Bookstore Discoveries - Part 1
Surrounded by the calming shade of trees, chirping of birds and possibility of finding new books to take home - our weekend spent at Champaca Bookstore was a revelation to say the least. Not only did we take full advantage of their lovely cafe and its delicious food, we were able to discover books that were new to us and to recommend to you. From graphic novels, to deep dives into history to dark comedic fiction - we have a pick for every reader.
Little Gods - Meng Jin
Little Gods is a work that plays with multiple points of view to tell the story of Su Lan - an extraordinary physicist who is abandoned by her husband when she gives birth to her daughter on June 4th,1989 in Beijing, during the Tiananmen Square massacre. When Su Lan passes away almost two decades later and her daughter Liya must travel back from America to China to spread her ashes, the complicated life of her mother is slowly revealed to her. Little Gods by San Francisco-based, Shanghai-born author Meng Jin, is a fresh take on displacement told through physics and non-linear storytelling.
The Snake And The Lotus - Appupen
The Snake And The Lotus is the fourth in a series of comics based in the dystopian world of Halahala, a universe that reminds you a lot of the world we live in or what it may become if we keep going the way we are. The dark superhero comic take with a special typography created by visual artist Appupen just for The Snake And The Lotus, and the exquisite intricate art makes these comics a collectible by themselves, but in case you would like to start where it all began and make your way through the Halahala Dimension - Moonward should be your first pick. You can also find more of Appupen’s work here.
Pleated - Aishwarya Rao
Source: Amazon
What started out as a dedication to author Aishwarya Rao’s Ammamma or maternal grandmother, quickly turned into a documentation of unconventional women in traditional drapes of Southern India and the nostalgia that comes with viewing these prints. The beautiful book is pleated to mimic the folds of a sari with a border that also often highlights moments of note in her grandmother’s life. From Madras, now living in Sydney, author Aishwarya Rao truly makes us feel like we are opening our grandmother’s cupboard as we slide the book, Pleated, out of its case.
How To Kill Your Family - Bella Mackie
Ever rooted for a serial killer? Well, in this dark twisted comedy you just might. Grace Bernard is the protagonist of How To Kill Your Family, who, after learning that her multi-millionaire father ignored her dying mother’s pleas for help, swears to kill each and every member of his family. Freelance journalist and Vogue UK columnist Bella Mackie has written a masterful refreshing read that will have you smiling over fictional murder and revenge plots - and who doesn’t need some of that once in a while?
The Wandering - Intan Paramaditha
Source: Goodreads
A choose-your-own-adventure style book where bored by teaching English in Jakarta, you make a deal with the devil that allows you to chase any route you want to take - head to Lima or Berlin but actions too have consequences and you could end up an undocumented immigrant, a tourist forever with no home or a murder. With Wandering’s stories, Indonesian author Intan Paramaditha wants to remind us of the existence of borders and highlight the politics of travel and wanderlust. You can also find the author’s Instagram here.
All of these books and more are available for purchase online at Champaca Bookstore’s website