Twenties Girl

1. Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella

I think you already know by now how much I love Sophie Kinsella. I heard this book on an audio book and loved the narrator, she made the story more interesting as she had a different voice for each character. I enjoyed the story thoroughly and might read it again. 4/5 *.

2. Totto-chan - Chihiro Iwasaki

I read this book because it has excellent reviews on Goodreads. The book is about number of alternative methods that would make up an extraordinary teaching model at schools. I see the schools/ daycares around me (in the US) are already applying these methods so I didn't find the book amusing or unusual, it had stuff that I already knew. Although I am recommending it to people who haven't heard about these alternate teaching methods.

3. Bidhar - Bhalchandra Nemade

If you read more reviews on Nemade's books (Kosla, Bidhar, Jhool etc.) you will see the same pattern there - people saying we didn't get what the writer is trying to say. I thought the same when I read Kosla, I thought there is a possibility that the books are written about mundane things and I am trying to find a higher meaning to it (it is a natural human tendency, we do the same with life and existence), but Nemade is a Padma Shree winner, so some meaning  to the story is reader's obvious expectation.

Nemade writes more like Rushdie, it is all about symbolism so it takes time to understand what he wants to say. I am happy to announce that I actually understood what Bidhar is all about :-) and I loved it. Here is my review -

Scene 1:
Me: (to an organizer O on a BMM convention committee) Why don't you invite Nemade for the convention this year?
O: nobody knows him
Me: how come? We should be proud, he is a padmashree winner after all.
O: Yes, but let's be honest how many people read Marathi?

Scene2:
S sent me first draft of her book to review
Me: We need these type of books in Marathi, why don't you publish this in Marathi?
S: There is no money there, who reads Marathi?

When I speak in Marathi with the younger generation they say "aunty can you please repeat that in English" so this generation is a step ahead (or behind, who knows!).

I know Maharashtrians who haven't read Batatyachi Chaal but had the energy time and patience to read the crappy series of Fifty shades of Grey.

Bidhar is a story of 4 Marathi writer friends who go at lengths to be able to publish in Marathi, failing to do so because let's be honest how many people read Marathi!

The book was written years ago but it is (more so) relevant today.

This review is written in English so that everyone can read it as I am sure it is true with all Indian regional languages, they are all beautiful even more than English is (if I may say so). I hope our languages do not die a slow death.