Book Review: The Invitation

When I first read the blurb of this book, I expected an emotional drama filled with behavioral and emotional theatrics displayed when a group of individuals, especially those that have migrated to the promised land of generation ‘X’ meet after a decade! I was expecting chapters filled with the display of wealth and success by the main protagonists in true immigrant

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Book Review: The Storm In My Mind

Novels which deal with and describe places of my very own city of Kolkata, always intrigue me. They produce an indistinguishable sense of déjà vu. Given its rich historical parentage, the city never fails to fascinate writers , even when it does not happen to be their hometown. But if it is, then in most cases, a writer’s debut novel undoubtedly is based on/in the city of Kolkata.

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Book Review: Haroun and The Sea of Stories

We all know of Salman Rushdie as the controversial author who has a fatwa hanging over his head for stepping into forbidden territory in his controversial treatise The Satanic Verses. But I had missed out, before I read this book, that he had soon after the fatwa stepped into action in what can be called a lit contrast – from

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Book Review : The Sea of Innocence

The Sea of Innocence by Kishwar Desai is her third work in the Simran Singh Series. The first one was Witness the Night which dealt with female infanticide while the second one Origins of Love focussed on surrogacy. The only thread linking all these three reads is the recurring protagonist – Simran Singh who is a social worker/ investigator making it suitable

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Book Review: The Wordkeepers

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 As soon as I started reading the first page of Jash Sen’s debut novel, The Wordkeepers, I was instantly hooked by the scene, which drew me right onto the battleground in Kurukshetra, set at a pivotal moment, with Arjun–Ashwatthama about to annihilate the planet, and Lord Krishna trying to prevent it. Thus began a

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Book Review: Aisle Be Damned

Aisle Be Damned attracts the reader with the cover and tagline. It is an intelligent blend of pun and posh-ness. The book starts with airports, covers check-in, security, boarding, flight safety, food and all the other steps in separate chapters. There is a little something for everyone – tips to strike useful conversations with attractive co-passengers, a very important section on choosing your seats wisely before boarding, a rather intimidating chapter on flight safety, hilarious anecdotes on captains and cockpits.

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New England Meets India: inKonversation with Betsy Woodman

A north american with memories of India, returns back after decades to write a fiction based in the country of her childhood memories. Part memoir – part fiction the Jana Bibi Adventure series is back this winter with its second instalment. We get inKonversation with the creator of the vivacious fortune teller Jana Bibi and her intriguing parrot – Betsy

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Book Review: Lady, You’re Not A Man

Apurva Purohit talks about the Suffering Sita syndrome and the fortyish syndrome found in Indian women. She points out categorically that these not only hamper their career growth prospects, but also impede their character development. She writes, “Like wine, we only become better with age.” The modern social scenario, according to the author: “It is thus crystal-clear that traditional stereotypes are getting redefined and we cannot slot men and women into airtight boxes any longer.”

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Writing Can Be A Bolt From The Blue, Proves Sundari Venkatraman

inKonversation with Sundari Venkatraman who felt the happiness of being a published author when Indireads decided to publish her short novella Double Jeopardy. When I got this book for review I was ready for a quick read without much expectations. This small package made me sit up, bite my nails and hold my breath and above all the oomph factor was something I would not have guessed in my wildest dream.

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Book Review: Faraway Music

There are books which engage us for a short time and some which touch our hearts. Sreemoyee Piu Kundu’s novel lingers on in our hearts even after we have finished reading the book. It is lyrical and very very feminine. Though not a feminist statement, it does reveal an underlying feminine consciousness.
A piercing insight into human emotions, Faraway Music is a wonderful debut creative endeavour.

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Book Review: Complete/ Convenient

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 The fact that the author’s name rhymes with Chetan Bhagat, is not a coincidence. Ketan Bhagat, is in-fact the younger brother of an author who has redefined our reading habits and has proved that best-selling books can also be made into box-office film hits, in an Indian context. As Ketan Bhagat writes, in his

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Pensiever calling Pensiever: inKonversation with Adite Banerjie

I met Adite through the blogging world. Her book The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal was about to be out and she was feeling the jitters of an author debutante. But once I read her book I had a strong feeling that this book is not only for the Indian readers but also should be distributed in the International market. While her story

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Book Review: Love, Films and Rock ‘n’ Roll

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 Love, Films and Rock ‘n’ Roll explores a different track of life far removed from the preconceived ideas of society. The novel seeks to link the present and the past talking about the changing outlook of the young generation on love, films and music and how they rediscover their inherent cultural values through personal trials

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Book Review: Bollywood Fiancé For A Day

Mills&Boon (M&B) are books that a girl apparently grows up with but fortunately or unfortunately, my reading group in school – we grew up looking down on M&B. Even though reading wasn’t that cool in the 90s, we beleived we were too cool to be reading about love struck petite heroines and love deflecting hot heroes.

The first time I read a part of a M&B was (preposterous as it may sound) when I was forced to read a chapter during the hostel ragging.

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Book Review: The Last War

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 Tell us who is your favourite character from The Mahabharata and why? Answer in the form below. The best answer makes you the Reader-Winner of September 2013 and gets fun-express The Average Indian Male by Cyrus Broacha home delivered at your place. Sandipan Deb’s debut  novel, The Last War surely is a page-turner. Having a corporate and

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Book Review: The Virgins

Somethings are change makers, like some people. They can be movies, conversations, books…anything. Even fiction. Yes the make belief can challenge beliefs. This book did it for me. Call me ignorant but being the avid shiva believer Varanasi has, in my mind, remained a city of temples, tourists and tantricks. The Virgins made the city real for me. It put forth on the 318 odd pages a city like any other Indian city, with real people and relatable problems. Siddharth Tripathi in his debut as a novelist presents rare maturity in Indian English writing and a cast that is as entertaining as it is enticing.

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Writing Is More Than Just Being Able To Put A Sentence Together: inKonversation Ambalika Bhattacharyya

She has one of the most intriguing author profiles, we have ever come across Indian writers:  Ambalika was born during an extraordinary planetary eclipse that had momentarily wiped off the sunshine from her life. When the darkness threatened to take over, she wrote and wrote, and when the eclipse passed, she found that she had authored this book. When she

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Cast & Win Contest

CAST AND WIN CONTEST Here’s something to rake the filmi imagination and satisfy the book hoarder in you, Pensievers… Hello Casting Director (Dear Pensiever). Read the character sketches listed below. Cast an actor/ actress from the hindi film industry to the characters. Answer in the form below. Go dream about the movie having a 100 crore weekend, till you get a winner announcement eMail from us

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Book Review: The Caretaker

Through the story of captain Ranjit Singh, Ahmad showcases one man, at two places – thousands of miles apart, in two situations – set years apart, yet connected like those thin threads of cheese that refuse to break, stretch as much as you may. A word-potrait of emotions with some intriguing secrets and revelations infused in the storyline is what, I would call The Caretaker is about.

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Book Review: Life..Love..Kumbh

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013, South Asian Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads What is the most exotic thing you know about Kumbh Mela in India. Answer in the form below. The most e.x.o.t.i.c. answer makes you the Reader-Winner of July 2013 and gets the laughter riot book The President’s Coming by Anuvab Pal home delivered at your place. A

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Book Review: Compass Box Killer

Certain things when they associate with certain places hold a very different level of excitement. Crime and Mumbai have a similar association. Blame it on the reputation of the city or hindi cinema but the association runs deep and the proposition always excites. Last year when filmmaker Piyush Jha decided to move his mode of story telling from celluloid to pulp he took it upon himself to explore the fascinating yet rarely explored genre ( in India) of crime thriller. And choose his favourite muse Mumbai as the canvas. Mumbai and crime – the stage was set.

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The Homing Pigeons Art the Heart Contest

Two hearts that’s what you have to put on paper. You are free to use any art form; your are free to use any type of colour (crayons, pencils, pens, paints…anything) or even not to use any colour. You are even free to use inspiration. The only condition is it should be done in hand on paper. No computer kalakaari.

After you have art-ed the hearts on paper, click a picture and upload using the form given below.

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Never Make Decisions When You’re Angry or Horny, says Lara Bagai

She will be the big Three O soon, has a super bitch competitor in business, has the whackiest supporter there too, has the craziest bunch of friends (like all of us) and they are all congregating for her 30th. For a whole week. And yes, she has this filmy deal with her not really buddy friend, that awaits realization at

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Book Review: The Secrets of the Dark

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013, Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Legend. Secrets. A cult of protectors. A child of destiny. What more does a fantasy fiction fan need? Fantasy fiction seems to be taking some steady, sturdy steps in Indian literature these days. This year at The Tales Pensieve we have had the fantastic Luwan of Brida

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Book Review: The Homing Pigeons

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013, Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Time does funny things to us. And so do circumstances. It is true for life but fiction just emphasizes it better. Like The Homing Pigeons does. Sid Bahri‘s debut novel is a much needed fresh breath in the  stagnating romance sagas that present day Indian literature sees. The book has its

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Desi inKonversation from Videsh: A Talk With Ankita Kapoor

Once a desi, always a desi – for the heart knows just one beat! We get inKonversation with the very much desi in videsh – Ankita Kapoor. The debuting author and artist talks about her first book, the trials and time pass that writing has become for her. An author published in the US of A, a story about the

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Book Review: Murder in Amaravati

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013, Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads A crime thriller should have pace. It should have multiple suspects. All suspects should have motives. All motives should be equally compelling. And finally the fun is in spite of all the suspects and their motives, the murderer turns out to be someone we (the reader) suspected

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Book Review: 2012 Nights

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013, Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Magic could be so magical!! (don’t get your hopes high, this book is not a magic propagating fantasy fiction) But it is definitely about the magical stories that entwined our growing years – with a twist. The Arabian Nights – what a fabulous collection of stories it was. Fascinating, intriguing and magic

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inKonversation: WordMaverick of April 2013 – Adi

A science graduate of Stanford University with an MBA from the Harvard Business School, an insatiable interest in the religious history of India, spirituality and mythology and one who claims to have spent his entire life researching for his debut book Tantra – Adi is the WordMaverick of April 2013. We get inKonversation with the shy wordsmith who gives us not

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Book Review: Shiva Trilogy

The Shiva Trilogy by Amish for me will always represent that whiff of freshness that stormed the Indian literary scene that was nearly choking with louveeee in 2010! (not that the scene is any different now [after 3 years] but the winds are definitely changing). The mythological – historical – adventure – fiction series is all but immortalized as one of the trend changers amongst Indian books and Indian publishing

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What Is Important In Fiction Is That It Has Internal Logic: Amandeep Sandhu

Roll of Honour is without doubt one of the best books read and reviewed on The Tales Pensieve so far and a journey into the mind of the wordsmith behind the book was yet another wonderful experience. In again one of the best interviews here, Amandeep Sandhu gets inKonversation about capturing the stories in our lives, peeling yourself to write and some

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Book Review: Roll of Honour

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads This review is honoured to be on the author’s website. I had earlier interviewed Amandeep and his answers were the major push behind me wanting to read the book. I was born at the end of 1983 in Bhopal. Two major events happened in Bhopal around my formative, childhood years

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inKonversation: WordMaverick of the Month – March 2013

IT guy turned into a love story writer. Heard that so often, no? IT guy turns into a fantasy fiction writer!! that’s a new one, right? Meet Sarang Mahajan – our very own WordMaverick of March 2013 on The Tales Pensieve. First he wrote Visual Basic and Java codes, then all those ish-wish web designing codes and now fantasy fiction

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Book Review: Tantra

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013, Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Title: Tantra Author: Adi Publisher: Apeejay Stya Publishing ISBN: 978-81-908636-2-9 Pages: 335 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.5 of 5 Reviewed for: Blogadda.com I am going to let you on a secret. Many may tsk tsk me after they read this especially the ones amongst you who are

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inKonversation: P G Bhaskar – WordMaverick February 2013

He is the proverbial banker-cum-writer, a breed so up and kicking in the Indian writing scenario today; but thankfully he doesn’t write books that look like bollywood films on pulp! inKonversation with the WordMaverick of February 2013 we meet the man behind the funny yet sensible Jack Patel – P. G. Bhaskar. The Dubai based private banker talks about Indian

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Book Review: Luwan of Brida

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013, Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Title: Luwan of Brida Authors: Sarang Mahajan Publisher: Periwinkle (Imprint of Popular Prakashan) ISBN: 978-817991-671-1 Pages: 272 Genre: Fantasy Fiction Rating: 4.5 of 5 Reviewed for: Author A Debut book. An Indian. A fantasy fiction series! I have always been a lover of a bit of

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Meet the amalgamators of Photos & Fiction: WordMaverick of January 2013

The Stopover has been one of the most exciting debut books I happen to read in the past six months. It not only introduces a talented photographer and two exciting story writers but also a genre itelf – Photofiction. The art of story telling through pictures was somewhere lost to children books; we adults after a certain age think it

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Book Review: Cold Feet

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013 Title: Cold Feet Author: Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan Publisher: Penguin Books India ISBN: 978-0-143-41720-0 Pages: 234 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.5 of 5 Reviewed for: Mysmartprice.com Chick Lit – Yes, that very insulting word for literature by any woman writer who dares write a story on fellow gender friends. Yes Cold Feet is a book by

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Book Review: Blood Red Sari

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013 Title: Blood Red Sari Author: Ashok Banker Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers ISBN: 978-93-5029-321-8 Pages: 283 Genre: Fiction Rating: 4 of 5 Reviewed for: Mysmartprice.com Ashok Banker is a name I have always associated with mythological re-tellings having read his Slayer of Kamsa, The Forest of Stories and The Seeds of War, finding a women centered thriller

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Book Review: When The Snow Melts

Part of Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Title: When The Snow Melts Author: Vinod Joseph Publisher: Amaryllis ISBN: 978-93-81506-11-0 Pages: 202 Genre: Fiction Rating: 2.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Author Afghanistan is on the creative radar for a horde of Indian writers and it is a pleasure to read different angles to a definite chapter in modern history. After Red Jihad,

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Fiction Is The Only Truth That Makes Sense: Aarzoo Shrarma

Start of this week we get inKonversation with a writer from the heart of India. Aarzoo Sharma, lives in a small village Chahlan in distt. Ludhiana, Punjab and writes about life in english novels and in punjabi poems. Read the reclusive young author talk about how writing as the safest mode of unleashing his wrath for certain things in life and

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Book Review: The Stopover

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Title: The Stopover Author: Ram Prakash & Deepa Pinto Publisher: Krab Media ISBN: 978-8-1908421-6-7 Pages: 198 Genre: Photo Fiction Rating: 3.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Authors An exotic travel with four places on the itinerary into the exotica synonym – India – and a foray into four

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Book Review: Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge and South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: Once Upon The Tracks of Mumbai Author: Rishi Vohra Publisher: Jaico Publishing House ISBN: 978-81-8495-305-3 Pages: 266 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Author Some books are like A.R. Rahman’s music, first you are struck and then you are awestruck; they just build on you as you go forward.

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Book Review: My Magical Palace

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge and South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: My Magical Palace Author: Kunal Mukherjee Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers ISBN: 978-93-5029-119-1 Pages: 372 Genre: Fiction Rating: 4.75 of 5 Reviewed for: HarperCollins Publishers A nizam’s palace in Hyderabad, the exotic Bengali culture and the pangs of first love – that is where Kunal Mukherjee’s debut saga takes us.

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Book Review: The Edge of the Machete

Part of  South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: The Edge of the Machete Author: Abhisar Sharma Publisher: Westland Publications ISBN: 978-93-81626-67-2 Pages: 333 Genre: Fiction/ Thriller Rating: 3 of 5 Reviewed for: Blogadda.com Islamic mendicants centric novels seem to be on the rise with The Edge of the Machete by Abhisar Sharma being the third one, after Red Jihad and Zombiestan,

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Book Review: Toke

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2012 and South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: Toke Author: Jugal Mody Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India ISBN: 978-93-5029-340-9 Pages: 214 Genre: Fiction Rating: 4 of 5 Reviewed for: INDIAreads.com This review is honoured to be on the author’s website. Three facts I bet you did not know about marijuana and getting stonned: 1. We know

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Book Review: Zombiestan

Part of South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: Zombiestan Author: Mainak Dhar Publisher: Duckbill Publications ISBN: – 978-93-81626-92-4 Pages: 248 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Blogadda.com This review is honored to be on Duckbill Publication’s Official Page and the official page of the book. I confess, while agreeing to review this one I had never been this wary

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Book Review: Red Jihad

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge and South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: Red Jihad Author: Sami Ahmad Khan | inKonversation Publisher: Rupa Publications ISBN: – 978-81-291-1987-2 Pages: 263 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Blogadda.com This review is honored to be on Rupa Publication’s official page and the official page of the book. Lives have been held to ransom

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This Ganesha Equals Ardhanaareshwara

The festivities are back in Mumbai, with the queen of Arabian Sea bedecked as a bride and all around are sanskrit chants, blaring loud speakers, feverish dhol beats, out of tune aartis on mikes and ganpati bappa moriya. Every year, September reminds me of my first meeting with Mumbai’s favourite bappa. My first week in Mumbai and my aunt dragged

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Book Review: The Krishna Key

Two huge blue colored doors, possibly wooden, vedic flower designs splattered over them in a matrix pattern, bells hanging from each of those flowers, golden pegs, an ornate lead lock that brings them together with a single beam of light between them hinting at the other side and golden words underneath the huge lock proclaiming The Krishna Key. The cover

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Book Review: The Forest of Stories

Each day of my childhood had begun listening to my father read out of his Ramayana, Mahabharata or Bhagvatam. Each day had begun with pulling the pillows over the ears to block out the words, that debuted sounding as gibberish but eventually with passing years started making sense, atleast to the story lover in me. Amidst the magic, myths and magnanimity,

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