7 mind-blowing Books I read recently in July 2023

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I think July was phenomenal for me in terms of my reading, not just because of the number of books I read but also because of the number of books I loved reading (the 4 and 5-star books). Also, in terms of the year they were published, I read a good mix of ARCs, newer books(2022), and some older releases. 

My favorite for the month has to be the animals-based Korean folk story - The Hen who Dreamed She Could Fly - Sprout is bound to be an unforgettable character for me for a long time.  

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Recent Reads July 2023

Why Stories Work – The Evolution and Cognitive Roots of the Power of Narrative by Somdev Chatterjee

Who in today's world doesn't require story-telling? if you are in a profession like a writer or an author it is a must. but if you are a content writer, a blogger, a video creator, a student, or a teacher all of you need to create stories to hook your audiences and keep them engaged.

Why Stories Work by Somdev Chatterjee may not be a very in-depth book, but it is a well-researched book with a very scientific approach. All the quotations and references drawn from various books across diverse subjects on the human brain and evolution and survival are proof of this.

The author himself is a filmmaker and who better than him to talk to us about the importance of story-telling? His prose and language are eloquent and straightforward for all readers to understand. I did not expect a debut author to be this easy with words. I was absolutely and thoroughly engaged while reading this valuable and informative book. 

Elevation by Stephen King

Scott is an interior designer who has had a recent divorce. But his worry is his recent affliction. He is losing weight without it showing on his body. Irrespective of what clothes he wears or does not wear.

Castle Rock, a small-time place, has other troubles too. A lesbian married couple, DeeDee and Missy have moved next to Scott and run a Mexican fine-dining restaurant. But they are not popular in the town due to their lifestyle choices. And now on the wrong side with the couple due to their dogs, Scot wants to make amends.

The town has a 12K run every year, and Scot decides to participate with DeeDee, a champion of the race. But things take a twist, and Scot’s life changes forever.

There’s no doubt in my mind that this book was written by a master storyteller. A very simple and yet riveting story, all credit to the writing excellence. This book is my second book by Stephen King, and I must say I enjoyed it. I also thought the plot of the weird disease that Scott had was well thought out.

Overall I think, I’d recommend the book to readers who enjoy a little weird fiction that does not thrill.

Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson

Small Worlds explores the father-son relationship in the most endearing and expansive way. Stephen is born in London to Ghanaian parents. He is about to begin his university education and wants to pursue music, his passion, but his father wants him to get a degree that will be good for him to get a regular job.

Stephen decides to follow his passion and that breaks the family apart. But unfortunately, he also doesn’t get into the music course he wanted, and his love to leaves him. All these happenings shatter Stevens and leave him sad and lonely. Now Stephen must pull himself together and find a path that leads him to peace and freedom.

Although the writing begins at a slow pace, it is elegant and slightly rhythmic, and lyrical. It speaks about the injustice meted out to Blacks even today. But portrays it in a very light and non-violent way. The relationships between all the characters felt very respectful and uplifting.

I enjoyed this immigrant story immensely and it did touch my heart in a way that I think Stephen and Del will remain with me forever.

I think I’ve found a gem of a book to add to my collection of Amazing Books with Black Characters.

When I Opened The Door – A collection of Poetry by Abhinav Bansal

Abhinav Bansal seems like a very young man who had some rough encounters in life and emerged from them as a changed man. His poems, created with earnestness and expressing raw emotion, are a source of inspiration.

The Title “When I Opened the Door” signifies the author opening the door of his heart. All his 50 poems rhyme, and each one has a title. The poems range on themes from Addiction to Leadership to strengthening the mind, how to live life, and also about nature. The author also shares some very relevant and famous quotes relating to the subsequent sections of the poetry, and every poem has a picture/illustration associated with it.

The author’s (poet’s) transformation as a person is evident from his couplets. His family members, especially his brother, seem to have supported him throughout his journey of transformation, and he has dedicated a section of his poems to him.

The language is straightforward to understand, and the author’s emotions come out distinctly. Many or at least a few of the poems will resonate with your feelings as they are drawn from everyday life. They will motivate you to do better, be better and live better.

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-Mi Hwang, translated by Chi-Young Kim

I am so thankful to have discovered this Korean gem. Sprout is going to be unforgettable for me.

Sprout is a hen who lives in a coop laying eggs every day, only for the eggs to be taken away to be sold to the market. She has never seen anything beyond the coop. Heck, she can't even move in there. She is just existing.

But now she has decided, no more laying eggs. She wants to hatch an egg and dreams of seeing the barn the coop is in. But will this dream ever come true?

The beauty of this book is as much in the powerful story-telling as much as it is in the unforgettable characters. Sprout, Straggler, Greentop I feel like I can never forget them, ever! Eeverything just stood before my eyes, the reservoir, the reeds field, the weasel with the glowing eyes, the flocks of geese.

Perfect next read for fans of Animal Farm!

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung Translated by Anton Hur

Read this book for my upcoming blog post - Women in Translation.

Cursed Bunny is written by Bora Chung and translated from Korean by Anton Hur. The book is an anthology with themes like horror, fantasy, magical realism, and contemporary fiction.

Every story, had a twist in the end that I did not see coming. I think the stories were sufficiently weird and sometimes horror-inducing - like Frozen Finger. That one really gave me the creeps. I gave that one and a couple more stories 5 stars. But some stories felt long drawn -like Scars. But overall I think it was generally an unputdownable book.

The writing was engrossing, and all the stories had me completely engaged.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a compilation of incredibly tender snippets from the lives of church-going Black women or girls with church-going Black mothers. And all these women share a common secret - they long for love, whether new or forbidden or gay or secret, but they yearn for love. 

One of the reviews on the cover says - the book is incredibly sexy, and I agree 100 percent. The book has a fourteen-year-old protagonist who has a crush on the preacher's wife, while there's a single mother who bakes the best cobbler for her weekly date with the pastor. Then there is a lesbian couple coming to terms with living together away from home and another couple who has yet to come to terms with their love for each other. My favorite was the story titled - Instructions for Married Christian Men because it was incredibly funny, and, ridiculous, and yet very realistic, and full of common sense. I loved the author's writing style. It was funny but also tender in keeping with the character's emotions.