Bookish Thursday - No Ordinary Thursday by Anoop Judge

Yes, I have been doing a lot of reading during these hot and humid days (already) of July. And I am pleased to report I have read another book by Anoop Judge, No Ordinary Thursday. This is in conjunction with WOW-Women on Writing (although no arm twisting was involved in wanting to review this book). 

But first the business...

Book Summary

Lena Sharma is a successful San Francisco restaurateur. An immigrant, she’s cultivated an image of conservatism and tradition in her close-knit Indian community. But when Lena's carefully constructed world begins to crumble, her ties to her daughter, Maya, and son, Sameer—raised in thoroughly modern California—slip further away.

Maya, divorced once, becomes engaged to a man twelve years her junior: Veer Kapoor, the son of Lena’s longtime friend. Immediately, Maya feels her mother's disgrace and the judgment of an insular society she was born into but never chose, while Lena’s cherished friendship frays. Meanwhile, Maya's younger brother, Sameer, struggles with an addiction that reaches a devastating and very public turning point, upending his already tenuous future.

As the mother, daughter, and son are compromised by tragedy, secrets, and misconceptions, they each must determine what it will take to rebuild their bonds and salvage what’s left of their family.

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Print length: 335 pages

Purchase a copy of No Ordinary Thursday on

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/No-Ordinary-Thursday-Anoop-Judge/dp/1542037751/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-ordinary-thursday-anoop-judge/1140485124.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-ordinary-thursday-anoop-judge/17746161

You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61214404-no-ordinary-thursday

About the Author

Born and raised in New Delhi, Anoop is the author of four novels, The Rummy Club which won the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award, The Awakening of Meena Rawat, an excerpt of which was nominated for the 2019 Pushcart Prize, No Ordinary Thursday, and Mercy and Grace.

Her essays and short stories have appeared in Green Hills Literary Lantern, Rigorous Journal, Lumiere Review, DoubleBack Review, and the Ornament anthology, among others. 

 Anoop calls herself a “recovering litigator”—she worked in state and federal courts for many years before she replaced legal briefs with fictional tales. She holds an MFA from St. Mary’s College of California and was the recipient of the 2021 Advisory Board Award and the 2023 Alumni Scholarship. 

She lives in Pleasanton, California, with her husband, and is the mother of two admirable young adults.

You can follow the author at:

Website: https://anoopjudge.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judgeanoop/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoop-ahuja-judge-94396743/

Now for my opinion...

Short and sweet - just read the book. Period. End of Sentence. 

What really made me 'think' about this book are a couple of things. 

First, I am so pleased in recent years we have had great access to books which are not written by white, Anglo-Saxon, primarily men. Especially in the Fantasy genre (which is one of my main reads), we are getting quite a lot of really good books by Asian and African writers - or of Asian and African descent. I have books earmarked TBR which are from Native American writers. To get retellings of stories which are based on lore from other cultures lends an additional dimension to the reading. 

Secondly, and I think it is really important (at least it is to me), while I do get a glimpse into another culture through the story and learn something new every time, it also points out how very similar we all are underneath. 

Like Lena in No Ordinary Thursday, I am older. I have two grown children. I have grandchildren. I am divorced. I want what is best for my kids, even though they are adults and out on their own. We have, as a family, gone through some tough times in the past - not near as dire as Lena's - but we have made it through to the other side. And while I might look at and deal with these issues through the lens of a Southern woman, I don't think I would have handled things much differently than Lena.

So...

If you haven't already, pick up No Ordinary Thursday. Go read her Mercy and Grace. Pick up books by authors who come from a different background and not only enjoy a good read, but learn something too. 

(Note - This post was written with the aid of an iced chai latte. I'm Southern, tea has to be iced! I'm blending the two cultures!)

But check out other opinions on this book...

Blog Tour Calendar

June 17th @ The Muffin

Join us as we celebrate the launch of Anoop Judge's book No Ordinary Thursday. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of her book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

June 19th @ Writer Advice

Novelist Anoop Judge stops by with a guest post about Ways To Begin a Story.

https://www.writeradvice.com

June 21st @ A Wonderful World of Words

Let's have some fun with a book giveaway and a guest post from Anoop Judge tracing her journey through four novels.

https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

June 22nd @ A Storybook World

Make an addition to your TBR pile with this spotlight on No Ordinary Thursday.

https://www.astorybookworld.com/

June 24th @ My Beauty My Books

Author Anoop Judge visits with advice to her twenty year old self and a chance to win a copy of her novel No Ordinary Thursday.

mybeautymybooks.com

June 25th @ Words by Webb

Read a review of No Ordinary Thursday at Words by Webb/

https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog

June 28th @ What Is this Book About

Stop by for a spotlight on a new book for a new month: No Ordinary Thursday by Anoop 

Judge.

www.whatisthatbookabout.com

June 30th @ Choices

Anoop Judges gives readers a peek at her writing life with today's guest post.

http://madelinesharples.com

July 2nd @ Boys' Mom Reads

Karen shares her review of No Ordinary Thursday, a novel of love, friendship and family.

karensiddall.wordpress.com

 

July 3rd @ The Faerie Review

Want to enjoy the July 4th holiday with a great book? The Faerie Review is spotlighting No Ordinary Thursday by Anoop Judge.

https://www.thefaeriereview.com/

July 5th @ StoreyBook Reviews

Anoop Judge shares her thoughts on Crafting Dialogue: How Can You Best Give Voice to Your Characters?

https://www.storeybookreviews.com

July 9th @ Word Magic

Fiona welcomes novelist Anoop Judge sharing a few things you didn't know about her.

https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

July 11th @ Knotty Needle

Read a review of No Ordinary Thursday, a novel about family and friendship.

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/

July 12th @  Author Anthony Avina

Pop by the blog of Author Anthony Avina for a guest post about what inspires Anoop Judge.

https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

July 17th @ Chapter Break

Ready to head for the hammock (or your favorite reading spot) with an engrossing summer read? Learn more about No Ordinary Thursday and author Anoop Judge.

https://chapterbreak.net/

July 20th @ Seaside Book Nook

Jilleen shares her thoughts on No Ordinary Thursday and a guest post on first memories from the author Anoop Judge.

http://www.seasidebooknook.com/