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How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder: A Novel
Nina McConigley
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A bold, inventive, and fiercely original debut novel that begins with an uncle dead and his tween niece’s private confession to the reader—she and her sister killed him, and they blame the British.
Summer, 1986. The Creel sisters, Georgie Ayyar and Agatha Krishna, welcome their aunt, uncle and young cousin—newly arrived from India—into their house in rural Wyoming where they’ll all live together. Because this is what families do. That is, until the sisters decide that it’s time for their uncle to die.
According to Georgie, the British are to blame. And to understand why, you need to hear her story. She details the violence hiding in their house and history, her once-unshakeable bond with Agatha Krishna, and her understanding of herself as an Indian-American in the heart of the West. Her account is, at every turn, cheeky, unflinching, and infectiously inflected with the trappings of teendom, including the magazine quizzes that help her make sense of her life.
At its heart, the tale she weaves is:
a) a vivid portrait of an extended family
b) a moving story of sisterhood
c) a playful ode to the 80s
d) a murder mystery (of sorts)
e) an unexpected and unwaveringly powerful meditation on history and language, trauma and healing, and the meaning of independence
Or maybe it’s really:
f) all of the above.
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Posts about this title from Celestial
how much do you care about average book ratings?
💭 how much do you care about average book ratings?
here are some of my favorites that have mixed reviews (a green flag for me)!
📚 books mentioned: - No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull - How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley - The Coven Tendency by Zoe Hana Mikuta
👗💄: - dress is from For Love and Lemons - eyeshadow is In A Trance Palette from Colourpop and You Make Me Happy Palette from KimChi Chic Beauty - shimmer is a blend from Ourbella - eyeliner is Vegan Longwear Eyeliner (Lilac) from Pacifica Beauty - mascara is Lash Extensions XL from Milani - lip is Lip Buttercream (Cinnamon Sugar) from Pacifica Beauty - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!) Thank you to Pantheon and Hyperion Avenue for the gifted copies!
#fantasybooks #horrorbooks #literaryfictionbooks #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @blackstonepublishing @pantheonbooks @hyperionavebooks @disneybooks @forloveandlemons @kimchichicbeauty @colourpopcosmetics @pacificabeauty @milanicosmetics
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low rated books • books with low Goodreads ratings • fantasy books • science fiction books • speculative books • horror books • weird books • experimental books • unique books • diverse books • Blackstone Publishing
3 books
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Dec 12 2025
🥒 YOU’LL NEVER ESCAPE PICKLE BOOKS!
🥒 YOU’LL NEVER ESCAPE PICKLE BOOKS!
💭 what the heck is a pickle book? thanks for asking! it’s something i made up. pickle books are books that leave you with a sour aftertaste - but in a positive way. those books that stick with you, haunt you a bit, change you for the better, or just really make you think. this is the latest in a long series of pickle book recommendation videos i’ve given.
📚 books mentioned: - Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad - Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler - We Have Reached the End of Our Show by Ali Gordon - How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley
👗💄: - jumpsuit is from Hutch, rented from Nuuly - eyeshadow is Lord of the Rings Middle Earth Palette from Glamlite - eyeliner is Epiphany Glow Melt-On from Kaleidos - hair gems are from Hally Hair - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thank you to Ali Gordon and Pantheon for the gifted copies!
#picklebooks #picklebookrecs #literaryfiction #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #dystopianbooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram @groveatlantic @grandcentralpub @wildlingpress @pantheonbooks @hutch_design @nuuly @kaleidosmakeup @glamlite @hallyhair
4 books
1
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jul 12 2025
reading 7 books in 7 days challenge! why was this so fun??
reading 7 books in 7 days challenge! why was this so fun??
📚 books mentioned: - How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina Swamidoss McConigley - The Waning by Wunmi Aramiji - Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger - Model Home by Rivers Solomon - Arc of the Universe by Nikki Alexander - Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones - Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen
thank you to Pantheon Books, Ingram, The Nerd Fam, and Gallery Books for the gifted copies!
#readingchallenge #bookchallenge #7booksin7days #readingabookaday #readingvlog #bookreviews #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #scifibooks#starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram #nycbookstagram @pantheonbooks @ingramsparkbooks @levinequerido @mcdbooks @thenerdfam @torbooks @tordotcompub @gallerybooks
7 books
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jul 6 2025
7 books in 7 days | reading a book a day to catch up to my reading goal!
a 7 books in 7 days reading challenge … except there’s also a labubu unboxing, a cat interview, a reader slowly perishing during a heat weave (its me; i’m the reader), and lots of other chaos.
and somehow?? i pulled it off?
7 books
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Posts about this book from across Bindery
Books Right Now\ \ Rashi Dembi\ \ • Jun 4
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This is your reminder to read South Asian books all year long!
If you’re looking for book recs, I’ve got you! Here are two pages of my favorite South Asian books as well as two pages of the South Asian books on my TBR.
47 books
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how much do you care about average book ratings?
💭 how much do you care about average book ratings?
here are some of my favorites that have mixed reviews (a green flag for me)!
.
3 books
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Dec 12 2025
🥒 YOU’LL NEVER ESCAPE PICKLE BOOKS!
🥒 YOU’LL NEVER ESCAPE PICKLE BOOKS!
thank you to Ali Gordon and Pantheon for the gifted copies!
4 books
1
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jul 12 2025
reading 7 books in 7 days challenge! why was this so fun??
reading 7 books in 7 days challenge! why was this so fun??
thank you to Pantheon Books, Ingram, The Nerd Fam, and Gallery Books for the gifted copies!
7 books
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jul 6 2025
7 books in 7 days | reading a book a day to catch up to my reading goal!
and somehow?? i pulled it off?
7 books
1