The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny | 
Finally finished this chunkster! I usually get a bit itchy at any book over 300 pages, but the #Booker2025 shortlist made me pick it up (thank you, my library system).
Some great moments, but mostly I felt disconnected from the young titular characters. Think for me a book centring Pooja or Mama's story/ies would be more interesting. Acknowledging a criticism (trope of predatory older artist) within the narrative doesn't "fix" the issue, either!
When he told Sunny the ingredients in what he'd brought....he always added at the end: y amor!
"Huauzontles y amor! Frijoles, epazote y amor! Tomatillo, serrano y amor!"
Ulla would say, "The love is in the sauce," which had always irritated Sunny. He wanted only sauce in his sauce. Or, if anything, a touch of irony in his sauce, or the devil in his sauce, or sauciness in his sauce.
"Please leave amor out! I'm allergic to it," begged Sunny.
pickI was so happy to have spent some time in the world of this book; I was a little sad to come to the end. I‘ll be thinking about these characters for awhile, and this book will definitely be on my list of favorites this year. Such an expertly woven story from start to finish. 🩵
This section reminds me of a neighbour from the subcontinent, who also thinks this kind of comment to near-strangers is perfectly fine...
#CultureShock
They played Iqbal Bano singing "Hum Dekhenge." The picture on the cassette cover showed the singer wearing a black sari to protest the dictatorship of Zia....
What happened within a family, what happened between a couple, was no different from that which happened in a nation under dictatorship, running on fear. Far above, planes blinked across the sky, and below, the madman in the ruins of the idgah came out and shouted....
pick25 Sep-2 Oct 25 (audiobook)
#Bookerlonglist2025 No 12
A sprawling tale of loneliness, love and longing. I do not remember anything about Inheritance of Loss, others than so enjoyed it and read it as part of the Booker longlist many years ago.
I enjoy sprawling family sagas, which seems to be a genre at which some modern writers from India excel, and this deserves it place in the shortlist.
At home Sunny said: "Ulla, why did you say I put curry in everything? I put spices in everything, not curry in everything. There's no such thing as curry, in fact. It's a fake word invented by the British."
He distinctly heard his mother's voice in his ear say, Who is this stupid person?
pickThis novel is a bit like a more serious, more introspective, and more sprawling When Harry Met Sally, but saying that doesn't remotely convey the scope of Desai's story, which includes commentary about and criticism of at least four countries, the art world, journalism, and the nature of familial and romantic ties. Her characters are silly, maddening, and so relatable, and I love that they engage in productive introspection without therapy.
I am feverishly trying to finish the tagged audiobook so I can give spooky books my full attention in October. In the meantime, I went to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and learned that sand cats are just as adorable sleepers as domestic cats.
pickThe Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai (2025)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Premise: In and around the turn of the century, two young Indians navigate migrant life, family expectations, and the long pull of the past.
Review: This is an incredibly special book. In this rather intimate story about two families, Desai was somehow able to explain all of the hopes, dreams, and divisions of our present troubled century. ⬇️
I'm feeling a bit stressed today, and it seems like others might be, too, so I figured I'd post a sunset from a few days ago. There's so much beautiful, and it helps to remind myself.
I've been listening to the tagged today, and while I like the writing a lot, and the narration is excellent, I don't think it's helping my stress level.
Editing to add a hashtag so it's easy to find all the beautiful photos when we need a respite: #beautybreak
https://youtube.com/shorts/WF6QbSucLQA?feature=shared
Booker Shortlist reaction in under 3 minutes ^
Who is your winner?
I would guess I'm going to be team Audition, but the others have chance to win me over yet!
pickA very long, epic story, but one that kept me engrossed throughout. Sonia and Sunny have both left India for the US, and are both lonely in their different ways.
This detailed, immersive book follows their lives and those of their meddling families as they‘re all drawn together and apart over the years.
There was a small amount of magical realism, which I didn‘t like and a bit too much introspection on occasion, but overall a fabulous read.
pickI took my time reading this (almost 2 months!) and I‘m so glad I did. The story is packed-full of characters that might make you feel overwhelmed at times, but to me it just added to the richness of the story.
Loved the way Desai delivered Sonia and Sunny‘s stories through the pages. And loved the sprinkles of comic relief to break up the tension in some parts.
One of my Top 5 reads this year!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#arc Pub Date: 9/23/25
