs
I have been blogging since 2012, so there’s a lot of content you may have missed. As a welcome note, I want to share some of my faves. If you have favorite blogs that aren’t on here, please comment on this post, and I will add them to the list.
Complete/Convenient explores expatriate life for India’s diaspora
This blog was originally published in 2013. Ketan’s book launch was my first in India. Britain has its Bronte sisters; now, India has its Bhagat brothers. With his debut novel, Complete/Convenient, Ketan Bhagat proves that great writing is now the family business. Complete/Convenient tells the story of two NRIs: Kabir and Myra Kapoor. They relocate […]
Book review: Train to Pakistan (1956)
In his debut novel, Train to Pakistan, Khushwant Singh writes about one fictional border community’s response to the horrors of Partition. The arrival of a trainload of dead Sikhs from Pakistan throws the peaceful residents of Mano Majra into a tailspin. Like many communities along the border, Mano Majra is an eclectic mix of Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims. Murder, dacoity, and politics change the dynamics among the residents. Will they respond to the ghost train from Pakistan by returning a ghost train of their own?
Audiobook review: The Past As Present by Romila Thapar
At first glance, a book on Indian historiography might not seem easily accessible to a general audience.
Yet, Thapar’s prose is lucid, and her tone remains conversational without losing its scholarly authority. Thapar connects arguments about the past to our present quite beautifully.
Audiobook review: My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría Hudes
This One Book book choice and its companions like the others before it reflect the diversity of this city. But it also shows how limited the resources truly are.
Audiobook review: My journey with Joyce
There’s a story about my maternal grandmother, Mom-Mom, and it goes something like this. My grandmother was always an avid reader. Despite dropping out of school at an early age (10 or so) because reasons, she was a life-long and voracious reader. Like, reading is how I remember her. Often with a Penguin Classics edition […]
Audiobook review: Work Pray Code by Carolyn Chen
In her book Work Pray Code, sociologist Carolyn Chen explores how tech firms in Silicon Valley have transformed the relationship between work and religion.