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Burnt Sugar
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
A searing debut novel about mothers and daughters, obsession and betrayal - for fans of Jenny Offill's Weather, Deborah Levy's Hot Milk and Diana Evans' Ordinary People 'Taut, unsettling, ferocious' Fatima Bhutto, author of The Runaways 'Acerbic, full of wit and cool intelligence - every sentence is a coiled spring and each psychological portrait burns itself into the mind. I couldn't put it down' Olivia Sudjic, author of Exposure and Sympathy 'Crystalline, surgical, compulsively readable. An examination of toxic relationships and the ties that bind us' Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti In her youth, Tara was wild. She abandoned her loveless marriage to join an ashram, endured a brief stint as a beggar (mostly to spite her affluent parents), and spent years chasing after a dishevelled, homeless 'artist' - all with her young child in tow. Now she is forgetting things, mixing up her maid's wages and leaving the gas on all night, and her grown-up daughter is faced with the task of caring for a woman who never cared for her. This is a love story and a story about betrayal. But not between lovers - between mother and daughter. Sharp as a blade and laced with caustic wit, Burnt Sugar unpicks the slippery cords of memory and myth that bind two women together, and hold them apart. 'Daring and deliciously dark, Burnt Sugar will keep you gripped until the very last sentence' Zeba Talkhani, author of My Past is a Foreign Country 'Raw, wise and cuttingly funny on love and cruelty, marriage and motherhood, art and illness, and one woman's fight for her sense of self' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days
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review
andioop
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
Pickpick

i love how many of the goodreads reviews are like “I hated this, it was gross” it was gross. But being a person is gross!

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andioop
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Epigraph just knocked the wind out me

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Megabooks
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Mehso-so

Why isn‘t anyone more disturbed by this 50-some with dementia?!? I get the themes she‘s going for with the antagonism between mother and daughter and the idea of feeling erased as a woman but gees…this one is weird.

Antara‘s mother ran away with her to an ashram where she became involved with the leader. Antara blames her mother for the shaky life they had throughout her childhood. When mom gets dementia, Antara feels erased.

Megabooks This geranium was my Mother‘s Day gift to my mom. Also, this is the first #roll100 I‘ve read this month! @PuddleJumper I‘m glad I finally got to it. 1y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So pretty 😍 (edited) 1y
Megabooks @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks thank you! 💜💜 1y
See All 18 Comments
Graywacke I read this one a while ago. I can‘t remember if I was disturbed! 1y
Megabooks @Graywacke I meant the characters. The doctors, the son-in-law, everyone just seems to think it‘s normal, but then her age was mentioned, and I was like holy crap, why aren‘t these characters more bothered?? If she were 70, 80 I can see them being like, well, it‘s age, but 50?! 1y
Megabooks @Graywacke but I wonder if other readers were disturbed too. Tara‘s age is only briefly dropped in, but it just struck me hard. Probably because I have an aunt who started having dementia in her late 50s. We were all very disturbed, but maybe that varies family to family. 1y
Vansa In India, once women are past childbearing age they're pretty much considered ancient.Though there's a difference between being 50 and 90,from societal attitudes, it could very well be the same. 1y
Cinfhen The potted plants look beautiful 😍 I read this awhile back and I don‘t remember much other than I liked it🤷🏼‍♀️im **almost ** 57 so you would think I‘d be sensitive to the age thing 1y
BarbaraBB I don‘t remember it, while i should be very disturbed reading about people in their fifties who deal with Alzheimer‘s! (edited) 1y
Graywacke @Megabooks my mother was going through her dementia decline while I was listening. (She was in her 70‘s). I don‘t remember the mother‘s age, but i felt some relationship between the daughter‘s experiences, and other characters‘ responses, to my own. I‘m sure that impacted how I responded. It‘s a slow process, so the whatever stage of dementia someone is in, it becomes the new normal, if that makes sense. 1y
PuddleJumper That's great! 1y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Vansa wow! That‘s interesting! 1y
Megabooks @Vansa wow! That‘s really interesting. Thank you for sharing. I guess I can see that from how some of the Bandit Queen characters talked about age. 1y
Megabooks @Cinfhen it was dropped in there very briefly, but it made sense because Antara‘s grandmother was still alive. Idk, I think it would have been more meaningful to me if the mother/daughter would have both been older. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ and birthday in less than two weeks!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉💜💜 1y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB right?!? 🤯 (edited) 1y
Megabooks @Graywacke I agree. I went through it with my grandmother, and it‘s starting with my dad. Both my grandmother and her sister lived with dementia for over 10 years, so I expect it to be long and slow with my dad. 😔 1y
Megabooks @Graywacke I‘m sorry about your mother. 💜 1y
Graywacke @Megabooks I‘m really sorry about your dad. 💙 1y
85 likes1 stack add18 comments
review
andrew61
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

This was a troubling story of a woman managing her mother's rapidly deteriorating mental heath through what appears to be dementia. Set in India, the narrator remembers her mother as an erratic parent who drifted from marriage into a cult where both parent and child are vulnerable. Touching on mothers and daughters, marriage, individual perception of memory loss, and responsibility, it was not an easy read but worth the effort.

Tamra Stacked! 1y
sarahbarnes Great review. I thought this was very good, too. 1y
44 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Evita
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
Panpan

2 out of 5!

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lauraisntwilder
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Burnt Sugar was book #50 for 2022. It's a big deal to me to finally meet my 50 books in a year goal, which I've had for about 15 yrs. I usually fall short somewhere in the 40s. I can't believe I met my goal two months early! I used to feel bad that I didn't read more books in a year, but I've gotten over that as I've gotten older. I'm grateful for the things that are taking up my time and keeping me from reading.

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lauraisntwilder
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

This was a low pick for me because I felt disinterested in the middle. I pushed through because this was my #bookspin #doublespin and I'm glad I did. The second half was great. I read this alongside Atomic Anna, which also dealt with grandmother-mother-daughter relationships. That added another layer I wasn't counting on.

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Gleefulreader
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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A story of the fraught relationship between mother and daughter. Appropriate for Mother‘s Day.

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mrsthilkey
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

I've been so deep in a couple things for several months now, that I've gotten way behind on sharing my reads.

This was a surprising one for me. I usually shy away from books that make the Booker lists, but I found this one very readable. I actually can't believe so many people gave this bad reviews. I could see myself rereading this, which is unusual for me! Interesting characters, nice writing, and not too long.

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NovelNancyM
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Mehso-so

This book wasn't for me as I find it hard when I don't find any redeeming qualities in the characters. At first I didn't like the mom and felt bad for the daughter and her husband, but by the end I didn't care for the actions of any of them.

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Sydneypaige
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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“Reality is something that is co-authored, the woman says. It makes sense that you would begin to find this disturbing. When someone says that something is not what you think of it as, it can cause slight tremors in the brain, variations in brain activity, and subconscious doubts begin to emerge. Why do you think people experience spiritual awakenings? It‘s because the people around us are engaged”.

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Chelsea.Poole
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Panpan

Thought about saying “so-so” to this but I gotta call em as I see em and this is a pan! I should have (and started to) DNF this at 55% but then I read a review that said the 2nd half is better than the 1st. Nope, not for me and I‘m not exactly sure why. I do appreciate mother-daughter relationships and complicated family dynamics which this promised to deliver on. Somehow it all just felt pointless and I felt disconnected. But the cover is great!

Hooked_on_books I tried this one but only got a few pages in. It seemed like such a toxic relationship with the mother and daughter behaving so horribly to each other (that‘s what I remember, anyway). I just didn‘t want to spend time with that. 3y
StellaB I also had trouble really liking this one, ‘disconnected‘ describes it well. 3y
Chelsea.Poole @Hooked_on_books good choice. I should have bailed too 😔 3y
Chelsea.Poole @StellaB I think part of my issue was that much of the “action” was in the past and it felt almost like “oh by the way this happened” very off-handed like it was inconsequential. 3y
88 likes4 comments
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JillR
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Mehso-so

So disappointed that I didn‘t enjoy this after having been intrigued by an interview with the author. I found the writing impenetrable and it brought back all my fears of #booksthatwinprizes! That said it was really good to discuss it in our book group; so interesting to get other takes on the same book which really makes me think beyond my initial “I don‘t like it” reaction - half of us enjoyed it, the other half disliked!

TrishB Great hashtag! I have that too 😁 3y
JillR @trishb with the odd exception I‘m finding Booker Prize nominees in particular tend not to be for me! (edited) 3y
JamieArc I always get excited to read Booker nominees (like this one) and almost always have a harder time getting through them. I‘m always pleasantly surprised when I actually really enjoy them 😂 3y
JillR @jamiearc recently I‘ve tended to avoid Booker nominees as I‘ve struggled with so many, that said I‘m now reading Shuggie Bain and it‘s really good! 3y
37 likes4 comments
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Kazzie
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
Pickpick

Such a strange, disturbing book. Almost as though the daughter and mother became interchangeable. Sad look at cognitive impairment, but also the extreme pain parents can inflict on children.

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magyklyXdelish
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Mehso-so

This book was at its best when focusing on the strained relationship between Antara and her mother. Whenever the story strayed from them, either in past or present, my interest started to wane. Many of the characters were unlikable which I can be okay with if the plot itself has me hooked which this one didn‘t unfortunately. The writing itself was beautiful so I would be willing to give this author another chance in the future.

magyklyXdelish @Andrew65 my final time for #20in4 - not 20 hours but I finished 2 books so I am happy 3y
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Cinfhen I “enjoyed” this book, but it was difficult to read at times / the audio was very well. Glad it checked off a prompt for you 💜 3y
Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏🙌🙌🥳🍾🥂🍾🥂😊 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
21 likes6 comments
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magyklyXdelish
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Next up! This is my #bookspin this month. I adore this cover! As someone who‘s had a complicated relationship with my own mother in the past, I‘m ready for the attack on my feels.

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Cazxxx
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Panpan

This book has been really popular but I‘m afraid I found this book mainly boring and depressing, even self indulgent at times. The mc is so unlikable that I found myself not really caring about her and after reading I felt there was not much purpose to the book

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Dolly
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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I just know this will be in the running for my best read this year. Every page has a phrase, a paragraph, or a description I want to highlight. Beautiful, beautiful writing!

A simple, hurriedly discovered line about her mother who is suspected of having Alzheimer‘s:

“Her head is still, but her thoughts run through the past few days in circles, the loop continuing to be unrecognizable with each pass”

BarbaraBB Glad you are enjoying it so much. I did too. 3y
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Pinta
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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So much sentence-level skill here, tho sometimes feels for show.

P29 “In the sitting room, a large grandfather clock spits out a bird and a German nursery rhyme on the hour.”

P30 Absent father who just wants to “make calls” rather than help. ‘It‘s a shame,‘ he continues. ‘I would like to be involved. But none of this was my idea.‘

P36 “Dilip believes a single thought mirrors an entire landscape of the mind. He says it must be tiring to be me.”

review
Pinta
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Mehso-so

"I would be lying if I said my mother's misery has never given me pleasure.” What to do when the monster weakens? Mother Tara has a penchant for cruelty. Alzheimer‘s makes her vulnerable, needing care. Daughter Antara faces own intense questioning of roles, family, identity. ? a caustic MC ready to fight me, but Antara feels so stuck. Suppose that‘s the point: circularity, generational patterns. But impenetrable stubbornness kills interest. 2021

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BarbaraBB
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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I managed to read the books above from the #womensprizeforfiction. I was underwhelmed by The Vanishing Half and Luster, liked Burnt Sugar and loved Piranesi, Transcedent Kingdom and No One is Talking About This. I‘m in the middle of Nothing But Blue Sky and enjoying that one too.

I read too few to dare make a prediction but I am looking forward to the announcement of the shortlist tomorrow.

Kalalalatja I had to pause my plan to read the nominees because our libraries have been closed until a few days ago, and I couldn‘t find most of them as audios. I‘m still excited to see the short lidt, though! 4y
Ruthiella I‘ve read five and hope to start the Lockwood this week! 4y
squirrelbrain Looking forward to seeing the shortlist later today! 4y
See All 9 Comments
vivastory I am going to pretty much give up on all prizes if Transcendent Kingdom doesn't make the shortlist 😂 4y
vivastory The only ones I've read on the longlist are Luster, TK, Burnt Sugar, Piranesi, Vanishing Half. My prediction for the shortlist: Detransition Baby, Summer, Transcendent Kingdom, Burnt Sugar, Exciting Times, Vanishing Half 4y
vivastory @Ruthiella What's your fave so far? 4y
Ruthiella @vivastory Luster and Detransition, Baby. Apparently there‘s a word for it and it‘s “Disaster Woman Narrative”. I tend to like those kinds of stories... Piranesi gets a honorable mention, because I loved it too. Like Barbara, I wasn‘t bowled over by The Vanishing Half. Unlike you and Barbara, I wasn‘t bowled over by Transcendent Kingdom either. 😬 (edited) 4y
vivastory @Ruthiella I wasn't terribly impressed by Vanishing Half. I thought Nella Larsen's Passing was much much better. I have Detransition Baby on my shelves & am looking forward to it. I think that “Disaster Woman Narrative“ is a great phrase for those type of books. 4y
BarbaraBB @Ruthiella I haven‘t read Detransition, Baby yet but I hope to soon. All my peers love it! Also I can‘t wait to see what you think of No One. It‘s so good! I‘d be surprised if it didn‘t make the shortlist - next to TK of course, @vivastory 😂 4y
82 likes9 comments
review
emmaturi
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

This is longlisted for the Women's Price for Fiction and it was a great read. A difficult mother and daughter relationship, Tara was quite wild when she was younger and now has possibly alzheimer's. Now her daughter Antara has to look after her. She feels resentful as her mother didn't look after her so well. It goes back in the past and we see how she was brought up. The situation is a difficult one. I felt sorry for Antara not easy to handle.

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quietlycuriouskate
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

"I would be lying if I said my mother's misery has never given me pleasure."
You can gauge from the opening line whether you're likely to enjoy this book. I've rated it a pick because it's done well, but I didn't actually like it. I'll happily root for an ambivalent or even unlikeable MC or anti-hero but AD's characters are just so unsympathetic that, ultimately, it was hard to give a damn.

BarbaraBB Live your review even though I did give a damn 🤍 4y
36 likes1 comment
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Graywacke
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

I have been known to tire of those plotless sentence-level incisive devastating-secret devi novels. But I really enjoyed this mother-daughter story - Tara and Antara. It kept me interested as mom is suffering progressive dementia, yet knowns dangerous dark secrets about Antara. And Antara, our narrator, gets a little anxious.

This debut novel by American born Doshi takes place in Pune, India, and is on the 2020 Booker longlist. Recommended.

BarbaraBB I was very impressed by this one too. It may even be my favorite of the longlist. 4y
Graywacke @BarbaraBB I‘ve found a lot dull books on the list this year. But this was a nice exception. I‘m glad you liked it too. 👍 4y
60 likes2 comments
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rachaich
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Mehso-so

Nope. Did not like this.
I liked the start, the way we found out about her mother's ashram days, the suffering of all.
But I couldn't get into the second half or so, the more current time. I don't think I liked or empathised with any of the characters.

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rachaich
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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So one of my reading groups had to pick between this book and another. The other one won. But then this appeared on the library app so I get to read it anyway 😄😄.
Continuing my unplanned mother daughter relationships theme...
👩‍👧👩‍👧😊

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mklong
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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I gave it a pass last year after seeing some lackluster reviews, but I‘m glad that the Women‘s Prize put this back on my radar. It‘s a complicated Mother/Daughter relationship, that mostly unfolds as the Mother is losing her memory (possibly voluntarily) and the daughter is becoming a wife and mother herself. If you are someone who needs likable characters, this won‘t be for you, but I found their dynamic compelling.

Women‘s Prize 6/16

Centique And the colour matches some of your cushions! 4y
mklong @Centique If only they all matched the decor! They might look a little more intentional when they are strewn all over 4y
vivastory This was definitely a favorite of last year 4y
rachaich I just downloaded from my library 😍😍 4y
55 likes1 stack add4 comments
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BookishTrish
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

This is somewhere between a pick and a so so for me. The author did a thorough job of exploring how women are erased: by their bodies, by their families, by their relationships. I liked the #audiobook narrator. There were some images: Antara‘s daily art project, for example, that will stay with me for a long time. I‘m still not sure the book hung together as a story though.

squirrelbrain Great review! This is my favourite so far on the #longlist, but I read it quite a while ago, for last year‘s Booker. 4y
BookishTrish @squirrelbrain I read a few more a long time ago - Piranesi, The Vanishing Half, Exciting Times, Consent. So far I‘m team Piranesi. 4y
See All 10 Comments
squirrelbrain Piranesi is my second choice at the moment! I liked The Vanishing Half but I think it was rather over-hyped. 4y
LeeRHarry I read this last year when I read the Booker shortlist and I wasn‘t much of a fan. Piranesi is my least fave so far, I‘ve also read The Golden Rule, Small Pleasures and Transcendent Kingdom - #1 so far is Small Pleasures 😊 4y
LeeRHarry Oh I DNFed Exciting Times 😏 4y
BookishTrish @LeeRHarry it‘s so interesting to see the variety of reactions to these books. I quite liked Exciting Times. 4y
LeeRHarry @BookishTrish it is 😊 I found Ava so eyerolly in Exciting Times 🙄😆 4y
BookishTrish @LeeRHarry agreed. A lot depends on liking reading about an unlikeable character 4y
thewallflower0707 I think I will skip this one 🤔 4y
56 likes10 comments
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Graywacke
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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I started this today, in Philadelphia where I‘m visiting my mother who suffers from a progressive dementia... and it opens with a narrator dealing with her own mother‘s mental dissolution in Pune, India. I was immediately involved in it. Also I‘m a sucker for a good reader (here Sneha Mathan).

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BookishTrish
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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It took me a bit to get into this audiobook. I couldn‘t decide how reliable the narrator was meant to be. Now I‘m intrigued...

Lindy I love your pandemic selfie. 😂 4y
magyklyXdelish Those glasses. The struggle is REAL😩♥️ 4y
JazzFeathers @magyklyXdelish l know exactly what you mean. I ended up taking my glasses off most of the time. I see nothing both ways, but at least without them l'm getting less nerves 😂 4y
tessavi I used to take my glasses off as well, but started using small strips of paper tape on the top edge. Works like a charm! 4y
70 likes4 comments
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emmaturi
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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I got these 3 from the library and they are all on the longlist for the Women's Prize for Fiction. I have started Burnt Sugar already.

Cathythoughts I‘m interested in Small Pleasures! I did enjoy Burnt Sugar ... and your 3d one looks good ... lucky you ❤️👍🏻 4y
emmaturi Lucky they were all available at the same time! @Cathythoughts 4y
rachaich All three are my next reads 🤗🤗🙂🙂 4y
emmaturi Ok, nice! Already read Burnt Sugar now! @rachaich 4y
37 likes4 comments
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emmaturi
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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1. The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn and Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
2. Hardcover
3. Olive by Emma Gannon

@rachelsbrittain #WEEKENDREADS

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Caroline2
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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The Women‘s Prize for Fiction 2021 - The Longlist. These all sound so good. 👍

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magyklyXdelish
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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#BookHaul from Barnes and Noble last night. Had a gift card. So excited for these. They‘ve all been on my radar for a while ♥️

veritysalter I enjoyed ‘Dear Child‘, very dark and disturbing at times, but the atmosphere and pace are excellent. Happy reading 4y
magyklyXdelish @veritysalter it‘s definitely up my alley. Hopefully I get around to it soon. I‘ve bought and been gifted so many books I haven‘t gotten around to yet 😭 4y
veritysalter @magyklyXdelish I know that feeling, I got so many books for Christmas and I still keep buying more. I sometimes don‘t know where to start with my TBR. 4y
magyklyXdelish @veritysalter exactly! And then my husband keeps telling me I don‘t need to buy more cuz I have so many I haven‘t read and I‘m just like “you don‘t understaaaaaand” 4y
33 likes4 comments
review
erzascarletbookgasm
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

An aged mother is losing her mind and memories. A daughter, haunted by the past, burdened with years of unresolved emotions. It‘s an intense story about the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship; of memories; which is upsetting to read at times, heartbreaking, and brutal. Switching between present day and past, it‘s a slow burner of a book with writing that captivates me and made it to my favourites list.

Cathythoughts Nice review! I enjoyed this one too 👍🏻❤️ 4y
Deblovestoread Stacked! 4y
Kalalalatja Great review! I really enjoyed it 👌 4y
See All 13 Comments
BarbaraBB Wonderful review! 4y
Come-read-with-me Great review! It sounds like a gut-wrenching read. 4y
BarbaraBB Jessie I sent you a birthday gift way too early because the mail is so slow these days. Just in case a parcel from England arrives one of these days and you wonder why 😃😘 4y
erzascarletbookgasm @BarbaraBB Thank you so much for thinking of me! 🥰 I‘m so excited! 😘 4y
Reggie You doing ok, Jessie? Haven‘t seen you in a while. Just checking in, hoping everything‘s ok. 4y
erzascarletbookgasm Thanks for checking in Reggie! I‘m good, just that my reading has not been consistent. Lots of distractions on the mind. 🥺 I hope you‘re keeping well. ❤️ @Reggie 4y
Reggie I‘m back at work and it sucks. Lol. BUT I‘m grateful for the job and health so you know, just venting. Hope your distractions ease up soon.😊 4y
TrishB Was just stopping by to say hi too 🙋‍♀️❤️ 4y
BiblioLitten 💕 I hear you! I hope things are better. 4y
82 likes2 stack adds13 comments
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SW-T
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

Dark, unsettling, constant sense of unease. Is Antara a reliable narrator or not? Definitely during her post partum depression. Those feelings are very real and palpable. Classism, gender, career, motherhood, family, marriage, parenting. Kudos to Doshi for this dark and creepy novel. She packed a lot of atmosphere into a relatively short book. Not sure I liked it, but it was impactful and very well done.

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Lindy
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

A prickly, unsettling story about love and hatred between a mother and daughter in contemporary India. The making of art, the unmaking of mental illness. Buried secrets.
The #audiobook narrated by Vineeta Rishi kept me riveted.

46 likes1 stack add
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Lindy
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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I told her that staying doesn‘t have the appeal, the mystery, of escape. To stay is to be staid, to be resigned, to believe this is all there will ever be. Aren‘t we creatures made for searching, investigation, dominion? Aren‘t we built to believe there can always be something better?

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Lindy
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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#audiocrafting today with potato printing

Crazeedi Beautiful!💞 4y
Centique That is gorgeous! 4y
46 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Heideschrampf
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Today is just slogging around and reading, which is my favorite holiday tradition. This is also my #SelfieScavangerHunt pic for socks, favorite reading spot by the cozy fire, and by christmas lights with my fave holiday drink (sparkling wine) and fave gift of 2020! +121 for #TeamReadNosedReindeer

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Kalalalatja
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

I don‘t know what I expected from this, but I was pleasantly surprised! In a delicate, but unflinching way, Doshi tells the story of a mother-daughter relationship that is filled with displeasure, longing for something different, jealousy and fear. I felt the book was strongest, when the focus was on the relationship between mother and daughter, but the throw backs through Antara‘s and Tara‘s lives where interesting, too.

#SetInIndia #Booked2020

squirrelbrain I really liked this - I think listening to it on audio helped too as the narrator was great. 4y
Cinfhen Agreed @squirrelbrain the audio was fabulous 💖and yes, the mother / daughter relationship was really compelling @Kalalalatja 4y
53 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Blackink_WhitePaper
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Panpan

I couldn‘t connect to this writing as well as the plot. Most of the places I felt the writing is incoherent & the details were frustrating. At few places I felt the repetition of phrases ( e.g description of rickshaws). The story oscillates between past & present, first person narration are the good part. But I am disappointed with the MC Antara. You won‘t feel for her. May beI did not like the character at all it made me irritated. Cont..👇🏻

Blackink_WhitePaper It‘s depressing & disturbing story. It‘s #setinIndia but failed miserably to depict the modern India. May be I expected more since it‘s short listed for Booker. As a biochemist I enjoyed the details of Kreb cycle etc but I don‘t think it was necessary for the story line. Mine is an unpopular opinion so if you are planning to read it don‘t judge it based on this review. 😬 2⭐️/5 #booked2020 #setinIndia #readingwithmaja #releasedin2020 (edited) 4y
Cinfhen I listened to the audio and was easily pulled into the story due to the hypnotic tone of the narrator‘s voice. I don‘t think I would‘ve enjoyed this book in print. I agree, it was hard to get a sense of place but I felt like I got a glimpse of the culture. 4y
Cinfhen Interesting the different titles!!! 4y
Blackink_WhitePaper @Cinfhen yes... Some books are better in print while some books are better in audio. I was surprised by the different titles too😅 I like this cover better than the burnt sugar😜🥰 (edited) 4y
Sharpeipup At least the cover is nice... 4y
31 likes5 comments
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Well-ReadNeck
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Pickpick

Stunning writing and a deep dive into a toxic mother/daughter relationship. While some of the scenes and lines were surgically precise, the overall package lacked structure and purpose for me. #ARC #Netgalley

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Megabooks
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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So I‘ve been going through it with my mother this week. I just thought we had finally moved to a good place as far as working together, but I‘m being shutdown, manipulated, and gaslit. It just been a very hard week for me. I started this book (from my #bookspinbingo card), but I just can‘t read about parent/child relationships right now. I just want to thank you all for making this such a safe space. 💖

suvata {{{{hug}}}} 4y
CBee Hugs to you!!! ♥️♥️♥️ 4y
Jari-chan Here comes a tight hug your way! 4y
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Crazeedi I am here. My daughters did similar to me. . Life is difficult sometimes. Its hard to deal with family sometimes. I really hope things get better for you Meg. Sending a hug and prayers 4y
Cortg Big hugs! We‘re having a rough week in our house as well. Hang in there! “This to shall pass” is my mantra right now. 4y
MySharonaK Big hug ❤️❤️ 4y
rachelsbrittain Hugs 💛 4y
BarbaraBB I am so sorry for you, you‘ve been trying so hard with your Mom. I hope the both of you will work it out soon and wish you all the best ❤️❤️ 4y
merelybookish Virtual hugs and moral support! 4y
Mrs_B Sending big hugs 💙💙💙 4y
JennyM Look after yourself, Meg. We‘re here for you. Sending much love xx 4y
BarbaraJean Sending hugs and prayers your way!! 🤗💜 4y
BookwormAHN Sending hugs 🍀 4y
Seekingtardis Love and positive energy sent right your way!!! 😍😍 4y
Kalalalatja Hugs 💕 family relationships can be such a joy, but also the worst thing in the world. Hope you find a way to be in it, but remember to take care of you first 4y
LeahBergen Hugs! 💗 4y
julesG Hugs 💖 4y
WorldsOkayestStepMom I'm so sorry you're experiencing this. It's so hard to be manipulated and gaslit by someone you love. It's okay if you need to go low/no contact with her for a while, even during the holidays. 4y
ju.ca.no Sending many many Hugs your way! 💙 4y
TrishB Sending hugs ♥️ 4y
batsy Big hug 💜 4y
MemoirsForMe 🤗🙏🏻🤗🙏🏻🤗 4y
KarenUK I‘m sorry you‘re having a rough time, my lovely.... sending a big virtual hug! 💕💕 4y
zezeki Sorry to hear that. Sending you big hug, and stay strong! 💕💪🏼 4y
Sungirl79 Sending a big hug your way!! I hope things get better for you!! 🙏 4y
MyBookLife Big hug ❤️ 4y
CarolynM 🤗 Hugs 4y
Amiable Been there (still there, actually) with my mother. I feel your pain. Hugs. 😘 4y
AmyG I understand this and I am sorry. Sending a hug, too. 😘 4y
Librarybelle Hugs to you ❤️ 4y
Megabooks @Crazeedi thank you so much! 💕💕 I‘m sorry that happened with your daughters. It is definitely hard! 4y
Megabooks @Cortg thank you!! 💙💙 I‘m sorry you‘re having a rough week as well. Sending hugs right back!! 💕💕 4y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB thank you!! 💜💜 I hope we can work it out too. We had made such progress, which is why it‘s frustrating. 4y
Megabooks @Kalalalatja I‘m trying to remember that. It is hard when a person punishes you for really basic self care. 😞 thank you!! 💕💕 4y
Megabooks @WorldsOkayestStepMom thank you! 💙💙 I‘m going to try to disengage some, but I‘m not sure how it will go. 😬 4y
Megabooks @Amiable I‘m sorry you‘re going through this too! Thank you for the support and empathy. Right back at you!! 💕💙💕 4y
Gissy You can love your family but also is healthy if you establish boundaries. Sometimes is necessary for your own mental health stability. My best recommendation is to seek some professional advice so you can live without any guilty or rage or depress feelings. You deserve to be happy and being stable. A big hug for you. You did the first big step in this situation by identifying and accept how you feel😘❤️❤️❤️ 4y
Coleen_Nieto @Megabooks big hugs to you!❤ 4y
Scochrane26 Family is difficult! Hope things get better! 🤗 4y
TheLudicReader Family relationships can be so fraught. ❤️ 4y
Hollie Hugs to you 🥰 4y
Eggs Hugs!!!! I had a complex relationship with Mom too so I understand! 4y
AmyK1 Hugs to you 🤗 4y
atla {{hugs}} from one frustrated and hurt daughter to another 💕 4y
Megabooks @Gissy thank you for your kind words & support!! 💜💜💜 I‘m currently seeing a therapist, and it was after talking to her that I decided to take an afternoon away from caring for my parents (because I have been caring for them nonstop for six months through the pandemic), which is part of why we got in a fight. It just incredibly frustrating when I try to talk things out calmly and she shuts down and forces my dad to choose between us. 4y
Megabooks @Eggs thank you for understanding!! 💙💙 4y
Megabooks @Coleen_Nieto @Hollie @AmyK1 thank you so much!! 💕💕💕 4y
Megabooks @Scochrane26 @TheLudicReader yes they can be!! Thank you so much for the support!! 💜💜 4y
Megabooks @atla I‘m so sorry you understand this personally. Sending hugs right back to you!! 💖💙💜 4y
Gissy It is sad to hear that. Maybe she is also struggling with something, maybe is depressed or is her personality. We cannot change people, they need to seek help too but we can manage the situation for our own good. I'm glad that you are seeing someone to support you in this situation by exploring ways to manage the situation. It is ok to stay away from our beloved one at some point if they are hurting us. I know that with help you will feel better😘 4y
sarahbarnes ❤️❤️❤️ 4y
JenReadsAlot Hugs!!! 4y
erzascarletbookgasm It‘s so hard..Sending you hugs & positive thoughts. 💕 4y
SheReadsAndWrites Hugs!!!! 💙 4y
marleed Oh I‘m sorry! I wish your mother was your safe place. I‘m so thankful you have a safe place to land at Litsy. 4y
Traci1 (((Hugs))) ❤❤ 4y
Megabooks @Gissy thank you so much for your kind words!! 💜💜💜 4y
Megabooks @sarahbarnes @JenReadsAlot @erzascarletbookgasm @SheReadsAndWrites @Traci1 thank you each so much! It is wonderful to have support here! 💕💕💕 4y
Megabooks @marleed I am so thankful for litsy and all my Litten friends, including you!! 💙💙 I‘m really glad I have a close/less fraught relationship with my dad. 4y
JacqMac Hugs. That‘s sounds like a really difficult time. I hope you are able to do what‘s best for you. It isn‘t always an easy thing. 4y
Megabooks @JacqMac thank you so much! 💜💜 4y
arubabookwoman Sending hugs.❤️❤️ Sorry you are having to deal with this. 4y
jmtrivera I'm so sorry. 💜💜💜 4y
Megabooks @arubabookwoman thank you! 💕💜 4y
Megabooks @jmtrivera thank you! 💙💙 4y
Redwritinghood Sending happy thoughts. ❤️ 4y
Emilymdxn Im so sorry, sending so much friend love 💕 4y
readordierachel I'm sorry. Sending hugs ❤ 4y
Reviewsbylola I hope today was an improvement Meg. Mothers can be tough. And I think you‘re an only child and live with your parents? That makes it all the more difficult. Family relationships are just weird and a manipulative mother is certainly impossible to live with at times. 4y
Megabooks @Redwritinghood thank you! I need positivity. 💜💜 4y
Megabooks @Emilymdxn thank you!! I really appreciate it!! 💕💕 4y
Megabooks @readordierachel thanks! 💜💜 4y
Megabooks @Reviewsbylola yes I am on both counts. They can‘t live independently without me (hell they can‘t open the blinds without me) and I‘m not healthy enough to work so here we are. I just thought my mom and I had made progress when my dad was in the nursing home, but we‘re right back to where we‘ve been for 30 years. I‘m really not sure what to do. Thanks for the support! 💙💙 4y
KVanRead Sorry to hear. Family can be so hard. Sending virtual hugs to you💕🤗 4y
Megabooks @KVanRead thank you Kristine! 💕💕💕 4y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Sending you a big hug and support. 🤗💞 4y
Reviewsbylola Hang in there. I think you do an amazing job of acknowledging the issue and taking care of yourself mentally. That‘s really all you can do I‘m guessing. Thinking of you! ❤️❤️ 4y
Megabooks @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick thank you so much!! 💜💜 4y
Megabooks @Reviewsbylola thanks Steph! 💕💕 I really appreciate you‘re support and I‘m glad we “met” here! 4y
LazyOwl Hope things improve, families can be so trying and stressful sometimes 💕 4y
Reviewsbylola Me too! 🥰🥰 4y
Megabooks @LazyOwl thank you! 💙💙 4y
Cinfhen Just seeing this now....I‘m sorry I‘ve been so wrapped up in my own world...sending that hug 🤗 and I totally agree with @Reviewsbylola you are one of the most honest, sincere thoughtful and insightful people I‘ve come to “know” I obviously don‘t know your mom, but I have a strong feeling it‘s her own unhappiness that she projects unto you. I‘m sorry. I love my mom but she can be tough too. Mother/daughter relationships are really complicated 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen thanks! It‘s just hard when I want to talk like an adult and my mom is sullen, mercurial, and refuses to take responsibility for anything. And you‘re right, it is complicated. At least I have my dad. 4y
105 likes86 comments
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jhod
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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What a lovely card @squirrelbrain thank you! Sorry work is so tough at the moment... Only 3 more weeks to go *we hope*. I just took advantage of the tagged book being 99p on Kindle so will look forward to it! Finished The New Wilderness yesterday, meh... Xxx

squirrelbrain Oh I hope you do like Burnt Sugar. And I‘m glad you felt the same as me about The New Wilderness - lots of people seem to love it but I thought it was nothing special.... 4y
Cathythoughts I like Burnt Sugar 👍🏻 Looking forward to reading Shuggie soon X 4y
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jenniferw88
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Cathythoughts Great deal 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
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TrishB
Burnt Sugar | Avni Doshi
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Seems like a bargain based on all the Litsy love!

LeahBergen Indeed! 4y
Ms_T I really fancy this one. 4y
Tanisha_A Woohooo! 4y
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Cathythoughts Great deal ! I thought it was really good 👍🏻❤️ 4y
TrishB @Ms_T did you get it? Hope so. 4y
Ms_T @TrishB Yes! 👍🏻 4y
TrishB @Ms_T cool 👍🏻 4y
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