30 July,2025 09:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Nandini Varma
Representation pic/iStock
I read Adania Shibli's book in a single sitting, and I was left deeply silenced by the subtle yet unrelenting barbarism of the story. The first half of the novel documents the capture, rape, and death of a young Bedouin girl, while the second half follows a journalist's independent investigation into this âminor detail' of the Nakba, reported precisely 25 years before her birth. For most of the second half, I assumed the protagonist was male. Who else but a man, privileged in his gender, would attempt to singly investigate a murder within the bounds of contested territory? It was only when I briefly flipped to the front of the book that I found the protagonist was a Palestinian woman. Thereon, I was in awe of her resolve, and I feared for her life.
I came across this book by Phil Lapsley as a recommendation from ChatGPT, which I find quite useful for the purpose. The book explains the set-up and functioning of the early phone networks in the United States. I found this interesting especially now when we take the communication networks for granted. The book explores early US telephone networks and their inâÂÂband signalling, where control tones travelled with voice. A group of curious kids discovered they could make free calls by reproducing the tones. It's remarkable how every system inspires ingenious loopholes its designers never imagined.
I came across this book by Lee Yuri at the Liberia bookstore in Brick Lane, London. I'd requested the person working there to recommend some books because I was going through as many as I could - every book looked so inviting. Since I had asked for short stories, she suggested this and said I wouldn't be able to put it down. She was right. Each story in the collection ends with something completely unexpected, and the strangeness of the stories somehow make them quite relatable.
I was working at Champaca Bookstore in Bengaluru, when I stumbled upon Kerry Greenwood's series. I had gotten a copy of this book from the series back then, but never read it. I decided to read it this week, since it's been raining and I've been stuck at home. I love the character of Phryne Fisher, who's a very flamboyant, fashionable woman solving crimes. The writing style is simple. The book is about three factory workers who disappear after they get pregnant. I love it because it talks about so many socio-political aspects, especially women workers, exploitative tendencies of religious institutions, and much more - all while remaining fun and engaging throughout.
I recently read this memoir by Sarah Wynn-Williams. It dives deep into Facebook - its rise, its internal culture, and the way it has shaped global politics and social behaviour. Since I spent a huge part of my post-teenage years and early twenties online, on Facebook, the topic felt personal.â¯The book exposes controversies surrounding Facebook's senior leadership, its algorithms, and its approach to data privacy. What really struck me was how she told the story - with humour, rigorous research, and the kind of honesty you rarely get from insiders.
