Since the last post, I've read three books, all I would recommend but one much more so than the other two.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka - what a great read! Full of humour and suspense. I have to say, some of the best books I've read are the ones I end up picking randomly in a bookstore. The book is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka in the late nineties. Maali Almeida finds himself in a strange place, almost like a dream world. Turns out he has died and his ghost wakes up in the 'In Between'. The story is his ghost's journey, spanning 7 moons, where he learns about the afterlife, chats with other ghosts and finds himself in places and conversations on earth, as an observer, wherever the wind takes him. Maali was a war photographer and he's seen and captured things that were buried so as not to see the light of day. But in his afterlife, Maali makes it his mission to guide his friends on earth to find the precious box of photographs. The images I have of the scenes described are vivid - the In Between quite literally in between the ground and sky and the ghosts travelling in all directions right above the humans is quite something. I'm going to definitely re-read this one.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is based in 1960s - a time when women were considered far inferior. Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant chemist but society doesn’t see it that way. I read a review saying "It’s the world versus Elizabeth Zott..." and yes, truly it is. She’s faced with challenge after challenge but Zott is a fierce woman who does not succumb to societal norms. She doesn’t back down, she’s unapologetically herself, which more than often, brings up more obstacles. In the end, she’s a champion for other women, compelling them to see themselves more than what society deems them to be. The book is sad, funny, full of love, hardships and ultimately hopeful.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a story based in London, of an apothecary shop in the 18th century that started off by selling remedies for women’s maladies. But soon after, the hidden shop becomes the go-to place for disguised poisons to use on men. Fast forward to the present day, Caroline, a history fanatic, is visiting London and chances upon a vial linked to the apothecary shop from centuries ago. That clue gets her tingly and excited to begin unburying the story of the lost apothecary (I know I was sure excited for Caroline to). Greatly told story and unpredictable; the book’s an enjoyable mix of historical and fantasy fiction. Very entertaining.

Next I'm reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee!