Cure for a Crime - Roopa Farooki

goodreads.com

A  compelling read for parents and kids alike.

I remember watching Roopa Farooki deliver the keynote address at the short story festival to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Asianwriter way back in 2017. I loved her speech so much that a printout is now pinned to my board, a ready reckoner when the writerly confidence hits a nosedive.

Out of her six literary novels, I have read "Flying man" and enjoyed it, only realising later that it was a true story that had been crafted into literary fiction.

I have been following her articles and admire them for her candour and style. And now writing literary novels published in twenty countries, instead staying put in her comfort zone, she went to a medical school and recently emerged as a qualified junior doctor. What an awe inspiring achievement considering she managed this with four children. If that was not enough, her new children's book was announced early this year, a product of her scribblings during rotations. This woman never stops, I thought.

The Gist:

Tulip and Ali live with their medic mother. But life changed ever since their mother's boyfriend Brian Sturgeon moved in. She is now tired all the time and they suspect Brian of drugging her. They are determined to find out what he is up to and find allies in their grandmother Nan-Nan and school friends, Zac and Jay.

What I liked:

• The story gets into action straightaway. There is no preamble about setting and laying out the story. Farooki is aware of her readers and their short attention spans.

• Yet another plus is the acknowledgement in the beginning of the book. My "nearly-10"-year-old daughter read it and was intrigued enough to read the first chapter. She was immediately hooked.

• The twins are familiar with the hospital environnment, medical basics thanks to their mother. I liked the way it works at various levels. On one hand there is a cracking good story that keeps its readers guessing on the other hand there is a bit of education about simple, basic first aid and also scrubbing in (somethign that is in vogue now!). Mini Medix blog is a novel technique without sounding preachy.  

• The voice of the children is brilliant. That was one of the reasons, my daughter got hooked right away. The story also reflects contemporary life in its entirety - children of working mothers and dealing with cancer as a child. I felt it was very nicely handled.

• Plot is paced well, there are twists and turns and although young children are good at inferring (as I learnt from my 10-year-old) Farooki is good at staying one step ahead them.

Overall, a very good read. I enjoyed and passed it on to my daughter wondering if she was old enough to enjoy it. She gave me the book back within few days of bedtime reading.  I now know the reason for her grogginess in the morning.

I wished I had something like this growing up. My daughter and I will be looking forward to more about their twins and their adventures!

Foray into Flash fiction

In June 2019, I got the chance to attend a flash fiction festival in Bristol. Since I was part of the middleway mentoring project, this festival was recommended by my course coordinator.

I was intrigued by the concept - writing 250 or 500 words story. I was amazed to see how many practictioners of flash fiction had turned up. The workshops were amazing, they were well suited to novices like me and also to well versed practitioners who were very subtle about their successes.

Ad hoc fiction also has an ebook where a longlist is published each week and a public vote decides the winner.
Each week there is a prompt word and all pieces must contain the word to be considered. I did a piece on the word "Chill". I was very happy to be included in the longlist for the week of September 25.

https://adhocfiction.com/read/#FlashEbook

A piece that I am really proud and that which won me the first prize in a writing contest.

The task was to write a story based on a painting and this came out naturally without much thinking. I had a great time writing this.

Thanks

https://www.tell-a-tale.com/11409-2/

Fiction piece for Valentine's Day

Way back in February, the Curious Reader had a call out for posts on Valentine's Day. This was my piece that made it online on their website.

https://www.thecuriousreader.in/fiction/red/

Zizzle Literary magazine - Review

If the first issue has set the bar, the second one meets it head on.

Wow, Zizzle is here," is how my daughter reacted when she saw this issue. Upon being asked what appealed to her, a quick answer shot through. "It has children in it".

A girl of strong opinions, this 8-year-old reader loves to ponder over stories she has read and articulate her thoughts about it.

The Magazine:

Zizzle is a literary magazine that targets confident readers and grown up minds, still young at heart. The stories are clever  - the messages are subtle, without being preachy or obvious.The stories are clearly marked so that the reader is aware of its readability. We found it very convenient especially when my daughter was making her choices.

What works:

• My daughter and I enjoyed reading the stories. However, we found that going through the inspiration before reading the actual story made it an enjoyable experience. It was fascinating to see how the writer's idea blooms out to form a complete piece. A great tool to illustrate the mechanics of creative writing or just to understand good stories better.

• The quotes that shine in between the pages are a great device. My favourite line is: 

Between the pages of a book is a wonderful place to be. 

The anonymous quote truly encapsulated my passion for reading.

• The first story Child of the first spark portrays the pressures of being a today's child and what a child wants. The Gift of Everness and Nuclear Missiles are Coming Our Way are also well written stories with a strong underlining message. It was an absolute pleasure picking these miniature delights to read at bedtime.

• My daughter however has her own favourites. It was hands down No-school day. Her reason? She could see herself as the girl in the story and "the girl uses her imagination even if there was no school."

• Janita Peperkamp's illustrations are beautifully done and they enhance the stories. It breathes life into the book. Her piece on how she approaches a painting offers great insight into her working style. 

Who will like them more:

My daughter loved most of the stories. But I could see that older readers who can understand metaphor and inference will enjoy it even more. These stories have depth and layers - a nod to the high writing quality and the standard of the writers.

In a Nutshell:

I can easily visualise zizzle in a book club discussion. Stories short enough to be read out and then students or a group of friends sharing their views about the story.

A masterclass on what makes good stories. A great collection that shows how they are done.

Recommended.

Behind Her Eyes - Sarah Pinborough

An edge of the seat thriller.

The succes of Gone Girl and Girl on the train seems to have unleashed torrent of domestic noir into the reading world. Pinborough came highly recommended to my by my librarian and I can see why.

I have read some domestic novels and though they all sound good they really fall short somewhere along the way. It is usually an atmospheric experience that ends up being a dampner. However, glad to say, not with this one.

Gist:

David a handsome doctor ends up unknowingly having a date with a woman. He realises the next day at his new workplace - that is his secretary.

Louise, the secretary who realises the next day what a big mistake it was. She meets the doctors' wife and later and finds a friend in her.

Adele, the fragile beauty who has no friends. She seems lonely and yet so perfect. Her soft persona and self deprecating wit endears her to Louise.

The handsome doctor, the perfect wife - why was the doctor at the bar then? wonders Louise. Are they really who they seem they are?

What works:

• Pinborough has an arresting way of telling a story. Her first chapter starts right in the middle. It took me a couple of readings to find my feet. From then on it was a roll.

• A quick read, with a racy plot and a complex narrative. Fits well with a twisty thriller.

• I loved the quirky style. The way the chapters are divided into character's version is a favourite with me.

• There are only characters and therefore 3 versions of a story. it is amazing how these versions pull the story forward,

What doesn't:

• It requires a certain investment from the reader. For the casual reader who cannot be bothered to adhere to the story's demands, it can be a put off.

Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan

A story about the rich and the famous - an entertaining read, a page turner .

Talk about rich and the famous and the Bold and the Beautiful and Beverley Hills TV series come to mind. In case of books about the uber rich, I remember reading Jackie Collins' Hollywood Wives and Barbara Taylor Bradford's characters as they dealt with tough situations, driving in their limousines and chartered flights...

Moreso, I read this book when the recent Ambani weddings were all over the paper. It seemed timely, it shows how the uber rich do it, a celebration with no limits.

The book was also made into a movie although it drew a lot of flak for various reasons. I am glad I missed it, the movie would have dented the reading experience.

Gist:

Rachel Chu decides to accompany her boyfriend Nick Young to the wedding of his best friend. An associate professor, she has no idea how rich Nick's family is, until she sees it for herself.

Will Rachel be able to put up with it or will it put her off.

What works:

• Although the book so much like an Asianised version of a Jackie Collins Novel, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The world, the beliefs the way Chinese Singaporeans look at Mainlanders is is interesting. The tendency of Singaporeans to obsess over food, the use of phrases and Malay food adds such a delicious touch to the story.

• I also enjoyed reading the footnotes and the humour with which it is explained to the foreign reader.

• My favourite was the first chapter that is slap bang and packs a mean punch. A group of drenched chinese guest walk into a hotel and claim reservation. The uptight manager refuses to admit them in. Within minutes, he is shown his place in what seems like a practical, conventional way. Hooked me right in.

• It shows up close how the rich live and their lifestyle. Very OTT but also Kwan has the skill to make it look entertaining and interesting.

What doesn't:

This is a feel good, light beach read. It is compelling and reads well. If you are looking for a literary, high brow booker prize type stuff then perhaps you should let this go.

A fun, frothy read. Read it for its novelty value - the rich Asians.