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Representations of Women in Crime:  My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

‘My Sister. The Serial Killer.’ by Nigerian writer Oyinkan Braithwaite is a quick and gripping  read. It is about two sisters; Ayoola, the serial killer and Korede, the meticulous healthcare professional and an accessory to murder. Ayoola’s seemingly endless killing sprees test Korede’s loyalty and reserve.

Some would say that the ending disappoints as it doesnt allow you to neatly categorise this book at horror, crime or murder mystery. In fact it is probably better described as a family drama along the lines of ‘my sisters keeper’. Except with a much darker storyline. 

The story centres not on the serial killer but her sister, Korede. She is the fierce protective older sister and through her eyes the author builds up a story of a deep and intense sibling relationship. Characterised by the usual insecurities and rivalries but also bound by a deep loyalty that these murders test. Korede and Ayoola’s relationship dynamics is central to the plot. It humanises the situation, if not the killer.  

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Book Review: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

In  a world where I am increasingly feeling overwhelmed by the amount of content available, Convenience Store woman was a sharp and clear breath of fresh air. Originally written in Japanese by the best selling author Sayaka Murata, Convenience Store Women is the first of her 10 best sellers to be translated into English. The … Continue reading Book Review: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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Summer Reading: July TBR

Summer is FINALLY here and I couldn’t be happier. I’m looking forward to spending the longer days lying in the sunshine reading and napping. Like a cat.

For my first month back into blogging, I’ve decided to focus on a genre that has been pretty hot in the media recently; Dystopia. Not least because it feels like we are living in one! I’m excited to explore the intersection of women in dystopian setting and whether the worlds created are feminist or not. Here are the two books i’ll be focusing on this month:

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Mini Review: Miss Laila, Armed and Dangerous, Manu Joseph

I loved loved loved this book! It pulled me right out of my readers-block (not sure if that’s a thing, but if its isn’t it should be).

This is the third book of Manu Joseph’s that I have read, and I enjoyed it as much I did the first one. His novels have a political mission. It would be an over-simplification to call his style of writing ‘political satire’. Whilst this is definitely a major theme, for me, Joseph’s writing is anti-establishment. May that establishment be the simple everyday norms of society (The Illicit Happiness of Other People), the caste system (as in Serious Men).

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The Self and Motherhood : Abandon by Sangeeta Bandopadhyay

Reading this book reminded me why I love reading, it reminded me that literature has the power to connect with you deeply. Panty (which I have reviewed earlier here) is the first book I read by Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay and completely loved. So when I heard that Tilted Axis were publishing another one of her works in English I couldn’t wait! I’m always a bit worried when there is a book I really want coming out, you never know if a book is a one hit wonder (this is also the reason why Harper Lee’s Go set a Watchman is still on my bookshelf unread). I shouldn’t have worried though, once again Bandyopadhyay knocked me off my feet with this complex take about a woman struggling with her many Selfs.

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Review: Irenosen Okojie’s Butterfly Fish

Good Reads Says:

With wry humour and a deft touch, Butterfly Fish, the outstanding first novel by a stunning new writer, is a work of elegant and captivating storytelling. A dual narrative set in contemporary London and 18th century Benin in Africa, the book traverses the realms of magic realism with luminous style and graceful, effortless prose.

 

A couple of months back I read Irenosen Okojie’s short story collection Speak Gigantular and it blew me away. I was obsessed with all her characters and have wanted to read her debut novel Butterfly Fish ever since then.

I have wanted to write this ‘review’ for a while but have felt stuck because I just didn’t know where to start. It made me feel a lot of things and I had to put it down at points to take a breather (I should probably mention at this point that the book contains triggers for suicide, rape, incest and living with mental illness., basically a lot to process). After much introspection, I thought the easiest way to do it was to just tell people why I loved it so damn much! And obviously why I think you should read it:

  1. The writing!

Irenosen’s writing style is one of the most diverse I have read. While Irenosen’s lens in Speak Gigantular was razor sharp, Butterfly Fish has a richer prose. The author really takes her time to build her characters and gets you to invest in them. I really enjoyed Butterfly Fish and found it to be an immersive reading experience, I haven’t been fully consumed by a book and its characters in the way I did with Butterfly Fish in a while. So if you are looking for an immersive read to help you survive your commute to work this is the book for you.

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 Sci-fi Feminist retellings of the Ramayana : Manjula Padmanabhan’s Three Virgins and Other Stories

Manjula Padmanabhan’s Three Virgins and Other Stories (TVAOS), a collection of ten short stories, each one weirder – in a good way –  and bolder than the other.Reading this immensely diverse collection, I was struck by the author’s capacity to bring to life such a disparate range of images and narratives. From expat vampires in Delhi to a cyber-punk feminist retelling of the Ramayana, one thing that binds these distinct stories is Padmanabhan’s subversive slant. Each of the stories push the boundaries of ‘normal’ and question the rules of storytelling that we are so used to.

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