There are times when a novel is judged by its cover and title, rather than the blurb. This is one of those times. Our life goes in pursuit of better things, our heavens. The title The Heavens We Chase, along with a beautiful cover, appealed to me, and I took it up for review. The genre of the book is
Read more“Good satire comes from anger. It comes from a sense of injustice, that there are wrongs in this world that need to be fixed.” – Carl Hiaasen Giving words and a voice to our emotions through stories, or verse, is a way to express them without having to directly say what is troubling us. The world around us is not
Read moreShort Stories are always a delight to read. The author, Namrata is a reader, writer and reviewer herself. This got me excited. Normally short stories have a lot of genres clubbed into one. But in this one, all the 20 stories are love stories. Without even giving it a second thought I picked this one up to review. Here are
Read moreA strong blurb and a powerful cover page are the biggest drawing point for a reader to this book. This book aces in both the aspects. The cover page is fiery, dark and thought provoking. The synopsis gives us an idea as to why the cover page is what it is. I honestly loved it at one go. Ramya loses her
Read moreThe trio of journalist Chandrasekhar, historian Meenakshi Pirzada and intelligence officer Syed Ali Hassan from The Shadow Throne is back in Aroon Raman‘s 3rd novel – Skyfire. After dabbling in historical fiction for his 2nd book – The Treasure of Kafur, Raman is back to writing what he started off with and to a very large extent he doesn’t disappoint.
Read moreThe Murder of Sonia Raikkonen is Salil Desai‘s 4th published work and 3rd crime thriller. The book brings back the team of Inspector Saralkar and Constable Motkar from Desai’s debut – Killing Ashish Karve. And thankfully so. After a dismissal 2nd book – Murder on the Side Street, where the author attempted with a group of young investigators, I am glad
Read moreThe title of the book, a combination of three words, did not make much sense to me. I was hoping reading the book would clear that confusion up and bring a magical connection that will reveal the purpose behind the curious name. With the growing influence of vernacular words on the title, I wasn’t even sure if I was reading
Read moreCitadel of Love by Pratibha Ray was first written in Odiya as Silapama and is the winner of Odisha Sahitya Academy Award. Translated into English by Monalisa Jena, if there is one word that can describe the experience of reading this book, it is – brilliant! For one the book doesn’t read like a translation and therein lies the biggest achievement for Jena. As
Read moreNo Safe Zone is Adite Banerjee‘s 3rd fiction and this time she dares to steps out of her comfort zone. Her earlier two books – Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal & Trouble Has a New Name were pure contemporary romances but this one is romance with a twist and I am sure Banerjee had a blast plotting this one. With this book the
Read moreWhen Love Finds You is Yashodhara Lal‘s 4th book; a contemporary romance set in New Delhi. Like her earlier three, this one too is set in the corporate world and is an insider’s story with an alpha heroine, a loveable hero and a sly villain to complete the mix. But unlike the earlier books, one doesn’t come away impressed. To
Read moreChetan Bhagat in a recent interview said that many Indian women tell him that he understands them better than most men. If his latest book is anything to go by I think those women are right. I won’t say he understands Indian women completely but whatever he understands, he does understand bang on. So for one, Bhagat has researched really well
Read moreFirst things first. Three things that made me pick the book up: one its a Westland book, my experience says they pick good stories, second Preeti Shenoy is the only woman in the top five best selling Indian writers so I decided to take the plunge and third the cover is decent, not great but not bad either. My takeaway:
Read moreVarsha Dixit is back with Sneha, Nandini, Aditya, Nikhil, Gayatri and a new character Viraj. While the first book in the Right Wrong series was Nandini and Aditya’s story, the second one was about Sneha and Nikhil, the third book – Rightfully Wrong, Wrongfully Right brings to the readers the story of diva and vamp from the first two books –
Read moreTrue stories are the most difficult to review. Like how can a reviewer say that, this part should have been better or that part needed a little more spunk. I mean, it is reality painted on the canvas. It cannot be a shade lighter or darker!! The critic in me wanted to accept this daunting task and here I am reviewing
Read moreThe book has one of the most interesting titles and cover images. The title is a thought that resonates among millions of engineering graduates across the country. The cover picture is conceptualised well – one of a ‘wasted engineer’ holding a placard that announces her as a photographer, showing that she studied engineering but ultimately ended up following her passion,
Read moreLove makes your world go round. We have all had our own share of ups and downs when in love. You cry and laugh, when in love, but we all want to experience it. I love the feeling of being in love and being loved, and that is why I love to read this genre too. Nothing can beat a
Read moreSome stories need to be told, not because they are exceptional as stories or the author has exemplary narration skills but because some stories ask questions. This is one. Bhaavna Arora‘s latest book Love Bi The Way came to me while it was at the desk of the editors at Penguin as a spiral bound manuscript and later as a
Read moreA nurse goes missing when she visits a patient. The investigation further delves into her story, and it begins to unravel. The cover art of this novel, Saanvri, gives the reader an idea of what to expect from the novel, the blurb makes it more interesting as it promises the story of a woman’s transformation from victim to exploiter. Perhaps
Read moreDon’t we all love romance? Well, atleast most of us!! Teenage love stories are even more special. Seeing a happily ever after to a teenage love story captivates me, precisely the reason why I picked U & I. The essence of love stories, for me, lies in how pure they are. This strikes a chord with the reader and in turn helps a
Read moreThe title of the book, thankfully devoid of superlatives, piqued my interest. What could be the qualities of an ideal wife? And was this book about the search for one? The cover is considered attractive in recent times, and as far as modern book covers with caricatures go. But it did not draw me in the way it should. It
Read moreA collection of short stories make for interesting reading. I find that it helps when I am stuck in a reading rut, and want to break the shackles. Panorama: A Collection of Short Stories, written by Shilpi Chaklanobis offered such a chance. I had seen the cover of the book earlier, shared by one of my friends on social media,
Read moreTwo thousand years ago, the poet-sage Valmiki wrote the Ramayana. It is the tale of Ram, the sun-prince of Ayodhya, who is obliged to follow family rules and so makes no choices. And of Ravana, king of Lanka, who does not respect anybody’s rules or other people’s choices. Over the centuries, hundreds have retold the tale in different languages, adding
Read moreA hardcore academician, an ace student and a avid, top ranking scholar. Ex-Director of a business school and MBA in both Human Resources & Marketing along with a Ph.D. in Leadership from Pittsford University, our author in the hot seat, is the bestselling author of two absolutely stunning and unconventional books – The Deliberate Sinner and Mistress of Honour. She also trains
Read moreIndraneel is a successful bollywood celebrity. He has all the good fortune of life, looks, education, fame, personality and a life that looks well settled. At the utmost peak of his life and career, things suddenly take a complete U turn, totally upending his life. Despair and hurt take refuge in his heart as he tries to see through the
Read moreLet the Game Begin, a thriller penned by Sandeep Sharma has been classified as a historical thriller by the author. Thriller as a genre often comprises the elements of suspense, mystery, uncertainty and anticipation to keep the reader hooked till the very last page. Historical fiction usually depicts historical figures in fictional scenarios, fictional figures in documented historical events or
Read more“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is made by the friends we choose“- Tehyi Hsieh Unconventional stories always pull me. They always get me excited. Cabbing All The Way is one such tale that talks about 12 different people coming together for a common purpose. As this was also different than the normal genres I prefer
Read moreIf you have been reading me regularly you possibly, by now, know my love for short stories. Here I am back to yet another short stories collection. Here I go through how each of the 9 stories in this book worked/ didn’t for me: WEEDS: This one is extremely pale. There is no concrete story.It gives a feel that it is
Read moreA self-described cubicle dweller by the day and writer by night, our author in the hot seat, is the author of over a dozen books, some of which have been bestsellers in India and abroad. These books have also been translated into Turkish, Vietnamese, Japanese, French, German and Portuguese. He lives with a self-assigned target of writing a book a year
Read moreMurder on the Side Street by Salil Desai is the author’s second novel. I happened to read Desai for the first time while reading a review copy of Killing Ashish Karve, which was his debut work. And it was impressive. Tightly written. When I started using Kindle, I came across his second work on a monthly deal and the author’s name
Read moreFantasy fiction, a scarcely explored genre in Indian writing in English; not a genre that Indian readers will pick up easily to experiment for we are badly burnt by the incredibly out-worldly and impossibly illogical stories we are fed on our television, all in the name of fantasy. When Dark Things arrived from Hachette for review and the moment I
Read moreMy Chameleon Soul by Sumit G. Sehgal (an international wordsmith with a literary experience spanning eleven years with twenty-nine eBooks in tow) is a contemporary family sage that will definitely touch some of your own heartstrings. There are some moments which you will certainly cherish. And, some of the instances will shake your thinking cap hard and lead you to
Read moreWomen – We love them, we hate them but we cannot live without them. Whenever I read a synopsis with a woman as the main protagonist, I just want to pick that book up. Also one of the reasons why I am such a huge fan of Sydney Sheldon. This one has 2 women and a transgender. Seemed like a
Read moreI have always maintained that regional literature, like regional cinema, is what can enthrall and excite the minds of the story lovers; opening up new dimensions beyond the conventional genres. Thanks to translators and their tribe, the gems of vernacular languages are making way to mainstream publishing and what a pleasure they are on the reading senses. I have begun
Read moreOn an amavasya night, a night without the light of the moon, an eight year old girl walks into Saktidham, a sadhanasthal, a place where pujas are conducted. To most people, it would have seemed like Rhea had lost her way and ended up there. But Satya knows that her arrival is not a mistake, it’s more like a homecoming.
Read moreLike most people would probably have assumed, I thought that the Kali in the book’s title meant the name of the goddess, as in Kaali, the female goddess of destruction until realisation struck in that it was Kali, the last yuga as per hindu mythology. A funny misconception that, given I have always been told the Mahabaratha signified the end of
Read moreI have said it so many times that I love reading short stories. It just feels like an opportunity to read 10-15 stories in the same book. I feel it is a reader’s heaven!! That is why I never leave the opportunity of reviewing Short stories. A Walk With A Call Girl – Simple sweet tale. Perfect Feel good kind of a
Read moreYou know, when it works, love is pretty amazing. It’s not overrated. There’s a reason for all those songs. – Sarah Dessen Love is the most interesting topic. To discuss, To feel. It is almost always a favorite genre to read. And stand alone, these novels take you into a dream world, or make you feel emotions that, you, then want
Read moreWhat we know of history is only what the archeologists have so far dug out and a story that historians have written. What is there is a story different from what the historians have written? Because the archeologists haven’t found something so far, does not mean it never existed! This is the thrill of historical fiction. A well researched and
Read moreThis is the story of a year, in fact of a lifetime narrated in the time span of a day. Rajesh Talwar in this novel chooses to not have to do much with dialogues and chooses on a monologue narration. There is only one man who talks in How To Kill A Billionaire, the protagonist himself. This is his story.
Read moreCrime fiction in India especially Indian writing in English (IWE) has always lacked that one awesome, swish-buckling investigator. Barring the ones in regional literature translations like Byomkesh Bakshi or Feluda, our crime fiction is still very nascent as far as looking forward to a rocking investigator and his/ her awe inspiring criminal invincibility is concerned. Though authors like Piyush Jha
Read moreRapes have become the most prevalent topic to discuss these days. Everyday the newspapers are filled with how girls are raped and gang raped. Few days back I read a story about how a 28 day old baby was raped. Apalled as I was, I got the opportunity to review a book which talks about how a woman resurrects herself
Read moreTabish Khair’s latest literary offering is a read for everyone in the times that we live. These days, not a week doesn’t go by without a terror attack being reported. Lives are being ripped away mind-numbingly. And humanity is losing trust and faith, both. Fear is caging hearts and mind, all around. In the name of a religion? In the
Read moreThere is much to like about Ruskin Bond’s Roads to Mussorie. It is like a warm cup of tea on a cold winter morning, something you’d love to have when you are on a hill station. One of the finest Indian authors takes us through his personal memory lanes as he talks about Mussorie, Dehradun (Dehra), Landour, and nearby places,
Read moreMy Father is A Hero and the overall premise behind it, is one I will never fail to be impressed by. No matter how many men she comes across in various capacities and various relationships in her life, a father is always a daughter’s first hero. So the title is not all that surprising. The blurb attracted me in the
Read moreThe Speaking Ghost of Rajpur impressed me with the title. It is one of those titles that promises a good read, if carried off correctly, like I hoped this one would be. The blurb was very exciting and it was with a pleasant anticipation that I began reading this book. The theme of the cover and the caricatures of four
Read moreEvery story is real, every reality is a story. I love translations possibly because so far all the translations I have read, be it Malayalam to English or Tamil to English or Bangla to English, all of them are superlative. Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag was originally written in Kannada and translated to English by Srinath Perur. There are times when
Read moreI absolutely love reading a collection of short stories. This book, That Woman You See by Sujata Parashar has all nine dedicated to women. I just had to pick this one up for the mix it provides. Ganga: She who is pure – This describes the girls of the night. How a girl full of love gets into the flesh
Read moreThere are some books that, when writing about, leave one kind of wordless. They might be extremely good, hardly giving a need to write about them; or extremely bad, making it impossible to find something to admire. The third kind would be those books that tick the right boxes in the right amount, leaving me mesmerized. A collection of stories,
Read moreAs soon as I noticed the title of this book, I knew it will be fun. In a society like ours where body shaming is a regular practice and marriage is the only testimonial for a good girl; Shuchi Singh Kalra‘s I am Big So What shows a girl who fights against all odds and succeeds in vindicating an independent woman’s concept
Read moreAn endearing novel of self-discovery, Sutak is a thoughtful look at the way in which flawed human beings are wrong – and right. This story is about two sisters and their ever intertwining lives. Lalitha and Vinodini though appear like two different species at a glance have more in common than they ever cared to acknowledge. They are like two
Read moreThe question ‘What is good fiction?’ would bring different responses from different readers. For some, it would be the believability of the story, which is not necessarily over the top or unrealistic. For some, it would be the ability of the story to transport them into a world unlike the one around them; a fantasy land where there’s magic and
Read morehistorical fiction provides an opportunity to make connections with the past. And, this is what The Counterstroke by Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran offers you. It presents a story that took place during a notable period in Indian history. The book takes us to seventeenth century India when Aurangzeb (the Mughal prince) was planning to forge a bloody path to the Mughal throne and Shivaji (a Maratha landholder) had started creating trouble for the Mughal Empire.
Read moreI am making a comeback to solicited book reviews and City of Death by Abheek Barua is the book that marks it. A review copy accepted after long and was it worth it or not? Lets find out. City of Death is primarily the story of a serial killer who is trying to perfect his act of slaughter. It is
Read moreShreyas Bhave’s first book The Prince of Patliputra (Asoka Trilogy #1) offers an action-packed story-line to the lovers of historical fiction. Taking a well-known personality from Indian history and weaving a gripping tale on his life is not an easy task. The task becomes more difficult when the personality the author is choosing is a well-known name among his possible
Read moreRalph Findlay, a successful businessman, commits suicide. Jack, his son, is devastated. But soon after the suicide, a note finds its way to Jack from someone named The Saldirgan, claiming to know Jack’s secret. Already traumatized by the loss of his father, the note makes no sense to him. Not till his dear friend is killed, and he discovers the
Read moreBlurb, they say, is the window of the book. It helps a reader decide whether he wants to spend that money and go ahead and read. Many a times I have had this complaint that authors do not give appropriate justice to the blurb. But this blurb is apt and pertinent and evokes the exact excitement to read such a narrative.
Read moreHonestly speaking, it is the title of the book that caught my attention more than anything that compelled me to agree for the review. Let me tell you, I am not disappointed with my decision to read the book. Where are my Pants? is a collection of blog posts put together by Nikhil Kumar. Perhaps some of you have visited his blog.
Read moreCategorized as a superhero fiction, a part of speculative fiction by the author; the story narrated by the author often blurs boundary. A part “social satire”, a part “super-villain” story, a part study of human evolution; The Legend of Yuck-Man begins as a story of exploitation and displacement fostered by greed and augmented by capitalism; however, it soon descends in
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While I got my reading habit from my mother, it was my father who bought me my first sets of books when I was not even two. Yes, they were picture books. Then came the mythological books with pictures, which he who read only technical books, would read out to me. I remember once when I was about 5 or
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A couple of weeks ago, my wife received a message on WhatsApp from the mother of one of my daughter’s classmates. The mother – let us call her Mrs X, for convenience – had heard from her son that Kaavya (my daughter) is one of the better students in school when it comes to writing in English. Mrs X wanted
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If you, like me, are astounded that anyone actually needs to be told reasons for reading humour, then this piece is not for you. Or, maybe it is – for after all, more often than not, one is only preaching to the choir and it would ill-suit me to dispense with my only possible audience. But there I go too
Read moreThe cover page of this particular book grabbed my eyeballs. Seeing it and without reading the synopsis (a first for me!) I had decided I want to read this one. It lets out such a strong message. Kudos to Geetali for a splendid job. Smita and Krishnaprem are in love. They are ambitious people. Also dealing with their own complications.
Read moreThe Siege is a book on the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, focused almost entirely on the Taj Hotel, by career journalists Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark. The duo happen to be married and are co-authors of an impressive array of investigative journalism style books on terrorism. While reading the book, it is easy to forget that the book is fact
Read moreI picked this book up because I had seen the seriously hilarious movie The Perfect Murder based on a book of the same name by Keating. If you haven’t seen the movie, do go ahead and watch it… It is one of the lesser known gems of Indian Cinema. However, this was the second time that a Merchant Ivory film led me
Read more‘Reflections on contemporary living and relationships’ – the tagline that accompanied this book of collected essays said more about the content than anything else. Having been a Times of India subscriber since it began publishing a few years ago in my city, I have gone through Ms. Nangia’s columns in the special glossy Sunday Times supplement, Times Life. The short
Read moreThe second book of the Hastinapur duology, The Rise of Hastinapur, concentrates on the second and the third generation of the Kuru clan, mainly the Queens. This book revolves around Amba who was wronged by Bhishma’s actions and whose daughter eventually led to Bhishma’s death; Gandhari, the queen of Gandhar, who was later married to Dritarashtra, the grandson of King
Read moreWritten by renowned polemicist, Hitchens, The Missionary Position is a sort of sting operation conducted on the life of Mother Teresa. At 99 pages, it is also probably among the thinnest yet incredibly good books that I have read. Hitchens lays bare Teresa’ life like it should have been. After all, what’s wrong with a little bit of devil’s advocacy? And,
Read moreSoorina Desai’s debut novel, Anamika, was first published in the year 2005 and republished in 2015. It is the story of Anamika and Rajbir. Written with an eye for detail, the story describes a time when India had newly gained its freedom. Romance in that era was very different from what we understand today. There’s a certain old school charm
Read moreI got onto this book after reading the fantastic ‘Rokda‘ from the same publisher. I am in a phase where I am finding contemporary Indian history interesting, which is why I breezed through Shobha Bondre’s ‘Dhanda‘ in two days. Though I liked the book, it had two major flaws. One, except the Gujarati Mayor character, I had heard of none
Read moreI remember asking my mother if she remembered the Emergency in the 70’s and she told me, “Yes, a lot of people went to jail; but corruption went away. Trains, buses used to be on time.” That and the undeniable fact that Indira Gandhi had induced the Emergency to satiate her hunger for power, had been my narrow viewpoint on
Read moreWhen I took up the book for reading expecting some run of the mill stuff with perhaps a touch of suspense laced in to a romantic story… just to catch the fancy of the casual reader! ! But let me tell you… I was in for a pleasant surprise. Love Kills is unique.. it is not what you would look
Read moreI was somewhat surprised that I liked The Zoya Factor so much. I expected to merely pass the time on a flight with the book; what ended up happening was that I was perhaps the only one not sleeping (or not trying to sleep) on a late night flight, completely hooked to Anuja Chauhan’s first. The story line and plot
Read moreAgni Sreedhar’s bio on wikipedia reads as former gangster, writer, critic and artist. His book Daadagiriya Dinagalu (Kannada), winner of Karnataka State Sahitya Akademi Award, has been translated into My Days In The Underworld – Rise of the Bangalore Mafia. The translation, by Sreedhar himself, stays colloquial and the tone of the book is naturally street side. What an exciting
Read moreThis was the first Jhumpa Lahiri book I read and from the get go, I was enchanted by the poetry of Lahiri’s prose. It is a little difficult for people who have grown up reading Jeffrey Archer’s short stories – people like me who expect every story to have a beginning, a premise and an end – to fully appreciate
Read moreThe first thing that I noticed about the book when I saw it was the cover. In an explosive pink color, the cover is cluttered with a huge hyperlink mouse pointer image with little badges surrounding it. Yes, Start-ups in this technical age revolved around computers. For the sake of argument, which business doesn’t? I could make out the title
Read more‘Being an avid reader of crime fiction myself, I have always harbored an ambition to make my own humble contribution to this genre,’ said writer Sourabh Mukherjee in an interview. ‘The story, of course, had its germs in my own interests in human psychology and in the complexities of human relationships, especially in these times of changing social order.’ ‘Also,
Read moreTo me, ‘God of Small Things‘ has always been the gold standard for the kind of book that should win a Booker. Booker winning book after book since has disappointed me sorely. The Booker Prize it seems, is more about the one eyed amongst the blind and not really the best book of the year. That said, ‘The White Tiger‘
Read moreI normally like to read the blurb and the prologue before selecting a book as I believe some synopsis do not do justice in getting the right feel of the story. The blurb of this one highlighted a very different kind of a subject and that made me pick it up at the very first instance. Naina and Manish are
Read more“We dream and we actualize those which are closest to our hearts” Alchemist of The East is a story about a boy who copes up with his life after the untimely death of his parents and tries to follow his dreams only to be informed about a legacy he is a part of. Everything that follows adds to the making
Read moreI read this book after I came to know the movie version wasn’t really an accurate adaptation of the actual history of the Chittagong uprising. Being a history buff, I really wanted to know what actually happened in Chittagong. Chatterjee does justice to the subject and keeps you hooked even though you know the fate of the uprising already (from
Read moreAs a lover of books based on Indian mythology, I opened Jagmohan Bhanver’s The Curse of Brahma with a bit of apprehension. And, there was a certain reason behind that. Lately, a number of retelling of Indian mythologies had disappointed me. But, to my own surprise, this book captured my attention in the Prologue and then I could not stop
Read more“It’s not right, but it’s okay. I’m gonna make it anyway… Don’t you dare come running back to me… I’d rather be alone than unhappy.” This number by Whitney Houston has been playing on my music system ever since I accidentally discovered it while looking for Anuj Tiwari’s novel of the same name. The song examines a woman confronting her lover about his infidelity.
Read moreThere is perhaps a law of diminishing returns with an author. Look at John Grisham – the same guy who gave the world classics such as The Rainmaker or The Testament – also wrote absolute putrid shit such as The Summons, The King of Torts or his latest Theodore Boone book series. It is perhaps a disservice to Pattanaik that this is the first
Read moreAuthor as a main protagonist has always caught my attention. Also romance is my favourite genre. This book was a combination of both and thus I did not flinch even once to pick this up. Ajopa Ganguly is a struggling writer. Her script has got rejected many times, thus making her not wanting to write any further. She picks up
Read moreWhen I went through the book blurb for the first time I knew the story is going to be something that is totally unlike other thrillers. As the cover of the book hints, the sole theme of the story is based on the significance of the emblem printed on the cover of the book. The story, Borrowed Plumes, revolves around
Read moreHave you been reading? Reading women writers? May you read, read more and read more women writers. If you ask why, I believe that women have been adding more sensitivity to writing in India. I have been brought up on a staple of books written by women in Bangla, and they are all amazingly touching and close to reality. Women
Read moreSet in the tiny village of Golvada in Thane, Oswald Pereira’s Chaddi Buddies is a sweet story revolving around the protagonist Robert’s transition from a meek boy to a strong young man. The book is essentially a tale of four friends who grow up together and whose bond undergoes a huge change with coming of age. At the start of the
Read moreThe title of this piece should give you a fairly good idea as to why I am writing this piece. I am a romance novelist. Check. I love reading them as much as I do writing them. Check. I am sick of people turning up their snobby noses at romance. Double-triple-check. And I am here to debunk some of the
Read moreLove is in the Air!! Astor Hotel in Shakespeare Sarani of Kolkata was all abuzz with excitement. All in anticipation of a book launching event – Sreemoyee Piu Kundu’s third novel – You’ve Got the Wrong Girl published by Hachette India. Following closely on the heels of her female erotica, Sita’s Curse, this new book has generated considerable amount of interest
Read moreFantasy is not a creation of the modern world. In fact the roots of fantasy go back thousands of years to an age of myths and legends, when wandering storytellers sat by a fire and recounted fantastic tales of wondrous worlds, populated by gods, heroes and monsters. Starting from the ancient epic of Gilgamesh and The Tales of King Arthur
Read moreAfter last year’s success with Kamadeva – The god of Desire, Anuja Chandramouli returns with this striking work on Shakti – The divine feminine. We all know about Shakti – She is the Mother Goddess, Mahamaya the enchantress, the supreme consciousness, the pure source from which all creation emerges and to whom all must eventually return. As Ushas, the enchanting goddess
Read moreRomantic books, movies have always fascinated me. The feel good factor that they bring to the table is what draws me to the, always. It makes me want to read more and more. E-Love is a teenage saga. Wanting to reminisce my teenage years, I picked up this book to review. Ankit’s brother is getting married in an arranged marriage setup. He meets
Read moreHow can someone be funny and serious at the same time? It is like asking me to see a respected guru in a capering clown. But, then, that is exactly what a satirist aspires to be and do. Satire seeks to make you laugh and make you think. The point of all satire is to show up the foibles of
Read moreI am quite ambivalent about my opinion on this book. It usually does not happen. I know whether I like it or not. It is a different matter that I may not be brutally honest in my review for a bad book, or superfluously glowing for a good book. But I know. Not this time. Because, Palm’s Foster Home For
Read moreNirbhaya case had taken the entire nation by shock. It was one of the most talked about and heartfelt case in the history of Delhi Rapes. This particular incident has again come to the limelight, due to the juvenile being released free after committing such an atrocious crime. In the midst of all of this when I got the opportunity
Read moreNew Delhi: It is a cold, wintry morning in Delhi but Jain Book Depot, a well-known bookstore in Connaught place, New Delhi is all deck up and business as usual. The chairs are laid out and the stage set for the launching of Anurag Anand’s latest novel – Love on 3 wheels published by Srishti Publishers & Distributors. Slowly people began to trickle in.
Read moreWhen I was offered this book for review, I almost grabbed it – for two reasons. The first reason obviously was the quirky title and the ‘V versus Y’ on the cover page, which I thought was a really funny way to denote a marriage. The second was the warning sign, Caution: Marriage Ahead in the summary. I had not really
Read moreHindu mythology has always attracted my attention and of them, the retellings of Mahabharata and its characters are my favorite. So when I was given an opportunity to read and review a book based on Bhishma, I knew I couldn’t miss it. The Winds of Hastinapur is a story told by Ganga, the first wife of Shantanu, one of the
Read moreThis book had me at the get go. From the opening scene, I read, in a trance like state – most likely under one of the very neuroses Manu Joseph researched to write the book. An unconventional mystery about a father trying to find out why his cartoonist son committed suicide set in the Madras of the 90’s, the book
Read moreThere is something about Short stories. You get done with them fast. Also if it is a collection of short stories then, you can relish many more stories (10 in this one) in one, which is like extra icing and chico chips on the cake for a reader. I like the fact that at the start of every story a brief
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