Sufism has always intrigued me and so have its saints; Rumi being the most famous of them. The serene and subtle learning of the mystic culture is a soothing balm to the urban, modernised soul. Ankit Chadha in his book Amir Khusrau: The Man in Riddles explores the life and thoughts of the 12th century Sufi saint…
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 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 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 more
It’s the day when Kerala’s prosperous and just king Mahabali Maveli is believed to visit his kingdom and his subjects. The promise that Vishnu’s 5th avatar – vaman allowed the king who in no terms was a bad ruler, before pushing him to the Nether-lands. If the erstwhile ruler of what is now the state of Kerala wants to take a
Read moreOnce in a while comes along a book that immediately catapults itself into your favourites. Into something that you want to go to when you are in an emotional turmoil. Into that external support that only words can give. Your go-to book. Dear Kalam Sir is that book for me. Dear Kalam Sir is a very innovative and beautiful coffee
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 more
As we celebrate Easter today in all it’s fun, frolic and great food, how can we stay away from the joy that books bring. That. is. the. real. joy. Right? Here we go…we bring you 5 fiction books that capture the beauty of real christian life in India in all it splendour, highs and lows. Em and the Big Hoom
Read more
We all love our favourite festival of colours – Holi soo much. Isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be fun to see it come alive all through the year, whenever we want. Yes, Yes…we know and we bring you exactly that this Holi. We have complied a list of gorgeous coffee table books that capture the true and beautiful spirit of Holi
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 moreWe get inKonversation with the lady who writes some very interesting stories that are thought provoking as well as sexy. Debuting with gorgeous stories, thought proving story lines and an eye catching cover is Zaarra Khader, author of The Forbidden One. Read on: Congratulations on the stupendous debut Zaarra. That’s an unconventional idea. What triggered The Forbidden One? Thank you…
Read moreBorn in Bengaluru, India and a Master of Software Engineering from Brandeis University, Waltham, USA, Nagendra Murti is a technologist and a customer advocate by profession. He is also an avid bird-watcher, photographer and wildlife enthusiast. His constant gripe is the disappearing lakes of Bengaluru due to chaotic urbanization and is looking for avenues to help with that cause. When time
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 moreBollywood junkie meets bollywood inspiration! That is what Priyanka Sinha Jha‘s debut book Supertraits of Superstars did to me. That I am a huge bollywood fan is no secret, in my close circles, and nor is the fact that I have often gotten into twitter spats and been on the defensive side on many occasions when ever movie stars have
Read moreA 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
Read moreMills&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.
Read moreSomethings 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.
Read moreShe 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
Read moreThrough 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.
Read morePart 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
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Vanity Bagh could be anywhere in India. Any City. Or any town even. It could be the gali you pass through everyday. It could even be the street you may have lived in. For me Vanity Bagh could have been a neighborhood in old Bhopal (my home town) – the characters,
Read moreCertain 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.
Read moreTrue Friendship! The chord that comes out of no where and may go into eternity. The connection that is as mysterious as it is deep rooted. The bond that is as strong as it is fickle. Amrita Anand Nayak chooses this complex relationship amidst three girls to debut with.
Read moreThe Karachi Deception starts of with a foiled assassination attempt on Irshad Dilawar – India born, international criminal, most importantly wanted by India for a number of crimes against and in his home country. The action soon shifts to India where, the elite secret group of RAW -Unit Kilo – are selecting a 3-member team..
Read morePart of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013, South Asian Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads A book all the way from The United States of America. Quite literally! This one took four weeks to reach me, is published by an American publication house based in New Jersey and written by an Indian based these too. At 133 pages,
Read moreShe 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
Read moreThis interview is a dream come true for me. No really! I have said this before, The Pregnant King was a turning point in my realization as a reader and this man made it possible. He opened up a whole new genre for me and honestly there has been no looking back. His articles and books are my one-point reference
Read morePart 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
Read morePart 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
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2013, Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads I am sure by now anyone who follows this site knows that if there are books that I will pick up by just the genre then they have to be Indian history and mythology. I first saw Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince on Flipkart.com amidst new
Read moreOnce 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
Read morePart 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
Read morePart 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
Read moreA 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
Read moreHello Book Bloggers! We are a week into the Debut Indian Writers Month 2013 and I think it is about time to give way to a mystery that the Best Review Contest (part of Debut Indian Writers Month 2013) has been shrouded in. Remember what the challenge page says: We have on-board 3 avid book lovers and pro reviewers who constitute our judging panel for the Best Review of this
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2013 Books have strange relationships with the readers. I like to call it something akin to eating. We try out a lot of dishes before we know, yes, this is what I like. On the same principles readers read (try out) different genres and books before they can put a finger on some genre/s and say,
Read moreThe 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
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads So, a parrot green cover – a white clock – 30 over it – and a hookah, a lipstick, a ladies handbag and sunglass among other things splashed around! With a cover like that I don’t think I had any illusions about what I was getting into when Milan Vohra,
Read moreRoll 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
Read moreWelcome to the Pensieve special giveaway of April 2013! How Do You Win the Copy? Simple just answer the question in the form below: What was that one signal that told you he/she is the one, the special one? And Vola! The best answer wins the copy. Giveaway Ends: May 3, 2013 | Open only to residents in India. I
Read morePart 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
Read moreIT 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
Read morePart 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
Read moreHe 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
Read morePart 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
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2013, Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Title: A Splash of Love Author: Rajeev Ranjan Publisher: Diamond India ISBN: 978-81-288-3278-9 Pages: 212 Genre: Fiction Rating: 1 of 5 Reviewed for: Author Ever confused infatuation with love? I have; for a very long time. Tell me about that realization moment. Answers
Read moreThe 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
Read morePart 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
Read morePart 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
Read morePart of Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads and South Asian Challenge 2013 Title: Jack Patel’s Dubai Dreams Authors: P.G. Bhaskar Publisher: Penguin Books ISBN: 978-0-143-41526-8 Pages: 231 Genre: Fiction Rating: 4 of 5 Reviewed for: Author A debut and this is as fresh as it gets. P.G. Bhaskar writes from his familiar surroundings of Dubai and banking to give us
Read moreTitle: The Seeds of War Authors: Ashok Banker Publisher: Westland Publishers ISBN: 978-93-81626-86-3 Pages: 345 Genre: Fiction/ Mythology Rating: 4.5 of 5 Reviewed for: Blogadda.com Ashok Banker is back with what he has been doing for years and what he does best. As the cover of this book claims, he is India’s ‘epic’ storyteller and he takes us forward on
Read morePart 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,
Read moreHe is the writer on a mission; a frenzied mission. He is the official record holder of the fastest published Indian and looks nowhere in a mood to slow down. We get inKonversation with Joygopal Podder as he gets ready with his 13th novel Goddess. An inspiration and role model to writers all over with his body of work, he
Read morePart of Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Title: Alchemy: The Tranquebar Book of erotic Stories II Authors: Various | Edited by: Sheba Karim Publisher: Tranquebar Press/ Westland Ltd. ISBN: 978-93-82618-03-4 Pages: 229 Genre: Fiction Rating: 2.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Blogadda.com A different genre from what has ever been reviewed on The Tales Pensieve – Erotica – and all thanks
Read morePart of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads Title: Chasing Maya Author: Rohan Gogoi Publisher: Global Vision Press ISBN: 978-93-80707-36-5 Pages: 142 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3 of 5 Reviewed for: Global Vision Press They say fiction is the only truth that exists! How apt and true atleast in the case of this book by Rohan
Read moreStart 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
Read morePart of 2013 Reading Challenge: First Reads Title: Beaten by Bhagath Author: S.V. Divvaakar Publisher: Frog Books/ Leadstart Publishing ISBN: 978-93-82473-3-9 Pages: 193 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Author A book for the writers by a writer. That is what Beaten by Bhagath is. A book that is in the past, present and the future. An inside
Read moreHe is the classic Engineer-MBA in the IT industry; But he is also the writer who writes on humane emotions and accomplishes a book a year. After a debut in commercial, easy read fiction, he has moved on the darker human emotions and is dabbling in them well. inKonversation with Rohit Gore who believes nothing can stop your passion, not
Read morePart 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
Read morePart of 2013 Reading Challenge: First Reads Title: Return of a King Author: William Dalrymple Publisher: Bloomsburry Publishing Plc ISBN: 978-1-4088-1830-5 Pages: 487 Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 4.5 of 5 Reviewed for: MySmartPrice The line between fiction and real blurs as one digs more into the real. History exploring is one such real digging and unbelievable are the treasures that pop
Read moreThe first interview of 2013 coincidently happens to be the wordsmith who penned one of the best books I read in 2012 – Kunal Mukherjee, debuting author of My Magical Palace and our very own WordMaverick of December 2012. Consultant, traveler, writer and much more, he dons many caps (the one in the picture not counting ;)). A real setting,
Read moreWe celebrate love at The Tales Pensieve as we bid adieu to 2012; in out final post of the year we get inKonversation with an author who is not just an author! He is a certified soft-skills trainer, a three-time post graduate, runs his own academy in Mumbai and is the Founder/CEO of Digi Imprint Solutions, India’s first exclusive promotional
Read moreShe is PhD in Strategic Management yet you know there are no strategies involved, what-so-ever, when she interacts with you. Meet one of the most humble authors I have had the good fortune to be in the company of and the cherry on the cake (for me atleast) is that she writes in my favorite genre. Krishna Udayasankar – one
Read morePart 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.
Read morePart 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.
Read moreThe man who scintillated us with his sensational debut on blurring lines in news reporting in The Newsroom Mafia is back this year end with yet another shocker. This christmas Oswald Pereira takes us, wrapped in fiction, to a less talked about truth concerning Christianity in India. We get inKonversation with the multi-talented wordsmith who seems to be on a mission
Read moreAn engineer turned writer, debuting with a love story? Sounds similar? Tad too much but Rohit Sharma‘s Te Amo….I Love You have been garnering some rave reviews since it hit the literary scene a few days back. In yet another enticing tale of how an artist discovered the storyteller in him; we get inKonversation with the latest debutant about dancing to
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: Wrong Means Right End Author: Varsha Dixit Publisher: Rupa Publications ISBN: 978-81-291-2046-5 Pages: 311 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Author Varsha Dixit is back with her brand of Indian Romance and how! She returns with the sequel to Right Fit Wrong Shoe in this book with some old and new
Read moreShe took to writing through her blog, justamotheroftwo.blogspot.com, to cope with the pain of losing her father and there has been no looking back. A best selling debut with non-fiction 34 Bubblegums & Candies followed by fiction National bestsellers – Life is What You Make of It and Tea for Two & A Piece of Cake. Preeti Shenoy – the Bangalore based poet, artist and
Read morePart 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,
Read moreA web and social media geek at known brands who dedicates his first book to every computer he has ever used and truly believes in fiction, Jugal Mody, is fun logic-alized. The writer who debuts with marijuana turning savior, zombiefied apocalyptic tale is the WordMaverick of November 2012 and we get to tickle our funny bone once again as we
Read moreFairy tales – Believe in them? Aren’t they are stuff little girls with frilly dresses believe in? A college dropout who went on to become the creative head of a high-profile advertising agency and when he decides to write novels top-of-the-game publishers line-up to publish not one but four of his works. And to top that his debit title is attracting
Read moreAs we remember 26/11 on its fourth anniversary today, at The Tales Pensieve we get inKonversation with an author who brings us a thriller built around the terrorist carnage in Mumbai and a lot of other thrills. Bangalore based Blogger, Corporate Executive, Entrepreneur, Executive Coach and Thriller Writer Prem Rao after a psychological thrilling ride in It Can’t Be you
Read moreShe is all of 12, loves books, opines with her author father on his book covers and is India’s youngest published author. Anusha Subramanian not just loves reading those books but is also the proud creator of the Catriona series – a four book teenage fantasy packed with action and adventure. As she gets ready for the official launch of
Read morePart 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
Read more…..and he has won quite a few marathons! With a self-made-promise to write a book every year and a disciple to match that Mainak Dhar – Managing Director & Head of Asia Personal Health Care at Procter & Gamble and a bestselling author with 13 books under his belt is a tangy mix to handle, just like his books. He not just meets
Read moreTerrorists create mayhem, Naxals create mayhem and if they come together it is mayhem raised to the power of two! Sami Ahmad Khan is a young debut writer but has decided to flow against the tide and write something that isn’t what sells. He decides to write a political thriller and thus was born Red Jihad -The terrifying thought-in-action of coming
Read morePart 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
Read morePoetry in prose – that’s Janice Pariat‘s style and what a style! The reader is left wanting to divulge more and discover just one corner more about the world that she paints with her words. One of those brave souls to head dive into writing full time, her debut book Boats of the Land is making a mark allover for her
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: Krishna Coriolis 1: Slayer of Kamsa Author: Ashok K. Banker Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers ISBN: 978-93-5029-000-2 Genre: Fiction Pages: 325 Rating: 4 of 5 ‘VISHNU, I AM COMING FOR YOU.’ – your uncle, ‘Child Slayer’ Kamsa What do you do when the last page of a book screams those six words in caps? Can’t
Read morePart 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
Read more