Book Review: Dhanda by Shobha Bondre

I 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 more

Book Review: The Tusk That Did the Damage

How often is it that we meet a protagonist who is recognized as one of the biggest mammals walking on earth? This was certainly a first for me and such was its grandeur that it will forever be etched in my memory. Period. From the critically acclaimed author of Atlas of Unknowns and Aerogrammes, here is Tania James’ latest adventure-cum-tragedy set in

Read more

Book Review: The Curse of Surya

Indian history. Ancient secrets. Mythological legends. Thriller. Reminds me of Ashwin Sanghi and The Krishna Key. Yes, when I read the blurb of this one it did remind me of The Krishna Key. A book blurb that has ancient Indian history mixed with some treasure hunting always intrigues me and, blurb of The Curse of Surya had these elements in

Read more

Book Review: Rokda – How Baniyas do business

Rokda – How Baniyas Do Business is a delightful little book about the Baniya community in India. A compilation of the business stories of five luminary businessmen from the Baniya community, Rokda manages to enthrall and keep the reader hooked till the end. Capturing the life stories of Rohit Bansal (Snapdeal), V. K. Bansal (Kota’s famous Bansal Classes), R. K. Somany

Read more

Book Review: The Case of the Love Commandos

Our country , India, offers all things exotic and out-of-the-ordinary to the foreign palette. India is a land as full of mysteries as it is of corroded ideas and conventions. Few writers, from across the seas, have empathized with us, with our feelings for compassion and our historical past. Tarquin Hall is a British author, travel writer and journalist, who

Read more

Book Review: The Death and Afterlife of Mahatma Gandhi

“What has, however, clearly happened in my case is the discovery that in all probability there is a vital defect in my technique of the working of non-violence. There was no real appreciation of non-violence in the thirty years’ struggle against British Raj. Therefore, the peace that masses maintained during that struggle of a generation with exemplary patience, had not

Read more

Book Review: Indian Tango

There are certain books with which you have love & hate relationships in the sense that they just don’t strike enough chord with you so as to grip you along through-out. At the same time, however, there remains something in the book which doesn’t let you leave it in between. Fitting perfectly in that canvas was Indian Tango by Ananda

Read more

Book Review: Been There Bungled That

The mountaineer George Mallory, when asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, famously replied, “Because it’s there.” Turning his rationale on its head, I say I write humour because it’s not there. If, through Been There Bungled That, I inject some into your life, I’ll be happy. –      Paddy Rangappa An author armed with that philosophy is bound to

Read more

Book Review: Ex…A Twisted Love Story

A twisted love story…that’s how the writer Novoneel Chakraborty addresses his novel. Perhaps one could also call it a brain twister… the conflict of the past and the present rolled into one  leaves us  confused, bewildered and  astounded. Neel  is torn between loyalty to his live-in girlfriend Titiksha and Nivrita who claims to be his Ex. Is all this for real

Read more

Book Review: Savita – The Tragedy That Shook A Nation

What should I tell about a young woman named Savita Halappanavar that she was smart, beautiful and vivacious; that she was a doctor by profession and loved to dance; that she was ever vibrant in personality and had a diamond smile; that she was recently married and was expecting her first child; that her womb had along-with the fetus, some

Read more

Book Review: Don’t Slap Your Wife But Don’t Get Slapped Either

The genre of self help books has gained immense popularity and readership over the past couple of years. These books help in self –improvement as well as provide useful guidance to enable one to tide over the tumults of life. Readers Digest (yes, that international magazine) had conducted a survey and had found the top ten self help books that have successfully

Read more