Book awards

In 2014 I challenged myself to read 36 books. Ended up reading 29 books. Again in 2015 I challenged myself to read 36 books. Ended up reading 29 books again. So this year the challenge is to read 30 books.

Here is a quick look at the books I read –

Now I have decided to give awards to these books. All the books are nominated for all the award segments :D

Favorite new author discovered – Neil Gaiman

Read two of his books – Trigger Warning (short stories) and The Ocean at the End of the Lane. His mind, the way he thinks and conjures images is spectacular. He writes a lot on dystopian world and parallel universe, and the stories are so human, in terms of plot and emotions. I had never read anything like Neil Gaiman before.

An author that made me shed tears – Toni Morrison

Read The Bluest Eye and started reading Songs of Solomon (didn’t get a chance to complete it). The Bluest Eye is a poignant tale from a child’s perspective. To experience the atrocities from a child’s innocent point of view was heart-breaking.

Favourite book in Non-fiction category – Culture code by Clotaire Rapaille

This books attempts to decode different cultures and behaviour of people around the world and how it affects their decision-making or their perceptions about brands and product categories. It’s a great book for cultural anthropology and marketing enthusiasts.

Favourite book in Fiction category – The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

I liked this book for the complex relationships that Milan has weaved in together giving a peek into the background stories of each character, making every scene tense with subtextual meaning. Nothing much happens in terms of story, but the characters and their relationships make it a riveting read. It made me pause and think. The book is set in Prague, which is also one reason I liked it so much.

New writing style discovered – Epistolary style

I read two books in this style (entire book written in the form of letters) - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and Love Letters to the Dead. The first book has joined the stack of my favorite books of all times. It is a book about a writer trying to write a book; actually the book is not about that. It is about a secret book club during world war two in a small village called Guernsey. The second book is a coming-of-age story of a young girl who is coping up with the loss of a sibling by writing letters to her beloved musicians and other dead people.

The book I wasted my time on – Cat’s cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

It is supposed to be a satire; it starts with a story of scientists making atom bombs. I tried enjoying it, but couldn’t understand the so-called irony that people claimed to have loved about this book. I didn’t bother finishing it.

Favourite Indian author (fiction) – Upmanyu Chatterjee for English, August

I read four Indian authors in 2015. Sandip Roy (Don’t let him Know), Amit Chaudhuri (Calcutta, Two years in the city), Anuja Chauhan (Those Pricey Thakur Girls).

I loved the humour and writer’s voice in English, August. It was not a story I could identify with, but the characters were so honest. I loved how he showed the vulnerabilities and quirks of the characters, especially that of the protagonist.