Entertainment /
On the Shelf: Our Must-Read Books for March
This month’s lit picks include a haunting immigrant’s tale, a stunningly original (not to mention fictional) autobiography and an exhilarating return to the land of Oz.
Gone With the Mind (Little, Brown and Company)
By Mark Leyner
By Mark Leyner
Photo Credit: Little, Brown and Company
One of the most acclaimed (yet still oddly underrated) voices in American post-modern literature returns after a four-year hiatus with a characteristically absurdist but unusually personal “autobiography.” Alternately hilarious and heartfelt this meta-fictional effort centres on the author himself as he gives a reading in a deserted mall food court — his only audience a smattering of Panda Express employees and his own mother.
With the sparsely populated gallery occasionally chiming in with a question or two, Leyner bares his one-of-a-kind mind — exposing his own life, deeply held secrets, views on the modern world, a few thoughts on video games and in the most touchingly sincere segment, his relationship with the woman who gave birth to him.
What Lies Between Us (St. Martin’s Press)
By Nayomi Munaweera
By Nayomi Munaweera
Photo Credit: St. Martin's Press
With her debut novel, the award-winning Island of a Thousand Mirrors, Nayomi Munaweera marked herself as one of the literary scene’s most promising chroniclers of the immigrant experience, even drawing comparisons to the elite likes of Jhumpa Lahiri.
Now, the young Sri Lankan-born, California-raised author puts her keen eye and invigorating prose to work with another such tale, taking readers into the tortured headspace of a young Sri Lankan girl forced to start over in America after a life-shattering tragedy. Remaking herself in a foreign land, she seems to have put the past behind her. But as she grows into a woman, the tragedy that befell her all those years ago silently stalks her psyche, waiting to pounce and undermine the new life that she’s built, compelling her to commit a truly unspeakable act.
The Association of Small Bombs (Viking)
By Karan Mahajan
By Karan Mahajan
Photo Credit: Viking
Hailed as a nuanced, poignant examination of the emotional devastation wrought by terrorist bombinings — on both the victims and the bombers themselves — Karan Majahan’s (Family Planning) latest novel follows Mansoor, a young man who picks up a lifetime of “physical and psychological scars” after he and his friends are felled by a “small” (i.e. little publicized) bombing in a Delhi market. Simultaneously, Majahan weaves the entirely separate tale of Shockie, a deeply conflicted bomb maker who sacrifices everything to free his country from oppression.
Wreck and Order (Random House Canada)
By Hannah Tennant-Moore
By Hannah Tennant-Moore
Photo Credit: Random House Canada
Drowning in a stalled career, an abusive relationship and an endless spiral of aggressively self-destructive life choices, restless young newspaperwoman Elsie decides to leave herself behind and take off on a globe-spanning trip of self-discovery. Making her way from Paris to Sri Lanka, she voraciously consumes new experiences and perspectives as she takes in heretofore-unimaginable sights and meets an eclectic array of people from around the world. Alas, before she can find her way forward, Elsie will need to confront the past she left behind and the self she’s intent on running from.
Yellow Brick War (HarperCollins)
By Danielle Paige
By Danielle Paige
Photo Credit: HarperCollins
Paige unveils the third novel in her acclaimed Dorothy Must Die series, which reimagines The Wonderful World of Oz through a delightfully twisted, funny and violent lens. It centres on Kansas teen Amy Gumm, who catches her own tornado to Oz to find that Dorothy has installed herself as a brutal dictator, with her former sunny companions Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow serving as her vicious enforcers. After crossing paths with Oz’s various Witches, this snarky, disaffected teenager finds her true calling as the woman who’s destined to kill Dorothy.
But as the action picks back up in Yellow Brick War, Amy has let her enemy slip through her fingers, leaving a trail of dead friends in her wake and putting not just Oz, but Kansas in Dorothy’s unforgiving path. Now it’s up to her to “join the Witches, fight for Oz, save Kansas, and stop Dorothy once and for all.” If you’re looking to catch up on the whole epic, funny, violent saga to date, pick up the previous two books, Dorothy Must Die and The Wicked Will Rise, as well.
Main Image Photo Credit: www.telegraph.co.uk
Matthew Currie
Author
A long-standing entertainment journalist, Currie is a graduate of the Professional Writing program at Toronto’s York University. He has spent the past number of years working as a freelancer for ANOKHI and for diverse publications such as Sharp, TV Week, CAA’s Westworld and BC Business. Currie ...
COMMENTS
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
-
14 Bollywood Remakes Vs. Their Hollywood Originals - Who Did It Better?
-
Catch Pakistan's 1st Ever Hand-Drawn Animated Film 'The Glassworker' & Other South Asian Films At Reel Asian Festival
-
World Mental Health Day: How Bollywood Has Used Its Power Of Storytelling To Address Mental Health Stigmas
-
Highlights Of Archie Panjabi, Neeru Bajwa & Iman Vellani At iSAFF2024
-
3x Emmy-Nominated Television Host & Producer Rasha Goel Launches New Podcast "Beyond the Glam" - Premiering Today!
-
Does Bollywood Accurately Portray Financial Struggles of India's Working Class?
-
Canada’s International South Asian Film Festival (iSAFF) Triumphantly Unveils Its Thrilling 2024 Lineup!
-
TIFF 2024: Our Chat With Writer-Director-Star Srinivas Krishna On The 4K Restoration Of His Hidden Canadian Classic ‘Masala’
-
TIFF 2024: First-Time Filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi Dishes On ‘Boong,’ Her Funny & Profound Modern-Day Folk Tale Told From A Child's Point Of View
-
Nepotism Or Repetitive Content - What's Causing Bollywood's Slump Versus Punjabi & South Indian Cinema's Surge
-
Must-Watch Patriotic Films From India & Pakistan For Your Independence Day Celebrations
-
Villainous Vixens: How Bollywood's Leading Ladies Are Redefining Cinema's Most Memorable Antagonists
-
'Girls Will Be Girls' Wins Big At The 2024 Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles (IFFLA)
-
OTT Revolution: How Streaming Platforms Are Transforming Indian Cinema
-
A Train Bloodbath With A 90% On Rotten Tomatoes - Why You Should Watch TIFF-Acclaimed Indian Action Flick 'Kill'
-
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) Celebrates Its 22nd Edition June 27-30 With An Incredible Lineup Of 21 Films
-
Pride Month & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Representation in South Asian Cinema
-
From Stoic Protectors to Emotional Anchors: A Father’s Day Tribute Through Hindi Cinema
-
Exploring South Asian Intergenerational Sacrifice With 'The Wrong Bashir', Now Playing In Toronto
-
Bollywood & Beyond: Must-Watch Films for Vibrant Insight Into Muslim Cultures
-
Over 50 Films From 9 Countries At The Eclectic South Asian Film Festival Montreal (May 24 - June 3)
-
Mother's Day Special: How Bollywood & Hollywood Super Moms Show Us Women Can Have It All!
-
Emerging Talents and Established Icons: Celebrate South Asian Heritage Month with Us!
-
Revealing Truths: South Asian Cinema's Contribution to Earth Day Awareness
-
Review: Monkey Man - Dev Patel Sets the Screen Ablaze with Electrifying Action
-
Exclusive Q&A With Diljit Dosanjh on the Dil-Luminati Tour and the Exciting Simplii Collaboration!
-
12 South Asian Female Artists Who Are Changing Hollywood's Landscape
-
Transitional Representation of South Asian Women in The World of Entertainment
-
Hot February 2024 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
How Jesse "Punjabi Timbit" Singh Explores Emotional Healing Through His Comedy
-
Rukus Avenue Radio, The World's #1 South Asian Radio Station, Joins The iHeartRadio App
-
From Silent Frames To Global Fame: Key Moments That Shaped Bollywood
-
Hot January 2024 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Kerala Actor Santhy Balachandran Celebrates Her Three Incredible Releases In 2023
-
Hot December 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
The Real Reason Why Bollywood Directors Love English In Their Titles
-
Diwali Dance Fest Makes History at Walt Disney World® Resort!
-
TIFF 2023: Deepa Mehta and Sirat Taneja Share Why 'I Am Sirat’ Is The Transgender Story To Be Told
-
The International South Asian Film Festival 2023 (iSAFF) Wraps With A Celebration Of Outstanding Global South Asian Pathbreakers
-
TIFF 2023: 'We Grown Now' Director Minhal Baig Shares With Us Why Neighbourhood Stories Should Be Told
-
Event Alert: BMO International Film Festival Of South Asia Toronto (IFFSA) Is Every Filmi Lover's Dream
-
TIFF 2023: ‘The Queen of My Dreams’ Reigns Over TIFF With Style, Wit And Heart
-
The 21st Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles (IFFLA) Returns With A Bang!
-
Brendan D'Souza Will Never Cheat On Their One True Love (Stand Up!)
-
Event Alert: South Asian Global Cinema Takes Centre Stage At The International South Asian Film Festival
-
Diwali Comes Alive At Walt Disney World With The First Ever Diwali Dance Fest
-
TIFF 2023: 11 South Asian Films Coming To The Toronto International Film Festival
-
Hot September 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Singers Karan Aujla & Jonita Gandhi Sign On To Warner Music Canada/India's Label '91 North Records'
-
4 Ways Alia Bhatt Steals The Show In The Hot Netflix Film "Heart Of Stone"
-
Priyanka And Nick Jonas Get Ready For The Jonas Brothers' Tour At Yankee Stadium!
-
Hot August 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
5 Reasons Why You Should Watch “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani”
-
JFL Exclusive: How Comedian Zarna Garg Showed Kevin Hart That Brown Women Can Be Funny Too
-
JFL Exclusive: Award-Winning Podcast Comedian Maddy Kelly Is The Next Gen Star
-
Hot July 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Event Alert: “Mughal-E-Azam: The Musical" Kicks Off Canadian Tour With Upcoming Toronto Stop
-
#ANOKHI20: The ANOKHI Emerald Ball Was The Perfect Grand Finale To ANOKHI’s 20th Anniversary Celebrations
-
Pride 2023: 10 Bollywood Films That Honour Our Desi LGBTQIA+ Family
-
Hot Summer Films From Bollywood And Beyond!