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35 Comments

  1. Ambica Gulati
    October 24, 2024 @ 8:47 am

    I’d like to read them both, though I sometimes get goosebumps reading such stories. However, not moving on shouldn’t be an option for ghosts. I mean there’s hardly any choice left, right? 😛

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  2. Sonia Dogra
    October 25, 2024 @ 10:59 am

    Hi Ritu. I love the preview of both the books and would love to read them asap. Thank you.

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  3. Chinmayee Gayatree Sahu
    October 25, 2024 @ 8:20 pm

    Kudos for reading them and giving us your suggestions. But honestly, I dread the horror genre and maintain a safe distance from it.

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    • Sivaranjini Anandan
      November 9, 2024 @ 10:02 pm

      Ghost stories are my mom’s favorites but for me, they should have some comedy then I can read them too.

      Reply

  4. Cindy
    October 26, 2024 @ 11:27 am

    Wow I need to read something that’s really horror and not just normal ghost hauting men. Let me see if I can get my hands on them.

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  5. Dr. Aparna Salvi Nagda
    October 27, 2024 @ 8:46 am

    You have changed the whole dynamics of Halloween with these poignant recommendations. Thanks for the shift in paradigm. While your first recommendation was on my tbr, I’m now adding the second one, too.

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    • Abhijit Ray
      November 1, 2024 @ 4:03 pm

      I think I might have seen “Goynar Baksho” but unable to put my finger to it. I think a ghost story should be subtle and yet fear invoking. During my childhood days, Ghost stories used to make us fall from chair. Many were scary. One may argue, those days electricity was not widespread, and one had to go to toilets generally outside the house, often in the dark. Someone lurking in the shadow would be considered believable. I think Indian ghost stories are more relatable and scary.

      Real story that had my goat was Exorcist, where I was scared to sleep in the dark alone after watching the movie. Compared to stories I read in my childhood, Halloween appears to be a prank. It never scared me, no wonder how many pumpkins are peeled and made to look scary. Even Fiday the 13th looks more like a hacking comedy than a paranormal incidence.

      Reply

  6. Tarang
    October 27, 2024 @ 12:58 pm

    The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die is on my TBR list (in fact, many of Arunava Sinha’s books are on my TBR list). And I didn’t know there was a film based on this book. Just checked it stars Konkona Sen Sharma, and I am going to watch it. Thank you. Of Mothers and Other Perishables seems very intriguing. The theme reminds me of a very interesting book that I read recently —The Lies Among Us. 

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  7. Nilshree yelulkar
    October 27, 2024 @ 11:35 pm

    I am beginning to read horror genre now, just read one book. Your insights are helpful as well as have come at right time. Will add these to my TBR.

    Reply

  8. Harshita Nanda
    October 28, 2024 @ 7:28 pm

    Ah! reading this blogpost for the Everything Festive Blog Hop and Halloween is one that none of us thought of!
    As usual, after reading your blog post, my TBR has grown. You certainly have the knack of finding books that keep us enthralled.

    Reply

  9. Deepti Menon
    October 28, 2024 @ 8:10 pm

    Both your book reviews make me itch to read these books. Thank you for adding on the the Halloween info by moving on to these unusual Spooktober recommendations. I would love to watch the movie as well. Thank you for sharing this post with all of us.

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  10. Janaki
    October 29, 2024 @ 4:20 pm

    I think I want to read ‘Of Mothers and Other Perishables’. Having lost my mother recently, this made me think if my mother too, is waiting in the small store room, waiting for us to gather in that home year after year. Scary thought though.

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  11. Preeti Chauhan
    October 30, 2024 @ 12:03 pm

    Yes Ritu, according to folklore, souls that have unfinished business or unfulfilled desires cannot get redemption and haunt the families as ghosts.
    Though I am too faint hearted for horror books or movies but something tells me these are not blood and gore kind of stories but actually have a message and a relevant theme to the distress of the wandering soul.I sure could pick up these.

    Reply

  12. Tomichan Matheikal
    October 31, 2024 @ 3:20 pm

    A very unique post on the given theme. I’d like to read these books, they seem appealing.

    Reply

  13. Abhijit Ray
    November 1, 2024 @ 4:01 pm

    I think I might have seen “Goynar Baksho” but unable to put my finger to it. I think a ghost story should be subtle and yet fear invoking. During my childhood days, Ghost stories used to make us fall from chair. Many were scary. One may argue, those days electricity was not widespread, and one had to go to toilets generally outside the house, often in the dark. Someone lurking in the shadow would be considered believable. I think Indian ghost stories are more relatable and scary.

    Real story that had my goat was Exorcist, where I was scared to sleep in the dark alone after watching the movie. Compared to stories I read in my childhood, Halloween appears to be a prank. It never scared me, no wonder how many pumpkins are peeled and made to look scary. Even Fiday the 13th looks more like a hacking comedy than a paranormal incidence.

    Reply

  14. Reubenna Dutta
    November 2, 2024 @ 11:29 pm

    I have watched Aparna Sen’s Goynar Baksho but have yet to read the story by Shirshendu Mukherji. His stories are always humorous. I found the film very entertaining too.

    Reply

    • Samata
      November 4, 2024 @ 1:50 am

      Ghost 👻 stories and movies are good to read and enjoy especially in the Halloween 🎃 month. Although I don’t believe in ghost but I do enjoy their supernatural presence in the stories and entertainment factor is superb. I will pick Arunava Sinha’s translated work to read 📚 ghost presence is enjoyed the most in movies because of visualization

      Reply

  15. Tanvi Agarwal
    November 6, 2024 @ 5:52 pm

    Halloween is becoming a trend in India too, and i love talking about it. Even I found one of my friends in stranger’s halloween party

    Reply

  16. Sindhu
    November 7, 2024 @ 12:36 am

    Ritu i really love your choice of books always and this time it’s definitely intriguing. Loved your choice of festivity and book suggestions

    Reply

  17. Aishwariya Laxmi
    November 7, 2024 @ 7:28 pm

    Hi Ritu,
    The first book seems more interesting to me. However, just want to check whether it is too scary. I get scared easily these days. Like even cartoon horror is scary for me nowadays.

    Reply

  18. Manali Desai
    November 7, 2024 @ 9:14 pm

    I love, love, love, the fact that you listed only a couple of books, and those too are not from the ones we would generally find on such lists, even if they’re from Indian authors. Thanks for these very unique recommendations Ritu. Since I’m now brave enough, after reading a few in this genre, I will definitely be checking these out

    Reply

  19. Swati
    November 8, 2024 @ 3:57 am

    I liked the way you’ve connected the books to the festival, Halloween. Reading this post makes me little nervous as I’m reading this at night!

    Reply

  20. Sameer Gudhate
    November 8, 2024 @ 4:07 am

    These two ghost stories offer such a unique twist on the traditional Halloween theme. Both are rich in emotions and delve deep into the complexities of love, loss, and unfinished business. The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die cleverly mixes dark humor with a poignant commentary on patriarchy, while Of Mothers and Other Perishables beautifully explores grief and the bond between mother and daughter. It’s refreshing to see stories that celebrate women’s resilience and their struggles in such a hauntingly relatable way. I’ll definitely be adding these to my reading list! What about you?

    Reply

  21. Shifali
    November 8, 2024 @ 10:24 am

    I was not aware of the real reason of Celebrating Halloween. Your post is quite intriguing and makes the reader embrace Halloween and related books. I will like to read these.

    Reply

  22. Preeti Chauhan
    November 8, 2024 @ 6:25 pm

    Not a fan of Horror in any form but when served like this , where the idea is not to haunt and scare but talk about deeper issues.So ‘Of mothers and other perishables ” seems like a relatable one and I am all for it.Still I would stay away from audiobooks , way too spooky !

    Reply

  23. sukaina
    November 8, 2024 @ 11:25 pm

    Did you see similarity between writings between arundhati and the translation by Arunava Sinha? I am picking the first book and going to read it. I love dark humour mocking the patriarchal system.

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  24. Jeannine
    November 9, 2024 @ 1:28 pm

    I’m sorry to tell you but I skipped reading most of this post. Not because I didn’t like how you write but because of the kid in me that still isn’t brave enough for horror things (may it be in writing or movies). I guess, you can say effective writing as it scared me! haha

    Reply

  25. Aditya Sathe
    November 9, 2024 @ 1:54 pm

    Ghost stories are not my cup of tea!!! I am very scared … I always steer clear from them.

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  26. Ratna
    November 10, 2024 @ 12:26 pm

    Both compelling reviews and even though I’m not a horror fan, the Indian setting puts them into my TBR.

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  27. Ishieta
    November 10, 2024 @ 1:37 pm

    okay these sound like genuinely scary stories…hehe, i tend to stay away from horror but reading here i wish id get the courage to read these and check them out…

    Reply

  28. Neha Sharma
    November 10, 2024 @ 11:11 pm

    These ghost stories sound so intriguing! I love how they focus on strong, unforgettable women, dealing with family and resilience in such a unique way. Definitely going on my to-read list!

    Reply

  29. Anuradha Sowmyanarayanan
    November 11, 2024 @ 4:28 pm

    Ghost stories are a form of supernatural fiction specifically weird fiction, and are often horror stories. While ghost stories are often explicitly meant to scare, they have been written to serve all sorts of purposes, from comedy to morality tales.
    In some cases, ghost stories were used to promote good behavior, warning people that pitiful lost souls were damned because of immoral lives. In other instances, they were used to explain death, just as certain Gods were used to explain natural phenomena.

    Reply

  30. Sindhu
    November 11, 2024 @ 4:50 pm

    I loved both your recommendations. Gets me intrigued as it’s one of my favourite genre.

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  31. Chandrika R Krishnan
    November 12, 2024 @ 10:48 am

    Intrigued by your recommendation. Interesting how you changed the reading list for Halloween. Though I agree with one of the comments that I glanced through. Halloween is more like a prank..not at all scary.

    Reply

  32. Swarnali Nath
    November 14, 2024 @ 9:02 pm

    Not a fan of the Horror genre but very recently I have developed a fondness for reading heart-touching horror stories. Have watched the movie Goynar Bkasho, it’s indeed funny and a beautiful movie!

    Reply

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