Echoes of books

When I came across The Lottery by Shirley Jackson on Goodreads, I was immediately intrigued. I’m not usually a fan of short stories; I prefer books that allow me to sink into their worlds over several days. There’s a particular joy in the long, drawn-out suspense of wondering what happens next. Even when I’m exhausted, my eyes closing, I fight to read just one more page before sleep. Those moments of falling asleep thinking about the plot, trying to piece together what might come next, are part of the experience I love. But The Lottery felt different. It was short, concise, and self-contained. It didn’t require that same level of drawn-out anticipation, but it still left a lasting impression. I managed to listen to the audiobook during a simple walk to take my 4-year-old to school. In those 20 minutes, the entire story unfolded, and its sharp, unsettling power stayed with me long after. Unpacking the Lottery’s Tradition The lottery has been held for as long as the townspeople can rem...

The most striking aspect of The Bell Jar is its raw exploration of mental illness and societal expectations and female identity. For Esther Greenwood, her downward spiral seems to begin with her failure to gain a place in an exclusive writing program. Having tied her identity to her academic and literary success, she is left adrift when that opportunity disappears. She loses her ability to write, struggles to read anything complex, and begins to doubt her future. This leads her into a deep depression and multiple suicide attempts, ultimately landing her in a sanatorium, where she undergoes electroshock therapy. Sylvia Plath’s depiction of Esther’s suicidal thoughts and attempts is chillingly realistic and detailed, exposing the logistical considerations and even the body’s resistance to death. For example: • Esther contemplates cutting her wrists in the bath but fears someone will interrupt her before she finishes. • She tries drowning herself at the beach, but her body instinc...

  For my birthday, I gifted myself Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal. The book follows Nikki, a young British Punjabi Sikh woman raised in London. She lives alone above the pub where she works as a bartender but takes on a side job in Southall, a traditional Punjabi community. Her role is supposed to be teaching widows how to write, but due to a misunderstanding, the class transforms into storytelling sessions where these elderly women begin sharing erotic tales. At first, Nikki is taken aback by the explicit nature of the stories, but soon enough, she realizes that this storytelling is an act of empowerment. These women—mostly widows—are often invisible in their community, dismissed by others, and confined by strict expectations. Through these stories, they find their voice and a space to express themselves. What I loved most was delving into the private lives of these women—their pasts, their struggles, and how they navigate life in a community bound by hono...

  After finishing Another Bouquet , the sequel to A Bouquet of Barbed Wire , written by Andrea Newman, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was too late to the party. I wish I had read the first book to understand better the dynamics between Gavin, Manson, and Prue. Their relationships, especially how Gavin and Manson connect to Prue and to each other, would make much more sense with that backstory. Even so, Newman provides enough details to follow the plot and the drama. That said, I found myself wanting more insight into Cassie’s choices, especially her affair with Gavin. The book doesn’t go deeply into her relationship with her daughter Prue. It only hints at Cassie’s jealousy over the power Prue has over both Manson and Gavin. I was left wondering how this jealousy influenced Cassie’s decision to get involved with Gavin. The book also introduces Vicky, Gavin’s new girlfriend, who is desperate to replace Prue in Gavin’s life. She clings to him no matter how he treats her, even ac...

  Reading Bookworm by Robin Yeatman felt like stepping into a story that spoke to my heart, not because I live a life like the protagonist's, but because her passion for books mirrors my own. The book is about a woman who finds her escape in reading, only to realize that fantasies can never truly replace reality. The protagonist of Bookworm is a woman whose love for books shapes her identity. She often visits a cafe, where she immerses herself in stories, shutting out the world around her. However, at home, her marriage is far from idyllic. Her husband is overly critical, constantly nitpicking everything she does—from how she breathes while sleeping to how she handles being sick or even the clothes she chooses to wear. His control extends to her reading habits. He complains that her constant reading isolates her from the world, even going so far as to ban her from reading for two weeks, forcing her to sit and watch movies with him instead. This act of control enraged me as a read...

Sometimes, a book can be so consuming that it feels like it’s not just something you’re reading, but something you’re living. You can’t stop turning the pages, even when the story leaves you feeling uneasy or questioning everything around you. I just finished reading  Family Meal  by Bryan Washington, a book that has taken me down a dark and introspective path. It’s about a homosexual man spiraling into self-destruction after the death of his boyfriend. His life becomes a series of destructive behaviors—drug abuse, endless sexual encounters, and refusing to eat. As I readed it, I felt like I was not just observing his pain, but sharing it. There were questions that kept haunting me throughout the book: Are the eating scenes—where he does everything to eat as little as possible or even makes himself throw up—tied to his feelings? Is it his way of suppressing emotions or punishing himself for being alive? I can’t help but feel like the protagonist’s self-destructive behavior is ...