This was a really bad month for reading books. I had barely half an hour everyday for reading books. Sigh.

• Batman: The Killing Joke

  I had heard a lot about Batman: The Killing Joke and was delighted to find it in my library. It did live up to the hype. The Joker has an interesting backstory as a failed comedian. It also has an interesting perspective of the Batman and the Joker being reflections of each other (just like in Matrix of Neo and Agent Smith). A very enjoyable book!

• Still I Rise

  This is a comic book that details the history of blacks in United States. It was quite informative - talks about the black inventors who are usually not acknowledged in public history and the rise of the Civil rights movement. It is written and drawn by two African-Americans, so it is a personal story of struggle as well. Still, I think it is a little odd that it did not cover the slavery that occurred among Africans before the colonialists arrived. Also missing is a description of the creation of Liberia which was founded by the freed slaves from United States. But this book is an excellent source of information about African-Americans who have contributed to the society and for the struggle for civil rights.

• The Doll’s House

  Sandman : The Doll’s House is one of the Sandman series. I had actually read a later one, The Sandman Vol. 7: Brief Lives earlier. It is an engrossing read, as is typical of Gaiman. I was very amused by the idea of a Conference for Serial Killers (known as the “Collectors”).

• Another Day of Life

  Another Day of Life is about the Angolan Civil War. It is deeply personal and free from assumptions and stereotypes about Africans. The author claims to have evidence of FNLA troops practicing Cannibalism and the UNITA getting the funding from American Churches. It is amazing to read about what the author had to go through to cover this important event in Cold War Era.

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• The main reason for finishing only 4 books was, I was stuck reading The Savage Detectives: A Novel which is a heavy tome. Sadly, I had to give it up as it was reserved by a lot of people. But I have bought a copy now, so hopefully, I should write about it next month!