Books I Read in June 2025— Arundhati Roy, BR Ambedkar and More

 Today is the last day of June, and I feel compelled to jot down the books I read this month to reflect on my experience and learnings. These are the books:

~The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

~My Seditious Heart by Arundhati Roy

~Annihilation of Caste by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

~History of Modern Manipur by Lal Dena

Just four. It's okay, really. There is no compulsion to read 6,7 books every month. Reading fewer books doesn't mean I'm learning less. In fact, I learned more deeply. The books this month have been impactful in different ways. Clearly, there is a shift in my choices. I'm leaning more into nonfiction now. I guess I've always been angry and frustrated deep inside. About the climate crisis, social injustice, war, etc. Living in the comforting world of fiction was an escape from all these thoughts. As I read more nonfiction, I get angrier, but I know I should keep myself informed of reality. Then perhaps I'd be able to do something about it. I'm not sure what. But I'll figure it out because I can't just not do anything.

At the start of the month, I read The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen, suggested by a friend. This was a gentle start. Because after that, I picked up all non-fiction and got grumpy. The Magic Fish is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel with themes of family, identity, and storytelling. 

Tiến is a Vietnamese American boy struggling to come out to his parents, unsure of how to express his feelings across language and cultural divides. The narrative blends three layers: Tiến's real life, the fairy tales he reads with his mother, and his mother's own memories of Vietnam. Through these interwoven threads, the book explores the power of stories to bridge generational and emotional gaps. It's sweet. I love the illustrations. Just stunning!

Next My Seditious Heart by Arundhati Roy. This is a collection of her non-fiction writing, spanning over two decades. There are critiques of global capitalism, nationalism, imperialism, and state violence. The essays examine the political and social upheavals in India and beyond, confronting issues like environmental degradation, displacement of indigenous communities, militarization, and the erosion of democratic values. What I love about her is that she amplifies the voices of the marginalized. I never thought I'd see our state, Manipur, or the Northeast India, mentioned or written about in books by famous authors. She does, even if it is a tiny part; she knows about the conditions we've been living under all these years. 

And I never imagined I'd shed a tear reading a nonfiction book. Read Rohith Vemula's suicide note, found in the last essay in the book, and see how you feel. 

The third book is Annihilation of Caste by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. This was originally written as a speech for a 1936 conference, but was ultimately cancelled due to its radical content. The text boldly challenges Hindu orthodoxy, particularly targeting the religious and social doctrines that perpetuate caste discrimination. Ambedkar dismantles the moral and spiritual justifications of caste hierarchy, calling for its complete eradication rather than reform. Everyone, especially those who practice the caste system and who discriminate based on the caste system, should read this. If they had any good sense, they would agree with Ambedkar. Would they, though?

Lastly, I read History of Modern Manipur (1826-1949), edited by Lal Dena (Department of History, Manipur University). For many years, I have been curious about the history of my place, but have not gotten to read about it. Finally, this month I picked up this book; it's a first edition, published in 1990. This book was actually given by my father to my mother; there are handwritten notes on the cover pages. I can't really read them because they're written in the Bengali script and a little English (I can read that part). The cover is torn; the book is pretty old. My mother says Lal Dena is a very gentle and humble person. I've never met him, but I'm grateful to him.

Happy reading! ^_^