When The Heavens Smiled is a heart-stopping mystical tale of love by Ritesh Arora which talks about love surpassing all odds and winning. As a reader I read novels as they are, sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes confusing. But as a reviewer I can only say to the publishers that the stories being published in recent times are not maintaining the basic requirement of sharp
Read moreWhen I discovered The Edge of Desire by Tuhin A. Sinha, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The blurb sounded promising and the reviews gave a positive feedback. But, the thing about Indian writing is that I could never feel connected to it. Some books just work out fine for me, while others lead to utter disappointment. So it is
Read moreNever Kiss Your Best Friend sounds like a love story that happened when it was not supposed to, like all love stories this one is special too. “Feelings that suddenly come knocking at the door of your heart are feelings that never left the comfort of it in the first place”… A philosophy is born out of love such as a
Read moreHow 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 moreIndian publishing is at a very interesting turn now. We currently have a hoard of writers writing in different genres. I don’t claim that all of them are readable but there are definitely some gems that don’t see the limelight much but are gems nevertheless. As a reviewer who gets review copies from most of the known publishing houses in
Read moreIndian 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 moreI changed my job recently and was sent on training to a location where so far I have not been able to locate a single bookstore that sells English novels; the only ones me and a colleague could hunt for are a couple of stores that sell Kannada novels! Left with no paperback options I retorted to an option I
Read moreI first heard of the ePublishing venture – Bloody Good Book (BGB) on Twitter (through the tweets of the founder herself – Rashmi Bansal). BGB is a unique eBook publishing venture where the power of crowd sourcing & crowd curating is used to find the book that is considered for publishing by BGB & Westland Books. Brutal by Uday Satpathy
Read moreThe Thirteenth Day is the tale of the Great War between the cousins – Pandavas and Kauravas. The title announces what can be expected out of the book. The blurb is crisp and describes the story, arousing the reader’s interest. The cover page gives a sneak peek into the battle field and how it would have been. Mahabharatha is one
Read moreLove is indeed visible in ‘the Corners of a Straight Line’ Life can never be lived while travelling on a straight line, it is indeed the corners that shapes our destiny and our character at large. “I never wanted a straight line to epitomize my life, I preferred corners” Corners of a Straight Line opens the essence of life and love
Read moreFrom the bestselling author of white collar crimes based thrillers, Ravi Subramanian, comes a story of love, deception and revenge – that the book cover promises to be different from the author’s usual offerings. But when you read it, it turns out to be more or less a thriller of a more domestic nature. Paperback king, Aditya Kapoor’s life is
Read more‘A backbreaking misadventure in the Himalayas’, this line coupled with one look at the book cover was enough to entice me towards it. And I quickly flipped it around to see if its blurb held any material to justify my interest. And it did. There is something about travel writers that I don’t find in anybody else. They pique my
Read moreFrom yet another IT employee turned author comes a surprisingly simple and unpretentious novel – Just six evenings. The novel starts-off with the lead character, Atul Sharma, being arrested by the Haryana police department, for reasons not mentioned and the character thinks about the event that leads to this situation. Eight years ago, while still starting his career, in Bhopal,
Read moreTo begin with, the cover page is funky and vibrant at the same time. It has a boy who is caught between Lord Rama and the scary Ravana surrounded with things that is dear to him. The title is a little long, yet apt considering the plot. The book blurb is brief and would surely grab your attention. The characterisation
Read moreTabrik C’s Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister explores how the twists and turns of fate can play havoc with the life of a man. He is compelled to move between different parts of the world …right from the portals of Harvard to the adventurous city of Mumbai to the political labyrinths of New Delhi. Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister is a fascinating tale
Read moreIn a fast moving world of corporate life and busy schedules, health has become secondary for women, replaced by the aim to earn more money and living a comfortable life. We tend to forget that to achieve this aim we need a healthy body and an even more healthy mind. The lifestyle wellness guru turned author, Payal Gidwani Tiwari, in
Read moreThe Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal focuses on the life of a wife in an orthodox milieu of Indian society. The story in this book shows that a wife in a traditional Indian society is generally given a secondary place. This results into losing all notions of her independence, her individuality, stature and strength. The story revolves around Megha who gets
Read moreShriti Publication is known for publishing stories that are not only fresh in plot, narration, and characterization but also fresh in formulating that perfect memory that takes you on either a joy ride or a philosophical one. Having read the previous titles published by them I picked up The 3-U Turns of My Life thinking it would be an interesting story
Read moreLove, an emotion which forms the core of our existence can be different but the essence remains the same throughout. This evergreen emotion has transcended ages and brought us together to co-exist peacefully. This has been a popular genre among emerging writers to connect with the masses at large. Frankly when it comes to writing romance the narrative has to
Read moreRang Leela is a collection of poems (mostly in Hindi) by Piyush ‘Jayant’ Arora. Jayant is Piyush’s takhallus (pen name), like Dinkar, Nirala, etc. The collection is not of a particular form of poetry, that is, Hindi Kavita or Urdu Ghazal, or Nazm or Sher. Rather it is all of these. And none of these. The collection moves between Hindi, Urdu
Read moreAjit wrote One Life To Ride quite some time back. The actual road trip happened much earlier. My guess – 2003 or so. That explained some of my discomfort with the context, as things have changed dramatically in the last few years, and more and more people are doing these road trips. Now, for a true travelogue/ journey book, should this
Read moreVirender Kapoor brings us the life of Einstein, the greatest physicist of all times, with a few lessons for us to derive from the genius’s life. How did Albert Einstein acquire such a cult status? What was so great about him? And, more importantly, what can we learn from his life? One of the most admired figures from the last
Read moreLet me start this review with an ominous sentence: Indian writers tend to be bad at storytelling. I was wary of picking this book up but then I happened to real Parab’s “About the author”. Slightly overcooked, but he still had my attention. And then I thought, well, what the heck… let’s give it a shot. I couldn’t have been
Read moreWhen The Tales Pensieve gave me the opportunity to review this book, I was completely unaware of what to expect. I have never read a book like this before. The author had sent me a signed copy, so as elated as I was, I started reading not knowing what a ride I was in for. The protagonist is fatigued by
Read moreKismetwali is a collection of short stories, woven around the –walas and –walis that we are so used to in India. Just to set the context right, we are not talking about the Parsis such as Shenaz Treasurywala, or my good friend Perseus Patrawala or his wife Pinaaz Pagdiwaala. We are talking more about the chaiwala, taxiwala, malishwali, kaamwali, phoolwali
Read moreModelled on self-help/ mentorship books, Jiyo Dil Se is written by Harish M. Bhatia, CEO of 94.3 MyFM, and draws inspirations from his life and professional journey. Picking on the central theme of living your life to your heart’s fill, the book quotes examples liberally from the lives of celebrities to further emphasize on the theme. One cannot help but
Read moreA latest trend in the Indian book industry is the publication of books based on Indian mythologies. This clearly reflects the contemporary popularisation of such books. This also shows that these ancient stories are still compelling. However, most of the times, readers do not find anything new or different. What they generally find is the same old tale with slight
Read moreThe moment I saw this book up for review on The Tales Pensieve, I called for a copy immediately. No, I am not a sadist and I do not enjoy reading about people who are in immense pain (this book is about domestic violence, assault, rape) but sometimes knowing about people who suffer such a great deal, helps you realize that
Read moreBest known for writing crime fiction, Vish Dhamija’s latest offering Deja Karma is a legal psychological fiction. Crowned as the India’s John Grisham, Deja Karma has undoubtedly stimulated the genre of legal fiction in India which was almost non-existent before the arrival of Dhamija on the scene. As suggested by the title, the book commences with the imploration of the
Read moreThis book isn’t a novel and yet it is full of stories. This book isn’t a boring sermon and yet it has lessons that stand on their own legs and walk straight into your heart. This book isn’t mythology and yet it takes a reader on a ride into the sublimity of the ancient texts. This book isn’t shouting at
Read moreThe title of the book should have been my first clue. But then, there was that nagging voice that often rings in your head to not be skeptical and prejudiced about stuff by the looks of it. And now as I have laid the book to rest, I curse that nagging voice for making me pick this one up! Virat
Read moreIt is a recent habit of mine to read a book from the very beginning. A lucky thing, I felt as I started the poetry collection by Joy Goswami (translated so amazingly by Sampurna Chattarji). The 20 page foreword by Sampurna about Joy, his poetry and some snippets from his letters or various essays was a must and very meaningful
Read moreOne of the defining things about growing up in a small town in early 90s was Superhit Muqabla. Those in the metros had access to DD-Metro. Those growing in smaller towns, waited for DD-Metro to reach their cities. Or, they waited for the cable TV revolution and channels like Zee TV, Prime Sports, and so on. Tara with her Ta,
Read more“…Trying to move away from his turbulent past, He sings a song palpable, but fast… Cold and hungry like a herd of cattle, He moves forward, like a man who’s out to battle. His desire unfolds the light of the day, As he sees the leaning grasses in May…..” This song initiates the tale of a thief rising to be
Read moreWhen I read the excerpt of this book, I knew I had to read this one! It had a combination of the attributes I love – art, mystery and history! I am a great fan of historical fiction and reading this close on the heels of The Himalayan Revelation and The Temple of Avinasi made me as happy as a
Read moreStories can go on and on…..they can entangle us in webs and when we are trying to come out of it, wrap us around in another. Can we ever say that there is an end to any story? The novel End of Story? written brilliantly by Arjun Shekhar is a dark, humorous, intriguing thriller which brings us to some probing
Read moreA simple love story written in an extraordinary manner, Advantage Love addresses the age old issue of love albeit from a different perspective. Madhuri Banerjee’s novel explores the arena of love, life and career through the eyes of the protagonist Trisha Mathur. In a strange way the novel seems to be a search for love – true love as one
Read moreThe one thing that keeps me reading Hussain Zaidi‘s books is the inimitable manner in which he becomes a fly on the wall of Mumbai‘s most dangerous criminals and fiercest cops alike. My Name is Abu Salem tracks the life and times of Abu Salem – the man whose crime career is perhaps best known for Gulshan Kumar‘s brutal murder
Read moreThe book cover has the text, “To say I couldn’t put down this down is an understatement: I barely breathed. With rapier wit, Basu introduces us to Nathaniel Brown and his spine-chilling adventures. “ says Wendy Orr, author of Nim’s Island. Samit Basu’s Turbulence is a favorite and the Terror on the Titanic was an easy pick for me, especially
Read moreIf you’ve followed some of the Zen Garden articles (in Forbes India) by Subroto Bagchi, a rather fine business person and a good storyteller, you would know what to expect from the book. You’re getting something a little better than that, by the way, in this compilation of his articles. Is there something new in the articles? No. Is there
Read moreRokda – 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 moreOur 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 moreSeveral weeks back, I was sitting as an audience member on an ET Now show – Starting Up With Ronnie Screwvala. Every episode featured three shortlisted start-ups, their journey, and a chance for these startups to ask Ronnie questions that are bothering them at this stage. Premise being – you can learn a lot from an industry veteran who has
Read moreThrillers tend to be either similar to creaking bones oozing with wisdom or strut with the irreverent arrogance of youth that has little to convey. It is rare to come across one that defies these clichés and defines itself as being both young and sane… and I can say with a lot of confidence that Kulpreet Yadav has managed to
Read moreDo you know Jose? VJ Jose? RJ Jose? Have you heard of his podcast (along with Suresh Menon) Kaanmasti? You should. The dude has a sense of humour. And in a world full of outrages, you should find people who have a sense of humour. You need to. And keep them close. Ladies, Please! is a no-holds barred take on dating
Read moreI had heard of the Purulia arms drop growing up, without ever fully understanding the context. It is clear that Chandan Nandy – the author of The Night It Rained Guns – was however, fully consumed by it. I picked this book up with great expectation, expecting to finish it in not more than two days, the average time it
Read moreAbhisar Sharma has written two thrillers before this book, which I haven’t read. This one, however, is all about people and relationships, and it takes montages from three decades of Abhimanyu’s life. A media man with a penchant for reporting, Abhisar seems to have gotten down to writing a deeply personal book, or so it seems as you flip the
Read moreThe book is a collection of biographical sketches of seven entrepreneurs from across a variety of industries in India. In bringing them together, Riddhima successfully weaves a four decade long view of entrepreneurship in India. The choice of entrepreneurs is interesting – across gaming and technology (Vishal Gondal of Indiagames and Goqii), hospitality (Patu Keswani of Lemon Tree Hotels), logistics
Read moreA collection of stories may not be as respected as a novel, but no one can deny that short stories have their own charm. If you ask me it is heartening to read so many stories in one volume. That is the reason why short stories collection never goes out of vogue. The Patna Manual of Style is indeed a
Read moreMy love for Ruskin Bond‘s writing started when I was in the Sixth grade. The lack of a good library and a shortage of books would drive me to devour my English textbook every year, even before the school started, heck, even before my Dad would cover it up in those Brown laminated covers to protect it from a year-long
Read more“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 moreThe Sales Room is as attached to its title as inseparably as a bee is to honey. The plot revolves around sales, sales and nothing but salesmen. These are a specific kind of people who, as the writer says, are interested in keeping their economies ticking. This is an innocent satire about a software start-up which seems to be undergoing
Read moreI picked up T. G. C. Prasad‘s The Last Ten Percent skeptically – unsure of whether an Indian author could actually write a good business book. But the foreword was a pleasant surprise. Prasad went from anecdote to anecdote and he finally had me intrigued. I had to read on. The concept of The Last Ten Percent is that companies
Read moreFiercely independent and free flowing spirits finding anchors has been a long written about narrative. Two soul-mates over-analyzing their overtly obvious connection, eventually coming of age, and finally, defining their relationship is a script that Ranbir Kapoor has made a career out of. Yet, to dismiss the book as just such a story would be a disservice to it. Siddharth
Read moreWhile the title The Trial of 2091 and the book blurb itself sounded interesting, I must confess I found the book quite hard to follow and ultimately finish. In fact, by the time I finished half the book, I was quite tired, primarily because of the fact that the author chose to sequence his chapters in a manner where the
Read more“Life for a warrior is filled with challenges… ……..The legacy of our family was written with this sword… As long as you hold it; our family’s name will live.” Ancient Warriors dying for honor and love for their country has always made Indians swell up with pride. Women have always showed their potential in various steps of life down the
Read moreWith Bloodline Bandra, the author Godfrey Joseph Pereira takes us down on what is quite an intense journey of coming of age of David Cabral, from Pali Village in Bandra, Bombay. And as the author states in an interview in the last three pages of the book, the narrative itself is more or less autobiographical in nature, and this revelation
Read moreI read Sriram Karri’s Autobiography of a Mad Nation and wondered if something was wrong with me. The book has apparently been longlisted for the MAN Asian Literary Prize. And I suffered through most of it. The book begins with a rant a few pages long, which has the sort of putrid vile hatred which makes you wonder how the
Read moreThe book blurb of Operation Jai Mata Di by Pratik Shah along with its intriguing cover where a pair of eyes are staring back at you through a veiled face piqued my interest quite a bit, and true to its initial impressions, this was a case where even though I judged a book by its cover, the judgment turned out
Read moreLeela was destined to be unlucky right from her birth, her being a manglik and all. Her parents had always favored her younger brother Sanjay over her and finally when a wedding alliance presented itself in the form of Vishal, who was a manglik himself, her parents were more than happy to get Leela married off. Little did they know
Read moreA story when penned down has a life of its own. It is like a journey which draws the readers into it. Showing them at every cross road their own reflection in the shades and situations of life. It can be heart whelming, it can be soulful, it can be depressing and it can be disturbing but in the end
Read moreThe half mother is a poignant story of an innocent mother’s search for her lost son, the son who she lost to the political play of governments. Haleema and Ab Jaan are a family of two – a close unit of a father and daughter. With Haleema’s mom’s passing, Haleema is forced to drop out of school and help her
Read moreAn accidental discovery of the insignia of an ancient empire on a wooden prayer wheel at a Ladakhi monastery, soon turns into a dangerous chase between two nations trying to discover and establish ownership of a remote location in India, the existence of which was a secret until then. The only man with any knowledge of this location is Xhan
Read moreDamodar Mauzo is a Sahitya Akademi awardee, and a highly respected figure in Konkani Literature. And so, picking this book as one I really wanted to read and review was a no-brainer. “Short stories do not say this happened and this happened and this happened. They are a microcosm and a magnification rather than a linear progression.” ― Isobelle Carmody
Read moreAuthor Shobhan Bantwal, summarizes in this book what so many Indian American youngsters go through, especially when it comes to striking a balance between the freedom they have, and the need to follow tradition. The Full Moon Bride is a fun-filled, pacy read about Siya Giri, who is a virgin hitting the big three-oh, and her experience with the Indian
Read moreTo be frank I did not understand why Picture Abhi Baaki Hai is a book at all. It put me off at the outset with a lengthy, vapid prologue justifying its existence as a book – a prologue in which the author keeps bringing up the name of the book twice on every page. For example, Picture Abhi Baaki Hai
Read moreIf I was to judge a book solely by its cover, title and blurb, Sanjeev Ranjan’s third novel—Just the Way You Are, would score out of out in this particular review. But I am afraid the artistry under the covers has got to be just as good, and this is precisely where the book disappointed me big time. That said,
Read moreThe Temple of Avinasi by Ayush Pathak is the first of seven books in the series that tells the tale of a boy who discovers that his life is anything but normal and that he is anything if not extra ordinary. He discovers that he is actually the last of the avatars Kalki and is a Dev; that his mission
Read moreThere are stories, good stories and great stories. Stories are nondescript tales you read and don’t leave you thinking about it after it is over. Good stories leave you pondering on the tale it tells even after it gets over. And great stories are the ones that keep coming back to your mind at different points of your life, making
Read moreOriginally published in the year 2002 by Indialog Publications, Just the Facts, Madamji is authoress Sharmila Kantha’s debut work of fiction that introduces us to her very authentic detective, Mr. Ramji. Now, I won’t for a second believe that the Indian publishing industry back then was anything close to like what it is nowadays; especially in fiction—especially in the mystery genre.
Read moreAt some point in time we all have Googled our own names to find what results would the search yield. Of course, it depends on who you really are — a celebrity or a nobody, but for an average internet user the most common type of results would be their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pintrest, LinkedIn and countless other social networking
Read moreHalahala – Hindu mythology. Vikramaditya – Indian history. Did I tell you I am a mythological & historical fiction fan. Shatrujeet Nath just went ahead and blurred the lines between the two, and the result is a book that gave me a reason to return to reviewing books 🙂 Coming to the book, The Guardians of the Halahala takes us
Read moreLosing my Religion is a roller-coaster ride — that of exhilaration and dismay, hope and despair, enthusiasm and disappointment. It says the story of life itself. How an individual faces the ups and downs of life and emerges a winner! An oft-told story, you would say. Perhaps, but not in the way in which it is narrated…there is an inspiring vitality
Read moreFraudster is R. V. Raman’s first book – a thriller set in the corporate/ financial sector. The premise of the book is the prevalence of NPAs (Non Performing Assets) in a large number of financial institutions and the myriad schemes and machinations involved therein. The core strength of Raman’s book is that the plot is quite realistic and believable. What I
Read moreWhen I started reading this book I thought at worst, Ramulamma would be an Indian derivative of Agatha Christie’s somewhat underwhelming Ms. Marple – a shadow of her legendary Poirot. However, as I got further into the book, I realized that getting an Indian Ms. Marple might have actually been a good bargain. Quite frankly, I did not quite understand
Read moreAnthologies are not very rare in the Indian literary market these days, and yet there are few which can be counted into good ones. Litizen is a virtual platform for writers and it has come up with an interesting anthology, unrestricted to the bounds of genre. There’s gaming, ghosts, paranormal activities, beautiful con artists at job and a little magic
Read moreWhile reading this book, I came across a line that I feel best suits the feeling about this book – ‘All Nations are full of sad stories, especially our nation India’. Even with the common surname Mistry you would never think that the author is anyway related to the much celebrated Rohinton Mistry. Though they share similar literary capabilities, they
Read moreWarning: Mild Spoiler Alert Let us assume that you have no idea who Amrapali was and what the various re-tellings of her story have been. Let us assume that you have not seen the movie starring Vyjayanthimala, read Acharya Chatursen’s Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu, seen Hema Malini’s TV series. Lets just take this book as a piece of fiction loosely based
Read moreDoes the title sound gloomy? Perhaps…but life isn’t always about roses and dreams, nor is it about the seven shades of the rainbow. Sometimes we stumble at stark reality, while one’s head tells us this is real the heart refuses to accept it. And that is what this new novel from Anurag Anand seems to tell us. Look beyond the
Read more“Land – you can’t burn it like money. You can’t melt it like Gold. You can only buy it, sell it, snatch it, grab it. Titles change, governments change, times change but land stays where it is unmoved and sterile. That is its beauty” – Nilesh Shrivastava, Author, No Man’s Land This is a story of a dysfunctional Indian family
Read moreMost of us who are devout fans of the mystery genre have a certain degree of fixation with the whodunits. They suck you into its mystery unlike any other sub-genre. They seduce you to have a look into them and before you even know it, you’ll have immersed yourself into the action in the form of an invisible detective—someone who
Read moreNothing hurts a reader as much than a disappointing read from his/her expectations of a book. When I picked this book, it sounded promising with it’s back cover description of a plot that involved a female vigilante fighting the evils thriving in the capital city, I was looking forward to have a great time with what sounded like a Kick-Ass
Read moreI really love reading books where foreign authors ramble on India or stories with an Indian backdrop. It is not their story or ideas that attract me but rather their perspectives on the Indian culture and how they entwine them with their characters. Its also the curiosity that I develop to see if they have got their facts right, judgmental
Read moreThere 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 moreDo you like short stories? What do you like about them? The fact that they are short? That they are stories? Not novellas? Or big giant novels? That more often than not, they just deliver a knockout punch smack on your face and disappear? Or, that they are like the cup of coffee early in the morning that makes your day
Read moreIt has been sometime since an Indian author has enthralled me with his writing. Arun Ferreira’s Colours of the Cage: A Prison Memoir is a book that grabs hold of your attention from the word go and does not let go. In May 2007, Arun Ferreira, a human rights activist, was arrested by Maharashtra police on charges of being a
Read moreThe 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 moreIndian authors in the fantasy genre is rare. And finding a competent Indian author in this genre is even rarer. And finding a fantasy story that stays with you forever is of the rarest. Charu Singh is one of the rarer. Almost first of its kind, a Tibetan-Buddhist fantasy novel, the novel is a thorough page turner, though the pace
Read moreIt’s the age of retelling in the Indian book publishing industry. So many new re-tellings of Ramayana and Mahabharata in the Bookstore, that you are confused on which to choose. They all tell the same story but with different insights and angles which make it impossible to not like it. But what about mythological fiction? This genre is still in
Read moreOn Love & Sex seems to be one of the umpteen attempts to profit from the literary powerhouse that was Khushwant Singh. Over the past few years I have seen several books get published by various publishers, all somehow seeking to package/ repackage snatches of Mr. Singh’s writing from here or there. The last essay/ short story in the book
Read moreAre we browsing through a novel or are we actually watching a popular Bollywood film? At times both of them get blurred into a curious intermix…a world where drama and reality merge and elude the reader… Yes, we are trying to deconstruct Krishna Shastri Devulapalli’s novel Jump Cut. Wondering about the curious name, I had picked it up not knowing
Read moreBased on the concept that aliens once existed amongst us and have influenced the development of religion, technology and cultures within the human race and are in fact are responsible for the various wonders of the world like the pyramids of Giza and stone heads of Easter Island (reference Wikipedia), The Prophecy of Trivine explores the idea that life on earth could
Read moreI have a rule when it comes to writing. When a book comes endorsed by one of your favorite authors, in this case Khaled Hosseini, you don’t think twice. That is the reason I picked this book. Maybe, this is what lead to my slight disappointment when I ended the book. I somehow expected the author, Soniah Kamal, to be
Read more‘The original draft was much darker than the current version.’ said the authoress in an interview. It had me wondering how the book would have panned out had the original draft prevailed, for the final product is anything but dark. An interesting title, a tidy book cover and a particularly appealing blurb at the back. From the outlook, Abirami M.
Read moreA 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 moreEvery year, come Durga Puja, all my Bengali friends go slightly crazy. Those who can, run back to Kolkata; those who can’t, enthusiastically flock to CR Park – Delhi’s mini Kolkata. If you talk to anyone who has lived in Kolkata for a considerable length of time, they will assure you that there is no place quite like it. And
Read moreI am personally not an ardent fan of Short story genre as I haven’t read much of this genre. It’s not that I don’t like short stories as such but it never occurred to me to try this type of literature as I found myself more inclined and glued to the longer version of the game. So when I got
Read moreSahara – The Untold Story, at first glance, seems like an attempt to cash in on the newsworthy sordid mess that Subrata Roy’s affairs have become… but at first glance only. As one begins reading the book, it becomes apparent that Tamal Bandyopadhyay, a career journalist, not only has done meticulous research to write the book – including interviews with
Read moreWhat do you get when you put a mollycoddled Oxford resident who hates getting out of her comfort zone into the chaos that is India – or, more specifically, Delhi? You’d think you’d get a coming of age story, a witty/ interesting/ hilarious account of her travels, or perhaps her travails to grasp the culture shock that Delhi most certainly
Read moreLike many, I am a sucker for happy endings and when I was looking for a light read after a exceptionally heavy dose of an autobiography from my previous read, I came across this book. And it turned out to be exactly that – a light read for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Becoming Mrs. Kumar is about Julia Robinson who,
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