November’s page-turners: Here are the books Mumbaikars read this month

Kinjal Parekh

Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions
Abhimanyu Lodha, banker, Bandra

While her first book, We Should All Be Feminists, merely scratches the surface, this one by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie hits it out of the park with specific, practical suggestions on how to march in the direction of becoming a feminist. Her writing style is approachable, high on storytelling, funny, and relatable. She encourages a conscious approach for combating the subtle ways in which society enforces gender norms. Adichie speaks directly to those seeking to foster a more inclusive world. It was an 8/10 for me.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Shrushti Doshi, student, Bhayandar

I wanted to start reading again, and one of my neighbours had the book. Also, there was a reading challenge by Abhi and Niyu (couple-influencers who speak about positive and impactful ideas). They pushed us to read at least 10-20 pages daily, so I joined it, and, since then, have followed through. I didn't like the initial pages, but after giving it a chance, I read it and loved it, and kind of lived it as well.

Vayam Rakshamah
Harshawardhan Shetty, commercial real estate consultant, Andheri

I'm currently trying my hand at 1950s Hindi novels. Acharya Chatursen's work blew my mind. This book shows a completely different side of Ravana. It's about his quest to unite various clans under the Raksha community. He portrays Ravana as a complex character with both admirable qualities and flaws. Chatursen's narrative is so rich with historical, geographical, and mythological elements. It's an enlightening read for anyone interested in Indian mythology.

Metamorphosis
Kinjal Parekh, marketing professional, Malad

I read the book by Franz Kafka particularly to be a part of the Literature Live's discussion, where it had been selected as Book in Focus this season. There couldn't have been a better one this year. We as individuals, and as a society, are still struggling to find a place in this world, trying to find meaning in the randomness of events. I saw 16-year-olds participating in the discussion at the fest, which showed how people today are finding pieces of themselves in a century-old book.

Eighties Hindi pulp fiction
Siddhant Shekhar, writer, Chembur

I'm on a Hindi binge at the moment, and reading '80s pulp fiction, especially by Surendra Mohan Pathak. I had always seen his books at railway stations in my childhood, but my mom always made sure I was herded away from them. Over the years I forgot about it. Recently, I saw a character reading a Surendra Mohan Pathak novel in an episode of Mirzapur, and it reminded me of him. After that I started tracking his books down and reading them off and on.

The Giver Quartet
Charvi Garg, digital marketer, Versova

I'm reading Son by Lois Lowry. She explores complex themes in children's and young adult literature. Son is the fourth book in the The Giver Quartet. The series revolves around the themes of individuality, freedom, and the importance of experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions. She's truly a master storyteller and it all comes together so beautifully in the last book. My brother told me about them when I was going through a reading slump years ago. I had read the books then, and would look for their hard covers. Recently, I was gifted those, so I began re-reading the series.

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